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The Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings
'Burning ice, biting flame; that is how life began' The extraordinary Scandinavian myth cycle is one of the most enduring, exciting, dramatic and compelling of the world's great stories. The Penguin Book of the Norse Myths compellingly retells these stories for the modern reader, taking us from the creation of the world through the building of Asgard's Wall to the final end in Ragnarok. You'll discover how Thor got his hammer and how Odin lost his eye, the terrible price of binding the wolf Fenrir and why Loki the trickster can never be trusted. The Norse myths are as thrilling to read as they are of vast cultural and historical importance. In this gripping book Kevin Crossley-Holland brings alive the passion, cruelty and heroism of these unforgettable stories.
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1980
676 people are currently reading
14678 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Crossley-Holland
206 books243 followersKevin Crossley-Holland is an English poet and prize-winning author for children. His books include Waterslain Angels, a detective story set in north Norfolk in 1955, and Moored Man: A Cycle of North Norfolk Poems; Gatty's Tale, a medieval pilgrimage novel; and the Arthur trilogy (The Seeing Stone, At the Crossing-Places and King of the Middle March), which combines historical fiction with the retelling of Arthurian legend.
The Seeing Stone won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the Smarties Prize Bronze Medal. The Arthur trilogy has won worldwide critical acclaim and has been translated into 21 languages.
Crossley-Holland has translated Beowulf from the Anglo-Saxon, and his retellings of traditional tales include The Penguin Book of Norse Myths and British Folk Tales (reissued as The Magic Lands). His collaborations with composers include two operas with Nicola Lefanu ("The Green Children" and "The Wildman") and one with Rupert Bawden, "The Sailor’s Tale"; song cycles with Sir Arthur Bliss and William Mathias; and a carol with Stephen Paulus for King’s College, Cambridge. His play, The Wuffings, (co-authored with Ivan Cutting) was produced by Eastern Angles in 1997.
He often lectures abroad on behalf of the British Council, regularly leads sessions for teachers and librarians, and visits primary and secondary schools. He offers poetry and prose workshops and talks on the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, King Arthur, heroines and heroes, and myth, legend and folk-tale.
After seven years teaching in Minnesota, where he held an Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Kevin Crossley-Holland returned to the north Norfolk coast in East Anglia, where he now lives.
He has a Minnesotan wife, Linda, two sons (Kieran and Dominic) and two daughters (Oenone and Eleanor). He is an Honorary Fellow of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, a patron of the Society of Storytelling and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
The Seeing Stone won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the Smarties Prize Bronze Medal. The Arthur trilogy has won worldwide critical acclaim and has been translated into 21 languages.
Crossley-Holland has translated Beowulf from the Anglo-Saxon, and his retellings of traditional tales include The Penguin Book of Norse Myths and British Folk Tales (reissued as The Magic Lands). His collaborations with composers include two operas with Nicola Lefanu ("The Green Children" and "The Wildman") and one with Rupert Bawden, "The Sailor’s Tale"; song cycles with Sir Arthur Bliss and William Mathias; and a carol with Stephen Paulus for King’s College, Cambridge. His play, The Wuffings, (co-authored with Ivan Cutting) was produced by Eastern Angles in 1997.
He often lectures abroad on behalf of the British Council, regularly leads sessions for teachers and librarians, and visits primary and secondary schools. He offers poetry and prose workshops and talks on the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, King Arthur, heroines and heroes, and myth, legend and folk-tale.
After seven years teaching in Minnesota, where he held an Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Kevin Crossley-Holland returned to the north Norfolk coast in East Anglia, where he now lives.
He has a Minnesotan wife, Linda, two sons (Kieran and Dominic) and two daughters (Oenone and Eleanor). He is an Honorary Fellow of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, a patron of the Society of Storytelling and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 496 reviews
January 9, 2011
When it comes to myths and folktales, I'm something of a purist. The cultural aspects are often as interesting to me as the stories themselves, so I like to feel like I'm getting something relatively authentic. Unfortunately, this usually means wading through painfully academic translations, skipping back and forth between sterile prose and dry footnotes, salvaging what entertainment is left in the stories.
Rather than simply translate-and-annotate, Crossley-Holland has compiled these stories from multiple sources and retold them in his own lively, but not distractingly modern, voice. Far from a dumbing-down, he eloquently communicates the spirit of these stories with all of their tension, humor, and remorse.
Meanwhile, ample academia is tucked into almost one hundred pages worth of intro and notes written in the same lively voice; there are no stale footnotes here. The cultural context is established in the intro, where he also goes over sources and his approach to the retelling. Each story also gets a discussion at the back of the book which breaks down which elements were taken from which sources, variants and similarities to other stories, cultural details, running themes, anything that was left out, etc.
This author has done much, much more than haphazardly translate a bunch of stories. The myths are vivid and engaging, and the academics manage to be both solid and colorful. In short, this book has set a new standard for me. This is what a book of myths should be.
Rather than simply translate-and-annotate, Crossley-Holland has compiled these stories from multiple sources and retold them in his own lively, but not distractingly modern, voice. Far from a dumbing-down, he eloquently communicates the spirit of these stories with all of their tension, humor, and remorse.
Meanwhile, ample academia is tucked into almost one hundred pages worth of intro and notes written in the same lively voice; there are no stale footnotes here. The cultural context is established in the intro, where he also goes over sources and his approach to the retelling. Each story also gets a discussion at the back of the book which breaks down which elements were taken from which sources, variants and similarities to other stories, cultural details, running themes, anything that was left out, etc.
This author has done much, much more than haphazardly translate a bunch of stories. The myths are vivid and engaging, and the academics manage to be both solid and colorful. In short, this book has set a new standard for me. This is what a book of myths should be.
November 4, 2024
The Norse myths loom up through the winter mists, cold and grim and wondrous. They are bleak, fatalistic tales of gods who not only are doomed but know their doom: they know exactly how they will die, and the only question is when Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods, will occur. Perhaps that is part of why the Norse myths have such power: the Norse gods live in the constant knowledge and contemplation of their frailty and mortality, just as we do.
In The Norse Myths, Kevin Crossley-Holland, an English author best known for writing poetry and children’s literature, provides a well-written and accessible retelling of the stories of Norse mythology, one that provides a helpful introduction to the deities in whom the Vikings believed before those fearsome raiders from the frozen North converted to Christianity. Because the original sources of the mythology – mainly the Poetic Edda and Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda -- can be somewhat difficult for non-specialists to appreciate fully, Crossley-Holland’s work provides an accessible way to get to know the Norse pantheon.
All the gods are here – the arrogant Odin, king of the gods, forever boasting about his conquests, both military and amatory; the thunder-god Thor, who carries a hammer like a working man and was evidently popular among the ordinary people of the Viking world; the beautiful Freya, goddess of love and beauty, desired by gods and frost-giants alike; the gentle and kind Baldur, most loved of all the gods, whose tragic death will precipitate Ragnarok; and, of course, Loki, the trickster god, who over the course of the myths goes from a mischief-maker who stirs up trouble but then helps resolve it, to a truly malignant figure who wants to bring about destruction for its own sake.
It is striking how often the gods of Asgard are figures of fun, put in embarrassing situations – as in “Thor’s Journey to Utgard,” in which Thor, Loki, and two human servants travel to the court of a king named Utgard-Loki, who uses magic to make the two Asgardians believe that they are in the presence of giants who hold greater power than any god. Thor is made to believe that he struck a giant three times with his hammer and failed to kill him (he actually struck the hills hard enough to make valleys); that he failed to drain a sconce-horn of ale (it was really the sea, and Thor reduced its level); that he lost a wrestling match with an old woman named Elli (she is old age, whom no one can defeat). Small wonder that Utgard-Loki tells Thor, “Do you know you were nearly the end of us all?”, and tells the thunder god that “as long as I live…you’ll never see the inside of those walls again” (pp. 92-93).
Interesting to wonder if Utgard-Loki is a variant on the original, better-known Loki. So often Loki, the trickster god, is the one whose mischief creates a difficult and embarrassing situation, and who then must use his wits to restore the good, as in “The Treasures of the Gods,” wherein Loki, for a joke, cuts all the golden hair off the head of Thor’s wife Sif. Threatened by Thor with the smashing of every bone in his body, Loki goes to the dwarves Brokk and Eitri and secures for the gods their most crucial gifts, including “an iron hammer, massive and finely forged, but rather short in the handle” (p. 51) – Mjollnir, the hammer of Thor.
Things turn grim in “The Death of Baldur,” when Baldur’s bad dreams of dying lead the gods to induce all things (they think) to promise not to harm Baldur; they then enjoy throwing all manner of weapons at Baldur, and watching them fall away harmlessly from the shining god of light. But Loki knows that mistletoe did not take the oath, and therefore he persuades the blind god Hod to throw mistletoe at Baldur: “The mistletoe flew through the hall and it struck Baldur. It pierced him and passed right through him. The god fell on his face. He was dead” (p. 154). Hermod, the son of Odin, then undertakes to ride down to Niflheim, the kingdom of the dead, to try to persuade Hel, the grim half-living half-dead goddess of the underworld, to release Baldur, as when Odysseus and Aeneas visited the Greco-Roman Hades, in the classical epics of Greece and Rome.
What follows then is known and foretold – Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods. All of the gods know exactly what will happen to them. Thor will defeat Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent large enough to encircle the entire world; having killed Jormungandr, Thor will stagger backward nine steps, and then will fall dead, fatally poisoned by the serpent’s spraying venom. Loki, released from his terrible punishment for killing Baldur, and Heimdall, the gatekeeper god who guards the rainbow bridge Bifrost, will kill one another. Odin will be killed by the great wolf Fenrir, and a son of Odin will kill Fenrir in turn. The Asgardians all know what their end will be, and there is nothing for them to do but face their end with courage. How very Viking, and how suitable for a culture where the best afterlife one could hope for was translation to Valhalla, the warriors’ hall where fighters chosen by the beautiful Valkyries hack and slay one another all day, and are then restored to feast and drink all night.
And yet there is a final note of hope. A man and a woman who hid in a tree and survived Ragnarok will be the sires of a new world of peace, presided over by a resurrected Baldur. As in other mythological traditions, life comes out of death.
Furnished with useful notes, a fine map of Yggdrasil (the World Tree that holds the nine realms of the Norse mythological world) and a helpful glossary, Kevin Crossley-Holland’s The Norse Myths is a good way to get to know the grim world of the Vikings and their pre-Christian religious beliefs.
In The Norse Myths, Kevin Crossley-Holland, an English author best known for writing poetry and children’s literature, provides a well-written and accessible retelling of the stories of Norse mythology, one that provides a helpful introduction to the deities in whom the Vikings believed before those fearsome raiders from the frozen North converted to Christianity. Because the original sources of the mythology – mainly the Poetic Edda and Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda -- can be somewhat difficult for non-specialists to appreciate fully, Crossley-Holland’s work provides an accessible way to get to know the Norse pantheon.
All the gods are here – the arrogant Odin, king of the gods, forever boasting about his conquests, both military and amatory; the thunder-god Thor, who carries a hammer like a working man and was evidently popular among the ordinary people of the Viking world; the beautiful Freya, goddess of love and beauty, desired by gods and frost-giants alike; the gentle and kind Baldur, most loved of all the gods, whose tragic death will precipitate Ragnarok; and, of course, Loki, the trickster god, who over the course of the myths goes from a mischief-maker who stirs up trouble but then helps resolve it, to a truly malignant figure who wants to bring about destruction for its own sake.
It is striking how often the gods of Asgard are figures of fun, put in embarrassing situations – as in “Thor’s Journey to Utgard,” in which Thor, Loki, and two human servants travel to the court of a king named Utgard-Loki, who uses magic to make the two Asgardians believe that they are in the presence of giants who hold greater power than any god. Thor is made to believe that he struck a giant three times with his hammer and failed to kill him (he actually struck the hills hard enough to make valleys); that he failed to drain a sconce-horn of ale (it was really the sea, and Thor reduced its level); that he lost a wrestling match with an old woman named Elli (she is old age, whom no one can defeat). Small wonder that Utgard-Loki tells Thor, “Do you know you were nearly the end of us all?”, and tells the thunder god that “as long as I live…you’ll never see the inside of those walls again” (pp. 92-93).
Interesting to wonder if Utgard-Loki is a variant on the original, better-known Loki. So often Loki, the trickster god, is the one whose mischief creates a difficult and embarrassing situation, and who then must use his wits to restore the good, as in “The Treasures of the Gods,” wherein Loki, for a joke, cuts all the golden hair off the head of Thor’s wife Sif. Threatened by Thor with the smashing of every bone in his body, Loki goes to the dwarves Brokk and Eitri and secures for the gods their most crucial gifts, including “an iron hammer, massive and finely forged, but rather short in the handle” (p. 51) – Mjollnir, the hammer of Thor.
Things turn grim in “The Death of Baldur,” when Baldur’s bad dreams of dying lead the gods to induce all things (they think) to promise not to harm Baldur; they then enjoy throwing all manner of weapons at Baldur, and watching them fall away harmlessly from the shining god of light. But Loki knows that mistletoe did not take the oath, and therefore he persuades the blind god Hod to throw mistletoe at Baldur: “The mistletoe flew through the hall and it struck Baldur. It pierced him and passed right through him. The god fell on his face. He was dead” (p. 154). Hermod, the son of Odin, then undertakes to ride down to Niflheim, the kingdom of the dead, to try to persuade Hel, the grim half-living half-dead goddess of the underworld, to release Baldur, as when Odysseus and Aeneas visited the Greco-Roman Hades, in the classical epics of Greece and Rome.
What follows then is known and foretold – Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods. All of the gods know exactly what will happen to them. Thor will defeat Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent large enough to encircle the entire world; having killed Jormungandr, Thor will stagger backward nine steps, and then will fall dead, fatally poisoned by the serpent’s spraying venom. Loki, released from his terrible punishment for killing Baldur, and Heimdall, the gatekeeper god who guards the rainbow bridge Bifrost, will kill one another. Odin will be killed by the great wolf Fenrir, and a son of Odin will kill Fenrir in turn. The Asgardians all know what their end will be, and there is nothing for them to do but face their end with courage. How very Viking, and how suitable for a culture where the best afterlife one could hope for was translation to Valhalla, the warriors’ hall where fighters chosen by the beautiful Valkyries hack and slay one another all day, and are then restored to feast and drink all night.
And yet there is a final note of hope. A man and a woman who hid in a tree and survived Ragnarok will be the sires of a new world of peace, presided over by a resurrected Baldur. As in other mythological traditions, life comes out of death.
Furnished with useful notes, a fine map of Yggdrasil (the World Tree that holds the nine realms of the Norse mythological world) and a helpful glossary, Kevin Crossley-Holland’s The Norse Myths is a good way to get to know the grim world of the Vikings and their pre-Christian religious beliefs.
July 17, 2019
Translation widget on The blog!!!
Cum despre mitologia nordică nu știam mai nimic, cartea aceasta a fost perfecta! M-a introdus în atmosferă prin poveștile bine construite și alerte care mi-au făcut cunoștința cu zeii, giganții și piticii mitologice. Dar și cu felul lor de a fi: buni, sinceri, dar și răzbunători și parșivi.
O carte perfecta pentru vacanță, din care înveți lucruri noi. Este potrivită începând de la vârsta de 12 - 13 ani.
Recenzia mea completă o găsiți aici:
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/mit...
Cum despre mitologia nordică nu știam mai nimic, cartea aceasta a fost perfecta! M-a introdus în atmosferă prin poveștile bine construite și alerte care mi-au făcut cunoștința cu zeii, giganții și piticii mitologice. Dar și cu felul lor de a fi: buni, sinceri, dar și răzbunători și parșivi.
O carte perfecta pentru vacanță, din care înveți lucruri noi. Este potrivită începând de la vârsta de 12 - 13 ani.
Recenzia mea completă o găsiți aici:
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/mit...
January 3, 2022
People, who know me, or who are good at reading profiles (;P) know that I LOVE mythology. And one of my favourite canons is that of Norse mythology. There isn't much left of that vivacious outlook on life, natural catastrophes and human nature, but what we do have, is epic!
Kevin Crossley-Holland (unbeknownst to me until last night) is a great and internationally acclaimed scholar with a passion for, amongst other things, Norse myths. It is no surprise, therefore, that he has a great way to recount what we know thanks to Snorri Sturluson.
For anyone doubting that the Edda was full of wisdom:
*lol* Ain't that the truth!
The stories are full of adventure, ingenuity and especially mischief, but that soon spirals out of control until it ends ... well, everything.
I don't think I need to say more about the stories about the Asgardians, frost giants, dwarves and other creatures - if you don't know what I'm talking about, though, or want to re-visit the tales, then I definitely recommend this book (and a few others).
As for Jeffrey Alan Love's art, it's certainly not my usually preferred style. It's edgy and dark and full of sharp lines ... but it fit oddly well with this book. Below are a few examples:
So yeah, the book is awesome and a very nice addition to my collection.
Anyone interested in myths should also keep this author in mind because he is really good (I very much like how different his writing styles were between this book and the one I read yesterday before I knew that both were penned by the same guy).
Kevin Crossley-Holland (unbeknownst to me until last night) is a great and internationally acclaimed scholar with a passion for, amongst other things, Norse myths. It is no surprise, therefore, that he has a great way to recount what we know thanks to Snorri Sturluson.
For anyone doubting that the Edda was full of wisdom:
*lol* Ain't that the truth!
The stories are full of adventure, ingenuity and especially mischief, but that soon spirals out of control until it ends ... well, everything.
I don't think I need to say more about the stories about the Asgardians, frost giants, dwarves and other creatures - if you don't know what I'm talking about, though, or want to re-visit the tales, then I definitely recommend this book (and a few others).
As for Jeffrey Alan Love's art, it's certainly not my usually preferred style. It's edgy and dark and full of sharp lines ... but it fit oddly well with this book. Below are a few examples:
So yeah, the book is awesome and a very nice addition to my collection.
Anyone interested in myths should also keep this author in mind because he is really good (I very much like how different his writing styles were between this book and the one I read yesterday before I knew that both were penned by the same guy).
August 10, 2007
I bought this at a tiny occult bookshop near the British Museum in June and have been stretching it out ever since. The dork in me really, really enjoys Norse myths. And I liked the notes at the end of each tale, where Crossley-Holland explained which parts came from Snorri Sturluson and which came from Saxo Grammaticus and hi I am single.
April 11, 2019
Sonunda İskandinav Mitolojisine olan bilgi açlığımı bir nebze olsun giderebildim. İskandinav ülkelerinden birinde yaşamayı hayal ettiğim için onların kültürlerini öğrenebilmek; onların şarkılarını dinlemek, filmlerini seyretmek veya kitaplarını okuyabilmek; onların yaşam tarzı hakkında ne olursa olsun bir şeyler öğrenebilmek için herhangi birinden tavsiye almak sıklıkla yaptığım şeyleren birisi. Özellikle bu bahsettiğim son konu için NASA'dan Dr. Alper Osman Aydemir bu konuda epey güvence vermişti bana. Bu kitabı okumaya, İskandinav mitolojisini özümsemeye dair bütün merakımın kaynağı da bu ülkelere olan sevdamdan geliyor açıkçası. Odin, Thor ve Loki hakkında aldığım bilgilerin yanı sıra Frejya tanrıçasının istekleri için neler yaptıkları, Balder'in trajik hikayesi, Tyr'in fedakarlığı gibi yepyeni bilgiler öğrendim.
Kevin Crossley-Holland özellikle mitleri anlattıktan sonra o mitler için hangi kaynaklardan faydalandığına ve bu mitlerin nasıl yorumlandığına dair oldukça değerli bilgiler vermiş. Kitabı okurken mitlerden hemen sonra o mite dair notları okumanın faydasını epey gördüm. 12. yüzyılda İskandinav Mitolojisi ile ilgili değerli bilgileri paylaşan şair Snorri Sturluson'ın bu esere katkısı çok büyük olmuş. Yazar çoğunlukla onun yazdıklarından faydalanıp diğer kaynaklardan da eklemelerle mitlere dair anlatımını zenginleştiriyor. Bu anlatım şeklini neden tercih ettiğini kitap içerisinde açıklamış. Bahsettiğim bütün bu gerekçelerden ötürü kitabı gerçekten çok sevdiğimi söyleyebilirim.
Mit 20 - Odin ve Billing'in Kızında, Odin'i reddeden tek kadının hikayesini Odin'in bakış açısından dinleriz. Öyle ki Odin'in verdiği nasihatlere bayılırken, notlarda da Billing'in kızının duruşu ters köşe olmamı sağladı. O yüzden favorilerimden mitlerimden birisi bu hikaye oldu. Ayrıca Mit 25 - Loddfafnir'in Durumu'nda da Odin bir insana nasihatler verir ve bu nasihatler arada bir açıp okuyacağım nasihatler oldukları için benim için ayrı bir anlam taşımakta. Bunların dışında Odin'in her ne kadar bilgelik tanrısı olarak literatürde kendisinden söz ettirse de tıpkı Thor: Ragnarok'da bahsedildiği gibi savaşı başlatan tanrı olması, ayrıca kandırmaya veya egosunu tatmin etmeye yönelik hareketleri ve bunun gibi birçok özelliğiyle "Odin" kelimesinin bendeki değerini azaltmışken; diğer yandan Loki'nin her ne kadar kötülük tanrısı olarak simgelenmiş olsa da, duruşu ve akılcılığıyla değeri bir o kadar yükseldi gözümde. Thor'un mitleri genel olarak çok eğlenceliydi (özellikle Thor'un Utgard'a Yolculuğu) ve kas kafa tabiri üzerine abartı dursa da biraz öyle! Umarım God of War'da kendisini görebiliriz.
Bütün bu anlattıklarım beni ne kadar tatmin etmiş olsa da, yine de sanki daha fazlası varmış ve okuyamamışım gibi hissettim kendimi. Ragnarok kısmı özellikle epey detaylıca öğrenmek istediğim bir hikayeydi ve bu kitapta biraz yüzeysel anlatılmış. Artık internetten araştırmalarla öğrenmem gereken bir konu oldu bu konu. Bunun dışında okurken yer yer sıkıldığım anlarda oldu. Her halükarda bu kitabın İskandinav Mitolojisi'ne başlamak isteyenlere harika bir giriş kitabı olacağını düşünüyorum. Sevgilerle...
Not 1: Kitabı tavsiye eden arkadaşıma buradan sevgilerle... :)
Not 2: Amon Amarth'ı artık rahatlıkla dinleyebilirim!!!
Not 3: Neil Gainman'ın kitabına da en yakın zamanda başlamalıyım.
Not 4: İncelememi beğenen arkadaşım aracılığıyla bütün anlam bozukluklarını yok edip biraz daha güzel hale getirmeye çalıştım. Kendisine teşekkürlerimi bir borç bilirim =)
Kevin Crossley-Holland özellikle mitleri anlattıktan sonra o mitler için hangi kaynaklardan faydalandığına ve bu mitlerin nasıl yorumlandığına dair oldukça değerli bilgiler vermiş. Kitabı okurken mitlerden hemen sonra o mite dair notları okumanın faydasını epey gördüm. 12. yüzyılda İskandinav Mitolojisi ile ilgili değerli bilgileri paylaşan şair Snorri Sturluson'ın bu esere katkısı çok büyük olmuş. Yazar çoğunlukla onun yazdıklarından faydalanıp diğer kaynaklardan da eklemelerle mitlere dair anlatımını zenginleştiriyor. Bu anlatım şeklini neden tercih ettiğini kitap içerisinde açıklamış. Bahsettiğim bütün bu gerekçelerden ötürü kitabı gerçekten çok sevdiğimi söyleyebilirim.
Mit 20 - Odin ve Billing'in Kızında, Odin'i reddeden tek kadının hikayesini Odin'in bakış açısından dinleriz. Öyle ki Odin'in verdiği nasihatlere bayılırken, notlarda da Billing'in kızının duruşu ters köşe olmamı sağladı. O yüzden favorilerimden mitlerimden birisi bu hikaye oldu. Ayrıca Mit 25 - Loddfafnir'in Durumu'nda da Odin bir insana nasihatler verir ve bu nasihatler arada bir açıp okuyacağım nasihatler oldukları için benim için ayrı bir anlam taşımakta. Bunların dışında Odin'in her ne kadar bilgelik tanrısı olarak literatürde kendisinden söz ettirse de tıpkı Thor: Ragnarok'da bahsedildiği gibi savaşı başlatan tanrı olması, ayrıca kandırmaya veya egosunu tatmin etmeye yönelik hareketleri ve bunun gibi birçok özelliğiyle "Odin" kelimesinin bendeki değerini azaltmışken; diğer yandan Loki'nin her ne kadar kötülük tanrısı olarak simgelenmiş olsa da, duruşu ve akılcılığıyla değeri bir o kadar yükseldi gözümde. Thor'un mitleri genel olarak çok eğlenceliydi (özellikle Thor'un Utgard'a Yolculuğu) ve kas kafa tabiri üzerine abartı dursa da biraz öyle! Umarım God of War'da kendisini görebiliriz.
Bütün bu anlattıklarım beni ne kadar tatmin etmiş olsa da, yine de sanki daha fazlası varmış ve okuyamamışım gibi hissettim kendimi. Ragnarok kısmı özellikle epey detaylıca öğrenmek istediğim bir hikayeydi ve bu kitapta biraz yüzeysel anlatılmış. Artık internetten araştırmalarla öğrenmem gereken bir konu oldu bu konu. Bunun dışında okurken yer yer sıkıldığım anlarda oldu. Her halükarda bu kitabın İskandinav Mitolojisi'ne başlamak isteyenlere harika bir giriş kitabı olacağını düşünüyorum. Sevgilerle...
Not 1: Kitabı tavsiye eden arkadaşıma buradan sevgilerle... :)
Not 2: Amon Amarth'ı artık rahatlıkla dinleyebilirim!!!
Not 3: Neil Gainman'ın kitabına da en yakın zamanda başlamalıyım.
Not 4: İncelememi beğenen arkadaşım aracılığıyla bütün anlam bozukluklarını yok edip biraz daha güzel hale getirmeye çalıştım. Kendisine teşekkürlerimi bir borç bilirim =)
December 3, 2025
Very nice retelling of the Norse Myths. Good research into the multiple source materials and blending them into one story. Recommended
January 7, 2018
*Rated 3.5/5 stars*
A really enjoyable introduction to Norse mythology, something I've very much been in need of for awhile! Simple writing style as it's written for a younger audience, but I love how the stories are woven together into a sort of timeline even though the myths don't necessarily fit together - effectively creating an easy-to-follow story. The art style wasn't entirely to my taste, as it didn't seem to fit the stories all the well (in my eyes), but they did support the stories pretty well nonetheless.
Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy of this book. This in no way affects my opinion.
February 6, 2015
Embarrassing to admit this -- since I dated (for 4 years) a wonderful man who eventually went on to get a PhD focusing on Viking burials -- but... I've never really been able to get excited about the grim dude-fest that is Norse Mythology. Until this book. Told by Kevin Crossley-Holland, the stories actually feel exciting now! I read one every night, and when I'm done I'm even motivated to go to the notes section to read its background. A great first book on Norse mythology. P.S. I still roll my eyes at the way every object made by the dang dwarves has its own proper name. Asgard is starting to feel like bloody IKEA! But, whatever, I can dig it. I'm a fan now.
November 21, 2018
This was a really great book retelling the Norse myths. It’s filled with brilliant illustrations by Jeffrey Alan Love and I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to read all about the myths.
I must admit that I put this book down for a few months after I originally started it, simply because I feel like once you’ve read the Norse myths once you know everything that will happen. However, I am glad I picked this up again a few months later & I think if I was to recommend any book of the myths I’d suggest this one!
I must admit that I put this book down for a few months after I originally started it, simply because I feel like once you’ve read the Norse myths once you know everything that will happen. However, I am glad I picked this up again a few months later & I think if I was to recommend any book of the myths I’d suggest this one!
February 28, 2021
These are the stories on which Rick Riordan riffs in his Magnus Chase chronicles.
A larger collection is The Children of Odin: The Book of Northern Myths, Padraic Colum, 1920, 271pp.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A larger collection is The Children of Odin: The Book of Northern Myths, Padraic Colum, 1920, 271pp.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 16, 2020
Just finished my latest book of what I call bedtime stories. I read one a night. Now I get to pick another one. Now I know lots about Odin, Loki and the Giants!
March 12, 2019
Heel fijn boek! Uitgebreider dan de vorige die ik las. Dit boek heeft bijzondere illustraties die goed bijdragen aan de sfeer in het boek.
Deze verhalen zijn ons grotendeels onbekend. Marvel gebruikt wel elementen hieruit, maar zeker met een vakantie naar Noorwegen op de planning vond ik het fijn om me wat meer in te lezen. Daar is dit boek goed voor.
Het vorige boekje dat ik las over de Noorse mythologie was erg kort en eenvoudig. Wat ik wel fijn vind is dat dat de essentie van de verhalen goed overbracht. Dat merk ik nu ik deze uitgebreidere versie lees, dat ik vaak denk 'oh ja!'. En hier staan er ook een paar in die niet in de vorige stonden.
Al met al denk ik dat de verhalen nu goed genoeg in mijn hoofd zitten om ze in Noorwegen te herkennen als er iets in verwerkt zit :)
Eerlijk gezegd vraag ik me trouwens wel af voor welke leeftijd dit boek eigenlijk is. Het is jeugd informatief, maar dat is natuurlijk erg breed. Ik vond het zelf nog aardig pittig qua complexiteit van de wereld..
Deze verhalen zijn ons grotendeels onbekend. Marvel gebruikt wel elementen hieruit, maar zeker met een vakantie naar Noorwegen op de planning vond ik het fijn om me wat meer in te lezen. Daar is dit boek goed voor.
Het vorige boekje dat ik las over de Noorse mythologie was erg kort en eenvoudig. Wat ik wel fijn vind is dat dat de essentie van de verhalen goed overbracht. Dat merk ik nu ik deze uitgebreidere versie lees, dat ik vaak denk 'oh ja!'. En hier staan er ook een paar in die niet in de vorige stonden.
Al met al denk ik dat de verhalen nu goed genoeg in mijn hoofd zitten om ze in Noorwegen te herkennen als er iets in verwerkt zit :)
Eerlijk gezegd vraag ik me trouwens wel af voor welke leeftijd dit boek eigenlijk is. Het is jeugd informatief, maar dat is natuurlijk erg breed. Ik vond het zelf nog aardig pittig qua complexiteit van de wereld..
April 17, 2019
”Să duci mai departe aceste povești și atâta vreme cât lumine noastre vor dăinui, oamenii le vor depăna iar și iar. Folosiți-vă de ele așa cum știți mai bine.”
Așa se încheie volumul despre Miturile Nordului, un fel de Legendele Olimpului din lumea scandinavă, și chiar așa s-a întâmplat: lumea zeilor Odin sau Thor, Lumea de Mijloc, lumea giganților și piticilor este acum chiar mai cunoscută decât cea a zeilor din Grecia Antică, mulțumită lui Tolkien sau a lui George RR Martin. Frumos istorisite și întunecat ilustrate, Miturile Nordului ne poartă într-o lume a legendelor, populată cu întâmplări nemaivăzute sau, dimpotrivă, foarte apropiate de cele ale religiilor (cărțile creștinismului, se știe, au împrumutat masiv din legende), de personaje ciudate sau foarte umane, de lumea iadului (Hel, iată de unde vine!) sau de multă răutate și... bere. De citit!
Așa se încheie volumul despre Miturile Nordului, un fel de Legendele Olimpului din lumea scandinavă, și chiar așa s-a întâmplat: lumea zeilor Odin sau Thor, Lumea de Mijloc, lumea giganților și piticilor este acum chiar mai cunoscută decât cea a zeilor din Grecia Antică, mulțumită lui Tolkien sau a lui George RR Martin. Frumos istorisite și întunecat ilustrate, Miturile Nordului ne poartă într-o lume a legendelor, populată cu întâmplări nemaivăzute sau, dimpotrivă, foarte apropiate de cele ale religiilor (cărțile creștinismului, se știe, au împrumutat masiv din legende), de personaje ciudate sau foarte umane, de lumea iadului (Hel, iată de unde vine!) sau de multă răutate și... bere. De citit!
November 21, 2017
Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
‘Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor and Loki’, is a big, heavy book. It opens with a foreword by the author explaining exactly what Norse Myths are and how they came about. From their beliefs of Asgard, Midgard and Niflheim: The world below ruled by a half alive, half dead woman, to giants and dwarfs. The author also provides a detailed tree explaining the different realms.
The book covers all the different tales, worlds, giants, gods and goddesses in simple to understand language that children will hopefully enjoy reading. There are some moments of violence, but none too grizzly, or over the top.
There are also plenty of illustrations drawn throughout, mostly a dark grey/black smoky colour, which actually gives the pages a creepy look to them and breaks up the writing.
I presume what most kids know about the title characters is from watching the Marvel Movies, but I doubt most children will know the real myths behind them, nor what they traditionally look like.
This is a brilliantly executed book that covers so much information that I can see children talking about these myths, gods, goddesses, realms, long after they have closed the book.
I do wonder though, with the illustrations being drawn traditionally how many children will find this book hard to comprehend, I mean seeing their favourite movie characters in a different light. There is also a lot of text, so I would say this book is best for children aged 9/10 years and above, though I’m certain there are a few adults who would love this book too.
It is most certainly a fascinating read.
‘Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor and Loki’, is a big, heavy book. It opens with a foreword by the author explaining exactly what Norse Myths are and how they came about. From their beliefs of Asgard, Midgard and Niflheim: The world below ruled by a half alive, half dead woman, to giants and dwarfs. The author also provides a detailed tree explaining the different realms.
The book covers all the different tales, worlds, giants, gods and goddesses in simple to understand language that children will hopefully enjoy reading. There are some moments of violence, but none too grizzly, or over the top.
There are also plenty of illustrations drawn throughout, mostly a dark grey/black smoky colour, which actually gives the pages a creepy look to them and breaks up the writing.
I presume what most kids know about the title characters is from watching the Marvel Movies, but I doubt most children will know the real myths behind them, nor what they traditionally look like.
This is a brilliantly executed book that covers so much information that I can see children talking about these myths, gods, goddesses, realms, long after they have closed the book.
I do wonder though, with the illustrations being drawn traditionally how many children will find this book hard to comprehend, I mean seeing their favourite movie characters in a different light. There is also a lot of text, so I would say this book is best for children aged 9/10 years and above, though I’m certain there are a few adults who would love this book too.
It is most certainly a fascinating read.
October 29, 2017
My guess is, what you won't know about Odin, Thor and Loki after reading this anthology probably isn't worth knowing.
I fall into the category of enthusiasts who like mythology a great deal, but who don't have a fantastic aptitude for learning about it. This book was perfectly aimed at educating someone like me, whilst enticing me in with interesting illustrations and incredibly told tales of the Gods of the Vikings.
Told in an almost whimsical, fairy tale way whilst still adequately portraying some of the brutality of the hammer-wielding, creepy one-eyed and trickster Gods, this anthology plunges you into a world of crazy creatures and magical monsters in a way which just sticks with you. And actually, for quite a large collection, the stories move along at a really great pace and don't become too bogged down with facts; rather, they are woven into the tale cleverly and more delicately than a typical "educational" text.
A real master of mythology - it's like watching a movie, only much much better, as any good book should be.
ARC provided free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
I fall into the category of enthusiasts who like mythology a great deal, but who don't have a fantastic aptitude for learning about it. This book was perfectly aimed at educating someone like me, whilst enticing me in with interesting illustrations and incredibly told tales of the Gods of the Vikings.
Told in an almost whimsical, fairy tale way whilst still adequately portraying some of the brutality of the hammer-wielding, creepy one-eyed and trickster Gods, this anthology plunges you into a world of crazy creatures and magical monsters in a way which just sticks with you. And actually, for quite a large collection, the stories move along at a really great pace and don't become too bogged down with facts; rather, they are woven into the tale cleverly and more delicately than a typical "educational" text.
A real master of mythology - it's like watching a movie, only much much better, as any good book should be.
ARC provided free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2019
İskandinav mitolojisine giriş yapmak, hikayeleri öğrenmek için güzel bir kitap. Biraz daha detay ve haritalar ya da soy ağaçları ile konu daha iyi gösterilebilirdi. Sanırım en büyük eksiği bu olmuş.
December 21, 2020
Crossley-Holland seems to think he knows the Norse myths, which he apparently learned at the knee (or upon the knees) of a particularly strict and perhaps licentious Catholic priest. He mixes up Mimir and Kvaser, misspells the Teutonic Tiw as Tiwaz, seems obsessed with 'proving' a relationship between the Norse Gods and the Indian pantheon, and worse, seems to revel in self-glorifying "notes" which often take up more space than his pathetic and limited retellings of the myths themselves. If, in fact, he had done WITHOUT writing these often incorrect missives, and his self-congratulatory introduction, he could EASILY have included twice the number of myths without increasing the page count by so much as ONE PAGE.
Though Aegir was a central deity of the Norse pantheon, he remains the LEAST discussed character in Crossley-Holland's version of events.
In NO OTHER VERSION of the Norse Mythology (I've read 12 so far) have I EVER heard of Odin referred to as 'evil', and I put this interpretation down to Crossley-Holland's being a tight-arsed, English twit. He suffers from diarrhea of the fingers when discussing the myths in his voluminous introduction, and appears to constipate only when actually retelling them. His insertion of vulgarities into the texts of the myths appears deliberately designed to scandalize (which was, admittedly, a hallmark of late 1970's and early 1980's literature and movies) and renders his translation inappropriate for younger readers - a disservice FEW translators of these myths have ever committed.
Perhaps as a dissertation on the mythology, this would've served - it's certainly FULL of the sort of abstract post-processed cow chow that College professors prefer in a master's thesis, for example, but as a faithful retelling, it simply doesn't DO. Crossley-Holland demands the right to insert his version of elegant and ancient epithets and conversations, to the detriment of the characters. Had he managed to find his undoubtedly drunken way OFF the Oxford campus and it's adjacent pubs, he might have run into a REAL Scandinavian, who might've told him that Kvasir was ressurrected after Odin got his mead, via the expedient of being drooled from the mouths of the Gods who were drinking it. A Scandinavian, too, might have corrected this fool about the sequence of events leading to Ragnarok - The various ways in which the Aesir slighted Loki, which in turn LED TO the scene in Aegir's Hall, which in turn led to Loki's banishment from Asgard, which in turn, led to his change from God of Mischief to God of Evil as he first plotted to, then killed Balder, which in turn led to Thor chasing him all OVER the Nine Worlds, which in turn, led to the showdown with the net. Crossley-Holland might also have learned that there were myths concerning the acts of Thor, Honir, Hoder, Odin, and Ull between Loki's binding and Ragnarok - quite a LOT of myths, in fact. Had this waste of an Oxford education BOTHERED to use transportation to reach another University, or put his hands to their intended purpose, he could've read several OTHER books other than those of Snorri Sturrllson and Saxo Grammaticus - a poet and a Catholic priest, respectively, who, although well-versed in the Norse stories, clearly were operating their OWN, well-known agendas when they wrote - Snorri to make things rhyme and mate, and Grammaticus to debunk the notion of deity in any BUT the Catholic, Tripartite God. He could've read several stories in which Balder, Hod, Forseti, Kvasir, Mimir and Ull featured quite prominently, and would've learned to respect Bragi. He would have learned of no fewer than THREE myths each regarding Fenrir, Jormangand, and Hel IN ADDITION TO the ones presented here, all of which make good reading. Who knows - he might even have learned a bit about Norse Magical Law, which permits, for instance, a practitioner to choose ANY form - even one of the opposite gender, and ANY species, but which mandates that ANY change that happens to the transformed person (pregnancy, for instance) prohibits a return to normal until the change has completely resolved. Instead, Crossley-Holland regurgitates what he undoubtedly learned on the knees of HIS first priest, to the severe detriment of everyone who makes the mistake of relying on his work.
More's the pity, this book has become THE reference on the Norse Gods, NOT because Crossley-Holland is at all talented as a writer, but because he is SUCH a favorite among his colleagues and editors.
My advice? AVOID this book. If you can't avoid it, shoot it and send it to Crossley-Holland. Or sacrifice it to the God Mimir, in hopes that he'll either imbue Crossley-Holland with some intelligence at last, or drown the dumb son-of-a-priest.
Though Aegir was a central deity of the Norse pantheon, he remains the LEAST discussed character in Crossley-Holland's version of events.
In NO OTHER VERSION of the Norse Mythology (I've read 12 so far) have I EVER heard of Odin referred to as 'evil', and I put this interpretation down to Crossley-Holland's being a tight-arsed, English twit. He suffers from diarrhea of the fingers when discussing the myths in his voluminous introduction, and appears to constipate only when actually retelling them. His insertion of vulgarities into the texts of the myths appears deliberately designed to scandalize (which was, admittedly, a hallmark of late 1970's and early 1980's literature and movies) and renders his translation inappropriate for younger readers - a disservice FEW translators of these myths have ever committed.
Perhaps as a dissertation on the mythology, this would've served - it's certainly FULL of the sort of abstract post-processed cow chow that College professors prefer in a master's thesis, for example, but as a faithful retelling, it simply doesn't DO. Crossley-Holland demands the right to insert his version of elegant and ancient epithets and conversations, to the detriment of the characters. Had he managed to find his undoubtedly drunken way OFF the Oxford campus and it's adjacent pubs, he might have run into a REAL Scandinavian, who might've told him that Kvasir was ressurrected after Odin got his mead, via the expedient of being drooled from the mouths of the Gods who were drinking it. A Scandinavian, too, might have corrected this fool about the sequence of events leading to Ragnarok - The various ways in which the Aesir slighted Loki, which in turn LED TO the scene in Aegir's Hall, which in turn led to Loki's banishment from Asgard, which in turn, led to his change from God of Mischief to God of Evil as he first plotted to, then killed Balder, which in turn led to Thor chasing him all OVER the Nine Worlds, which in turn, led to the showdown with the net. Crossley-Holland might also have learned that there were myths concerning the acts of Thor, Honir, Hoder, Odin, and Ull between Loki's binding and Ragnarok - quite a LOT of myths, in fact. Had this waste of an Oxford education BOTHERED to use transportation to reach another University, or put his hands to their intended purpose, he could've read several OTHER books other than those of Snorri Sturrllson and Saxo Grammaticus - a poet and a Catholic priest, respectively, who, although well-versed in the Norse stories, clearly were operating their OWN, well-known agendas when they wrote - Snorri to make things rhyme and mate, and Grammaticus to debunk the notion of deity in any BUT the Catholic, Tripartite God. He could've read several stories in which Balder, Hod, Forseti, Kvasir, Mimir and Ull featured quite prominently, and would've learned to respect Bragi. He would have learned of no fewer than THREE myths each regarding Fenrir, Jormangand, and Hel IN ADDITION TO the ones presented here, all of which make good reading. Who knows - he might even have learned a bit about Norse Magical Law, which permits, for instance, a practitioner to choose ANY form - even one of the opposite gender, and ANY species, but which mandates that ANY change that happens to the transformed person (pregnancy, for instance) prohibits a return to normal until the change has completely resolved. Instead, Crossley-Holland regurgitates what he undoubtedly learned on the knees of HIS first priest, to the severe detriment of everyone who makes the mistake of relying on his work.
More's the pity, this book has become THE reference on the Norse Gods, NOT because Crossley-Holland is at all talented as a writer, but because he is SUCH a favorite among his colleagues and editors.
My advice? AVOID this book. If you can't avoid it, shoot it and send it to Crossley-Holland. Or sacrifice it to the God Mimir, in hopes that he'll either imbue Crossley-Holland with some intelligence at last, or drown the dumb son-of-a-priest.
November 27, 2017
This was an actual interesting mythoi book and one that I enjoyed since unlike other Nordic collections this was a book that attempted to put the stories into some semblance of order even though both the very first as well as the last story didn't even really have to be included. Fortunately, though, for their inclusions they do help to contribute even more information for the reader, especially for those who may not have attempted such stories before.
The author has attempted to make a brief character list and although they aren't all inclusive it does give the starting reader a chance to understand the major players within the stories as well as the unique way that even though they are predominantly shown without colors or defining viewed features how they will be portrayed in the following illustrations. The artwork is cleverly done as a result and even though it seems like it would be a lack of emotions there is actually more to the artwork as a result of its portrayal although I am still not quite sure if the portrayal of Loki is quite truthful in its design.
There is also an index in the back of the book that allows the reader to get to know most of the gods in a brief description although in some cases it is too brief such as with "...is a god". Unfortunately although the author does a great job in describing the world and its inhabitants there are other important aspects of names left out such as the Jotun and the Aesir, which are very important factors to know the differences of the beings involved. Otherwise other words that are included are elements of the culture thus helping the reader to be immersed in the Nordic background.
All in all this is one book that I would highly recommend to those who enjoy mythoi, especially the Nordic tales, and for those who are interested in getting started with the information. Due to the stories hold true to the original material they may be considered somewhat graphic as well as violent so age may be a consideration before sharing the stories with younger readers.
The author has attempted to make a brief character list and although they aren't all inclusive it does give the starting reader a chance to understand the major players within the stories as well as the unique way that even though they are predominantly shown without colors or defining viewed features how they will be portrayed in the following illustrations. The artwork is cleverly done as a result and even though it seems like it would be a lack of emotions there is actually more to the artwork as a result of its portrayal although I am still not quite sure if the portrayal of Loki is quite truthful in its design.
There is also an index in the back of the book that allows the reader to get to know most of the gods in a brief description although in some cases it is too brief such as with "...is a god". Unfortunately although the author does a great job in describing the world and its inhabitants there are other important aspects of names left out such as the Jotun and the Aesir, which are very important factors to know the differences of the beings involved. Otherwise other words that are included are elements of the culture thus helping the reader to be immersed in the Nordic background.
All in all this is one book that I would highly recommend to those who enjoy mythoi, especially the Nordic tales, and for those who are interested in getting started with the information. Due to the stories hold true to the original material they may be considered somewhat graphic as well as violent so age may be a consideration before sharing the stories with younger readers.
May 17, 2021
Zelden heb ik mijn jongste zoon stiller geweten dan tijdens deze voorleesmomenten vóór het slapengaan. Zelden stelde hij achteraf zoveel vragen en deed hij zoveel moeite om de namen van de negen werelden, de goden, reuzen en dwergen te onthouden. Zelden heb ik hem zoveel betrapt op het telkens opnieuw bekijken van de eerste pagina's van het boek, waar de werelden en de belangrijkste personages uit de Noorse mythologie getekend en vernoemd staan. Vooral de grootste en vreselijkste reuzen trokken zijn aandacht, met Hrungnir voorop. Of hoe het verschrikkelijke fascineert.
Het formaat en gewicht van het boek bemoeilijkten het voorlezen enigszins: het was niet makkelijk om pagina's lang deze klepper omhoog te houden. Maar het is een prachtige, schitterend vormgegeven uitgave, met paginagrote, fascinerende tekeningen waarrond en waarin de tekst geplaatst is. Een streling voor het oog.
Avonden (voor)leesplezier gegarandeerd, van de schepping van de negen werelden tot Ragnarök.
Het formaat en gewicht van het boek bemoeilijkten het voorlezen enigszins: het was niet makkelijk om pagina's lang deze klepper omhoog te houden. Maar het is een prachtige, schitterend vormgegeven uitgave, met paginagrote, fascinerende tekeningen waarrond en waarin de tekst geplaatst is. Een streling voor het oog.
Avonden (voor)leesplezier gegarandeerd, van de schepping van de negen werelden tot Ragnarök.
April 13, 2018
In all fairness, I just finished a sort of encyclopedia style Norse mythology book, so this one seemed a little too cutsie. It is a great story book, however, perfect for younger ages. Although, it may be a wee bit juvenile for older teens and adults.
There were a few inconsistencies in the names compared to the previous book I read, which sort of threw me off. But, if I had read this one first I might have enjoyed it more. Still, it was a good read.
For my clean readers:
Lightens the violence to be presentable for younger ages, though there is still the murder, fights, lying, infidelity, unfaithfulness, and all out war that is prominent in Norse legends. All stuff you can't avoid when delving into mythology.
There were a few inconsistencies in the names compared to the previous book I read, which sort of threw me off. But, if I had read this one first I might have enjoyed it more. Still, it was a good read.
For my clean readers:
Lightens the violence to be presentable for younger ages, though there is still the murder, fights, lying, infidelity, unfaithfulness, and all out war that is prominent in Norse legends. All stuff you can't avoid when delving into mythology.
May 17, 2007
Crossley-Holland turns the myths into a cultural event with an informative introduction and copious endnotes, which compose about a fourth of the book.
The stories themselves, though, come across as short folk tales for children (no offense intended to old Snorri Sturulson and company). The one exception, the prophecy of Ragnarok, which packs an entire mythical apocalypse of universal darkness and destruction into four pages. It's worth reading, re-reading, and a little memorizing. Start with:
Axe-age, sword-age -
sundered are shields -
Wind-age, wolf-age,
ere the world crumbles...
The stories themselves, though, come across as short folk tales for children (no offense intended to old Snorri Sturulson and company). The one exception, the prophecy of Ragnarok, which packs an entire mythical apocalypse of universal darkness and destruction into four pages. It's worth reading, re-reading, and a little memorizing. Start with:
Axe-age, sword-age -
sundered are shields -
Wind-age, wolf-age,
ere the world crumbles...
Read
July 24, 2020
Reading Rush #3
Challenge: read a book that inspired a movie you've seen (this counts as inspiration for Thor, right?)
Mostly, this left me wanting to read more Norse Myths (hello, I'm a Mythology geek) and a dire need to read The Sword of Summer again.
Good book! The illustrations are cool! The writing was weird! Mythology is wonderfully weird!
Challenge: read a book that inspired a movie you've seen (this counts as inspiration for Thor, right?)
Mostly, this left me wanting to read more Norse Myths (hello, I'm a Mythology geek) and a dire need to read The Sword of Summer again.
Good book! The illustrations are cool! The writing was weird! Mythology is wonderfully weird!
February 16, 2018
Maybe I should have given this 4 stars. It’s a bit of unfortunate timing that Gaiman‘s version came out the same year. I think this is a little less accessible than Gaiman and a little less informative and scholarly than Crossley-Holland’s own earlier version, so there’s some question of the necessity of this.
November 14, 2019
A fantastic collection of stories, great selections made. My favorite was probably the telling of how Thor received Mjolnir in the first place, and why it's such a short hammer. A great read for any fan of the history of that region of the world.
January 29, 2022
If you're interested in mythology, it's a phenomenal book.
December 31, 2019
The introduction and notes really made this book shine.
December 5, 2017
This is a truly stunning book and one which will be enjoyed by not only kids but adults too. ‘Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor and Loki’ is a large hardback book about A4 in height but a bit wider and is filled with thick matt pages. The paper is the heavy kind making this a weighty book to hold and I’d advice putting it down while reading it. There are stunning illustrations just like the ones on the cover that give this book and the tales told within an interesting and dark atmosphere.
The book begins with a forward by the author explaining where the myths come from, after that there are a couple of double page spreads showing relevant characters, one has the names of all the relevant gods and goddesses, the next dwarfs and giants, and this is followed by a picture of the Norse World and the ash tree Yggdrasill. All these are accompanied with some great illustrations and I especially like the picture of Yggdrasill as this is a key part to the Norse stories and how they all connect and even though I’ve heard of the myths before I couldn’t piece them in my mind so well until I’d seen this picture.
The rest of the book is the various myths which should be read in order to get the most out of the stories. Each myth is like a short story, it has its own title and a brief sentence about it before the text of the tale. Although the Norse myths are different and some of them very strange compared to stories of today they are surprisingly compelling to read and I love the way this book tells them. I had some knowledge of the myths before I started reading this but having them in this book, arranged the way they are with the stunning illustrations has made it really easy to remember and I keep wanting to read them again and again.
Every story is interesting to read with some of them having morals to them, in a lot of them though you will read some pretty dark things such as characters being killed or hurt in the most gruesome of ways, every story however is interesting to read and has its conclusion. In some of the stories there’s mentions of things such as the killing and skinning of animals for food but none of these stories are done in a too gruesome way, it’s nothing that wouldn’t be appropriate for kids although the Norse myths themselves are dark in their very nature, especially towards the end of the book such as what happens to Loki.
The illustrations are just amazing and I think it’s really made this book all the more fun and powerful to read! Every illustration is like a shadow illustration, you rarely see any kind of faces, unless it is the silhouette of someone sideways or one or two eyes visible against the black shadows. Given how different and interesting the Norse myths are, these illustrations really do fit the atmosphere of the stories and how the whole book feels. The majority of the images are all black but there are other colours mixed into some pictures too such as blue for the sea, yellow for golden hair and red for Loki’s eyes. There is an illustration on each page or double page spread and many times there is so much black that you get white text on black as the whole images seems to swallow the text. You can only get a sense for the pictures by seeing them, they really are brilliant, and I’m amazed how easy it is to see what is happening when a lot of the time all you see is shadows.
There is a glossary at the back of the book with not only the names of characters but also some words used which some kids may not understand which is good as it saves going backwards in the book to find out who someone is or understand what something is. There is also a contents at the start of the book with all the myths labelled so you can dip in and out of reading a certain tale, although if it’s the first time you really should read them in order to feel the full impact of the stories.
Although this is a book I’d recommend for kids and adults there may be some kids who might find the tales a little scary or gory. The Norse myths are strange and different but there’s also something so compelling about them, they really do make for interesting reading and although some of the stories might be a bit weird or dark, I don’t think it’s anything an older child would find too difficult or unappealing. I really have enjoyed this book and would invite anyone of any age to read this if you are keen to learn the Norse myths as it’s a really exciting read and a great source of learning these tales. Some kids might find some of the stories a little strange to read, given what happens in the tales themselves but overall I would really recommend this book – I can’t stop myself re-reading it!
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
The book begins with a forward by the author explaining where the myths come from, after that there are a couple of double page spreads showing relevant characters, one has the names of all the relevant gods and goddesses, the next dwarfs and giants, and this is followed by a picture of the Norse World and the ash tree Yggdrasill. All these are accompanied with some great illustrations and I especially like the picture of Yggdrasill as this is a key part to the Norse stories and how they all connect and even though I’ve heard of the myths before I couldn’t piece them in my mind so well until I’d seen this picture.
The rest of the book is the various myths which should be read in order to get the most out of the stories. Each myth is like a short story, it has its own title and a brief sentence about it before the text of the tale. Although the Norse myths are different and some of them very strange compared to stories of today they are surprisingly compelling to read and I love the way this book tells them. I had some knowledge of the myths before I started reading this but having them in this book, arranged the way they are with the stunning illustrations has made it really easy to remember and I keep wanting to read them again and again.
Every story is interesting to read with some of them having morals to them, in a lot of them though you will read some pretty dark things such as characters being killed or hurt in the most gruesome of ways, every story however is interesting to read and has its conclusion. In some of the stories there’s mentions of things such as the killing and skinning of animals for food but none of these stories are done in a too gruesome way, it’s nothing that wouldn’t be appropriate for kids although the Norse myths themselves are dark in their very nature, especially towards the end of the book such as what happens to Loki.
The illustrations are just amazing and I think it’s really made this book all the more fun and powerful to read! Every illustration is like a shadow illustration, you rarely see any kind of faces, unless it is the silhouette of someone sideways or one or two eyes visible against the black shadows. Given how different and interesting the Norse myths are, these illustrations really do fit the atmosphere of the stories and how the whole book feels. The majority of the images are all black but there are other colours mixed into some pictures too such as blue for the sea, yellow for golden hair and red for Loki’s eyes. There is an illustration on each page or double page spread and many times there is so much black that you get white text on black as the whole images seems to swallow the text. You can only get a sense for the pictures by seeing them, they really are brilliant, and I’m amazed how easy it is to see what is happening when a lot of the time all you see is shadows.
There is a glossary at the back of the book with not only the names of characters but also some words used which some kids may not understand which is good as it saves going backwards in the book to find out who someone is or understand what something is. There is also a contents at the start of the book with all the myths labelled so you can dip in and out of reading a certain tale, although if it’s the first time you really should read them in order to feel the full impact of the stories.
Although this is a book I’d recommend for kids and adults there may be some kids who might find the tales a little scary or gory. The Norse myths are strange and different but there’s also something so compelling about them, they really do make for interesting reading and although some of the stories might be a bit weird or dark, I don’t think it’s anything an older child would find too difficult or unappealing. I really have enjoyed this book and would invite anyone of any age to read this if you are keen to learn the Norse myths as it’s a really exciting read and a great source of learning these tales. Some kids might find some of the stories a little strange to read, given what happens in the tales themselves but overall I would really recommend this book – I can’t stop myself re-reading it!
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
January 24, 2009
I knew a bit about the Norse Myths before reading this book, but then I read several novels that make extensive use of them (Gaiman, American Gods; Chabon, Summerland) and realized I wanted to learn more. I liked this retelling because Crossley-Holland takes and integrates the six primary literary sources (who knew?) and creates story cycle. When I was reading, I had strong contradictory feelings of familiarity and strangeness. Some of the character motivations are ones we're all familiar with, but the stories cover unexpected nad interesting ground. I particularly like the stories that center on Loki, and began to see how a lot more of our current literary and poplular culture traditions might owe a nod to the Norse myths than you might think. In one story, Loki turns himself into a fly to sneak into Freyja's bedchamber, and then turns himself into a flea and amuses himself by crawling over her breasts. I remember an old Arty Feldman movie in which his character, making a deal with the devil, wants to be where he can always see the woman he is in love with. So the devil turns him into a fly. I wonder now if this later story doesn't owe something to Loki's predicaments when he shape shifts.
November 5, 2017
An in-depth, lyrical and powerful re-telling of the major Norse myths, this book combines fast-paced story-telling with dark and amazing illustrations by Jeffrey Alan Love. The stories are dark and well-told, the book balanced in a traditional cycle framed as a story being told by mythical judges to an ancient king. The author's knowledge of Norse mythology is extensive and enthusiastic, and this shows in every story. That said, the author has made very little effort to reflect the contemporary world in his framing or selections of stories. Female characters as active protagonists are almost non-existent (which isn't the case in terms of the entire Norse mythos) and the small "tags" that begin each story are a missed opportunity to frame the stories in a more accessible moral world.
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