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Norse Mythology: The Vikings and Their Lore, From Gods and Goddesses To Midgard and Valhalla
The History and Beliefs of the Norse People in the Time of the Viking Age Norse mythology and history is a treasure trove of rituals, beliefs and culture. Take a dive inside the lives and folklore of the Vikings and The creation story of the Nordic cosmos – experience the unfolding of one of the most epic tales of all time
From clothing to architecture to runes, take a tour of Nordic legacy
Daily life in Norse culture – from the class system to the stature of women
A rundown of the 9 realms of the Nordic universe – and the captivating story behind their creation
The iconic events of the battle of Ragnarök… and what followed in its aftermath
Norse beliefs on death, afterlife, and rebirth – from Hel to Valhalla and more
Travel the enigmatic realms of Norse mythology, history and legend and see why these stories continue to thrive today.
From clothing to architecture to runes, take a tour of Nordic legacy
Daily life in Norse culture – from the class system to the stature of women
A rundown of the 9 realms of the Nordic universe – and the captivating story behind their creation
The iconic events of the battle of Ragnarök… and what followed in its aftermath
Norse beliefs on death, afterlife, and rebirth – from Hel to Valhalla and more
Travel the enigmatic realms of Norse mythology, history and legend and see why these stories continue to thrive today.
201 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 11, 2023
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6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 14, 2023
Great for Middle School
In the introduction to Norse Mythology: The Vikings and their Lore from Gods and Goddesses to Midgard and Valhalla, Dagmar Nylund states that her book “aims to bring to light the lifestyle and culture of the Vikings, their lore and their everyday lives.” To a large extent, she succeeds. If we take into account that the main text of Norse Mythology occupies a mere 169 pages (not counting Nylund’s helpful glossary and bibliography), then the scope of Nylund’s book is extraordinary.
The style of defining terms and the inclusion of a glossary in the end matter, among other features, suggest that Norse Mythology intends to be a textbook for older readers in elementary school, or perhaps early middle school students. This is an important point, because it works well at that level. Adult readers, however, will need to look elsewhere if they are looking for a scholarly discussion or a thorough plumbing of the intricacies of Norse mythology. I will be assessing this book as a text for 4-7 grade readers in the United States, which seems to me to be Nylund’s primary audience.
Following the introduction, Nylund begins her book with a brief discussion of what mythology is – and how myths differ from legends and folklore. She then offers some examples of Greek, Egyptian, Indian, and Japanese myths. These discussions are succinct and well written. However, they seem to be disconnected from the rest of the text. That is, it remains unclear how these examples relate to Norse mythology. Nevertheless, as stand-alone essays, they are quite accessible and easy to follow.
Nylund then discusses the sources for Norse mythology (the Eddas, sagas, and other witnesses) before outlining Norse cosmology (including the origin of the earth, sun, and moon, as well as the giants, gods, dwarves, and humans that populate the cosmos). Later in her book, Nylund circles back around to discuss the primary deities of the Norse pantheon (Chapter 6), the nine realms (Chapter 7), other creatures in Norse mythology (Chapter 8), and miscellaneous beliefs, such as Norse conceptions of the afterlife (Chapter 9). Each topic within these chapters generally occupies about 1-2 pages, which underscores the value of this book for young readers.
The middle chapters describe the Vikings physically (Chapter 2), their material culture (Chapter 3), and their society (Chapter 4). Chapter 5 is devoted to “Famous Nordic Warriors.” As expected, we find a bio here of Erik the Red and Leif Erikson. I was favorably impressed, however, to see Freydis Eiriksdottir and Olga of Kyiv mentioned as well. The 14 biographical sketches are brief in this chapter, but it was refreshing to see several people mentioned who seldom find space in a book like this (e.g., I can’t recall another history of this size taking time to mention Harald Hadrada or Halfdan Ragnarsson). While this book is not exhaustive, it manages to pack a lot into a small space.
The book concludes in Chapter 10 with a brief, non-exhaustive summary of Norse mythology in contemporary culture. Nylund makes reference not only to the Thor movies in the Marvel universe, but also to Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology and American Gods, among other things. I was especially impressed here, in that Nylund deftly summarized mature content (e.g., American Gods) in a way that would be appropriate for younger readers.
The adage holds true here that one should never judge a book by its cover. Norse Mythology: The Vikings and their Lore from Gods and Goddesses to Midgard and Valhalla certainly does deliver on its promise to summarize the mythology of the Vikings. However, its greatest strength is found in chapters 2-3, which describe their grooming habits, dress, armor, and artwork. This is not to say that the other parts are lacking. I was happy to see that – unlike other introductions to Norse mythology that only mention trolls, norns, giants, and elves – Nylund also mentions draugar and haugbui. It would appear that Nylund has done her homework in writing this volume, and any elementary student tasked with writing on the Vikings would do well to start with this book.
In the introduction to Norse Mythology: The Vikings and their Lore from Gods and Goddesses to Midgard and Valhalla, Dagmar Nylund states that her book “aims to bring to light the lifestyle and culture of the Vikings, their lore and their everyday lives.” To a large extent, she succeeds. If we take into account that the main text of Norse Mythology occupies a mere 169 pages (not counting Nylund’s helpful glossary and bibliography), then the scope of Nylund’s book is extraordinary.
The style of defining terms and the inclusion of a glossary in the end matter, among other features, suggest that Norse Mythology intends to be a textbook for older readers in elementary school, or perhaps early middle school students. This is an important point, because it works well at that level. Adult readers, however, will need to look elsewhere if they are looking for a scholarly discussion or a thorough plumbing of the intricacies of Norse mythology. I will be assessing this book as a text for 4-7 grade readers in the United States, which seems to me to be Nylund’s primary audience.
Following the introduction, Nylund begins her book with a brief discussion of what mythology is – and how myths differ from legends and folklore. She then offers some examples of Greek, Egyptian, Indian, and Japanese myths. These discussions are succinct and well written. However, they seem to be disconnected from the rest of the text. That is, it remains unclear how these examples relate to Norse mythology. Nevertheless, as stand-alone essays, they are quite accessible and easy to follow.
Nylund then discusses the sources for Norse mythology (the Eddas, sagas, and other witnesses) before outlining Norse cosmology (including the origin of the earth, sun, and moon, as well as the giants, gods, dwarves, and humans that populate the cosmos). Later in her book, Nylund circles back around to discuss the primary deities of the Norse pantheon (Chapter 6), the nine realms (Chapter 7), other creatures in Norse mythology (Chapter 8), and miscellaneous beliefs, such as Norse conceptions of the afterlife (Chapter 9). Each topic within these chapters generally occupies about 1-2 pages, which underscores the value of this book for young readers.
The middle chapters describe the Vikings physically (Chapter 2), their material culture (Chapter 3), and their society (Chapter 4). Chapter 5 is devoted to “Famous Nordic Warriors.” As expected, we find a bio here of Erik the Red and Leif Erikson. I was favorably impressed, however, to see Freydis Eiriksdottir and Olga of Kyiv mentioned as well. The 14 biographical sketches are brief in this chapter, but it was refreshing to see several people mentioned who seldom find space in a book like this (e.g., I can’t recall another history of this size taking time to mention Harald Hadrada or Halfdan Ragnarsson). While this book is not exhaustive, it manages to pack a lot into a small space.
The book concludes in Chapter 10 with a brief, non-exhaustive summary of Norse mythology in contemporary culture. Nylund makes reference not only to the Thor movies in the Marvel universe, but also to Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology and American Gods, among other things. I was especially impressed here, in that Nylund deftly summarized mature content (e.g., American Gods) in a way that would be appropriate for younger readers.
The adage holds true here that one should never judge a book by its cover. Norse Mythology: The Vikings and their Lore from Gods and Goddesses to Midgard and Valhalla certainly does deliver on its promise to summarize the mythology of the Vikings. However, its greatest strength is found in chapters 2-3, which describe their grooming habits, dress, armor, and artwork. This is not to say that the other parts are lacking. I was happy to see that – unlike other introductions to Norse mythology that only mention trolls, norns, giants, and elves – Nylund also mentions draugar and haugbui. It would appear that Nylund has done her homework in writing this volume, and any elementary student tasked with writing on the Vikings would do well to start with this book.
March 14, 2023
Norse Mythology: The Vikings and their Lore from Gods and Goddesses to Midgard and Valhalla by Dagmar Nylund is a comprehensive and enjoyable journey through the world of Norse Mythology. This book includes details of everything from the Norse myth of creation to details of gods, creatures and the nine worlds.
The introduction was well written and very interesting, discussing the differences between myths, legend and folklore as well as the different systems of mythology around the world. The book included a lot of information about Norse people as well as just Norse mythology, an area which is not explored as frequently. It was fascinating to read about Nordic culture and the lives of Norse people, especially learning about ideas not frequently associated with Vikings such as art and advanced architecture. This book challenged the idea of Vikings as violent savages and gave a more comprehensive and historically-accurate view of the Norse people and how they lived. It was especially interesting to read about the differences between the Norse people and other civilisations at this time, including differences in village structure, religion, the roles of people within communities and the roles and treatment of women in Norse civilisations.
The section on Norse Mythology was very interesting and well-written. The book was well organised into suitable sections which I felt allowed the author to explore many ideas in a very engaging way. The book contained a lot of information, but it was never boring and it did not feel as though you were reading a textbook which is the case for many books of this nature. The information was summarised well by the author and presented in a way that made it very enjoyable to read. One idea that was explored frequently throughout the books was the influence of Christianity on Norse people and culture. It was interesting to see how Norse culture and religion changed with the influence of Christianity, and I enjoyed reading about the author's views on how Christianity influenced Norse ideas about religion, burial practices and the afterlife.
The section about the influence of Norse mythology on modern life and entertainment was interesting, it was fascinating to see how significant Norse mythology, and mythology overall, still is to us in the modern world. This information shows how people have continued to be fascinated by Norse mythology and provides the opportunity for further reading on the subject. A reference list was also included, making the information included in the book more reliable and also providing the opportunity for further reading. I felt the book could be improved slightly by the presence of a referencing system, especially where archaeological digs and discoveries were mentioned as this would make it easier for readers to learn more about the subject using contemporary sources. However, this information was included in the reference list.
Overall, I found this book to be very enjoyable. The book contained a lot of information about Norse culture and mythology presented in a very engaging way that was easy to follow and understand, making this book suitable for Norse mythology enthusiasts and amateurs alike. The presence of the author’s comments and observations throughout the book were interesting and the author’s knowledge about the topics of Norse culture and mythology was evident. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Norse mythology or a desire to learn more about Norse people and culture.
The introduction was well written and very interesting, discussing the differences between myths, legend and folklore as well as the different systems of mythology around the world. The book included a lot of information about Norse people as well as just Norse mythology, an area which is not explored as frequently. It was fascinating to read about Nordic culture and the lives of Norse people, especially learning about ideas not frequently associated with Vikings such as art and advanced architecture. This book challenged the idea of Vikings as violent savages and gave a more comprehensive and historically-accurate view of the Norse people and how they lived. It was especially interesting to read about the differences between the Norse people and other civilisations at this time, including differences in village structure, religion, the roles of people within communities and the roles and treatment of women in Norse civilisations.
The section on Norse Mythology was very interesting and well-written. The book was well organised into suitable sections which I felt allowed the author to explore many ideas in a very engaging way. The book contained a lot of information, but it was never boring and it did not feel as though you were reading a textbook which is the case for many books of this nature. The information was summarised well by the author and presented in a way that made it very enjoyable to read. One idea that was explored frequently throughout the books was the influence of Christianity on Norse people and culture. It was interesting to see how Norse culture and religion changed with the influence of Christianity, and I enjoyed reading about the author's views on how Christianity influenced Norse ideas about religion, burial practices and the afterlife.
The section about the influence of Norse mythology on modern life and entertainment was interesting, it was fascinating to see how significant Norse mythology, and mythology overall, still is to us in the modern world. This information shows how people have continued to be fascinated by Norse mythology and provides the opportunity for further reading on the subject. A reference list was also included, making the information included in the book more reliable and also providing the opportunity for further reading. I felt the book could be improved slightly by the presence of a referencing system, especially where archaeological digs and discoveries were mentioned as this would make it easier for readers to learn more about the subject using contemporary sources. However, this information was included in the reference list.
Overall, I found this book to be very enjoyable. The book contained a lot of information about Norse culture and mythology presented in a very engaging way that was easy to follow and understand, making this book suitable for Norse mythology enthusiasts and amateurs alike. The presence of the author’s comments and observations throughout the book were interesting and the author’s knowledge about the topics of Norse culture and mythology was evident. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Norse mythology or a desire to learn more about Norse people and culture.
March 16, 2023
I was pleasantly impressed with this book and I think it is a must have for any fan of Vikings or Northern European culture in general.
The book mentions all the gods, goddesses, important beings of Nordic folklore and the main rituals. So are magical objects, their role, and Norse beliefs about how the universe was created.
In addition, the book is much more comprehensive than I expected because it shows us more than the legends of Norse mythology. Elements from the everyday life of the Vikings are presented, such as details about their houses, ships, physiognomic features, everyone's role in society. The author used images to more effectively present the architectural styles, ships, weapons and decorative designs specific to the Vikings.
This information is accompanied by historical data when it was used. Thus, I consider that this book is more than a presentation of the mythological side, it also presents us with the historical side of the presence of the Nordics in Europe.
Finally, I recommend this Norse mythology book because, in addition to the information about the 9 realms, we also have a strong and comprehensive history of the Vikings.
The book mentions all the gods, goddesses, important beings of Nordic folklore and the main rituals. So are magical objects, their role, and Norse beliefs about how the universe was created.
In addition, the book is much more comprehensive than I expected because it shows us more than the legends of Norse mythology. Elements from the everyday life of the Vikings are presented, such as details about their houses, ships, physiognomic features, everyone's role in society. The author used images to more effectively present the architectural styles, ships, weapons and decorative designs specific to the Vikings.
This information is accompanied by historical data when it was used. Thus, I consider that this book is more than a presentation of the mythological side, it also presents us with the historical side of the presence of the Nordics in Europe.
Finally, I recommend this Norse mythology book because, in addition to the information about the 9 realms, we also have a strong and comprehensive history of the Vikings.
November 9, 2023
Highly recommended
Very well written, easy to read and understand, and provides a great deal of Norse info about life and the gods. This book provided names and details of gods I hadn't read about previously, as well as a few details about the more well known gods I haven't come across before.
Very well written, easy to read and understand, and provides a great deal of Norse info about life and the gods. This book provided names and details of gods I hadn't read about previously, as well as a few details about the more well known gods I haven't come across before.
April 3, 2023
This book was extremely informative. I love the way the Author explains everything in detail for anyone new to the subject but interested in learning about it. The Author's style of writing was easy to follow & understand. Over all, I really loved reading this book.
March 19, 2023
Good reading with some new stuff, i didnt knew.
Love the way it is written.
I Will use this book alot.
Read this book says a Dane :)
Love the way it is written.
I Will use this book alot.
Read this book says a Dane :)
March 21, 2023
If you are interested in Scandinavian myths and legends, then this book will be the beginning of your immersion in the world of the Vikings.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews