A Piece of Horse Liver: Myth, Ritual and Folklore in Old Icelandic Sources

by Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson, Terry Gunnell (Translator), Joan Turville-Petre (Translator)

A collection of eight lectures, now translated into English, which clearly reappraise Old Norse religion and Old Icelandic folk beliefs. Topics include a reinterpretation of the gods and giants of Old Norse, including their genealogy, their conflicts and relationships with all nature. Adelsteinsson also considers efforts by saga writers to unite elements of Christianity and earlier beliefs. He examines sagas to find evidence for animal and human sacrifice, such as the night-time murder of a young couple in bed at the end of an autumn sacrifice recounted in Gísla saga Súrssonar . This appealing book concludes with discussions of giants and elves and the art of wrestling with ghosts: a phenomenon that is still recorded in Iceland today. Extracts are presented in Old Icelandic with English translations.

Genres: Mythology, Folklore, History, Nonfiction, Paganism

188 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[James Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

EDIT: I wrote my original review having taken months to read this and with only a year or so experience reading about Icelandic and Scandinavian mythology. I simply don’t think I had the context to appreciate the details included in this or the arguments being made. In my original review below I specifically complain that I would not recommend the book to beginner heathens—which the book never claimed to be for. I should have leveled my frustration at reading lists I found at the time, and apologize for framing the book in such a way for so long. As someone with many more years of experience with this subject matter, I would recommend this book! It has clear details and arguments, is a quick read, and has interesting details to reflect on and incorporate into one’s worldview as a heathen. My favorite section was the discussion of Hræsvelgr’s name and the relationship between gods and giants, which in a high-level context are often presented as fully at odds with one another, ignoring their marriages and familial ties. Enjoy!

I should start by saying it took me forever to read A Piece of Horse Liver: Myth, ritual and folklore in Old Icelandic sources, as I read it in very small pieces over a long period of time. One with an easier time reading academic level writing would get through it far more quickly, and you could read the lectures one at a time with decent speed. I did enjoy it and found a lot of useful information, especially the discussion of the authors of the Eddas and Sagas and how their own biases impacted what survives today.

I wouldn't recommend this to someone who is only just starting to learn about these myths and legends or Norse mythology or cosmology; it is not a book for beginners, and is certainly oriented toward academics and other informed readers who want to see deeper analysis of the material. The book goes rather in-depth in explaining the shared religious and secular roles of god/thi in Iceland, which may be useful in the present day. Someone more interested in the figures of the Sagas themselves might enjoy this more. I have yet to read them, and so cannot say whether this book builds on what you learn from reading them directly. There is a summary written in Icelandic at the end of every chapter which could be of interest to people who want to practice reading, though given it is an academic work I don't know how helpful this would be.

My only frustration with the book is that, because it is a collection of lectures, a lot of similar material is covered at the beginning of each chapter, and there is sometimes overlap in the statements made. A wider scope summary, similar to what is seen in Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs might be useful in the future. As of right now the introduction provides an overview of the topics each chapter covers.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm slightly disappointed in this book.
I paid top-dollar for it, for starters, and I only did so because everyone kept telling me it was a must-read. Sadly, it's not. I'm not saying that it's a total loss or anything but most of the information is completely out-of-date and not in sync with the new theories or better conclusions that have come about in just the last decade. It's hard for me to take him seriously when he constantly sources Turville-Petre throughout the entire text. Most of TP's work has been largely discredited since that time and it causes me to really struggle with certain areas of this book. I learned a few new things but nothing worth the amount of money I put into this book and "Under the Cloak."
Save yourself the money.
Don't worry about it.
Trust me.

[Jack The Heathen Castellano · Rating 4 out of 5]

While difficult to get through sometimes, this collection of lectures is a fantastic introduction to early icelandic (and late Norse pagan) life and folklore.

[Todd Keyser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that can completely change your perspective of Heathenry. Well written and cited collection of essays on a variety of subjects completely applicable to Heathenry in the 21st century. A must read for anyone who is serious about the Heathen worldview.