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The Saga of Hervor and Heidrek: Viking Legendary Sagas Book 3
The Saga of Hervor and Heidrek is the story of the sword Tyrfing, which was forged by dwarves under duress, with as many curses as blessings. Like the Rhinegold in The Saga of the Volsungs, its tale is one of tragedy and bloodshed, as it falls into the hands of owner after owner, causing chaos and mayhem as it does so.
The saga is renowned for its sequences of mystical horror, including the first Hervor’s visit to the grave of her father, the undead berserk Angantyr, in which she wins back the cursed sword after a long dialogue with his ghost. This was the inspiration for the Romantic poet Anna Seward, the ‘Swan of Lichfield’, who based Herva, at the Tomb of Argantyr. A Runic Dialogue upon it. Another writer who found inspiration in this saga, among many others, was JRR Tolkien, who used the Riddles of Gestumblindi as one of the models for his riddle game in The Hobbit. Also of interest in the saga are the echoes it contains of real history as well as mythology; the early history of the Goths, before they left their kingdom in what is now the Ukraine to cut a bloody swathe across the declining Roman Empire. The name Tyrfing has been connected with that of the Tervingi, an early Gothic dynasty mentioned by Roman writers, and ‘Gryting’ with the Greutungi, another Gothic clan. Some of the characters who appear in the later sequence are also mentioned in the Anglo Saxon poem Widsith line 115.
It has not become as famous as The Saga of the Volsungs, although it has inspired art and literature in modern times, but it has more often been used as a quarry from which other writers have extracted material. An uneven work in many ways, it nevertheless contains a great deal of interest: dwarves, magic swords and curses, warrior maidens and the undead, giants and gods, riddles and fate, all culminating in an epic battle between Goths and Huns, after which the legendary story continues into recorded history as far as the later Viking Age, linking the glorious Goths of history with the Swedish kingdom, a tradition that in many ways was revived during Sweden’s imperial expansion in the seventeenth century, when, like the Goths before them, possessed by the "furor teutonicus", almost as if Tyrfing had returned, they issued forth from the womb of nations to lay waste kingdoms and empires.
The saga is renowned for its sequences of mystical horror, including the first Hervor’s visit to the grave of her father, the undead berserk Angantyr, in which she wins back the cursed sword after a long dialogue with his ghost. This was the inspiration for the Romantic poet Anna Seward, the ‘Swan of Lichfield’, who based Herva, at the Tomb of Argantyr. A Runic Dialogue upon it. Another writer who found inspiration in this saga, among many others, was JRR Tolkien, who used the Riddles of Gestumblindi as one of the models for his riddle game in The Hobbit. Also of interest in the saga are the echoes it contains of real history as well as mythology; the early history of the Goths, before they left their kingdom in what is now the Ukraine to cut a bloody swathe across the declining Roman Empire. The name Tyrfing has been connected with that of the Tervingi, an early Gothic dynasty mentioned by Roman writers, and ‘Gryting’ with the Greutungi, another Gothic clan. Some of the characters who appear in the later sequence are also mentioned in the Anglo Saxon poem Widsith line 115.
It has not become as famous as The Saga of the Volsungs, although it has inspired art and literature in modern times, but it has more often been used as a quarry from which other writers have extracted material. An uneven work in many ways, it nevertheless contains a great deal of interest: dwarves, magic swords and curses, warrior maidens and the undead, giants and gods, riddles and fate, all culminating in an epic battle between Goths and Huns, after which the legendary story continues into recorded history as far as the later Viking Age, linking the glorious Goths of history with the Swedish kingdom, a tradition that in many ways was revived during Sweden’s imperial expansion in the seventeenth century, when, like the Goths before them, possessed by the "furor teutonicus", almost as if Tyrfing had returned, they issued forth from the womb of nations to lay waste kingdoms and empires.
111 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1250
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* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 17, 2020
Vel uppbyggð og skemmtileg saga.
July 27, 2019
Si eres amante o persona curiosa de las culturas del norte, este pequeño pero intenso libro te puede gustar. Traducción directa del islandés antiguo, Mariano González Campo nos enseña las formas de la guerra de un pueblo, sus historias, creencias y mitologia. Cruces entre pueblos y conquistas infinitas pasando por las manos de generaciones de personajes llamativos que acabarían modificando a su placer unas tierras, unas creencias, un pueblo que fijó las bases de los países que hoy en día conocemos.
Su lectura a veces un tanto enrevasada. Pero ya te avisa el escritor en un mini librito que lleva esta edición en su interior y que hay que leer antes de empezar la lectura de la saga. Lo dicho, un conocimiento más que llevarse al hombro sobre una de las culturas del norte.
Su lectura a veces un tanto enrevasada. Pero ya te avisa el escritor en un mini librito que lleva esta edición en su interior y que hay que leer antes de empezar la lectura de la saga. Lo dicho, un conocimiento más que llevarse al hombro sobre una de las culturas del norte.
Want to Read
May 27, 2020I came upon this little light blue colored paperback saga , called in Old Norse, Hervarar Saga ok Heiðriks in a used store in Hollywood near Franklin and Tamarind 20 years or more ago and it was VERY cheap, so I bought it quickly then forgot all about it till just recently. Started reading it in the original Old Norse yesterday, finding a website where I could just keep scrolling down as I slowly read the Old Norse, because the poor little papaerback is sort of falling apart, yet am intensely delighted with it so far, chock full with footnotes in modern Icelandic, and I always love yarns about cursed and magic weapons, but once you start thumbing back and forth to read footnotes you quickly wear out the old and brittle paper, so I felt lucky to be able to read it on a screen, but now and then hitting speed bumps, as will inevitably happen if you are at all rusty with the original language, my main issue always having been trying to nail down the infinitive of this or that rare verb one stumbles upon which is written in the the original most often, I have found, in its past participle form, and such snags can be a bit of a pain in the ass even though within whatever context it is being employed there is ample guidance concerning what this rare verb ALMOST CERTAINLY means without one´s having to check. Ah, but reading Old Norse in the original magically creates for me a stunning parallel universe of immense appeal and charm, many of its delightful quirks of pithiness and graveyard humor, for example, heartbreakingly impossible to convey in English translation. One example, from a saga I long ago read, the title of which escapes me just now, and, as I seem to recall it, one major character gets his lower jaw essentially sliced off in a typical violent and gory sword fight, somehow is STILL represented as able to say..."I was never good looking. Scant have you helped" and falls down dead. But the original language says all this far more economically and therefore infinitely funnier.
And, aye! There this beautiful and so mighty tongue was creating quaint and intense imagery deep in my imagination and, I avow, utterly fresh grace notes of understanding of some rather tired old word borrowings of Old Norse such as, of course, that so nowadays popular word spelt and pronounced BER-serk-er in Old Norse, never ever ever bur-ZERK-er, as, shockingly to me, even great scholars of Norse get into the bad habit of saying aloud, Lord knows why. And the deeper MEANING of what berserkr actually denoted in all its subtle tones, which yesterday's reading of the beginning of the saga informed me for the very first time, and made me laugh at is use as a kind of insult, as if in the court of the Swede king in Uppsala, when a newcomer, our saga's hero BTW, but a mere newcomer to the Swede king's court, who very boldly asks right away before a crowd of local badassers that ALL likely have LONG lusted after this splendidly beautiful, well nigh untouchable girl, to the point that there follows a fierce, tense, stunned silence by such intolerable audacity in his asking for the hand of this King's daughter and up stands a very mighty court champion, spitting out venon for this overweening, low down and dirty vagabond who, NOTHING MORE THAN ANOTHER FOOTLOOSE BER-serk-er, and a rank newcomer, at that, is so full of himself as to make this shameful request. Something like that, anyway, and the first time I ever quite understood that specific shade of meaning to the ubiquitous word berserkr. Ah, the sagas!
And, aye! There this beautiful and so mighty tongue was creating quaint and intense imagery deep in my imagination and, I avow, utterly fresh grace notes of understanding of some rather tired old word borrowings of Old Norse such as, of course, that so nowadays popular word spelt and pronounced BER-serk-er in Old Norse, never ever ever bur-ZERK-er, as, shockingly to me, even great scholars of Norse get into the bad habit of saying aloud, Lord knows why. And the deeper MEANING of what berserkr actually denoted in all its subtle tones, which yesterday's reading of the beginning of the saga informed me for the very first time, and made me laugh at is use as a kind of insult, as if in the court of the Swede king in Uppsala, when a newcomer, our saga's hero BTW, but a mere newcomer to the Swede king's court, who very boldly asks right away before a crowd of local badassers that ALL likely have LONG lusted after this splendidly beautiful, well nigh untouchable girl, to the point that there follows a fierce, tense, stunned silence by such intolerable audacity in his asking for the hand of this King's daughter and up stands a very mighty court champion, spitting out venon for this overweening, low down and dirty vagabond who, NOTHING MORE THAN ANOTHER FOOTLOOSE BER-serk-er, and a rank newcomer, at that, is so full of himself as to make this shameful request. Something like that, anyway, and the first time I ever quite understood that specific shade of meaning to the ubiquitous word berserkr. Ah, the sagas!
November 26, 2020
La saga de Hervör o la Saga Herbarar (en nórdico antiguo: Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks) es una saga legendaria que narra la historia de la espada Tyrfingr, de la skjalmo Hervör y la guerra entre hunos y godos. Aporta mucha información acerca de las tradiciones nórdicas paganas y además, inspiró a Tolkien para escribir su obra.
https://shamanrites.com/la-saga-de-he...
https://shamanrites.com/la-saga-de-he...
December 19, 2024
El problema que tiene es que Hervör en sí no sale mucho y eso que es tremendo personaje pero por lo demás está genial. Tiene muy buena poesía, un tío intenta matar a Odín y todo termina con tremenda batalla entre godos y hunos, pero lo mejor y el verdadero fondo de esta historia es comprobar cómo la maldición de la espada Thyrfing precipita en cierto modo los acontecimientos.
July 7, 2024
I expected more
I thought this was about Hervar/hervör and expected to read about her life, but it was more of an overview of her life. To me it was more about the Sagas of the cursed sword tyrfing.
I thought this was about Hervar/hervör and expected to read about her life, but it was more of an overview of her life. To me it was more about the Sagas of the cursed sword tyrfing.
May 24, 2025
Wrote my essay on the wave-riddles for Medieval studies
November 11, 2026
No tengo palabras. Primer 5 estrellas del año. Tengo muchísimo sueño. Y siento muchísimo amor. Mariano González Campo la absoluta cabra
January 16, 2014
NOTE: I did NOT read this exact version. The version I read, translated in 2005 by Peter Tunstall, was only available online, and thus was not a Goodreads book. I hope this is close enough for some.
This classic Icelandic Saga, compiled through the ages, was truly breathtaking to read. J.R.R. Tolkien took many aspects of his stories from this particular saga (and as he spoke Icelandic, he was able to read the original text). Some of these aspects include Tolkien's mithril, likely derived from an impenetrable silk shirt, a flaming sword, and a riddle contest. He also modified the dwarf-names "Dvalin" and "Dulin" to name some of his characters. This in no way lowers my respect for Tolkien's work; in fact, it opens up new doors for me as I not only read but write as well.
This saga entails a great many small journeys, but like many sagas of the era, there is a great sword, and like any truly great sword, it has a name: in this case, Tyrfing. And although many characters come and go, Tyrfing is always there, and always important.
My favorite aspect of this tale is its age: it is a 13th-Century piece. The fact that there are so many small details that contribute to the realism and the soul of this work makes it truly remarkable in my mind. My interest in Northern European history also makes this work particularly appealing.
If you, too, enjoy Northern European or Viking history and are a true Tolkien fan, then you will love this tale!
This classic Icelandic Saga, compiled through the ages, was truly breathtaking to read. J.R.R. Tolkien took many aspects of his stories from this particular saga (and as he spoke Icelandic, he was able to read the original text). Some of these aspects include Tolkien's mithril, likely derived from an impenetrable silk shirt, a flaming sword, and a riddle contest. He also modified the dwarf-names "Dvalin" and "Dulin" to name some of his characters. This in no way lowers my respect for Tolkien's work; in fact, it opens up new doors for me as I not only read but write as well.
This saga entails a great many small journeys, but like many sagas of the era, there is a great sword, and like any truly great sword, it has a name: in this case, Tyrfing. And although many characters come and go, Tyrfing is always there, and always important.
My favorite aspect of this tale is its age: it is a 13th-Century piece. The fact that there are so many small details that contribute to the realism and the soul of this work makes it truly remarkable in my mind. My interest in Northern European history also makes this work particularly appealing.
If you, too, enjoy Northern European or Viking history and are a true Tolkien fan, then you will love this tale!
May 3, 2015
I really wanted to read this Old Norse saga ever since I came across an episode talked of in other books. Hervor travels to an island where her dead father is buried. She demands that he give to her a valuable sword he has buried with him. He warns her that the sword is cursed and will cause much strife, so she should just forget about it. She then proceeds to curse him. Claiming that he will become worm food, if he hasn't already, if she does not get the sword he is then forced to relent.
I won't give away any more, but I will say that after reading the full saga, it just makes 4 stars. I wasn't really disappointed, but maybe I was expecting so much. Also, this version has some typos and a few incomprehensible passages, perhaps created during the digitizing process. The above episode I really feel is the best part and the rest of the story proceeds with some highs and lows. Much of it is typical Viking saga stuff: royalty and nobility fighting and dying. To tell you the truth I don't know why a cursed sword is needed: there is much death and misfortune in most of these sagas of the legendary type. But what is really cool about this saga is the cursed sword Tyrfing, a real medieval antecedent to modern fantasy literature.
I won't give away any more, but I will say that after reading the full saga, it just makes 4 stars. I wasn't really disappointed, but maybe I was expecting so much. Also, this version has some typos and a few incomprehensible passages, perhaps created during the digitizing process. The above episode I really feel is the best part and the rest of the story proceeds with some highs and lows. Much of it is typical Viking saga stuff: royalty and nobility fighting and dying. To tell you the truth I don't know why a cursed sword is needed: there is much death and misfortune in most of these sagas of the legendary type. But what is really cool about this saga is the cursed sword Tyrfing, a real medieval antecedent to modern fantasy literature.
December 4, 2013
I read the Spanish translation from the original old Norse and it was really good. Everything was well explained and it helped me understand this ancient culture
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews