What do you think?
Rate this book
Folklore
Volume One of the Northlore Series is a modern collection of Scandinavian Folktales, told in new and often surprising ways. With humour, drama and and more than a little tension, you will be drawn into a world of Trolls and Huldr, Elves and Mara. We live in a world full of hidden creatures, if you have the eye to see them. And if you dont, the wonderful illustrations contained in the book should help! The book itself has mystical significance as 33 is a magic number. Is it a coincidence that there are 33 inspired contributions? Well, yes, actually, it probably is. Welcome to the Northlore series. Poetry and prose inspired by Scandinavian Folklore. In turns funny, horrifying, sexy and sad, what you seek is within. Warning! Do NOT feed the animals.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2015
7 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Kobernus
15 books25 followersMJ Kobernus is an Anglo/American novelist and science fiction writer. He lives in a small town in rural Norway.
His first novel, The Guardian - Blood in the Sand was published in 2015 and has been well received. It is the first of a 4 books series, and was followed in 2016 with Blood in the Snow.
The MJ stands for Michael John, but no one calls him that except his mother, and then only when she is angry.
He writes Metaphysical Fantasy, and likes vintage motorcycles, vintage guitars and The Beatles.
He has been published in a number of anthologies, magazines, and e-zines. Notable amongst these is the speculative fiction anthology, NovoPulp where MJ is both a contributor and editor. NovoPulp Anthology - Volume 3
MJ is also the Editor in Chief of Nordland Publishing, a small Norwegian outfit determined to make a big splash.
Find out more about him at http://mjkobernus.com
or vitis www.nordlandpublishing.com
His first novel, The Guardian - Blood in the Sand was published in 2015 and has been well received. It is the first of a 4 books series, and was followed in 2016 with Blood in the Snow.
The MJ stands for Michael John, but no one calls him that except his mother, and then only when she is angry.
He writes Metaphysical Fantasy, and likes vintage motorcycles, vintage guitars and The Beatles.
He has been published in a number of anthologies, magazines, and e-zines. Notable amongst these is the speculative fiction anthology, NovoPulp where MJ is both a contributor and editor. NovoPulp Anthology - Volume 3
MJ is also the Editor in Chief of Nordland Publishing, a small Norwegian outfit determined to make a big splash.
Find out more about him at http://mjkobernus.com
or vitis www.nordlandpublishing.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 28, 2015
Is this book light reading or heavy reading? Well, certainly light reading in terms of its abundant entertainment value for anyone who enjoys folklore, mythology, fantasy, epic, and modern spins on them. But heavy in the sense that the great majority of the contributions here, 17 short stories, 16 poems, and accompanying line illustrations by Evelinn Enoksen, are fueled by anxiety, often specifically sexual anxiety. (The other pieces are more comic, such as Gregg Chamberlain's take on trolls and Paul Kater's on elves.)
This seems true to the original folklore, which often focuses on cross-species pairings between humans and selkies (seal people), hulder (seductive forest women with hidden tails), maras (she-werewolves), trolls, witches, and so on. Rarely can these contradictory attractions or seductions end well, it almost goes without saying. They turn nasty or tragic, depending on the situation, and that is the vein that is well explored here.
Nordland Publishing had a pip of an idea - it's promising to see that it's the first in a series - and invited many accomplished authors to participate. Of course, there is some variability in quality of offerings, as there is bound to be, but there is nothing remotely embarrassing here. The volume reads very nicely from cover to cover.
Scandinavian folklore encompasses the countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands, and because of geographic proximities and cultural cross-contacts overlaps considerably with German, Celtic, and English folklores. This is a big book, but it can scarcely begin to cover all the different aspects of this huge field.
In terms of creatures, there is a strong concentration on trolls, draugrs (undead), hulder, and selkies. Maras show up in a couple of hair-raising poems by Andrew James Murray and Laura Johnson, fossegrim (waterfall spirits) in a more lyrical piece by Steve Klepetar. Murray takes on the legend of the myling (restless spirits of infants who die before being baptized) in his bleak story "And the Snow Came Down," and there is even a memorable turn by a polar bear in Sarah Lyn Eaton's "Hold the Door."
But there would definitely be room in a companion volume for more about dwarves, dragons, will o' the wisps, nokken (aquatic shapeshifters), vittra (underground wights), ellepiger (alder tree girls), and so on.
A few pieces deserve to be shouted out. Hugh B. Long's "Draugr's Saga" leads the pack in narrative propulsion (but somehow, Long got omitted from the contributor biographies at the end of the book). Long is prolific in the space fantasy genre and draws liberally on Norse mythology. His story here was the kick-off in an ongoing serialized novel of the same title (subtitled "A Tale of the Zombie Apocalypse in the Viking Age"). Since I sometimes criticize the general quality of writing of this type, I must salute Long and say that based on this story, he really knows what he's doing. Zombie apocalypses are pretty hot right now, but there are still better and worse ways to tackle them!
Mikaela von Kursell's "Gustave Trolle (1488-1533) - The Gammeltroll of Gamlastan" is easily the most linguistically accomplished fiction in the book, making as sharp use of modernist techniques as one would expect from a translator of Swedish poet Gunnar Ekelof. I won't say more so as not to spoil it.
Among the poems, Kim Goldberg's "Visitation" is a standout, poised perfectly on the border between poetry and prose.
This seems true to the original folklore, which often focuses on cross-species pairings between humans and selkies (seal people), hulder (seductive forest women with hidden tails), maras (she-werewolves), trolls, witches, and so on. Rarely can these contradictory attractions or seductions end well, it almost goes without saying. They turn nasty or tragic, depending on the situation, and that is the vein that is well explored here.
Nordland Publishing had a pip of an idea - it's promising to see that it's the first in a series - and invited many accomplished authors to participate. Of course, there is some variability in quality of offerings, as there is bound to be, but there is nothing remotely embarrassing here. The volume reads very nicely from cover to cover.
Scandinavian folklore encompasses the countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands, and because of geographic proximities and cultural cross-contacts overlaps considerably with German, Celtic, and English folklores. This is a big book, but it can scarcely begin to cover all the different aspects of this huge field.
In terms of creatures, there is a strong concentration on trolls, draugrs (undead), hulder, and selkies. Maras show up in a couple of hair-raising poems by Andrew James Murray and Laura Johnson, fossegrim (waterfall spirits) in a more lyrical piece by Steve Klepetar. Murray takes on the legend of the myling (restless spirits of infants who die before being baptized) in his bleak story "And the Snow Came Down," and there is even a memorable turn by a polar bear in Sarah Lyn Eaton's "Hold the Door."
But there would definitely be room in a companion volume for more about dwarves, dragons, will o' the wisps, nokken (aquatic shapeshifters), vittra (underground wights), ellepiger (alder tree girls), and so on.
A few pieces deserve to be shouted out. Hugh B. Long's "Draugr's Saga" leads the pack in narrative propulsion (but somehow, Long got omitted from the contributor biographies at the end of the book). Long is prolific in the space fantasy genre and draws liberally on Norse mythology. His story here was the kick-off in an ongoing serialized novel of the same title (subtitled "A Tale of the Zombie Apocalypse in the Viking Age"). Since I sometimes criticize the general quality of writing of this type, I must salute Long and say that based on this story, he really knows what he's doing. Zombie apocalypses are pretty hot right now, but there are still better and worse ways to tackle them!
Mikaela von Kursell's "Gustave Trolle (1488-1533) - The Gammeltroll of Gamlastan" is easily the most linguistically accomplished fiction in the book, making as sharp use of modernist techniques as one would expect from a translator of Swedish poet Gunnar Ekelof. I won't say more so as not to spoil it.
Among the poems, Kim Goldberg's "Visitation" is a standout, poised perfectly on the border between poetry and prose.
August 9, 2015
Folklore is the first of the Northlore series. Three books inspired by Scandinavian history, culture and mythology.
The first, Folklore, is a wonderfully eclectic collection of stories and poems that cover so many bases it is hard to describe them as a whole.
There are comedic stories, bone chilling supernatural adventure stories, poems of succubi and witches and a good smattering of trolls, huldr and less common members of the fairytale fraternity.
It is a bold offering, as it combines the traditional with the very modern. These are not old tales, rehashed, but entirely original works that draw their inspiration from the mists and forests of the northern climes that spawned the ancient tales of forest creatures and mountain ogres.
With contributions from amateurs to professional writers, there is a wide spectrum of style, and talent.
As the blurb on the back says, "Poetry and prose inspired by Scandinavian Folklore. In turns funny, horrifying, sexy and sad, what you seek is within. Warning! Do NOT feed the animals."
The first, Folklore, is a wonderfully eclectic collection of stories and poems that cover so many bases it is hard to describe them as a whole.
There are comedic stories, bone chilling supernatural adventure stories, poems of succubi and witches and a good smattering of trolls, huldr and less common members of the fairytale fraternity.
It is a bold offering, as it combines the traditional with the very modern. These are not old tales, rehashed, but entirely original works that draw their inspiration from the mists and forests of the northern climes that spawned the ancient tales of forest creatures and mountain ogres.
With contributions from amateurs to professional writers, there is a wide spectrum of style, and talent.
As the blurb on the back says, "Poetry and prose inspired by Scandinavian Folklore. In turns funny, horrifying, sexy and sad, what you seek is within. Warning! Do NOT feed the animals."
July 6, 2015
I enjoyed this book a lot. Hulder, troll, selkies and nisser. Good old fairytales that in this case aren't so old. My favourite stories were "The Journal" by M J Kobernus and "Gustave Trolle (1488-1533) The Gammeltroll of Gamlastan" by Mikaela von Kursell. Overall, there is such a rich storytelling tradition in Scandinavia, so why let the old boys Grimm or Asbjørnsen and Moe have all the fun?
December 22, 2016
Very authentic book. I felt like sitting on my grandmas lap as a little girl, when she was telling me stories. To this day many people believe in the creatures that are featured in the book. Me? I don't know what to think. I really enjoyed reading the book. It's a constellation of several short stories, and some poems. A great read, and would make an excellent gift.
August 6, 2015
As my followers of Reading Other People know, I am constantly looking for new and innovative pieces to analyze and learn from. When I was contacted by Norway’s Nordland Publishing to review their anthology entitled The Northlore Series Volume 1: Folklore, I graciously accepted. My knowledge of Scandinavian folklore is limited at best, providing me with ammunition to expand my knowledge of the world.
Comprised of 33 short stories and poems, The Northlore Series is heavily ensconced in a world of magic and delight. Alongside such otherworldly enchantments exist ageless themes and motifs ranging from betrayal to courage, all presented with a certain whimsical literary style. When there is a consolidated book with various contributors, as this book clearly is, there is sometimes an inconsistency of thematic representations and ultimate moralistic tellings. While no book is free of such inconsistencies, The Northlore Series does a great job in maintaining a gradual building of historical expositions in the context of eccentricity and amusement.
Needless to say, I obtained that semi-historical lesson I was anticipating upon commencing the book. While unique to its region in terms of custom, culture and folklore, Norway’s close proximity to other European natures rich in their own culture allows the story to be infused with a certain pan-European-like semblance of style and references. As with reading anything of the fantasy genre, the reader has to suspend his or her disbelief, something I had to consciously remind myself of whilst reading Northlore, especially when presented with some interesting human/animal cross species (Maras, she-werewolves were indeed my favorite.) Nothing against J.R.R. Tolkien’s master works, but I found this anthology a bit more honest and humble in its tone and ambitions.
Some simple but effective illustrations accompany some of the literary vignettes in Northlore, adding to the book’s general feeling of a unique blend of light and historical reading. The experience brought to me a welcome respite from the sometimes crazy world, and even though there are monsters in my own world that I could do without, I thoroughly enjoyed the ones that haunt pages of The Northlore Series: Volume 1 - Folklore.
Comprised of 33 short stories and poems, The Northlore Series is heavily ensconced in a world of magic and delight. Alongside such otherworldly enchantments exist ageless themes and motifs ranging from betrayal to courage, all presented with a certain whimsical literary style. When there is a consolidated book with various contributors, as this book clearly is, there is sometimes an inconsistency of thematic representations and ultimate moralistic tellings. While no book is free of such inconsistencies, The Northlore Series does a great job in maintaining a gradual building of historical expositions in the context of eccentricity and amusement.
Needless to say, I obtained that semi-historical lesson I was anticipating upon commencing the book. While unique to its region in terms of custom, culture and folklore, Norway’s close proximity to other European natures rich in their own culture allows the story to be infused with a certain pan-European-like semblance of style and references. As with reading anything of the fantasy genre, the reader has to suspend his or her disbelief, something I had to consciously remind myself of whilst reading Northlore, especially when presented with some interesting human/animal cross species (Maras, she-werewolves were indeed my favorite.) Nothing against J.R.R. Tolkien’s master works, but I found this anthology a bit more honest and humble in its tone and ambitions.
Some simple but effective illustrations accompany some of the literary vignettes in Northlore, adding to the book’s general feeling of a unique blend of light and historical reading. The experience brought to me a welcome respite from the sometimes crazy world, and even though there are monsters in my own world that I could do without, I thoroughly enjoyed the ones that haunt pages of The Northlore Series: Volume 1 - Folklore.
November 20, 2015
I enjoyed this far more than I expected to. I bought it because a friend wrote one of the stories and I thought I'd do the decent thing; myth and folklore aren't really my bag. What an eye-opener! A hilarious alternative explanation of the origins of Stonehenge. A three-headed troll arguing with itself. A chilling, desperate account of a boat-load of Vikings who accidentally release the zombie virus among their number. There truly isn't a single dud tale in this highly entertaining and imaginative collection. Indeed, almost all of these short stories and prose poems are ingenious, beautifully structured, elegantly penned and often funny; seriously good writing, in fact. I couldn't put it down, and even went straight back and read half a dozen instant favourites a second time. Even more unexpected, for me, was how much I enjoyed the ingenuity and accessibility of some of the dozen-odd short prose poems, although a couple did ring all-too-familiar bells.
Clever plots, and they all are that, aren't enough though. Character is king – too much fantasy writing puts all the colour and subtlety into the humans, leaving the giants, fairies, trolls or whatever as two-dimensional cut-outs, but as I read story after story I became amazed at the depth of characterisation these very smart writers bring to their mythical creations. I came to understand that, at its best, writing about elves, and draugr, hulde, selky and others from the panoply of northern mythological beings is a nifty way of extending the possibilities of humanity, at least in the imagination. The mythical characters are, at their best, insightful reflections of ourselves, gleefully distorted as if in a fairground hall of mirrors. That's the trick of it, to bring them alive and make us feel for them, and these guys are masters at the game. The editor, M J Kobernus, who also wrote one of the best stories about a spelunking tourist who runs into trolls deep in a cave system with genuinely surprising results, has pulled together a stellar gathering of writers from around the world, many of them multiple award winners, and it shows in the quality. Very, very clever stuff. Bring on Vol. II.
Clever plots, and they all are that, aren't enough though. Character is king – too much fantasy writing puts all the colour and subtlety into the humans, leaving the giants, fairies, trolls or whatever as two-dimensional cut-outs, but as I read story after story I became amazed at the depth of characterisation these very smart writers bring to their mythical creations. I came to understand that, at its best, writing about elves, and draugr, hulde, selky and others from the panoply of northern mythological beings is a nifty way of extending the possibilities of humanity, at least in the imagination. The mythical characters are, at their best, insightful reflections of ourselves, gleefully distorted as if in a fairground hall of mirrors. That's the trick of it, to bring them alive and make us feel for them, and these guys are masters at the game. The editor, M J Kobernus, who also wrote one of the best stories about a spelunking tourist who runs into trolls deep in a cave system with genuinely surprising results, has pulled together a stellar gathering of writers from around the world, many of them multiple award winners, and it shows in the quality. Very, very clever stuff. Bring on Vol. II.
August 9, 2015
Folklore is the first of the Northlore series. Three books inspired by Scandinavian history, culture and mythology.
The first, Folklore, is a wonderfully eclectic collection of stories and poems that cover so many bases it is hard to describe them as a whole.
There are comedic stories, bone chilling supernatural adventure stories, poems of succubi and witches and a good smattering of trolls, huldr and less common members of the fairytale fraternity.
It is a bold offering, as it combines the traditional with the very modern. These are not old tales, rehashed, but entirely original works that draw their inspiration from the mists and forests of the northern climes that spawned the ancient tales of forest creatures and mountain ogres.
With contributions from amateurs to professional writers, there is a wide spectrum of style, and talent.
As the blurb on the back says, "Poetry and prose inspired by Scandinavian Folklore. In turns funny, horrifying, sexy and sad, what you seek is within. Warning! Do NOT feed the animals."
The first, Folklore, is a wonderfully eclectic collection of stories and poems that cover so many bases it is hard to describe them as a whole.
There are comedic stories, bone chilling supernatural adventure stories, poems of succubi and witches and a good smattering of trolls, huldr and less common members of the fairytale fraternity.
It is a bold offering, as it combines the traditional with the very modern. These are not old tales, rehashed, but entirely original works that draw their inspiration from the mists and forests of the northern climes that spawned the ancient tales of forest creatures and mountain ogres.
With contributions from amateurs to professional writers, there is a wide spectrum of style, and talent.
As the blurb on the back says, "Poetry and prose inspired by Scandinavian Folklore. In turns funny, horrifying, sexy and sad, what you seek is within. Warning! Do NOT feed the animals."
May 27, 2015
Okay, first the disclaimer: I have some work included in this anthology, and only the greatest narcissist would highlight his own stuff, so ignoring that and considering everything else:
This is a great eclectic collection of poetry and prose to read on a winter's night; horror and humour, fairy tale and Fright Night. Bookended by two good stories: Hold The Door, and The Edge Of Darkness. My favourite poem was Fossegrim. Oh, and there are some cool illustrations too.
This is a great eclectic collection of poetry and prose to read on a winter's night; horror and humour, fairy tale and Fright Night. Bookended by two good stories: Hold The Door, and The Edge Of Darkness. My favourite poem was Fossegrim. Oh, and there are some cool illustrations too.
July 13, 2015
When you think about traditional stories, you probably imagine an ancient man sitting in front of a fire, as if Folklore were something from the past only. In this first volume, its storytellers turn those chronicles into a fresh and captivating anthology. The 'hidden people' are still alive... and among us.
September 30, 2015
This is a collection of short stories and poetry, inspired by Norse folklore and legend. It's incredibly packed - there are 33 separate pieces and of course there's a lot of variation in quality, but some are very good.
It's the first anthology of Norse fairytales that I've ever come across, so it's worth picking up for that reason alone.
It's the first anthology of Norse fairytales that I've ever come across, so it's worth picking up for that reason alone.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews