Saga Six Pack

Saga Six Pack #1

by Jennie Hall, William Morris, Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur

'Saga Six Pack' brings together six classic sagas: 'Beowulf, ' 'The Prose Edda, ' 'The Story Of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue and Raven The Skald, ' 'Eric The Red, ' 'The Sea Fight' and 'Sigurd The Volsung.' There is also an introductory essay, ‘What The Sagas Were’

Genres: Fantasy, Poetry, Classics, Fiction, Mythology, Historical, Literature

314 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2015

About the author

1875-1921

Renowned historical writer of the late nineteenth century, Hall chiefly wrote spellbinding travel memoirs. Her works are known for their vibrant narratives and vivid descriptions.

Reviews

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of several collections of public domain material that was offered for cheap in a Kindle edition, and I thought it had some stuff I should read, which I did in between other things. As such, it took me a long time to finish it. It starts with Beowulf, which I've seen summarized many times, but this was the first time I read a complete translation. And, really, I can't say my understanding of it was increased by the original context, as a lot of it was just people hanging out in halls and arguing. The Prose Edda is a collection of Norse myths compiled by Snorri Sturluson, who including a background for the gods that made them just regular (if heroic) people, and presents some of the stories as an attempt to trick some guy. That's the problem with retellings of old religious materials by a follower of a different religion, I suppose. The saga of Erik the Red was short, but I found it kind of amusing that it involved Erik discovering Greenland and then basically tricking other people into settling there even though it was a whole lot crappier than Iceland. The Volsung Saga is partially another take on the saga of Sigurd (AKA Siegfried), another version of which was in the Prose Edda, but this one has more information on the hero's ancestry.

[Wendy Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book of stories. I felt like it was a great addition to my love of Viking fables and folktales. It was beautifully written and entertaining. Of Course, my favorite will always be Beowulf.

[Angrboda Lyndasdottir · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice mixture of stories, but Morris's translation of the Volsung Saga is the absolute stand-out piece in this volume. Stunning.

[Ju Ephraime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of classic literature, well-written with beautifully illustrations. Each book tells the story of a remarkable person from medieval times, whose name and achievements have lived on. I really enjoyed reading reacquainted with those tales and folklores of the Vikings, only this time, I had a deep appreciation and understanding of the material. If you want to revisit those tales, then this collection of folklore will do the trick, especially, Eric The Red and the Geatish warrior, Beowulf, to name but a few...