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Norse Mythology #1
Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes
Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas, and Heroes This book gives an overview of Norse mythology, telling some of the stories of the gods, giants and other creatures of that lost era before history began. Though the world came to know of the Norse and their legends through Roman interaction about the time of Christ, most of what we came to know were handed down from folk tales gathered by native writers like Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179–1241). This was from a time when the Norse had already been converted to Christianity. Some of what Sturluson wrote was clearly influenced by Christian beliefs of the time. As with all sources, we have to assume at least a little bit of bias was involved. The age of belief in the Norse gods had ended. We can only guess how much of those old beliefs were left out because they may have been incompatible with the new beliefs of Christendom. Sturluson gathered the tales in a work now known as the Prose Edda. Several anonymous writers of the pre-Christian era created poems which have collected in what is now called the Poetic Edda. These pre-date Sturluson’s work and thus are far more likely to give us insights into the thinking and attitudes of the early Norse people. Danish scholar Saxo Grammaticus gave us a Latin language version of Danish history, Gesta Danorum, written in the twelfth century. But even earlier, we have more matter-of-fact writing of Roman historian Tacitus in the first century, discussing the tribes of the region they called Germania. As with most stories, it’s best to start at the beginning. And as with any story of gods, we start with the Norse version of creation. Within this book, you'll find the answers to these questions and more. Just some of the questions and topics covered include Norse Creation StoryThe Nine RealmsGods and the “Giants” of JötunheimMidgard and the HumansElves, Dwarves, Trolls and ValkyriesOdin, Frigg, Thor, and LokiThe Death of BaldrConflict Between the RealmsEnglish Days of the WeekAnd more!Download the book now and learn more about norse mythology
83 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 18, 2016
149 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 10, 2022
While main editor and re-teller Matt Clayton does (I guess) give an adequately interesting and detailed enough general overview of and introduction to Norse mythology, I do have to admit that I basically had to force myself to finish reading Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes and in fact and indeed have been rather if not even totally and utterly disappointed and annoyed with regard to the themes and contents presented and featured.
And no, my annoyance and frustration do NOT in fact and indeed have ANYTHING AT ALL to do with the actual Norse mythology tales themselves but with the absolutely ridiculous and clearly Matt Clayton based tirades and sermons regarding the supposed non existence of global warming and that somehow global warming is supposedly something good and positive. For indeed, this kind of political soapboxing and grandstanding has absolutely NO PLACE WHATSOEVER in a book on Norse mythology and folklore (and just to be totally clear here, I would absolutely be saying the exact same thing if in Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes Matt Clayton were to be musing about global warming being a terrible and human caused blight, as any global warming mentions are and would be totally off topic in Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes). So yes, I certainly do NOT at all recommend Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes (because Clayton's off topic global warming tirades totally rub me the wrong proverbial way and heck, there are so many superior Norse mythology overviews out there, retellings that are better and less amateurishly penned and do not veer off topic with political and scientific insignificances, or at least I should call global warming as insignificant with regard to mythology compilations).
And no, my annoyance and frustration do NOT in fact and indeed have ANYTHING AT ALL to do with the actual Norse mythology tales themselves but with the absolutely ridiculous and clearly Matt Clayton based tirades and sermons regarding the supposed non existence of global warming and that somehow global warming is supposedly something good and positive. For indeed, this kind of political soapboxing and grandstanding has absolutely NO PLACE WHATSOEVER in a book on Norse mythology and folklore (and just to be totally clear here, I would absolutely be saying the exact same thing if in Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes Matt Clayton were to be musing about global warming being a terrible and human caused blight, as any global warming mentions are and would be totally off topic in Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes). So yes, I certainly do NOT at all recommend Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes (because Clayton's off topic global warming tirades totally rub me the wrong proverbial way and heck, there are so many superior Norse mythology overviews out there, retellings that are better and less amateurishly penned and do not veer off topic with political and scientific insignificances, or at least I should call global warming as insignificant with regard to mythology compilations).
March 14, 2017
Good not great
Loved learning a lot of the history. Could have done without the multiple references to global warming being a good thing. Makes me question the author's clarity of research.
Loved learning a lot of the history. Could have done without the multiple references to global warming being a good thing. Makes me question the author's clarity of research.
July 2, 2017
This isn't a re-telling of the Norse myths. It's a semi-scholarly, cursory review of the origins of the Norse gods and some slight analysis of the development of the cosmos (the overlap between the Vanir and the Aesir, the possibility that Frigga and Freia are the same goddess, etc.). If you don't already know the stories, this book will make little sense. As it is, it added a little, but not much, to my understanding.
I also have to note what I found to be a weird digression regarding the effects of climate change. At a couple of different points, Clayton noted that earlier periods of global warmth made the Nordic areas more habitable and led to greater growth in civilization. He then expressed (both times) that we shouldn't worry about global warming now because it's always led to better outcomes for human development. This is such a weird thing to comment on in a book about Norse mythology that it just feels like the author has strongly-held opinions on this subject and is desperate to mention them whenever he gets the chance. I also question the analytical ability of anyone who compares prehistoric periods of warming to the kind of global warming that we're experiencing right now. They're not comparable in terms of cause or effect, and it's foolish to assert that all will be well because it worked out for the Vikings' ancestors.
I also have to note what I found to be a weird digression regarding the effects of climate change. At a couple of different points, Clayton noted that earlier periods of global warmth made the Nordic areas more habitable and led to greater growth in civilization. He then expressed (both times) that we shouldn't worry about global warming now because it's always led to better outcomes for human development. This is such a weird thing to comment on in a book about Norse mythology that it just feels like the author has strongly-held opinions on this subject and is desperate to mention them whenever he gets the chance. I also question the analytical ability of anyone who compares prehistoric periods of warming to the kind of global warming that we're experiencing right now. They're not comparable in terms of cause or effect, and it's foolish to assert that all will be well because it worked out for the Vikings' ancestors.
May 14, 2018
It's hard to take this book serious when the author keeps going on about how global warming is a good thing. After all if they can't understand how something as straightforward as global warming works, how can you they trust their research into something as complicated as mythology?
June 7, 2017
A short mess...
Fine for a quick review of the material if you are already familiar with it and can get the ebook for free. Seems a little too jumbled to use as a beginner's intro to the material, there are far stronger books, including just reading the original eddas themselves...
Some of the comments on global warming felt a little too political and out of place in this context.
I was just looking for a quick overview to scrape some rust off my memory of a subject I have studied quite extensively in the past, and it worked well for that.
Fine for a quick review of the material if you are already familiar with it and can get the ebook for free. Seems a little too jumbled to use as a beginner's intro to the material, there are far stronger books, including just reading the original eddas themselves...
Some of the comments on global warming felt a little too political and out of place in this context.
I was just looking for a quick overview to scrape some rust off my memory of a subject I have studied quite extensively in the past, and it worked well for that.
June 27, 2017
I have never read much about the topic but I cannot help but think that Norse mythology is much more interesting than this book presents. This short read that amounts to not much more than a breif descpription of Norse gods, half a dozen story summerizations, interpretations with no supporting arguments, and two random pleas to the benifits of global warming If you are looking for primer for Norse Mythology this may not be the best place to start.
July 23, 2017
Editorial Rather than Narrative
Most mythology volumes attempt to retell the archetypal stories carried through diverse threads in their cultural traditions. This book does not do that. Skipping over significant details and components of Norse mythic worlds, he gets sidetracked in commentary on global climate. Some helpful compiling and summaries of earlier authors writing on the subject, there is little unique contribution here.
Most mythology volumes attempt to retell the archetypal stories carried through diverse threads in their cultural traditions. This book does not do that. Skipping over significant details and components of Norse mythic worlds, he gets sidetracked in commentary on global climate. Some helpful compiling and summaries of earlier authors writing on the subject, there is little unique contribution here.
June 2, 2017
Short review of Norse mythology. Nothing new learned.
March 5, 2018
Like its companions Egyptian and Greek Mythology this book was a bit thin. There was no sense of why Norse mythology still captivates people today.
July 21, 2017
Kindle Unlimited NOTE I read this in the triple pack, listed below, so all 3 are mentioned.
Discover the captivating beliefs of the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Vikings in this book on Mythology that contains three manuscripts. The first manuscript in this bundle is the bestseller called Greek Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters.Manuscript 1: Greek Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and MonstersThis first part includes some of the standard views of Greek myth and history but also tantalizes your imagination with the possibilities that lay behind myth and legend. By the time you are finished with this part, you will have a good appreciation for the nature of Greek mythology and the gods, monsters, and heroes which populate it.Manuscript 2: Egyptian Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals, This part is jam-packed with fascinating facts and stories. For instance, it covers perhaps the most popular of all the Egyptian stories - the myth of Osiris. Pieces of this story have been found throughout Egypt. One of the most appealing aspects of the Osiris myth is the human-like behavior of the gods within the story. Many of the other gods of the Egyptian pantheon were rather emotionless and their stories far less interesting. With the Osiris story, the gods display a broad range of emotions that made them more real to mere mortals. Manuscript 3: Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas, and Heroes Within this part, you'll find the answers to these questions and more. {Please note that the numbering is different in the single books, Norse is 1, Egyptian is 2, Greek is 3} -- noticed a review that said too simplistic, but thought to myself, just how detailed should books such as this be, since I don't want to have needed a Doctorate or some sort of higher degree to read these, so some things do need to be 'simpler' so a layman can actually understand them.
Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 1)
Egyptian Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 2)
Greek Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 3)
Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, and Norse Mythology (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 4
Others as well of these type books, please see the the writer's amazon page.
Discover the captivating beliefs of the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Vikings in this book on Mythology that contains three manuscripts. The first manuscript in this bundle is the bestseller called Greek Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters.Manuscript 1: Greek Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and MonstersThis first part includes some of the standard views of Greek myth and history but also tantalizes your imagination with the possibilities that lay behind myth and legend. By the time you are finished with this part, you will have a good appreciation for the nature of Greek mythology and the gods, monsters, and heroes which populate it.Manuscript 2: Egyptian Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals, This part is jam-packed with fascinating facts and stories. For instance, it covers perhaps the most popular of all the Egyptian stories - the myth of Osiris. Pieces of this story have been found throughout Egypt. One of the most appealing aspects of the Osiris myth is the human-like behavior of the gods within the story. Many of the other gods of the Egyptian pantheon were rather emotionless and their stories far less interesting. With the Osiris story, the gods display a broad range of emotions that made them more real to mere mortals. Manuscript 3: Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas, and Heroes Within this part, you'll find the answers to these questions and more. {Please note that the numbering is different in the single books, Norse is 1, Egyptian is 2, Greek is 3} -- noticed a review that said too simplistic, but thought to myself, just how detailed should books such as this be, since I don't want to have needed a Doctorate or some sort of higher degree to read these, so some things do need to be 'simpler' so a layman can actually understand them.
Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 1)
Egyptian Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 2)
Greek Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 3)
Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, and Norse Mythology (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 4
Others as well of these type books, please see the the writer's amazon page.
Read
October 9, 2017No review - downloaded this for use in preparing religious studies classes.
July 13, 2020
I almost gave this book 5 stars. It would have if there weren’t already books out there with way more detail. For what this book it, it is brilliant. I read this as part of the 5 book (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...) set by Matt Clayton available on Kindle Unlimited. It is the third and so far, it is my favourite.
I went into this book with little to no knowledge of Norse mythology. All I know is what I watched on the first season of Vikings (so not all that much!) The book began, as the others did, with the Norse creation story. It explains what the Norse believed happened in the beginning, as well as giving information on the nine realms that feature in Norse mythology. Clayton also includes a brief but information section where he discusses Old Norse geography, which I found surprisingly interesting, and the factual history.
I feel I learnt a lot about the four main characters (is characters the right word?): Odin, Frigg/Freya, Thor and Loki due to the various stories and myths. I also thoroughly enjoyed learning about some of the Norse mythological creatures, such as the Valkyries of Valhalla, the dwarves who created Thor’s famous hammer and trolls.
The main thing I liked about this short book, as with the other Captivating History books I have read, is the concise chapters. The information is right there and to the point without a lot of beating around the bush. Sometimes this can feel like there is a lack of description and information but for the most part it works perfectly as a short and sweet educational book.
Overall this is my favourite of the 3 I have read so far. It has made me want to look deeper into Norse mythology and culture while giving me the basics so I know where to start. I would recommend this to anyone interested in mythology, anyone interested in learning or brushing up on Norse mythology as well as those who just enjoy the stories about the Norse gods and goddesses.
I went into this book with little to no knowledge of Norse mythology. All I know is what I watched on the first season of Vikings (so not all that much!) The book began, as the others did, with the Norse creation story. It explains what the Norse believed happened in the beginning, as well as giving information on the nine realms that feature in Norse mythology. Clayton also includes a brief but information section where he discusses Old Norse geography, which I found surprisingly interesting, and the factual history.
I feel I learnt a lot about the four main characters (is characters the right word?): Odin, Frigg/Freya, Thor and Loki due to the various stories and myths. I also thoroughly enjoyed learning about some of the Norse mythological creatures, such as the Valkyries of Valhalla, the dwarves who created Thor’s famous hammer and trolls.
The main thing I liked about this short book, as with the other Captivating History books I have read, is the concise chapters. The information is right there and to the point without a lot of beating around the bush. Sometimes this can feel like there is a lack of description and information but for the most part it works perfectly as a short and sweet educational book.
Overall this is my favourite of the 3 I have read so far. It has made me want to look deeper into Norse mythology and culture while giving me the basics so I know where to start. I would recommend this to anyone interested in mythology, anyone interested in learning or brushing up on Norse mythology as well as those who just enjoy the stories about the Norse gods and goddesses.
April 7, 2021
This book deserves 5 stars and then some! I'm completely fascinated by Norse Mythology as of right now. This could be due to watching the tv series Vikings. But, overall, I have researched and taken a literature course which provided some information pertaining to this topic. This book literally picks up where some other stories leave off. Also, as I was reading a tv show was on which was discussing the Kensington Runestone. It made me laugh due to the little connections I could make from what I knew, what I'm currently reading, and inviting me to dive in further of what else there could be. The author does a great job of making the reader think of what else could there be that they don't know.
February 14, 2023
Not knowing much about Norse Mythology, aside from what I've picked up from certain superhero movies, this book gave a great overview of the gods and goddesses, some Norse history, and a look at the people themselves. What I found most fascinating was the extent of their travels and involvement with the rest of the world.
February 18, 2022
A nice light read and short overview of Norse mytholog, could work as a memory refresher for someone more read on the subject or as a nice appetizer for someone who's just dipping their fingers in these fascinating stories.
December 20, 2022
This book is equal parts Viking history and mythology, and includes areas such as Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland.
*SPOILER ALERT*
I loved the tale in chapter 11 about Thor cross-dressing as a bride. (LOL)
*SPOILER ALERT*
I loved the tale in chapter 11 about Thor cross-dressing as a bride. (LOL)
January 2, 2026
Norse Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Norse Folklore Including Fairy Tales, Legends, Sagas and Myths of the Norse Gods and Heroes by Matt Clayton- This was an Amazon freebie. It’s fun for your history buff! Happy Reading!
May 9, 2018
This introduced me to characters my grandsons know about and are able to discuss. They are very much into Thor, etc.
thanks Matt! Love these books
thanks Matt! Love these books
July 20, 2018
Not as clear, good for beginner.
March 1, 2020
Got some good info and the stories were actually interesting and not boring. It was fun to read the stories The Lord of the Rings were based off of.
July 15, 2021
Not the best interpretation of Norse Mythology but not the worst...
July 31, 2022
This book gives a general overview of and introduction to Norse Mythology which is something I had no prior knowledge about! For me, this book was simply stating the facts about each of the origins of the Norse Gods. I think I expected a bit more from this book. I found it quite boring at times as I just felt it was simply stating facts to me rather than going into the Norse Gods in detail.
A quick review but the book was so short and I don’t really have much to comment about it! I give this book 2 out of 5 stars
A quick review but the book was so short and I don’t really have much to comment about it! I give this book 2 out of 5 stars
June 1, 2024
It's the first of the series. The book does a good job explaining details and dates. Very informative and interesting.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews