Norse Mythology: The Heroes, Gods, Sagas, Beliefs, and Rituals of Nordic Mythology

by Oliver Laine

You've heard about Norse mythology before, but how much do you really know? By Odin's Beard! This Brief Guide on Norse mythology will get you up to speed! You may already be familiar with names and personalities such as Odin, Thor, Loki, and the Valkyries – and in this book you will learn about the many roles that they play within the various legends and sagas that have been passed down from generation to generation. You will learn about the impact that they have made on both the ancient Scandinavian cultures from where the stories arose and on modern culture in northern Europe. You will also learn how Norse mythology has become a leading source of storytelling ideas, and how the concepts and characters have found their way into works as diverse as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Gaiman’s American Gods; the operas that make up Wagner’s acclaimed The Ring of the Nibelung; the musical genres of heavy metal and, specifically, Viking metal; and many others. Finally, I hope that reading about Norse mythology will help you gain a better understanding of the ancient cultures of specifically, how these people saw the world and how they perceived themselves as they fit into that world.

Here is a Brief Preview of What You'll Learn... Norse Culture and the Importance of MythologySourcesThe Gods of Norse MythologyInhabitants of the UniverseHeroes and HeroinesThe Nine WorldsAnd Much, Much More! Become god-like now, and get this Kindle book!

Genres: Mythology

78 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 3, 2017

Reviews

[Stephanie (Bookfever) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love nonfiction about topics that I enjoy reading and learning more about. Norse Mythology is one of those topics. And even though I've read my fair share of books about Norse mythology but there's always more to discover.

At 78 pages (according to Amazon) this was a very quick read but it was also very informative. Some nonfictions can border on complex or even hard to read, even for me, but this one has kept things nice and simply in the best way possible. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Some of my favorite chapters in this book were 'Norse Culture and the Importance of Mythology', 'The Gods of Norse Mythology' where the gods like Odin, Frigg, Thor and others are highlighted, 'Norse Paganism' and 'The Norse Rituals'. But obviously I enjoyed reading all of the other chapters as well.

Overall, Norse Mythology: A Brief Epic Guide to Heroes, Gods, Sagas, Beliefs, and Rituals Of Norse Mythology by Oliver Laine was a book I quickly devoured. This is one of those books that make me want to read nonfiction like this all the time because I'm a huge history and mythology fan. I'd very much recommend it to readers who want to know more about Norse mythology and who like books that are easily read within an hour.

[Kieran McLoughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read many books on Norse Mythology in my time, but admit that this was a little underwhelming. OlIver clearly knows more on his topic, but a lot of the explanations and topics felt bare minimum. Has this been outlined for a full comprehensive look into the Norse myths and the culture around them I genuinely believe Oliver would have a four, maybe even a five star book. There's a few things shared in this that I didn't even know about, including information on Loki and Freya which really surprised me. This was a major plus and pleasant surprise for me. However, the short and brief nature of this book, alongside the very poorly handled representations of some of the stories, made so thin bare and bare bone I wouldve hated them being the first versions I had read had this been my first exposure. Again, OlIver clearly knows his topic and is passionate about it. I just wish he took his time and crafted a bigger more comprehensive book. There's so much potential here, I'd love to see an update and republish to see it shown here.

[Cal Bowen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wiki in a "book"

Do not waste your time. This "book is essentially the Wikipedia page about Norse mythology. There is nothing new nor ius this informative. Odin had a page and a half of information. No stories and no tales.

Waste of space on my Kindle.

[Linda Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book to read it a quick read:)

[Novels and Neckties - Kira Murasaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this to freshen up my memory of some nordic tales, but I also liked the tales from the other areas very much! it feel interesting seeing them together and to compare them where you can.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great, but a fair few typos and mistakes made; also it seemed as if it was copied and pasted from Wikipedia and then tweaked here and there.

[Kirby Alan Lund · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a very short read, and it gives the "quick and dirty" version of Norse mythology. It doesn't go too deeply into each topic, so if you're looking for other primary sources for Norse mythology, you've come to the right place.

That being said, the author's voice and writing style can be difficult to read. Because this mythology is so expansive, there seem to be words that just pop up that weren't discussed earlier in the book, so I felt lost in places. Throw in a few glaring typos and a smattering of comma errors, and this book is complete.

[Gail Baugniet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Norse Mythology has much information to offer within the pages of the novella-sized book. Many of the colorful descriptions were new to me, or at least a pleasant refresher in what I've heard or read in the past with added details that delighted me.

I had been given reason to believe, however, that this would follow in the vein of Neil Gaiman's American Gods. But it is not so much a story as a gathering of what is clearly listed in the subtitle: The Heroes, Gods, Sagas, Beliefs, and Rituals. Anyone interested in Nordic Mythology will not be disappointed.