Norse Mythology for Bostonians: A Transcription of the Impudent Edda

by Rowdy Geirsson

Norse Mythology for Bostonians is a humorous retelling of the trials and tribulations of Odin, Thor, and the other Norse gods. Regarded as an authentic, new "Edda" (as the original Icelandic source material is called), the main narrative is told in the charmingly quaint dialect of a foul-mouthed Bostonian. New mythological episodes, such as Thor's attempt to renew his driver's license and Odin's mysterious journey to Boston Common, supplement the more traditional stories such as Odin's acquisition of the mead of poetry and the theft of Idunn's apples of youth. Substantial historical background information about the myths is provided in the introductory material, as well as in the footnotes that occur throughout the volume. Based on the long-running McSweeney's Internet Tendency column Norse History for Bostonians , Norse Mythology for Bostonians , introduces readers to a fresh, new perspective on both familiar and previously unknown narratives of Norse mythology.

216 pages, Paperback

Published January 29, 2020

About the author

Rowdy Geirsson is the author of The Scandinavian Aggressors and the translator of The Impudent Edda. His writing has appeared in Scandinavian Review and the Sons of Norway's Viking Magazine. He's also a regular contributor to McSweeney's Internet Tendency and a slew of other humor websites.

Reviews

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a fun read! was it hard to read? yes. it took me a while to get used to reading the dialect, but having prior knowledge of the mythology REALLY helped! definitely had me giggling throughout 🤪

[Bjørn · Rating 3 out of 5]

(6.5/10)

It's a great book. Possibly the funniest, surprisingly detailed, and immaculately researched Norse mythology retelling I've ever read. Unfortunately, the …for Bostonians part kills it.

It took me a month to read a 212-page book, because the way it's written is exhausting. I would have easily thrown a 5-star rating at it, had the slang not been transcribed phonetically. The jokes are great, the football metaphors are hilarious, the photos are brilliant, but I had to read the book despite how it was written. In other words, the only thing that's not amazing about the joke is the joke.

If Rowdy Geirsson ever translates this book to English, I'm going to personally ensure nobody bothers with Neil Gaiman's sorry attempt, because this one beats everything. I think. I might have misunderstood some of it.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demonstrating that Norse mythology is largely an orally transmitted tradition, this book greatly benefits from being read out loud, as even to a fluent Bostonian some of the transliteration choices will be challenging. The editor expertly weaves modern science, New England cultural touchstones and Norse mythology in a way that synergistically adds to the canon.

Notably, the choice to use the spelling “St. Patty’s Day”, is the most controversial choice in the entirety of this work.

[Marci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a one-trick pony, except that I'd enjoy watching an actual pony do a single trick repeatedly. Any given chapter of this book was probably funny enough, but taken as a whole it grated.

[Claire Aliki · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is perfect. contains the most accurate description of taking the d line ever transcribed. incredible scholarship.