Noorse Sagen - Voorbij de regenboogbrug

by Kevin Crossley-Holland, Jeffrey Alan Love (illustrator)

Wie de regenboogbrug naar Midgard oversteekt, betreedt een wereld van groene vlaktes en ijzige gletsjers. Daar stelt Odin het verstand van de rotsreus Tangler op de proef, en begroet Frigg een sterveling in haar oogverblindende kristallen grot.
Maar wie is nu echt de machtigste god of godin van Asgard?
Lees in deze wonderbaarlijke, bloedstollende Vikingmythen en IJslandse spookverhalen hoe Odin en de Noorse goden en godinnen magische kunsten uithalen, terwijl sluwe dwergen, bergtrollen en andere bovennatuurlijke wezens
door het land struinen.

Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Audiobook, Short Stories, Childrens

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Kevin Crossley-Holland is an English poet and prize-winning author for children. His books include Waterslain Angels, a detective story set in north Norfolk in 1955, and Moored Man: A Cycle of North Norfolk Poems; Gatty's Tale, a medieval pilgrimage novel; and the Arthur trilogy (The Seeing Stone, At the Crossing-Places and King of the Middle March), which combines historical fiction with the retelling of Arthurian legend.

The Seeing Stone won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the Smarties Prize Bronze Medal. The Arthur trilogy has won worldwide critical acclaim and has been translated into 21 languages.

Crossley-Holland has translated Beowulf from the Anglo-Saxon, and his retellings of traditional tales include The Penguin Book of Norse Myths and British Folk Tales (reissued as The Magic Lands). His collaborations with composers include two operas with Nicola Lefanu ("The Green Children" and "The Wildman") and one with Rupert Bawden, "The Sailor’s Tale"; song cycles with Sir Arthur Bliss and William Mathias; and a carol with Stephen Paulus for King’s College, Cambridge. His play, The Wuffings, (co-authored with Ivan Cutting) was produced by Eastern Angles in 1997.

He often lectures abroad on behalf of the British Council, regularly leads sessions for teachers and librarians, and visits primary and secondary schools. He offers poetry and prose workshops and talks on the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, King Arthur, heroines and heroes, and myth, legend and folk-tale.

After seven years teaching in Minnesota, where he held an Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Kevin Crossley-Holland returned to the north Norfolk coast in East Anglia, where he now lives.

He has a Minnesotan wife, Linda, two sons (Kieran and Dominic) and two daughters (Oenone and Eleanor). He is an Honorary Fellow of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, a patron of the Society of Storytelling and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Reviews

[Andrea (andreasathenaeum) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a good read, the images were incredible and the stories were poignant. I feel like there's such a trove maybe some more exciting stories could be used next time but I enjoyed!

[Marie the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay but it missed something..

[Stella Starlight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het boek is veel te dun maar de illustraties zijn weergaloos!

[Chris Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the captivating artwork that drew me to this book, and when I saw that it was written by Kevin Crossley-Holland, I just had to buy it and read it immediately.
The stories included are very human and charming, focusing on the people who live under the shadow of the gods, surrounded by the ghosts of the dead.
Very highly recommended indeed!

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

a small but wonderful book. a lovely selection of stories with beautiful Illustrations. while aimed at younger audience, it great for any lover of Norse mythology.

---

Één klein maar fantastische kinder boek over Noorse mythologie en sagen. Zeer mooie geïllustreerd. Een aanrader voor elke liefhebber van Noorse mythologie.

[Colin Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*
I really enjoyed how this avoided the grand tales we know and love, and instead focused on rather quaint and beautiful stories, smaller in scale but still interesting.
The illustrations are gorgeous, absolutely adore them.
A fun read

[Sivert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great. You Really Get the feeling of this being old tales from the norse times. I aspecially love the last chapter.

Not to mention the ilustrations. They just Really nail the mystique feeling.

All in all, Really liked This

[Ammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audio for this is perfection. I love these five short tales. Perfect for upper elementary and up. I don't love the illustrations in the book, though, so my five stars would be for the audio only. The book is more a 3.

[Bernardo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite bored by it

[Nessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING! I loved each tale and thought they were well done. They are a bit violent and tragic but that's Norse Mythology and most myths for ya.

Definitely for middle grade and up. The illustrations remind me of Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75*

[Maurits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastisch boek om voor te lezen.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een heerlijk spannend en mooi geschreven boek over verschillende Noorse Sagen.


Ik had dit boek al een tijdje terug bij Bieb #4 gezien, helaas mocht ie daar voor een of andere magische reden niet uitgeleend worden. Gelukkig heb ik meerdere biebs en vond ik deze ook bij bieb #1! En wat heb ik genoten van dit prachtige en mooie boek! Ik ga ook zeker snel Noorse Mythen halen want ik wil meer lezen van deze schrijver.

In dit dus prachtige boek lezen we 5 verhalen over het Noorden. Van een verhaal van een reus die geinteresseerd is in een klein meisje en hoe haar ouders de goden smeken om haar te redden wat tot een echt spannend verhaal leidde tot een meisje dat wel een heel bijzondere vondst doet in een grot. We lezen over goden groot en klein, over mythes en legendes, over avonturen en gedichten. Mijn favoriete verhaal? Het verhaal over het meisje dat dus die vondst deed in de grot, ik vond het een heerlijk verhaal al was ik wel bezorgd, hoe lang zou zoiets meegaan? Stel dat er wat zou gebeuren? Het einde was echt perfect, zo blij voor diegene. Het verhaal dat ik het grappigst vond (maar misschien ook een tikje saai, ja, ik ben verwarrend) was het een na laatste verhaal waarin Odin naar een reus gaat die zogezegd alles weet. Ik vond het hilarisch dat een god dat even moest testen. XD

Ik vloog ook echt door het boek heen en vond het allemaal maar jammer dat er maar 5 verhalen waren, ik had er veel liever 10 of 15 gezien. Gewoon een lekker dik boek!

Ik weet nog niet helemaal wat ik vond van de illustraties. Ze pasten bij het verhaal, maar ik vond de stijl niet helemaal mijn ding.

Ik zou dit boek ook zeker aanraden!

Recensie staat ook op https://boekeneiland.nl/

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Across the Rainbow Bridge is magical, captivating, and informative. T and I had only rudimentary knowledge of Norse mythology before reading this, but Crossley-Holland's writing, paired with Love's stark illustrations effortlessly swept us away into a world both beautiful and fierce. We could completely believe that ghosts, goddesses, and trolls walk among us. Whether traversing a mountain landscape or playing hearth side board games, masterful narration transported us to the characters's sides, where we became emotionally invested in their struggles, holding our breaths until they ultimately overcame them, either with help from Asgard or with Midgard wits and perseverance. Upon finishing Across the Rainbow Bridge, T commented that it was a really good book, which he enjoyed immensely. We've gotten a taste for Norse mythology and definitely are up for more!

T and I knew Odin, Thor, and Loki already (Thanks, Marvel? *cringe*), but we didn't know anything about Frigg. And she is what prompted our interest in this book in the first place. Although her story is only one among several, it occupies no small place and is a solid member of the collection, demonstrating the goddesses vital role.

A side note: We watched Thor as our movie night pick last week, and T was all about pointing out the Rainbow Bridge and the frost giants from the myths. If we're gonna be watching Marvel movies (my guilty pleasure), at least he is excited about the connections to literature. It's not mindless screen time, then, right? Right?

A review copy of this book was provided upon request for the purpose of an honest review. All thought are our own.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odin himself sometimes cut human down like corn when they got in his way: farmhands working in the fields, rivals for the favour of a lovely girl, warriors in battle. And he well knew that although men and women and children were scared of him, and worshiped him, they didn't care much for him either, and gave him many fearsome names: Terrible One, Father of Battle, Bringer of Sleep, Spear Shaker, Death Blinder, Allfather.

I luckily came across this in the Oxfam Charity Bookshop a while ago. I do like a bit of Norse Mythology and when it comes from the expert on the matter, Kevin Crossley-Holland, who wrote The Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings, I have to have it.

The book contains a number of tales from tradition Norse mythology and from Icelandic folklore. We learn about the Gods, about trolls, about restless spirits; all wonderfully illustrated by Jeffrey Alan Love.

The only criticism is that it isn't longer! A well deserved 5 stars!

[Bree Hatfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The boy gazed up at the pale fire in the northern night sky, and he watched while it kept changing shape — dragons and spears and green flames and warnings.”

Much like Kevin Crossley-Holland’s Norse Myths, this book tells short tales about the people of Midgard and the gods of Asgard. These are more obscure stories and I had never heard any of them before, so I’m glad I got to read them with Crossley-Holland’s magnificent writing style. Most of them have to do with ordinary people, and all of them are set in Midgard, but the gods at least make an appearance in every one, I believe. Because these stories deal with everyday people, it was interesting and fun to see how the gods reacted to and handled the situations in these tales. I always love reading more about the gods and their exploits. The last story, “The Gift of Poetry”, was a fantastic insight into how people viewed poetry and we got a little bit more information about Bragi.

There were a couple of things I didn’t know before reading this, like how the giants were born of a poison clot from the river Elivagar, and that the first giant born that way was Aurgelmir.

Overall, this was a fantastic little book, and Jeffrey Alan Love’s illustrations were gorgeous. If you’re interested in Norse mythology or folklore, you will love this!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This companion volume to the YA, Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor, and Loki (2017), offers five lesser known Norse tales, geared for middle grade readers. Crossley-Holland's dramatic narration reflects his gifts as a poet and storyteller, and begs to be read aloud. The author's graceful text is complemented by Love's striking, mostly monochrome illustrations, in a collaboration reminiscent of Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell, in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The collection spins haunting, sometimes humorous tales of trolls, giants, ghosts and gods, as the deities cross the Rainbow Bridge linking the heavens to Midgard (Middle Earth), leaving their realm of Asgard to mingle with the humans living below. Gods sometimes aid mortals in their struggle for everyday survival, especially in their dangerous dealings with supernatural creatures. An elegant compilation, this work offers an accessible and entertaining resource for studies of Scandinavian Mythology.

[Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This small collection of four norse/icelandic tales contain norse gods, giants, and trolls of Midgard (Middle Earth) and Asgard (where the Gods live). My favorite was the first tale about a contest between a human and a troll and the winner gets to take one thing from the others home. The troll wins and wants the father's daughter, but the parents ask for help from the Gods. Another tale involves a contest between Odin and a giant. These tales are geared more for middle graders and need a little more thought than the average good vs. evil fairy/folk tales that would entertain younger readers. Also, it is a breath of fresh air to read tales based in Norse mythology. I listed to this as an audiobook, and the book version supposedly has outstanding illustrations.

[Deborah Duncan]

This slim book is a companion to the author's "Norse Myths" and is beautifully illustrated with strong abstract paintings by Jeffrey Alan Love. The five tales are very old Icelandic/Scandinavian myths, telling of the interactions between the gods os Asgard and the people, dwarves and giants of Middle Earth. These retellings are deceptively simple, told in a powerful voice and well worth reading. They would make excellent read-alouds for older children and adults, especially around a campfire or in a lonely cottage! They are filled with atmosphere, menace and beauty like all great myths. There are tricks, riddles, battles, love of family and hard work. If you enjoy the greatest world folklore, myth and great storytelling, this is a great read!

[Ersa Sol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way the author told the stories. They were very easy to read, engaging, fun, and simple enough for young readers to comprehend. The illustrations were wonderful too! It was really cool and paired fantastically with the tone of the stories.

As a pagan, lover of mythology, and a librarian, I am always on the hunt for ethical, reliable, and informative literary pieces to expand my knowledge of Norse mythology as well as increase my recommendation pool for others of like mind.

A truly wonderful read! I am definitely considering purchasing a copy for my personal collection.

[Robo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to get into Norse Myth, so this was a nice primer. Some of the stories were outright beautiful and a joy to read. The two that stand out being Blue of Blue and The Gift of Poetry.

Your Life or My Life was pretty alright, you learn a lot about the Norse mythos there, but I don't really like how it ended (Tangler won Odin, you literally know it.) But whatever.


All in all, it was a really nice read, the world has caught my interest so I think this served as a good introduction.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Crossley-Holland and illustrator Love have teamed up to create a volume of five Norse folktales featuring trolls, Odin the Allfather, the goddess Frigg, a miserly ghost and more. A companion volume to their Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor, and Loki. The stories will appeal to those interested in Norse mythology. Beautifully illustrated.

[Hanna Kjeldbjerg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this audiobook when I planned a trip to Denmark. I like reading about places before I travel, and Denmark and Norway share Viking gods, folktales, and trolls.

I had to reschedule the trip. But when I got the Christmas COVID, Simon Vance narrating about the thin veil between gods, ghosts, and mortals was exactly what my fever dreams needed. (He also narrated “Fire and Blood”!)

[Carol Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be an incredible book of beautifully told stories, some haunting and some uplifting. Included were 5 stories. I am not very famous with Norse Myths and this book was a warm wonderful introduction. I’m looking forward to reading the companion book that includes 20 stories by the same author and illustrator.

[Micah Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is more “Nordic folk tales” than the typical “Norse epics,” which was actually what was interesting about it. However, there is little about the stories or the particular at they are told that is incredibly interesting. The layout of the book and Love’s illustrations are wonderful, though. All the points for that.

[Nate Hipple · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was all right, I suppose, but it’s very much the b-sides of Norse mythology. None of the stories included are particularly interesting and the storytelling, while solid, does little to excite. By far the star of the book are the illustrations and the graphic design.

[Foxglove · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good introduction for someone who doesn’t really know much about mythology. The art was really amazing and the stories were interesting. But I felt like something was missing. The stories didn’t fit together in a satisfying way, honestly.

[Jerad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook. It has some less popular tales focused not on the gods interacting with each other but, in the best selections, the humans interacting with the gods.

I still ended feeling like it didn't need to have been written.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed all of these stories!

My favorite was “Blue of Blue” because I’m a fiber artist and goddess lover. I did really appreciate reading “The Troll and the Trickster”, because most of what I’ve heard about Loki previously was very different than how he was presented in this story.

[Yv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het is het dreamteam weer gelukt! Fantastische hertelling van volksverhaaltjes uit Scandinavische landen. Het grote minpunt: het boek is véél te dun, het had nog 10x langer mogen zijn.