Name: The Saga of the Volsungs
ISBN: 9780141393681

Jesse L. Byock

'If you travel a road where evil creatures dwell, be wary. ' Legends from the Ancient North Beowulf The Elder Edda The Saga of the Volsungs Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The Wanderer: Elegies, Epics, Riddles These are the great epic stories that inspired J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Conjuring up a twilight world of quests, treachery, magic, evil and fellowship, they are the most ancient narratives from Northern Europe and bring us as near as we will ever get to the origins of Tolkien's Middle Earth. Translated by Jesse L. Byock

The Saga of the Volsungs

Jesse L Byock

Based on Viking Age poems, The Saga of the Volsungs combines mythology, legend and sheer human drama. At its heart are the heroic deeds of Sigurd the dragon slayer who acquires magical knowledge from one of Odin's Valkyries. Yet it is also set in a very human world, incorporating strands from the oral narratives of the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun and other warriors fought on the northern frontiers of the Roman Empire. One of the great books of world literature, the saga is an unforgettable tale of princely jealousy, unrequited love, greed and vengeance. With its cursed treasure of the Rhine, sword reforged and magic ring of power, it was a major influence for writers including William Morris and J. R. R. Tolkein and for Wagner's Ring cycle.

The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer

altlovesbooks

Enjoyed this series of stories a lot. A friend who's into mythology recommended this to me and I don't regret it. It was pretty short, but each story was nice and self-contained and clearly translated. I especially appreciated the 30 page introduction setting some historical and cultural context, and the notes to reference at the end were helpful.

Wynter

Some strange things I learned while reading the book:

1. You can start out as a hunted criminal, and be raised to a place of honor and respect by pillaging villages,
2. Weak children must be killed off. Spartans have nothing on these guys,
3. Incest is okay as long as you switch bodies with someone else before doing it,
4. You want this guy. He tells you he would leave his wife for you. You get the guy killed,
5. When your evil stepmother gives you poisoned ale twice, you have good faith in the third time,
6. Talk in riddles to your brothers, if you want them to kill you for no reason. They will feel really bad about it after the fact though, if that’s any consolation.

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The Saga of the Volsungs

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