Scandinavian Myths and Legends. Biographies of Gods and Heroes with Illustrations and Detailed Comments
39.99 €
In stock
Scandinavian Myths and Legends. Biographies of Gods and Heroes with Illustrations and Detailed Comments
39.99 €
Scandinavian myths are a prime example of living mythology: stories take on new plot twists, images and details and are adapted over time, surviving in various versions. These poetic and prose works, originally in oral tradition, are filled with many allusions and are extremely difficult to study both in their original form and in translation. Tom Birkett has set out to systematize the Scandinavian myths and retell them in accessible language, drawing on a solid scholarly base. In addition to retelling myths about the creation of the world, the nine worlds and the World Tree Yggdrasil, the most famous gods and goddesses (Odin, Frigg, Thor, Sif, Freyr, Freya, Baldr and others), the Jotun giants, the monsters, the alves and dwarves, the hero Sigurd and the Völsungs, who are descended from Odin, and other legendary heroes, the book tells about the Vikings' exploration of the North Atlantic (about the settlement of Iceland and the pioneers, about the discovery of Greenland by Erik Red and Vinland by Leif Eriksson), about the expeditions to the East and South (about the Baltic voyages, about connections with Russia, about Harald the Harsh and Constantinople, about the Caliphate), about the kings of the North (from the first king of Norway, Harald the Fair-Haired to the last Viking king, Harald Hardrad). Special attention should be paid to the review of sources on Scandinavian mythology and the variety of interpretations of its motifs in art, literature, politics, and popular culture, including video games (Skyrim and World of Warcraft), Japanese manga, and Korean online role-playing games. The edition is superbly illustrated with prints and color reproductions of masterpieces of world painting and graphics.
See also:
- All books by the publisher
- All books by the author
- All books in the series Historical interest