The Norse Myths (The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)

I love this book. It has very readable translations of all the Norse mythology. It has an awesome introduction (maybe 25-30 pages or so?, not too heavy) that covers Norse culture, history, cosmology, and the authors/collectors of the stories. There are also very interesting end notes for each myth commenting on things like one myth's relation to the others, cultural context, alternate versions of the tale, etc. There's a decent sized glossary which is very handy. For me this book is the perfect balance of fun, readable "fairy tales" with a dash of more scholarly commentary for when you want to go deeper. I loved the book the first time through, and pick it up often to read a tale or two from time to time. If you're interested in Norse mythology, but don't have a lot of background in the area, this is the perfect book!

I bought this book for my own enjoyment, and I must say, I love it! I was already familiar with many of the myths and "timeline" of events, but this book puts it all together in a detailed, but more easily understood way, as there is a lot going on. My favorite part of it though, is that it reads like an entertaining novel. The writer does an excellent job of giving the "characters" strong personalities and story presence, especially Loki! It's also well paced and interesting. This is what I was hoping for. I didn't want a textbook, though it still manages to teach me just about everything I was hoping it would. There are also notes and a glossary, and the cover design is nice. If this sounds like what you're looking for, get it. It's a fantastic buy.

If you're looking for a good cheap book on norse mythology then you should buy this book. It starts off with an introduction which tell the kind of roles these myhs played in the lives of the norse. It also helps set you up with some information on some of the god's and how these myths came into being. Then come the stories which start with the creation of the world and it ends with the destruction of it. In all you get 32 stories, most of which deal with the god's interacting with humans, dwarves and their enemies the giants. The stories themselves are told very nicely and they never get dull. The only problem one might have is trying to pronounce some of the names. After the stories he gives information on each story on which source he used and sometimes he had to use differnt sources or how he had to altar some things so that the stories didn't contridict each other. There is also an index and a glossary at the end. I really enjoyed this book for the stories and the history behind them and I would highly reccomend it to anyone who has an interest in the norse myths, young or old.

The Norse Myths Kevin Crossley Holland’s “The Norse Myths” are a very readable collection of tales/myths from the land of the Norse. I picked this book up because I had limited exposure to “religions” and their myths other than the Judeo-Christian pathway. Watching the History channels “The Vikings probably spurred me on to do a bit more research and Crossley Holland appeared to be highly recommended. I did not read The Norse Myths for academic purposes, but looked at it more for exploration and entertainment. To be entertained, one must be able to understand the material. Crossley Holland enables the casual reader to never miss a beat with a very readable and informative introduction, an extensive glossary of characters, notes for further reading that deal with each of the thirty two myths (important for those who might want to do further research, tie ins with myths of other cultures, and explanation of possible Christian influence on the myths), and a progression of myths that build and reinforce as one reads. Periodically a myth would serve as a “review” for what preceded, or recount what is necessary to become a good Norseman. One can only imagine during the long, dark, northern winters, sitting around fires and stoves drinking mead and ale sharing these tales and myths with one another, perhaps with a tad of embellishment. An accomplished storyteller could have fun and entertain with the tales of the impulsive Thor and the shape-shifter Loki, the cast of Norse gods, giants and trolls. Crossley Holland presents an entertaining anthology of Norse myths that encompasses colorful characters and metaphorical beauty such as the wolves Skoll and Hati that chase the sun and moon across the skies to give us daylight and evening. I used Crossley Holland’s “The Norse Myths” as bedtime reading. Most of the tales are shorter than five pages, which makes for easy reading and digestion of the material, and hopefully initiating pleasant dream sequences for the sleep that follows.

This is a super-entertaining, super-accessible retelling of Norse myths ranging from the Theft of Idun's Apples to Ragnarok. Holland has stayed relatively true to the myths, but he has put words in the mouths of the gods and attributed small actions (like grabbing someone by the shoulders) to flesh out the narrative. If you're looking for the myths without any added narrative bits, you should go to the Eddas and not Holland's book of retellings. There are also notes on each myth at the back of the book. These notes really illuminate the different gods, their actions, and the possible symbolic meanings behind them. I also like how Holland was sort of sympathetic to Loki, who's too often cast as the Norse Satan and not attributed the same depth of character as other gods such as Odin or Thor.

A very nice intersting read through the world of Norse Mythology. Very interesting and is packed with all various short stories. Worth a read!!

Excelente como primer acercamiento a la mitología nórdica

Pour avoir lu d'autres livres relatant la mythologie nordique avec un style beaucoup plus académique, j'ai trouvé celui-ci bien plus facile à lire et à assimiler, bien qu'étant relativement fidèle aux différentes sources, lesquels sont citées d’ailleurs. L'auteur indique les mythes ou simplement passages qu'il a retranscrit tel quel ou bien lorsqu'il a choisit de s'inspirer d'autres sources, toujours en donnant les raisons.

This book is an excellent introduction to Norse Mythology. It is extremely well written, highly engaging and entertaining. It was meant to be accessible to readers from all backgrounds – and in this it succeeds. What makes this book a particular success is its well thought-out structure. The work is essentially divided into three parts: The first consists of the introduction. Here the author not only provides a critical analysis of the source material, but also provides a succinct overview of Norse beliefs, culture and historical background essential to understanding the subsequent myths. The second part consists of the collection of myths themselves; written in plain English and as close to the original text as possible. The myths themselves are highly readable, fascinating and entertaining. Many of the myths were lost to time, but the author has arranged those that we know of in such a way as to provide a coherent narrative. The third part of the book can be described as an Appendix. Here the author discusses each myth in turn; analysing their meanings, contexts and significance while occasionally providing fascinating cross-cultural comparisons with other mythologies. This section is essential reading for those who want not only to be familiar with the stories, but to truly understand and appreciate them. Traditionally obsessed with its Classical and Christian heritage, the West has largely ignored non-Mediterranean literary traditions. This author has convinced me that Norse mythology was no less rich and sophisticated than its Greek and Roman counterparts – and deserves to be recognised as part of Europe’s proud and diverse literary and cultural heritage.

I love Norse Mythology and this book was really great.. I liked in particular the first chapter which provides you with all the infrmation about the history and the sources!