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76th out of 398 books
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760 voters
Gods and Myths of Northern Europe
Tiw, Woden, Thunor, Frig. these ancient northern deities gave their names to the very days of our week. Nevertheless, most of us know far more of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and the classical deities. Recent researches in archaeology and mythology have added to what was already a fairly consistent picture (largely derived from a twelfth-century Icelandic account) of the
...morePaperback, Reprint, 251 pages
Published
1990
by Penguin Books
(first published 1964)
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This provides an okay overview of Norse mythology. It jumps around a bit, though this is more a product of the author trying to pull together fragmented sources. Not a completely satisfying read, but not a bad first look at the names/habits/symbols in the Norse myths. Also, there is a pretty gruesome description of the Valkyries weaving with intestines, which is always a good time.
What did the Vikings really think of their gods? Why was Odin, their chief god, not to be trusted? Who did the German tribes believe brought them victory in battle? Did anyone ever worship Balder?
Excellent guide to the pagan beliefs of the germanic peoples from Scandinavia to England which will provide the best answers for these questions you are likely to find. Scholarly, but easy to digest, this book is just as much for the general interested reader as the academic.
Written some decades ago n...more
Excellent guide to the pagan beliefs of the germanic peoples from Scandinavia to England which will provide the best answers for these questions you are likely to find. Scholarly, but easy to digest, this book is just as much for the general interested reader as the academic.
Written some decades ago n...more
Margaret Atwood wrote, “Pick up any strand and snip, and history comes unraveled.” I have always loved this image. The idea of history as a linear, progressive line toward a fixed point is a myth anyway. The image of countless threads heaping around the feet and ankles and shins of the historian is much more of how I think of it. Atwood picked this image, the one of the shears, because it is discomforting (that’s my girl). Think of the image of the woman with the shears, looking down on men and...more
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The heroic literature of the Vikings is based on an unsettled society and the shortness and transitory nature of life. Their mythology shows them to be a people of courage, vigor, and enthusiasm, with a highly developed sense of fairness and a capacity for great self-discipline. In this book, the author examines Viking myths and the wondrous gods & goddesses that populate them. She examines such sources as the 13th-century Prose Edda and a small book of poems called the Codex Regius discover...more
This isn't just a simple account of all the different myths (the stories themselves.) This is a brief but fascinating analysis which compares different aspects of the Gods from the many accounts taken, and poems found and not found. It takes an interesting and objective view point and is clear and easy to read, while somehow fitting in some of the best stories amid the discussion of what the various figures meant at different times, and how they portrayed, and how much or little we know, and how...more
A well put together discussion of the pagan myths of pre-christian northern europe. Drawing from the Prose Edda, Poetic Edda and a multitude of other primary sources Davidson is able to make the Norse psyche both visible and accessible. After reading this I find I better understand the Norse culture and worldview as it truly was, as opposed to the nearly cartoon-like nature in which it portrayed in most modern contexts.
My very first book on Norse mythology. I have since then acquired more detailed ones and most of them in German. But this one is still one I pick up often as it gives a good overview and it has a really good glossary at the end.
A good overview of Norse mythology from a mostly archaeological perspective and provides some fascinating facts and makes you look at the myths differently, and appreciate the development of the gods of ancient Germanic peoples.
Fine enough for a sort of dictionary of personalities among the mythology of the pre-christian Scandinavians/Germanic peoples, but the Eddas are considerably more worthwhile as far as impact is concerned.
This is mainly a survey of what we know about the Norse/German/Old English gods and goddesses. (Not much.) Davidson looks at the archaeological remains as well as the old sagas and Eddas, concentrating mainly on Snorri's "Prose Edda" to see what has survived about Scandinavian mythology. What emerges is fascinating, and ultimately frustratingly sad. Fascinating because it's a glimpse at a mythology that isn't well known thanks to the Renaissance's obsession for Greco-Roman mythology and frustrat...more
I thought I knew a lot about Norse mythology, but I didn't. The "Norse mythology" I knew was a vast simplification of a varied collection of myths, gods and cosmologies all smooshed together, the way all the views of the divine and stories about humanity's relationship with the divine in Christianity are all smooshed together and blended into one homogeneous story that doesn't do justice to the richness of all the traditions that went into it.
It was particularly interesting to me that Odin, the...more
It was particularly interesting to me that Odin, the...more
Fabulous dive into the mythology and religions of the North. I found the path these beliefs took from the Near East to my ancestors fascinating. Davidson does a good, if frustrating, job of staying on topic. I plan on reading more of her to get the full picture.
There was more analysis of the origins of the myths than I was prepared for, but still an interesting read. I wouldn't recommend reading this book before becoming familiar with the different stories from Norse mythology first since they are only briefly summarized at the beginning. Definitely interesting, but thankfully short.
This book is a very brief very broad overview over several themes found in the Northern myths. If you've read the myths then there is no point reading this book, unless you have had some trouble with them. This book might help clarify a few things or help come up with some essay topics. There are a few comparative pieces between Snorri's work and Saxo's which I found quite interesting. If you're just an interested reader, this book doesn't have much value. If you're a researcher or scholar this...more
Another academic work on the Norse gods (not a storybook retelling at all), this concentrates more on the Northern people than Dumézil's work, surveying the practical meaning and historical base for many of the stories and concepts. Intriguing passages included the similarities between Freyja and Frigg; the relation between the powers of the volva or Odin's acquisition of knowledge and shamanism; and the reasons for Christianity's power over the heathens of the late period. A great archeological...more
Feb 20, 2010
Liz
marked it as to-read
Available on Kindle.
Turgid.
Remarkably thorough overview of the gods of Norse mythology from the Eddas and other related texts. A bit biased when it comes to Norse paganism's (which he insists on calling "heathenism") disappearance, implying it's because Christianity is inherently better and truer than paganism.
Great book! I got a ton out of this one as far as stories went. If I ever have kids, I'll have some really cool bedtime stories! It also really gave me the urge to travel to the Nordic lands and take a look at some of the history there.
Good intro book. Basically a survey, the language lays on the archaic side. Interesting read.
copy-pasted from my Librarything account: Very interesting book, offers a great deal of info regarding Norse/Germanic mythology. A must for any one interested in this matter.
Nice resource, but I would back it up with other research just to make sure of the facts.
May 19, 2013
Iliana
marked it as to-read
May 19, 2013
András
marked it as to-read
May 18, 2013
Frances
marked it as to-read
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a.k.a. Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson
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Jan 02, 2011 06:35am
Hi! I haven't read this one yet, but I've heard it's good, and it's on my...more
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Jan 02, 2011 08:54am