Our Fathers' Godsaga: Retold for the Young

by Viktor Rydberg, John Bauer (Illustrator), William P. Reaves (Translator)

An epic introduction to Norse mythology for students of all ages.Based on the research of the 19th century Swedish poet and scholar, Viktor Rydberg, Our Fathers' Godsaga retells the mythology of Northern Europe in chronological order from Creation to Ragnarök.These are tales told by Vikings, epic tales of gods and giants, elves and dwarves, and of how their interaction and wars affect the first generations of human beings in the North. Based on a comprehensive examination of the source material, including the Icelandic Eddas and Sagas, this is likely the way Germanic mythology looked at the end of the heathen era.Many will recognize themes found here in J.R.R. Tolkien's Silmarillion, particularly the tale of the elf-smith Völund and his quest for revenge against the Aesir, first detailed by Rydberg in his comprehensive Investigations into Germanic Mythology, 1886.This is an original translation of Viktor Rydberg's Fädernas Gudasaga, his own retelling of the complete Norse mythic epic, first published in 1887, and many times since. The text includes a complete catalog of mythic names & the original artwork, from the 1911 German translation, by renowned children's artist John Bauer (1882-1918).This classic Swedish text appears in English now for the first time.

Genres: Religion, Classics, History

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1887

About the author

Abraham Viktor Rydberg (Jönköping, December 18, 1828 – Djursholm, September 21, 1895) was a Swedish writer and a member of the Swedish Academy, 1877-1895. "Primarily a classical idealist",[1] Viktor Rydberg has been described as "Sweden's last Romantic" and by 1859 was "generally regarded in the first rank of Swedish novelists."

Reviews

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of Nordic mythology intended to tie together the various open-ended and sometimes conflicting word-of-mouth stories that make up the very foundation of the Germanic Mythos.

It is translated into English, and it is written as a sort of continuum, as it works through creation, the age of peace, and finally the age of sin/disorder...

For anyone unfamiliar with this strain of mythology, this is one of the best starting points, as it offers a couple of explanations for each "event."

It gets a bit difficult to read about halfway through, especially if you are not familiar with all of the characters and happenings, as it can be extremely detailed (which oftentimes subdues the casual reader, rather than entertaining), but all-in-all is worth the time investment.

[Pontus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detta är vad de oss fråntog

[John Erlandsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

En bok som uppvisar stor aktning för de norröna sägnerna men samtidigt vågar tolka dem på nytt, liksom de vikingatida skalderna otvivelaktigt gjorde även på sin tid, och leverera dem i ett omstöpt, lättillgängligt paket. Ett utmärkt sätt att uppleva vår rika och färgglada mytologi.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-researched account of Norse mythology, compiled from disparate sources and written by one of the most important Swedish authors of the 19th century.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

interesting how many aspects of the myths differ from the "popular" tellings in modern culture. some good stories and surprising insights into the wisdom of these northerners, but...like all ancient mythology, it can't help but be boring and repetitive at times.