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Viking Language Old Norse Icelandic Series
Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas
Viking Language 1 is an introduction to Old Norse, runes, Icelandic sagas, and the culture of the Vikings. The 15 graded lessons include vocabulary and grammar exercises, 35 readings, pronunciation, 15 maps, 45 illustrations, and 180 exercises.
Journey through Viking Age Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Britain, Russia, and Byzantium with original Old Norse readings of Vikings, Norse mythology, heroes, sacred kingship, blood feuds, and daily life.
The Viking Language Series speeds learning by focusing on the most frequently used words in the sagas. It takes you to the heart of Icelandic literature, Viking runestones, legends, and Old Norse mythology that has preserved the early medieval history of Scandinavia.
Journey through Viking Age Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Britain, Russia, and Byzantium with original Old Norse readings of Vikings, Norse mythology, heroes, sacred kingship, blood feuds, and daily life.
The Viking Language Series speeds learning by focusing on the most frequently used words in the sagas. It takes you to the heart of Icelandic literature, Viking runestones, legends, and Old Norse mythology that has preserved the early medieval history of Scandinavia.
377 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2013
124 people are currently reading
591 people want to read
About the author
Jesse L. Byock
13 books72 followersJesse L. Byock is Professor of Old Norse and Medieval Scandinavian at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of Feud in the Icelandic Saga (1982) Medieval Iceland (1990), The Saga of King Kraki (1998), and Viking Age Iceland (2001).
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 5, 2017
I have at this point been studying Old Icelandic for about a year, almost to the day. I'm hardly an expert on the subject. I'm also a self-learner, and have no access to classes on the subject. With that said, I've spent time with three 'Introductions' to Old Norse and Old Icelandic, and I can unequivocally say, allowing for that fact that some formatting issues and the occasional typo or other error can be a little annoying, this probably the best option for self-learners that have little to no experience in learning other languages, particularly ancient ones.
What I liked:
The gradual introduction of grammatical concepts, paired with ample examples of usage as well as numerous Exercises in each chapter helps to ease you in to the language without being overwhelming. I will say that to get the most out of this book it is best to spend some time memorizing paradigms as they come up, but they don't have to be perfect. The book periodically calls back to older concepts in some exercises and the nature of the language promises that you will get ample practice. One could comfortably advance through one chapter every one to two weeks , spending perhaps an hour a day, and master the content of this book.
Accompanying the grammar and exercises are readings (usually two per chapter, but later on this number increases) that are in standardized but not simplified Old Icelandic. The thrill of being equipped to read passages right from the beginning is excellent, and the readings themselves are paired with extensive cultural and historic information which both put them in context and make the contents that much more interesting. As the book moves forward, translation aids are gradually reduced. The final chapter features no reference glossary in the lesson proper, and leaves no space for your own translation - by now you are reading on our own (with the occasional glossary reference).
It's also fantastic to have an introductory reader, brief grammar reference, and glossary in one volume. I prefer this volume to E.V. Gordon overall as an introductory text due to the well paced introduction of concepts and steady drip of challenge, as opposed to everything up front with no guidance. Remember, I am a self learner without access to classes or a tutor.
What I didn't love:
I have already mentioned some formatting and occasional typo issues. This is purely cosmetic and won't cause much concern. However, when compared to similar products (such as Reading Old English, a book which takes a similar approach), the lack of precise formatting is apparent.
The other thing which I didn't love is, again, largely a matter of convenience. The size of the book is great considering it is functionally a workbook, however it doesn't travel exceptionally well. Most of my delays while working through it had to do more with the fact that I couldn't easily travel with the volume. This is Gordon's primary advantage over this text (as well as A New Introduction to Old Norse).
To conclude, if you are truly interested in learning about the Viking Age, the Sagas, and the other written records (including the runestones), this should be your first stop, especially if you are a self learner. It would also function as an excellent supplement to those learning in a classroom setting via more traditional methods. This book has spoiled me for ancient language learning and I hope many other start to adapt this mixture of the Immersion Method paired with a rigorous but well-paced introduction of grammar.
What I liked:
The gradual introduction of grammatical concepts, paired with ample examples of usage as well as numerous Exercises in each chapter helps to ease you in to the language without being overwhelming. I will say that to get the most out of this book it is best to spend some time memorizing paradigms as they come up, but they don't have to be perfect. The book periodically calls back to older concepts in some exercises and the nature of the language promises that you will get ample practice. One could comfortably advance through one chapter every one to two weeks , spending perhaps an hour a day, and master the content of this book.
Accompanying the grammar and exercises are readings (usually two per chapter, but later on this number increases) that are in standardized but not simplified Old Icelandic. The thrill of being equipped to read passages right from the beginning is excellent, and the readings themselves are paired with extensive cultural and historic information which both put them in context and make the contents that much more interesting. As the book moves forward, translation aids are gradually reduced. The final chapter features no reference glossary in the lesson proper, and leaves no space for your own translation - by now you are reading on our own (with the occasional glossary reference).
It's also fantastic to have an introductory reader, brief grammar reference, and glossary in one volume. I prefer this volume to E.V. Gordon overall as an introductory text due to the well paced introduction of concepts and steady drip of challenge, as opposed to everything up front with no guidance. Remember, I am a self learner without access to classes or a tutor.
What I didn't love:
I have already mentioned some formatting and occasional typo issues. This is purely cosmetic and won't cause much concern. However, when compared to similar products (such as Reading Old English, a book which takes a similar approach), the lack of precise formatting is apparent.
The other thing which I didn't love is, again, largely a matter of convenience. The size of the book is great considering it is functionally a workbook, however it doesn't travel exceptionally well. Most of my delays while working through it had to do more with the fact that I couldn't easily travel with the volume. This is Gordon's primary advantage over this text (as well as A New Introduction to Old Norse).
To conclude, if you are truly interested in learning about the Viking Age, the Sagas, and the other written records (including the runestones), this should be your first stop, especially if you are a self learner. It would also function as an excellent supplement to those learning in a classroom setting via more traditional methods. This book has spoiled me for ancient language learning and I hope many other start to adapt this mixture of the Immersion Method paired with a rigorous but well-paced introduction of grammar.
August 1, 2015
Finally finished study/review of the first volume of this brilliant series by Jesse Byock. I highly recommend to students who want to learn Old Norse or, as I did, refresh their comprehension and reading skills. I taught myself Old Norse way back using the E.V. Gordon volume (the one with picture that inspired Beorn's hall in The Hobbit) and have also worked through Michael Barnes three volumes from Viking Society. What I found very helpful is Byock's contextualization of the Reading Passages with Old Nose culture and myth - and also includes in each chapter some brilliant work to do on Runes. And he gives a very helpful list of the most frequent words that come up in the Sagas so you can get these down (esp. all those small words that keep popping up - something Tolkien himself wrote about in regards to Middle English). The separate audio files that go with the text are a must get - it really helped me understand ON pronunciation. I will be working through the second Reader volume while I take the upcoming Anglo-Saxon course through The Mythgard Institute.
Currently reading
January 25, 2016I love björk and also the way she pronounces english words, which sounds just as correct as an accent of english as does british, australian or american english. There is perhaps good reason as well why native german speakers pronounce english words much better than do native french speakers. English, Icelandic and German have a common ancestor in what could be called proto-germanic. Nevertheless, I was surprised to discover that old norse, the last common ancestor of the Nordic languages - icelandic, swedish, danish and norweigian (natively: norsk), is, according to the author, UCLA professor Jesse Byock, only as different from modern Icelandic as Shakespearen English is from its modern counterpart. This is a rather surprising claim given that shakespeare's plays predate the 21st century only by about 400 years whereas the viking age ended almost a full millenium ago. Perhaps this is due to the relative isolation of the modern icelandic peoples, who, till this date, number only in the 300-400 thousands. Wind back almost 2 millenia, and one can't still say that Latin is mutually comprehensible with its modern derivatives. Take for example french, which unlike Spanish or Italian, no longer permits the dropping of pronouns, whereas latin, I think, never employed pronouns (to indicate the subject) to begin with. This even though Latin was, for a long time, the language of high-culture, politics and the sciences in the upper strata of western civilisation- in France notwithstanding (I think. Did Leibnitz write in Latin? Well Newton did.)
In any case, I have fallen in love with this tongue and its sounds. Some say it mimicks the natural sounds of the landscapes in Iceland, plagued or blessed as it is with glaciers, earthquakes, hot springs and waterfalls (?). I purchased this book along with another on modern Icelandic a while ago, perhaps because I knew Tolkien was a scholar of Norse mythology, and, I don't know, maybe if he liked it, I would too. Also, I had seen something similar to the Icelandic sagas in the form of the epic poetry of Finland, namely the 'Kalevala', whose language had captivated me with its raw energy even though I got to reading only a couple of pages. My interest in this era was recently rekindled upon watching the brilliant BBC drama series 'Vikings'. I loved how 'the clash of cultures' is explored as the vikings begin their conquests in the kingdom of Northumbria. The script I feel is excellent: the language is simple and powerful and not cloaked in the same posturing of the British tongue. The hero of the story (every saga needs its hero) is the shrewd, brave and restless Ragnarr Loðbrók, whose daring and sound wit enable him and his people to explore, beleaguer and extort riches from heretofore undiscovered lands. The 'primitive' vitality of the vikings I hear live on to this day, not only in the form of its sagas (a nordic word) and its people, but in its language as well.
In any case, I have fallen in love with this tongue and its sounds. Some say it mimicks the natural sounds of the landscapes in Iceland, plagued or blessed as it is with glaciers, earthquakes, hot springs and waterfalls (?). I purchased this book along with another on modern Icelandic a while ago, perhaps because I knew Tolkien was a scholar of Norse mythology, and, I don't know, maybe if he liked it, I would too. Also, I had seen something similar to the Icelandic sagas in the form of the epic poetry of Finland, namely the 'Kalevala', whose language had captivated me with its raw energy even though I got to reading only a couple of pages. My interest in this era was recently rekindled upon watching the brilliant BBC drama series 'Vikings'. I loved how 'the clash of cultures' is explored as the vikings begin their conquests in the kingdom of Northumbria. The script I feel is excellent: the language is simple and powerful and not cloaked in the same posturing of the British tongue. The hero of the story (every saga needs its hero) is the shrewd, brave and restless Ragnarr Loðbrók, whose daring and sound wit enable him and his people to explore, beleaguer and extort riches from heretofore undiscovered lands. The 'primitive' vitality of the vikings I hear live on to this day, not only in the form of its sagas (a nordic word) and its people, but in its language as well.
October 2, 2017
After listening to a lecture series on the Vikings, I became intrigued by the Old Norse language and literature. I had heard of Icelandic sagas and eddas, but I hadn't previously realized how they were basically the ur-texts of many of my favorite works, like the Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and Wagner's Ring Cycle. I wanted to be able to read this literature in the original language. And it didn't hurt that an eighth of my ancestors would have spoken some form of this language as well.
Since last Christmas, when I received Jesse Byock's "Viking Language 1" from my brother, I have been working through the book little by little, but systematically. Every day I either read a section or two of new information, translated a passage, or worked on an exercise. Now I am moving on to "Viking Language 2" to continue improving my knowledge.
I would evaluate Jesse Byock's "Viking Language 1" as follows.
PROS: From the very beginning, he introduces the student to real passages from the literature. These grow in length and complexity over the course of the book. This is exactly what I hoped to be able to do while learning Old Norse. One also learns the runic alphabet early on, and gets to practice reading several real rune stones. There are great interludes on the cultural background of the Viking era, including maps, illustrations of buildings, and much other information. As a result, one comes away understanding the culture as well as the language.
CONS: Many of the exercises are strictly filling out declension charts by rote. I think I would have internalized the case endings, etc. better if I had been asked to translate sentences from English into Old Norse. Byock seems to have preferred to use only authentic Old Norse from the period, but the downside is that one doesn't have the experience of thinking original thoughts in the language. My other (minor) quibble is that the book seems to have been laid out on a computer, without regard to how it would appear in print. This came out most clearly in exercises in two columns where the bottom of one page might have 1. - 5. -, 2. - 6. -, then the next page would continue 3. - 7. -, 4. - 8. -. I also wish there had been an index to refer back to particular sections on grammar or form. Instead I had to consult the table of contents, see that it was (for instance) section 11.5, then flip through the book until I found that section--there was no page number to refer to.
All in all, though, the positives far outweigh the negatives. I haven't compared any other textbooks, but I can easily recommend "Viking Language 1" for anyone who is interested in learning Old Norse.
Since last Christmas, when I received Jesse Byock's "Viking Language 1" from my brother, I have been working through the book little by little, but systematically. Every day I either read a section or two of new information, translated a passage, or worked on an exercise. Now I am moving on to "Viking Language 2" to continue improving my knowledge.
I would evaluate Jesse Byock's "Viking Language 1" as follows.
PROS: From the very beginning, he introduces the student to real passages from the literature. These grow in length and complexity over the course of the book. This is exactly what I hoped to be able to do while learning Old Norse. One also learns the runic alphabet early on, and gets to practice reading several real rune stones. There are great interludes on the cultural background of the Viking era, including maps, illustrations of buildings, and much other information. As a result, one comes away understanding the culture as well as the language.
CONS: Many of the exercises are strictly filling out declension charts by rote. I think I would have internalized the case endings, etc. better if I had been asked to translate sentences from English into Old Norse. Byock seems to have preferred to use only authentic Old Norse from the period, but the downside is that one doesn't have the experience of thinking original thoughts in the language. My other (minor) quibble is that the book seems to have been laid out on a computer, without regard to how it would appear in print. This came out most clearly in exercises in two columns where the bottom of one page might have 1. - 5. -, 2. - 6. -, then the next page would continue 3. - 7. -, 4. - 8. -. I also wish there had been an index to refer back to particular sections on grammar or form. Instead I had to consult the table of contents, see that it was (for instance) section 11.5, then flip through the book until I found that section--there was no page number to refer to.
All in all, though, the positives far outweigh the negatives. I haven't compared any other textbooks, but I can easily recommend "Viking Language 1" for anyone who is interested in learning Old Norse.
December 28, 2024
I started learning ON a few years ago using the Viking Language books. I found them to be a great entry into learning the language. I decided to write this review because in just a couple years I went from having no experience with Old Norse, saga literature or medieval Scandinavian history to studying these subjects at a graduate level.
What I found most useful about the book were the word frequency lists and the pacing of the lessons. Learning the language based around the most common vocabulary felt really natural. The background information in the chapters is also really informative especially if, like me, you haven't studied Scandinavian history before. There are a lot of maps in the book which are great for understanding what was going on in the readings and where everything was that the sagas talk about. Runes were not my focus at all but the runic exercises in this book are also fun to do and explained well.
I worked through the book at a pace of about 1 chapter per week. The answer keys are up online for free on the oldnorse dot org website. I think this book is good for learners or for teachers as a textbook too. I was learning with a couple of other students at the time and we would sit in the campus cafe and work on it together. It was really fun!
What I found most useful about the book were the word frequency lists and the pacing of the lessons. Learning the language based around the most common vocabulary felt really natural. The background information in the chapters is also really informative especially if, like me, you haven't studied Scandinavian history before. There are a lot of maps in the book which are great for understanding what was going on in the readings and where everything was that the sagas talk about. Runes were not my focus at all but the runic exercises in this book are also fun to do and explained well.
I worked through the book at a pace of about 1 chapter per week. The answer keys are up online for free on the oldnorse dot org website. I think this book is good for learners or for teachers as a textbook too. I was learning with a couple of other students at the time and we would sit in the campus cafe and work on it together. It was really fun!
June 9, 2018
This is an excellent book!
I originally picked up this book as I had a passing interest in the Poetic Edda and I wanted to be able to read it, at least a little, in the original. At the same time, being an EFL teacher, I was curious about the approach this book used in teaching Old Norse (ON).
I read a large chunk of the beginning of this book and then memorized a few vocabulary words (about 50 or so) and read many of the ON stories within the book. I found the "word lists / gloss" and translations that were available in the first 1/2 of the book very useful.
IF I were going to study ON seriously, then this book would be perfect. It's an ideal blend of history, culture, and language. The basic pattern appears to be a section of history and explanation, then a reading passage in ON, followed by various grammar and vocabulary exercises based on that reading passage.
Again, it is done excellently and anyone with a passing interest in the language and culture, AND anyone who wishes to seriously learn ON as a language will not be disappointed!
I originally picked up this book as I had a passing interest in the Poetic Edda and I wanted to be able to read it, at least a little, in the original. At the same time, being an EFL teacher, I was curious about the approach this book used in teaching Old Norse (ON).
I read a large chunk of the beginning of this book and then memorized a few vocabulary words (about 50 or so) and read many of the ON stories within the book. I found the "word lists / gloss" and translations that were available in the first 1/2 of the book very useful.
IF I were going to study ON seriously, then this book would be perfect. It's an ideal blend of history, culture, and language. The basic pattern appears to be a section of history and explanation, then a reading passage in ON, followed by various grammar and vocabulary exercises based on that reading passage.
Again, it is done excellently and anyone with a passing interest in the language and culture, AND anyone who wishes to seriously learn ON as a language will not be disappointed!
May 16, 2017
It was quite awesome for the content inside is invaluable for anyone trying to research Viking life as well as what they spoke. It isn't true that it's the same or nearly identical to the language Icelandic. While after 1.5 thousand years or so, they still hold similarities to each other but at the same time. Getting the next book soon.
September 24, 2018
Once I dabbled in Old Norse, I couldn't help spot it's influence in the English language on a daily basis. Fascinating, but not for the faint-hearted.
November 8, 2021
My girlfriend bought it for me when we were at a museum in Reykjavik as I grew curious of the Icelandic language. It was a very wise choice; this is so much more than a textbook, it is a profound journey in the Viking language, history and landscape at the same time. The mixing of grammar, history and atlases makes the learning experience so rich and rewarding.
The downside is that this arrangement also makes it a bit difficult to review important grammar points (as you need to wade through other stuff to find how to decline a noun or conjugate a verb). The book does have a grammar appendix but it is basically a collection of inflexion tables and doesn't have nearly as much explanation. I overcame this by using A New Introduction to Old Norse as a reference book, which I also highly recommend.
Another slight downside is the amateurish typography. This book was obviously typesetted in MS Word using the default Calibri font - a disservice to the spendid content. If a new edition comes out with some prefessional typography I will definitely buy it again!
Still, overall, a great book. 5 starts despite all the downsides.
The downside is that this arrangement also makes it a bit difficult to review important grammar points (as you need to wade through other stuff to find how to decline a noun or conjugate a verb). The book does have a grammar appendix but it is basically a collection of inflexion tables and doesn't have nearly as much explanation. I overcame this by using A New Introduction to Old Norse as a reference book, which I also highly recommend.
Another slight downside is the amateurish typography. This book was obviously typesetted in MS Word using the default Calibri font - a disservice to the spendid content. If a new edition comes out with some prefessional typography I will definitely buy it again!
Still, overall, a great book. 5 starts despite all the downsides.
March 28, 2021
I must say I am enjoying this very much. The approach taken is similar to the one used for modern day languages and rewards the student quickly with small but noticeable gains, which is very good for keeping you motivated and focused. If you are interested in Old Norse history and culture and dream of being able to read the original Old Norse texts yourself, this is definitely the book to get you started.
September 26, 2015
Considering the alternatives, this hands-on approach to language learning is probably the most effective. The explanations of grammar are lucid and each chapter introduces new vocabulary that can immediately be applied to the exercises. The book oozes a love for both the language and language learning, which is really what books like this should be about.
November 6, 2015
very dense. obviously a textbook. difficult to wade through. requires you to actually do the exercises if you want to be able to follow the grammar through to the end. Doesn't have an answer key, you have to actually go to the author's website for the solutions to the exercises. fun read though.
May 10, 2016
VIKINGS YASSSSS
March 24, 2019
The friendliest language-learning ON reader, bar none.
March 28, 2019
Fabulous book for learning a rare language such as old norse! Byrock's organization and wonderful examples make learning easy and fun. I cannot believe how much I have learned!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews