Myths of the Norsemen: Retold from the Old Norse Poems and Tales

by Roger Lancelyn Green, Alan Langford (Illustrator)

PRE-ISBN

From the page preceding the title page;

“The myths of the Northmen, from the ice and snow of the Scandinavian countries, tell how in the beginning there was only the Yawning Void, which they called Ginnungagap, but deep in the Void lay the Well of Life. In course of time ice piled over the Well, and out of it grew something they called Ymir, the father of the terrible Frost Giants. Ymir was fed on the milk of a magic cow who licked the ice, and with it salt from the Well of Life. As she licked with her tongue, she formed the first of the gods, the Ǣsir, who was called Buri. Buri had a son Borr, and Borr was the father of Odin. Odin and his brothers overcame the ice and frost giants. They thrust Ymir down into the Yawning Void, and of his body they made the world we live in. They set the sea in a ring about the world, and planted the World Tree, the Ash Yggdrasill, to hold it in place.

From this making of the world, to Ragnarok, the last Great Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green tells the story in one continuous narrative. It is easy to read, and there is a clear rhythm carrying through to the final climax. He has taken his material from original sources, of which he gives a brief account in his foreword. “

The interest in these myths often preceded reading abilty, but this telling will be found good to read aloud, and boys and gtirls from 10 up will easily manage it for themselves. “

Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Classics, Fiction, Childrens, Folklore, Short Stories

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Roger (Gilbert) Lancelyn Green was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Born in 1918 in Norwich, England, Green studied under C. S. Lewis at Merton College, Oxford, where he obtained a B.Litt. degree. He delivered the 1968 Andrew Lang lecture. Green lived in Cheshire, in a manor which his ancestors owned for over 900 years. He died in October 1987. His son was the writer Richard Lancelyn Green

Reviews

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointment but it was probably my fault. I read this book after reading Norse by Neil Gaiman and I find both book to be too similar. Obviously they both presented the Norse mythology so of course they are similar... but I was expecting something more to get from them and I didn't. Overall I think I find Gaiman work to be more engaging and fun to read, even if both did a good job at presenting the myths. I think that the Norse myths are worth reading on and I would highly recommend to read them, but maybe not both of those two books. One will probably be more then enough for most readers. Personal enjoyment 3/5 but because of the situation that i explain I will give it a fair 4/5.

[Abby Emilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SUCH a fascinating read--parallels on every page, both echoes of Biblical narratives and common tropes I've seen in other mythologies and even modern literature. Not only is studying the Norse worldview insightful to modern American thought and philosophy, but the characters and storylines are just downright entertaining! (Also I'm a huge fan of the way Green framed these myths, starting with life as a harsh battle against the cruel elements and revealing at the very end that, despite everything, there is a glimmer of hope shining through the smoke of Ragnarok after all.)

[Ruth Donigian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Norse mythology is wonderful, full of honor, adventure, and depth. Green tied all the stories together masterfully and left me with many thoughts.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was raised on myths rather than fairytales. No telling of the Norse tales I've since read has affected me half as strongly as this, my first. I would've been about 9 or 10, and Yggsdrasil the World Tree and the various realms were described so beautifully that I dreamed of them in full colour. I was inconsolable at the death of Baldur - on his blind brother Hodur's behalf, tricked by Loki into killing the person he loved most in the world. I felt the momentum pick up as Ragnarok hurtled closer, was aghast at the slaughter and awed at the mere handful of survivors beginning the whole world afresh. I've read this volume again and again as I've grown older. I'll always love it.

[Potatowast3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Marvel Comics, like Loki, you almost tricked me.

[... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guess what, I gotta read something in between Loki episode 4 and Loki episode 5.

[Anne White · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a lot of ways, I like this the best of the children's versions I've been reading. Being by Roger Lancelyn Green, you can count on it being literary, challenging in vocabulary but not over the top, and about 97% free of "adult" content. (The insults that Loki flings around at the climactic banquet are an exception.) It covers a wider range of the stories than Neil Gaiman does, dipping into the Volsungs as well as the doings of Thor and Loki. I like the way Ragnarok is presented as a vision of one of the prophetess-women that Odin consults, but also ending with the hope of rebirth.

The one possible downside of this one (for some readers) is its frequent references to spells and wizardry. If that's outside your family's comfort zone, or if Green's language is too difficult, you might like Neil Gaiman's version better (with a few wise and necessary omissions).

[Selena Reiss]

When I was 10 years old and had just finished Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Red Pyramid, and was craving more myths, I read Green’s book of Egyptian myths and a Greek Mythology Encyclopedia cover-to-cover. And finally, I came to this: The Myths Of the Norsemen as told by Roger Lancelyn Green. No collection of myths had ever been so cohesive, so magical. I was enraptured by Yggdrasil, by the Nine Realms, and by Loki’s slow, twisted downfall. As Neil Gaiman said in his introduction to Norse Mythology, Norse mythology had an end and a re-beginning, which made it feel like a story. This book then sent me on a search for retellings in the style of Percy Jackson, and this book is part of the reason I picked up Magnus Chase, and part of the reason I loved it so much. It’s also part of why I picked up Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, and why I still count this mythology as one of my favorites (I still don’t know if it beats Greek).

[Julia ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Przeczytałam tylko część, ale chciałam to odznaczyć w Goodreads, bo myślę, że to ważne czytelnicze doświadczenie - pierwszy raz zetknęłam się z mitologią skandynawską. I cóż, fanką nie jestem. Te historie nie są dla mnie przekonujące, chociaż muszę zaznaczyć, że ja ogólnie za mitologią nie przepadam. Cieszę się, że mogłam się zapoznać, bo jest to ważny kulturowy dorobek, ale raczej rzadko kiedy będę pogłębiać swoją wiedzę na ten temat.

[Aleksandra Wilińska · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Geoff Lynas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as good as I remember it from my youth. Such a lot of stories. Those gods. Sheesh. This is worth a read, possibly even more so than the current Neil Gaiman take on the Norse myths. Green's book certainly includes a lot more of them. Stories like this tend to be more 'telling' than 'showing' and sometimes read more like a synopsis rather than a fully explored story. Having said that though, I would still recommend it.

[Kasia (Kącik z książką) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zamiast bazować na wizerunku Lokiego i Thora wykreowanych przez Marvella, warto sięgnąć do źródeł i poznać historie, od których wszystko się zaczęło. Mitologia skandynawska jest pełna opowieści o miłości, zdradzie i przygodzie. Niektóre są pełne humoru, inne wzruszają, przy lekturze kolejnych nasuwają się refleksje na temat ich uniwersalności. Całość stanowi wyśmienity kąsek!

Cała opinia:
http://www.kacikzksiazka.pl/2018/01/m...

[Kasia (kasikowykurz) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Na pewno ciekawa - autor ma bardzo przyjemne pióro i nawet mity, które już znam okazały się ciekawe. Minus jeden jedyny - siedzę w temacie już długo i zwyczajnie to już było, dlatego bez większych zaskoczeń (choć znalazłam jedna czy dwie opowieści, których nie kojarzyłam).

Jeśli jednak nie znacie mitologii w ogóle - polecam!

[Pi]

MITOLOGIA mnie zawsze interesowała, lubiłam czytać mity, interpretować, uczyć się o nich... niestety w szkole MITÓW SKANDYNAWSKICH w ogóle nie było (nie wiedzieć czemu) - MITOLOGIA GREKÓW I RZYMIAN królowała i dopiero (wstyd się przyznać), ale filmy o Thorze poszerzyły moje horyzonty w kwestii skandynawskiej. Teraz mam o wiele lepsze źródło informacji - MITY SKANDYNAWSKIE Rogera Lancelyna Greena.
Książka jest napisana niczym powieść fantastyczna. To, na co zaraz zwróciłam uwagę, to fakt, że Tolkien zdecydowanie czerpał z piękna MITÓW SKANDYNAWSKICH przy tworzeniu swojego uniwersum. Podczas czytania książki Greena nie opuszczały mnie myśli o Silmarillionie, dziele życia Tolkiena, które jest fundamentem całej jego fantastycznej mitologii.
Historie o Odynie, Lokim, Thorze, o Drzewie Światła (ponownie Tolkien jak nic) i Ragnaroku, to wspaniała podróż w głąb ludzkich wierzeń, pragnień, sposobów tłumaczenia sobie rzeczywistości i tego, kim jesteśmy i jakie miejsce zajmujemy w świecie - który przecież nadal ma dla nas więcej zagadek niż odpowiedzi.
Pięknie wydana książka, którą czyta się szybciutko, przyjemnie, "w podskokach". Rewelacyjny projekt okładki z ilustracją Jędrzeja Chełmińskiego oraz ilustracjami w środku Alana Langforda! Jeśli jeszcze nie macie lub nie znacie MITÓW SKANDYNAWSKICH, to bardzo wam polecam właśnie tę pozycję. Świetna, solidna, dobrze napisana, przyjemna w odbiorze.

w głowie mity mam
Wydawnictwo Zysk i S-ka
egzemplarz recenzencki

[Tara Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last of Roger Lancelyn Green's collection of myths/retelling of legends I had to read. This was a good one to close this particular collection of his books on.

I've never read a collection of the myths of the norsemen, only hearing snippets of the tales and having them referenced in other people's stories. And also watching certain superhero movies. I gotta say, according to this narrative, those particular movies are not as wildly off course as one might think. The central characters are actually pretty accurate to what is at least portrayed in this collection. The story itself is obviously very different.

I appreciated, as I have with all of his other books, how Green collects these stories into a loose or, in some cases, tighter, narrative. It leaves each of the particular tales to shine on their own while still tied to a greater whole.

And as always, I appreciate his style of writing. It fits the telling of myths and legends very well.

[Filip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zbiór najważniejszych mitów nordyckich napisany prostym językiem i niezbyt wyszukanym stylem, przypominającym słownik lub encyklopedię. Jest to kompletna baza dla osoby, która nie miała wcześniej styczności z historiami Asów i olbrzymów.
To nie tak, że ta pozycja okazała się zła, ale po prostu nie wyczerpuje tematu, niekiedy skracając niektóre wątki. Jej największym zarzutem wydaje się nieatrakcyjna, niekiedy zanudzająca narracja, która w żadnym wypadku nie oddaje nastroju niezwykłości mitów. Całość zwieńcza nierozbudowany słowniczek bohaterów i miejsc. Wypada znać, ale jeśli mam wybierać, to wolę bardziej kreatywną i lepiej napisaną wersję Gaimana.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories are better than the style in which they are told in this book. I felt Green was a little dry and this book glossed over a lot of interesting subtext — fidelity, who is really the good guys. I don’t like when books speed through things and cover a huge time period; I like focused scenes.

Still, some cool descriptions of caverns and icefields and evil forests, and it’s pretty cool how Green weaved together a bunch of disparate myths into something resembling a single narrative. Solid.

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing you discover right off is that Tolkien did not invent the term Middle Earth. The Scandinavians did in their long and ancient poems and stories that comprise their mythology (and for some, their religious beliefs).

Fascinating and informative and very readable as it’s written for YA.

[Dan Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading this aloud to our kids (ages 14, 13, 10, 8) and they loved it. Green tells these tales so well. The verdict: the kids liked it even better than his volumes of Ancient Egyptian and Greek myths (which we also really liked). Another repeated comment was how clearly Norse myths inspired Tolkien's fantasies. Highly recommended.

[Lcube · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

Como leí no hace mucho Mitos Nórdicos de Gaiman y lo tengo algo reciente, considero que son libros muy similares que cuentan casi las mismas historias con distintas palabras.

[Sonia Czyta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super do szybkiego czytania! W sam raz, żeby złapać bakcyla. Już wiem, że będę szukać innych, obszerniejszych źródeł, żeby dowiedzieć się czegoś więcej o wybranych postaciach.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mythology is not really my thing but my older boys adore it so it was good to read something we can discuss. It was a well done collection of Norse stories.

[Barbara McDermaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[J.M. (Joe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books from my childhood that I’ve read many times. It is also perhaps the chief influence on me from that time as a boy that enkindled my love for the mythologies of the Northmen. I realized early on, too, that it was no small coincidence how much Tolkien was influenced by this same cosmology. He and author Roger Lancelyn Green knew one another and were members of the same writing group. I’m certain they would sit and talk about the sagas of the Icelanders, and from these talks and readings Tolkien took much inspiration whilst penning his legendary Lord of the Rings. God, how I wish I could have sat there with them, smoking pipes, sipping cold ale, and listening to them discuss lore and read their stories in progress.

What is admirable in this book is how Green takes the various tales of the Norse gods and weaves them into an ongoing storyline. This is a tale told from the morning of time unto the age of Ragnarok and the visions of a blossoming world thereafter. Sometimes in the pages of this book, I felt sympathy for Loki. He was taken in by Odin as a blood brother and became one of the Aesir, yet too he was forever an outcast, the butt of many a joke, threatened incessantly by Thor, and all this and more inevitably led to his part in the downfall of the gods.

This book is sometimes compared to Gaiman’s telling. No doubt Gaiman is a more skillful writer than Green, yet nostalgia takes hold of me when reading Mythology of the Norsemen. I love both, of course, and they are five-star recommended reading, especially for those who are piqued by early myth and lore.

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Myths of the Norsemen, Roger Lancelyn Green has taken the surviving Norse myths, collected from Old Norse poems and tales, and retold them as a single, continuous narrative. The entire Norse timeline is covered, offering a complete and concise history of the Aesir and their dealings with the Giants of Utgard, from the planting of The World Tree, Yggdrasill, right up to the last great battle Ragnarok.

This book is serves as more than just a story; it is a journey through the Norse lands, from beginning to end. Along the way the reader is introduced to famed Norse figures: the great God Odin, who wandered Norse lands seducing and impregnating women; the all-powerful Thor, just one of Odin’s many children; the mischievous, shape-shifting Loki; as well as brutal giants, scheming trolls, and bizarre creatures lurking in far corners of the Earth. With each passing saga the pressure in the book increases, signifying the approach of Ragnarok, and mirroring the battles fought by gods of Asgard. With each passing story the spirit of Ragnarok grows stronger, and the great serpent Jormungand begins to tremble, signalling the beginning of the end.

The tale stood out for me amongst all others was ‘Thor’s Visit to Utgard’, when the great god was challenged by the giants to prove his strength. Before the watchful eyes of the giants Thor failed to drink even a small amount from the king’s horn of ale, could lift only a single paw of the king’s pet cat, and fell to his knees at the hands of the king’s old nursemaid. While Thor lay ridden with shame at his failings, the giants sat in deadly peril, having witnessed the mighty Aesir drink so deeply from the sea as to cause the first ebb tide, come close to raising the Mitgard serpent, and refuse to fall before Old Age herself. This tale is so full of passion and emotion – the giants’ diabolical treachery, the ingrained fear, not just of the giants, but Thor himself, and the sheer power exhibited by the Aesir simply radiated from the pages. I couldn’t help but tremble at the thought of Thor unknowingly lifting the Mitgard serpent and bringing about Ragnarok.

The 15 tales in Myths of the Norseman will each speak to different readers. While I was moved most of all by one in particular, each separate saga has its own intrinsic appeal. I was fascinated by the -tale of beautiful Iduna and her basket of strength-giving apples, devastated by the death of Balfur at the hands of his blind brother, and increasingly infuriated by the impish yet malicious traitor Loki. There is so much to love about this book, and each of the tales nestled within its pages.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Myths of the Norseman. The book is entertaining, enlightening, and exceptional readable, as a whole, and on a story by story basis. The tales collected and retold by Lancelyn Green present an excellent introduction to the ancient Norse myths, and a deeper understanding of how such tales helped to shape modern literature.

First published on Jade the Obscure

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good series of Norse myth stories. Green has attempted to resolve some discrepancies, bridge some gaps, and present these stories as a single consistent narrative series of incidents. Having read Green's work on myths and stories before, I can tell that he works hard to "get out of the way" of the story so you hear the voice and tone of the story. Green's writing itself focuses on being clear and readable, which I strongly appreciate.

The stories themselves are very interesting, and come from a source that people are only tangentially familiar with. In that way they are a lot like Egyptian mythology, except that these just make much better stories. A lot of the old Norse lifestyle comes through with references to great halls and castles and various kinds of occupations and their relative rankings in society. I like that many of the Norse figures have complicated relationships with each other, more than seems to be the case in Greek mythology. Also, I really like how embedded the idea of sacrifice is in the myths, from Odin giving up one of his eyes for wisdom, to Tyr allowing his hand to be bitten off in order to trap Fenris wolf, and even Loki's disfigured lips from getting his mouth sewn shut and later tearing out the sewing. You get a sense that life was very hard and injury common in that culture, but that people felt it could be worth suffering if there was a greater purpose for it.

[Hasini | bibliosini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book at a book sale. I've read books by Roger Lancelyn Green before and I found them pretty good for brushing up on mythology and folktales, so I thought I would give this a go.

Norse tales have always been a bit vague to me; I literally know nothing besides bits about Thor, Loki, Odin (Hello, Marvel fans!), and Yggdrasil. One thing I realised after reading this, is that the Norse gods family tree is pretty messed up (no surprise, considering the Greeks and whatnot). I pretty much gave up trying to link who's who at like the 50% mark.

Otherwise, I found their mythology very entertaining. There's a lot that I did not know. Reading this made me wanna re-watch Vikings. It's fascinating, funny, entertaining, and I am definitely picking up more books on Norse stories from now on.

[Matilda Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite myth was about Thor's Hammer. His hammer is stolen by a giant who will only give it back if he can marry the beautiful goddess Freya. Luckily, the gods manage to devise a plan to free Freya from the giant's evil clutches, which involves Thor dressing up as a girl! I also liked some of the other stories, including the making of the Earth, which was made from Ymir the frost giant. I think the Norse myths are very detailed!

I enjoyed this retelling of the Norsemen myths. I really like myths and legends, so I'm enjoying learning about this through reading, which I love! This book is written in a nice style, quite hard to read, but not too difficult to understand. I admire Roger Lancelyn Green's way of writing, I think it's very interesting.

[Bekka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy these myths as I had hoped I would. First, I have read that Green has changed certain elements of the myths therefore I wonder if I would enjoy other versions. But what I read seemed to be full of romanticizing the making of demons from difference and a pervasive sexism which I did not enjoy. I realize that these reflect upon olden times but I find that the Greek myths seem to hold more rounded characters/ gods (both female and male). I might look into Norse Mythology but just from this book I wonder if it is for me.

I would say that this book would be better for a beginner to Norse mythology who wants to read the myths as a series of stories.

[Marionetka Literacka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chyba każdy z nas słyszał kiedyś o Odynie, Lokim, Tyrze czy Thorze. Nie tylko poprzez stricte mitologię nordycką, ale również i marvelowskie komiksy oraz filmy o superbohaterach. Dzisiaj jednak skupmy się na historii Bogów nordyckich nie przez pryzmat wykorzystania ich w sferach dzisiejszej popkultury, a bardziej opartej na pieśniach zawartych zarówno w Eddzie starszej (poetyckiej), jak i opowiadaniach zebranych przez Snorriego Sturlusona w Eddzie prozaicznej.

Mity nordyckie mają to do siebie, że pomimo licznych podobieństw do mitologii greckiej, tworzą odrębną całość. Dosyć osobliwą i specyficzną, aczkolwiek wyjątkowo interesującą. „Słońce i księżyc biegną szybko, nigdy nie odpoczywając. Nie odważą się zatrzymać ani na chwilę, albowiem są ścigane przez dwa rozjuszone wilki, dyszące żądzą pożarcia swych ofiar — co nastąpi w dniu ostatniej wielkiej bitwy, ragnaröku.” Książka ta, jak sam autor oznajmia nam na wstępie, jest próbą scalenia zachowanych mitów staroskandynawskich w jedną opowieść, od stworzenia świata po zmierzch Bogów, czyli ragnarök. Wstęp do mitologii miałam na studiach podczas wykładów z literatury skandynawskiej, lecz nie ukrywam, że chociaż czytałam mity jak najlepszą powieść fantastyczną, tak ciężko było mi zrozumieć przebieg wydarzeń, chronologię, jak i powiązania pomiędzy bohaterami. Roger Lancelyn Green przedstawia je nam w bardzo przejrzysty sposób, nie urozmaica niepotrzebnych szczegółów dla lepszego odbioru, tylko pozostawia je tak, by zwykły czytelnik miał wstępny ogląd sytuacji, bez potrzeby odnoszenia się i sprawdzania danych w internecie. Do tego graficzne przedstawienie drzewa genealogicznego zdecydowanie ułatwia czytelnikowi poznanie relacji łączących poszczególne postaci mitologiczne. „Po chwili blask znikł i ciemność niczym żałobny całun spowiła świat.” Język w tym zbiorze nie jest skomplikowany, aczkolwiek pragnę zaznaczyć, iż treść momentami różni się od wydania z roku 1976, które miałam okazję wypożyczyć w bibliotece miejskiej i przeczytać. Ma na to wpływ z pewnością przekład, za który w wydaniu z roku 2017 odpowiedzialny jest Zbigniew A. Królicki natomiast z roku 1976 Aldona Szpakowska. Uważam, że obie wersje warto przeczytać, jednak ta zaledwie dwuletnia jest bardziej przystępna dla czytelnika, ponieważ nie zakrawa na zbytnią poetyzację treści. A treść ta traktuje o Bogach okrutnych, podstępnych oraz żądnych krwi, lecz tak samo, jak zwykli ludzie, troszczących się o swych najbliższych, którym nieobce są ludzkie uczucia i słabości, jak i przemijanie oraz zwyczajna śmierć. I choć jest tutaj wiele rzeczy nielogicznych, rozrzut bohaterów ogromny, a historia dosyć osobliwa — powieść czyta się jak najlepszą fantastykę. I pisze to osoba, która stroni od tego gatunku ze względu na większe zainteresowanie rzeczywistością niźli wyobrażeniami o różnych stworach, światach oraz innych rzeczach tego typu. Uważam, że mity skandynawskie są naprawdę warte uwagi, a przystępny język pomoże zrozumieć ich zarys oraz przesłanie. „Ragnarök się zbliża: widzę go w odległych dniach, które mają nadejść. Jednak dla mnie, jasnowidzącej, ten dzień jakby był dzisiaj i wszystkie przyszłe wydarzenia, które widzę, dla mnie dzieją się teraz. Widzę je i mówię ci, co widzę i słyszę, gdy dostrzegam to tak, jakby przyszłość i teraźniejszość były jednym.” Podsumowując, uważam, że „Mity skandynawskie” Rogera Lancelyn Greena to dobra lektura dla osób, które poszukują informacji na temat wierzeń ludów północy, interesują się nie tylko Skandynawią i krajami nordyckimi, ale pragną sięgnąć po dobrą literaturę fantastyczną, jak i pierwowzór oraz inspirację do powstania marvelowskiego Thora.