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Ragnarok: En gudefortælling

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Danish

132 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1982

6 people are currently reading
247 people want to read

About the author

Villy Sørensen

89 books14 followers
Villy Sørensen (13 January 1929 – 16 December 2001) was a Danish short-story writer, philosopher and literary critic of the Modernist tradition. His fiction was heavily influenced by his philosophical ideas, and he has been compared to Franz Kafka in this regard. He is the most influential and important Danish philosopher since Søren Kierkegaard.

Born in Copenhagen, Sørensen graduated from the Vestre Borgerdydskole in 1947, and then attended the University of Copenhagen and the University of Freiburg studying philosophy. Although he did not graduate, he later received an honorary degree from the University of Copenhagen.

Sørensen published his first collection of short stories, Strange Stories in 1953, which many critics have identified as being the start of Danish literary Modernism. He published additional collections of short stories in 1955 and 1964, all winning various awards in Denmark. These stories generally explored the absurd and hidden parts of the human psyche.

Sørensen began editing the journal Vindrosen (with Klaus Rifbjerg) in 1959. Afterward, he became a member of the Danish Academy in 1965, subsequently editing several other Modernist journals and periodicals. Sørensen, though he continued to produce short fiction throughout his life, was also deeply engaged in philosophy, about which he wrote many essays and several books including Seneca: The Humanist at the Court of Nero and his response to Søren Kierkegaard's Either/Or, Hverken-eller (i.e. "Neither/Nor"). He also published books and essays about Nietzsche, Kafka, Marx, Schopenhauer and Kierkegaard, and was a notable translator of over 20 books. He was awarded the Grand Prize of the Danish Academy in 1962, The Nordic Council's Literature Prize in 1974, the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1983, the inaugural Swedish Academy Nordic Prize in 1986, along with many other awards and recognitions. He died in Copenhagen in 2001.

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5 stars
56 (19%)
4 stars
137 (47%)
3 stars
80 (27%)
2 stars
15 (5%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
Profile Image for Kaspar Kannelmäe.
26 reviews1 follower
November 17, 2020
I guess the next logical step would be to pick up the Eddas and read them from cover to cover. Can't really judge this book otherwise. But I had a lot of great ideas about human nature and religion and the connections between the two while reading this book, so I consider it a good read.
Profile Image for Marlene Bentsen (Boggrippen).
730 reviews26 followers
June 28, 2021
Den her fremragende lille perle fra 1984 er fantastisk underholdning for store og små.

Bogen er købt i en genbrugsbutik og den var virkelig et fund for blot 20 kr😃

Villy Sørensens gendigtning af de nordiske guders heltesagn pustede med det samme til min passion og begejstring for den nordiske mytologi. Her findes simpelthen de mest eventyrlige, mærkelige, storslåede og uhyggelige historier.

Min yndlingskarakter har altid været jætten Loke, som man aldrig kan stole på. Han er altid fuld af list og hemmeligheder. Det kan jeg vildt godt lide! Men ærlig talt, så elsker jeg dem alle😍

Mens jeg læste Ragnarok, så kunne jeg ikke lade være med at se Peter Madsens illustrationer for mig, hvilket gjorde oplevelsen lettere nostalgisk. Det er da også Valhalla tegnefilmen, der i tidernes morgen gjorde mig kæmpe fan af nordisk mytologi.

Bogen her er illustreret i en tilpas mængde i sort/hvid af Andy Li Jørgensen. Ham kender jeg ikke, men illustrationerne er ret klassiske og passer rigtig fint til teksten.

Jeg havde helt glemt, hvor meget jeg elsker nordisk mytologi! Villy Sørensen har gjort det fantastisk med den her gendigtning. En skøn læseoplevelse😍👏👏

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/6

Profile Image for Austra.
795 reviews113 followers
April 24, 2017
Īsais kurss skandināvu dievu problēmās. Sākums patika nedaudz labāk, jo autoram gan piemīt prasme ironizēt, bet stils viņam tāds pasauss, lai neteiktu, ka vietām galīgi kokains. Brīžiem pārlēcieni starp notikumiem ir ļoti pēkšņi, prasītos vairāk detaļu un vienkārši garākus stāstus. Bet visumā patika, interesantas paralēles ar cilvēku pasauli un visa tā dievu savstarpējā ņemšanās. Un agrāk vai vēlāk katram atnāk savs ragnaroks.
Profile Image for SnezhArt.
723 reviews83 followers
November 6, 2022
Отличный способ набраться сил и вдохновения для прочтения скандинавского эпоса-эпоса.
Profile Image for Luke.
1,595 reviews1,151 followers
September 11, 2023
This book is rather out of character for me. Not for the fact that it has barely any ratings or is in translation, but that it is a step removed from The Prose Edda, otherwise known to be as close to a primary source as you can get for Norse mythology, much as Chaucer is for English and Dante is for Italian. In other words, that is the text that I would have customarily thrown myself at after having gotten through The Sagas of Icelanders, and to follow that up with something a great deal less drowned in footnotes and a great deal more 'modern' in rhetorical sensibilities seemed almost a regression. And yet, it was fascinating to engage with a unnaturally comprehensible interpretation of the original narratives and discover characters far more relatable and questions far more profound (what will one pay for power? what will one destroy for peace?) than my experiences with the vast majority of modern day interpretations gave credence to. In fact, finishing this made myself feel better about my own tastes, as I had recently given up on completing a video game that centered itself around reinterpreting the Nordic mythos, Balder and Loki and Freya and all, due to the repetitiveness of the mechanics, the vapidity (as good a word as any while the term marvelesque continues to work attaining mainstream linguistic standing) of the characters, and the pointless of the plot. Had the game had a fraction of the complex turmoil captured by Sørensen's contemporaneous interpretation, it may not have sold nearly as well, but at least I would've liked it all the more. In any case, I am much more exacting in my reading than my gaming, and a successful playing experience does not entail this work receiving more than three stars in my book. Still, the afterword was interesting enough in its brief summations of the cultural politics surrounding Sørensen's adaptation to provide food for thought, especially if you have some inkling of the historical relationship between Denmark (colonizer) and Iceland (colonized).
Profile Image for Linda.
276 reviews13 followers
January 6, 2010
I picked this book up when browsing through the low-price bin at my local bookstore and ever since opening it on my way home I haven't understood how it got there.

I have always loved reading legends from Scandinavian mythology and this was a treat for me. Written in relatively simple language it is a book to slowly enjoy and of little enough volume to take up and re-read when new books are delayed in the post. It's shortness was also the only drawback I saw in the book, as I would have loved it to explore more myths and go in more detail, as I know there is much left untold.

Profile Image for Kristīne.
781 reviews1 follower
April 23, 2017
Labs dievu raksturu tēlojums. Mazliet traucēja latviskotie Zibensmilņi un Asmales, tomēr esam pieraduši pie Asgārdas un Mjolnira, tā ir vienkārši vieglāk iegaumēt.
Beigas šķita pienākam pārāk pēkšņi - vai nu arī neizpratu pašu beigu nozīmi. Pluss par Toru kleitā.
Profile Image for MARgOT.
268 reviews4 followers
December 27, 2019
Apokalüptiline kirjandus on omamoodi lohutava loomuga, nagu ka Sørenseni kergelt satiiriline jutustamisviis. Ainult taanipärased nimekujud olid kohati harjumatud, oleksin pooldanud varasematest vanaislandi tõlgetest lähtuvat ühtlustamist.

Ragnarok! Hirmuäratav sõna, mida jumalad tarvitasid ja mida sagedasti tarvitas Loke, aga Balderi jaoks oli see kõigest hoolimata olnud üksnes sõna, nii nagu surmgi oli olnud ainult sõna. Nüüd olid mõlemad tõelisuseks muutunud - ja see, mis muidu oli tõelisus, oli muutunud ebatõelisuseks, kaotanud elu värvid ja helid, muutunud varjumaailmaks, nagu oleks surmariik Helhjem tulnud maa peale ja koguni üles Asgårdi, kus muidu oli nii turvaline ja mis oli ümbritsetud hiiumüüriga, Heimdali valve all ning tuhandete surnud sõdalaste, Odini oda, Frej mõõga, Thori vasara kaitse all. Unenäos ei olnud sellest kõigest piisanud. Kas sellest peaks piisama tõelisuses, mis polnud enam nii tõeline nagu enne?
13 reviews7 followers
October 19, 2009
Sorensen's "The Downfall of the Gods" is a wonderful first-excursion into Norse mythology for those unfamiliar with the stories. Based on the lyrical poetic Edda, the myths contained are presented in plain, no-frills prose, therefore making it readily accessible to the curious and the unviking.

Where Sorensen becomes interesting (to his readers more familiar with the mythology) is his presentation of Loki, a being Sorensen claims, "...Has no parallels elsewhere - though it is worth nothing that he shares the same fate as that of the Greek Prometheus." Loki presented as a self-sacrificing servant of humanity is compelling, though I highly recommend reading David Penchansky's book "What Rough Beast?" (particularly the chapter on Genesis) to illuminate some parallels between Loki and the Serpent that tempts Adam and Eve to the Tree of Knowledge.
Profile Image for Inita.
587 reviews38 followers
March 5, 2018
Stāsti par skandināvu dieviem un to bojā eju. Secināju, ka zinu skandināvu dievus pēc to vārdiem, pārvaldības sfēras, taču nezinu, neesmu lasījusi mītus par viņiem. Bija pietiekami interesanti, bet ne pārlieku aizraujoši lasīšanai.
Profile Image for zverek_alyona.
98 reviews5 followers
September 19, 2021
Очень интересный и местами несколько неожиданный взгляд на германо-скандинавскую мифологию.

Авторы, делающие попытки литературно пересказать мифы о богах Асгарда, придумывают для описываемых в них событиях свой обоснуй. С чьей-то интерпретацией я полностью соглашаюсь, ибо она совпадает с моим личным хэдканоном, обретенным после прочтения обеих Эдд и некоторых нехудожественных книг по теме (в частности Kevin Crossley-Holland - Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings ). Так, например, было с Norse Mythology Нила Геймана, которую у нас зачем-то назвали "Скандинавские боги". Девять миров Марии Семеновой вызвали у меня более сдержанные эмоции. А после прочтения "Евангелия от Локи" Джоанн Харрис немного поплевалась ядом.

"Рагнарёк" датчанина Вилли Сёренсена мне понравился. Во-первых, с обоснуем у него всё хорошо - из разрозненных и не всегда совпадающих кирпичиков дошедших до нашего времени оригинальных легенд он построил довольно крепкое здание истории про то, как асгардские боги сами проложили дорогу к своей гибели. Во-вторых, мне понравился юмор автора, в котором больше иронии, чем откровенного "ха-ха". В третьих, он не скрывает своих симпатий к полубогу и полувеликану Локи - в особо скользких моментах "биографии" трикстера он нередко прибегает к ходу "оклеветали нашего мальчика!". :) Кроме Локи Сёренсен с большой симпатией относится к Бальдру да ещё, пожалуй, к Хёду (интересно, что все трое - ключевые действующие лица легенды о гибели Бальдра). Об остальных богах он весьма невысокого мнения, как бы давая понять читателю: "Ну, вот смотрите, за что боролись, на то и напоролись - всё как у людей".

В своей книге Сёренсен по-своему пересказал большинство ключевых мифов, но не все. За кадром остались легенды о том, как Один добывал мёд поэзии, про волосы Сив и как Локи раскрутил гномов на полезные "гаджеты" и оружие для Одина, Тора и Фрейра, и как ему в итоге зашили рот. Так же даже мимоходом не была упомянута история про дракона Фафнира. Про мёд и дракона, в общем-то, понятно - они не вписываются в сюжет о том, как боги дошли до Рагнарёка. А добыча Мьёльнира и других сокровищ, наверное, показалась Сёренсену слишком объемной историей.

Самое большое расхождение с первоисточником ("Старшей Эддой") автор допустил при пересказ знаменитой Перебранки Локи (когда тот припёрся на пир и нагрубил всем, кто оказался за столом - то есть всем асам и ванам, включая Одина). Сёренсен вложил в уста участников этой перебранки совсем другой текст, лишь отдалённо напоминающий оригинальные пьяные разборки богов.

О самом издании: книжка небольшая и не толстая, но благодаря своему оформлению, качеству бумаги и печати вполне подойдет для подарка. Да и просто приятно иметь в своей библиотеке такую книгу.
Profile Image for Aimi Tedresalu.
1,354 reviews49 followers
Read
August 21, 2024
Erinevate rahvaste müüte ja muistendeid on aegade jooksul palju loetud, aga selle raamatu leidmise osas võlgnen jällegi tänu soovituste albumile. Ja muidugi ei saa Loomingu Raamatukogu kunagi alt vedada. Taani kirjanik Villy Sørensen toob meieni juba Eddadest tuntud Põhjala muistsed jumalad eesotsas peajumal Odiniga. Seda kõike proosavormis ja moderniseeritud võtmes, nii et jumalikud olevused toimetavad oma maailmas nagu inimesedki. Tundedki on ehtinimlikud: armastus, usaldus ja selle puudumine, üksindus, viha, hirm. Inimestega jumalad suurt tegemist ei tee, aga vastaspoolusena on sisse toodud hiiud, kellega nii mitmeidki kordi vägikaigast veetakse ja madistatakse. Väga mõnusalt loetav lood ja kes teemast üldse midagi ei tea, siis annab päris hea ülevaate Skandinaavia jumalatest ja nendega seonduvast mütoloogiast, mõningate mööndustega muidugi. Minule igaljuhul meeldis.
Profile Image for Dawn F.
552 reviews95 followers
December 3, 2017
The absolute best, funniest, and more importantly darkest version of the Norse mythology tales I grew up with. In Villy Sorensen’s words you truly get a sense of how ambiguous Odin is, how much Loki sees and understands, and how little everyone else do, leading to their own end. Get this book if you can!
Profile Image for Sidsel Sander.
Author 19 books66 followers
June 2, 2019
Det er en svær bog at vurdere. På den ene side har jeg altid været vild med Villy Sørensens fortællestemme - og det er jeg også i denne. Ligeledes er det spændende med en anden tilgang til de kendte historier - en mere filosofisk tilgang.

På den anden side har han gjort mytologien enorm pæn og heteronormativ, og det irriterer mig.
Profile Image for Helene.
591 reviews14 followers
June 13, 2022
I picked up this little book to read to make space on the bookshelf. I'm not sure when I had gotten it, but it certainly had been languishing. To my surprise, it's a translation of traditional Norse mythology. I had read (or actually listened) Neil Gaiman's take on these stories. It really does not end well for these gods. All things must pass.

A quick read!
Profile Image for Anna Buylova.
65 reviews
June 5, 2022
Очень уж вольный пересказ, от которого пропадает то, за что лично я люблю мифы - торжественность всего происходящего

Не читала нормальное изложение, но ты боги выгляди слишком эмоциональными, ревнивыми и просто глупыми
Profile Image for joy.
15 reviews
August 23, 2022
reread (or, well, re-listened to) this book for the first time since my dad read it to me as a kid. took a little while to get into the older language, but it was a nice nostalgia kick and i enjoyed it very much.
Profile Image for Tiia Tuulari.
368 reviews16 followers
March 13, 2019
Ragnarök, short and simple. Introduces the demise of Scandinavian gods and the main players, but does it so swiftly that I prefer Neil Gaiman's heavier prose in his book Norse Mythology.
Profile Image for Kadri.
397 reviews18 followers
November 2, 2019
see "ühiskonnakriitiline demütologiseering" oli nagu Mängukoopa järjejutt ca 2007
Profile Image for zack.
1,282 reviews51 followers
June 7, 2021
Jag gillar hur den lyckas vara kortfattad men samtidigt vara relativt detaljerad och innehållsrik i de utvalda myterna.
Profile Image for Liam.
120 reviews
July 26, 2022
I think it's a good re telling quite short so it doesn't include everything and some things I did think hmm did that happen in the eddas but overall a good retelling.
Profile Image for Riina Ojanen.
213 reviews2 followers
August 22, 2013
Byattin ja Sorensenin Ragnarökit olivat houkuttelevasti vierekkäin kirjaston palautushyllyssä, joten tartuin molempiin. Tarkoituksenani oli lukea kirjat vertailevasti, sillä pidin B:n Ragnarökistä aiemmin keväällä paljon, mutta äiti nappasi sen itselleen luettavaksi. Siispä luin vain Sorensenin Ragnarökin.

Ensimmäinen ongelma tuli vastaan nimistössä. Aasamaa, Ulkomaa ja Keskimaa töksähtivät korviini, ja toivat hieman lastenkirjamaisen fiiliksen. Kirjaan valitut tarinat ovat tuttuja ja lyhyitä. Sorensen ei kuitenkaan ole tyytynyt kirjoittamaan myyttejä auki sanatarkasti, vaan on heittänyt mukaan myös omia juonilinjoja ja tulkintaa. Se oikeastaan pelastaa minulle tämän kirjan. Aluksi kirjan tarinat etenevät totuttuja ratoja, mutta joukossa on hajanaisia lauseenpätkiä jotka vihjaavat hahmojen motiiveista. Kirjan teemana on jumalten tuho, ja novellit tuovat selkeästi esiin ne tapahtumat ja teot, jotka johtivat siihen.

Kirjassa ei myöskään ollut takakansitekstin mainitsemia lentoliskoja, josta iso miinus. Takakansien kirjoittajien tulisi tuntea vastuunsa.

Vaikka kirjan lukaisi ihan sutjakasti, aiheesta kiinnostuneita suosittelisin ennemmin tarttumaan Anni Sumarin toimittamaan Odinnin ratsuun tai A.S. Byattin Ragnarökiin.
Profile Image for Kodolmaizīte.
35 reviews
April 11, 2013
Tad nu ir tā, ka grāmata sevī apvieno skandināvu mitoloģijas īso ceļvedi, bagātinātu ar fikciju, kaujas un dižošanās ainām, kā arī ar nelielu devu humora, kā, piemēram, Tors, kurš nemitīgi grib visiem šķaidīt galvaskausus - vismaz reizes daždesmit - un tikai galvaskausus, neko citu.

Tajā tāpat varot sazīmēt mūsdienu situācijas atspulgu - dažādo nāciju un valstu līdzāspastāvēšanu un cīņu par varu. Jā, to var tur saskatīt. Bet man vairāk labpatikās vērot dievu un milžu cīņas, to savstarpējās attiecības, attiecības ar jotuniem un abu pušu attiecības ar cilvēkiem un visu pušu viltības, bravūrības un dievu, līdz ar to pasaules, bojāeju, kuru vēsta pats darba nosaukums.
Saistoši, patīkami un viegli lasāmi.
Profile Image for Charlotte.
6 reviews
July 13, 2012
Growing up in Scandinavia I have had my fill of Norse Mythology, also I have always had a certain interest in different mythologies. I have read the newer versions of original poems, non-canonical versions, the comics, the film, plays, viking museums.

Sørensen's "Ragnarok" is short, easily read and gives a good overview of Norse mythology. It is a retelling* of the legends and it gives a new perspective on the old stories, the gods and their actions. If you have read some of Villy Sørensen's other books, you can easily recognise the writing style and the unique twist he gives the stories.
Profile Image for Sarah Rose.
44 reviews42 followers
February 22, 2015
I think what you have to keep in mind with this book is, that these are folk stories. Stories that have been told through history. Therefor, it's not bound to be profound literature, simply how the stories were told. And Sørensen's stories sound a lot like the ones that I have always been told. This is how I know the stories about Aserne, Midgård, Valhalla og Jætterne etc. Ragnarok. I read this in danish FYI. It was nice to read the stories again, which I probably haven't done since 3rd grade. I've always been a big fan of norse mythology.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews

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