Tales of the Norse Gods

by Barbara Leonie Picard

Book Overview

The Vikings told many stories of their gods: mighty Odin; Thor the god of thunder; gentle Freya; and Loki the mischief-maker and the tricks he played. In the stories, the gods are forced to always strive against the hated giants, who symbolize the pitiless northern snows and the grim mountains. These exciting and dramatic tales open with the beginning of all things, and follow the story through to the gods' final battle against the forces of winter...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192741675
• ISBN13: 9780192741677
• Release Date: October 1994
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

A book for the ages

Without a doubt, this is easily one of the best retellings of Norse Mythology I've come across (and I've read quite a few!). By accident, I discovered this book in my elementary school library when I was a child and never forgot the profound influence it had on my life. This is the book that cemented my love of mythology! The Norse myths are some of the greatest collection of tales and legends ever written by man. Where the Greek Gods are cruel and remote, the gods populating Norse mythology are more akin to the human race than their Mediterranean counterparts. I find it much easier to believe in the nobility of a god like Thor who simply loves to drink and fight than let's say Zeus who goes around in the form of animals seducing the wives of both men and gods. Or how about Odin who cares so deeply for the welfare of humanity that he gives up an eye in order to discover the means to protect them from a coming Apocalypse? Compare that to Athena who cruelly transformed a young girl into a spider simply because she challenged her to a weaving contest? The imagination of the ancient Norse skalds was as impressive as any of the Greek Poets, if not more so. In Tales of the Norse Gods one can expect to read about the feats of mighty gods who waged war against the powerful Frost giants as well as all the passions and jealousies that drove them. Tales of the Norse Gods is a terrific book and highly recommended. It is definitely a book for the ages.

Fun to read

After reading the mythos of several different countries, to include Egypt, China, and Japan, I've come to the conclusion that the Mythos of the Norsemen is perhaps, the most fun and enjoyable to read. I especially enjoyed the tale of why there are so many bad poets in the world. Irony, you got it. Symbolism, that too. Recommend to anyone who is just interested or who is interested in myth. The stories have a life on to themselves. Cheers!