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MYTHS OF THE NORSEMEN
This book was especially republished to raise funds for these charities & many more...
33% of the publishers profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities.
In the 600 pages of this weighty volume, students of Norse mythology and legends will find just about every Norse Myth and Legend known to mankind. These myths and legends are augmented with many illustrations, mostly facsimiles of well known classical paintings.
Students of Icelandic literature agree that the Norse deities stand out as rude and as massive as the Scandinavian mountains. They exhibit a spirit of victory, superior to brute force, superior to mere matter, a spirit that fights and overcomes. The Norsemen have given their gods a noble, upright, great spirit, and placed them upon a high level that is all their own. It is a greatness not of mere body and gigantic bulk, but a rude greatness of soul.
It was in the infancy of thought gazing upon a universe filled with divinity, and believing heartily with all sincerity that a large-hearted people reached out in the dark towards ideals which were better than they knew. But, Ragnarok was to undo their gods because they had stumbled from their higher standards.
The weighty words of William Morris regarding the Volsunga Saga may also be fitly quoted as an introduction to this collection of Myths of the Norsemen: This is the great story of the North, which should be to all our race what the Tale of Troy was to the Greeksto all our race first, and afterwards, when the change of the world has made our race nothing more than a name of what has beena story toothen should it be to those that come after us no less than the Tale of Troy has been to us.
We have to thank a curious phenomenon for the preservation of so much of the old lore as we still possess. While modern and foreign influences were changing the Norse language, it remained practically unaltered in Iceland. And so here they are, re-presented for you to discover as it was writ over a thousand years ago.
33% of the publishers profit from the sale of this book will be donated to UNICEF.
Excerpt from MYTHS OF THE NORSEMEN
THE DISCOVERY OF FLAX
There was once a peasant who daily left his wife and children in the valley to take his sheep up the mountain to pasture; and as he watched his flock grazing on the mountain-side, he often had opportunity to use his cross-bow and bring down a chamois, whose flesh would furnish his larder with food for many a day.
While pursuing a fine animal one day he saw it disappear behind a boulder, and when he came to the spot, he was amazed to see a doorway in the neighbouring glacier, for in the excitement of the pursuit he had climbed higher and higher, until he was now on top of the mountain, where glittered the everlasting snow.
The shepherd boldly passed through the open door, and soon found himself in a wonderful jewelled cave hung with stalactites, in the centre of which stood a beautiful woman, clad in silvery robes, and attended by a host of lovely maidens crowned with Alpine roses. In his surprise, the shepherd sank to his knees, and as in a dream heard the queenly central figure bid him choose anything he saw to carry away with him. Although dazzled by the glow of the precious stones around him, the shepherds eyes constantly reverted to a little nosegay of blue flowers which the gracious apparition held in her hand, and he now timidly proffered a request that it might become his. Smiling with pleasure, Holda, for it was she, gave it to him, telling him he had chosen wisely and would live as long as the flowers did not droop and fade. Then, giving the shepherd a measure of seed which she told him to sow in his field, the goddess bade him begone; and as the thunder pealed and the earth shook, the poor man found himself out upon the mountain-side once more, and slowly wended his way home to his wife, to whom he told his adventure and showed the lovely blue flowers and the measure of seed.
The woman reproached her husband bitterly for not having brought some of the precious stones which he so glowingly described, instead of the blossoms and seed; nevertheless the man proceeded to sow the latter, and he found to his surprise that the measure supplied seed enough for several acres.
Soon the little green shoots began to appear, and one moonlight night, while the peasant was gazing upon them, as was his wont, for he felt a curious attraction to the field which he had sown, and often lingered there wondering what kind of grain would be produced, he saw a misty form hover above the field, with hands outstretched as if in blessing. At last the field blossomed, and countless little blue flowers opened their calyxes to the golden sun. When the flowers had withered and the seed was ripe, Holda came once more to teach the peasant and his wife how to harvest the flaxfor such it wasand from it to spin, weave, and bleach linen. As the people of the neighbourhood willingly purchased both linen and flax-seed, the peasant and his wife soon grew very rich indeed, and while he ploughed, sowed, and harvested, she spun, wove, and bleached the linen. The man lived to a good old age, and saw his grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up around him. All this time his carefully treasured bouquet had remained fresh as when he first brought it home, but one day he saw that during the night the flowers had drooped and were dying.
Knowing what this portended, and that he too must die, the peasant climbed the mountain once more to the glacier, and found again the doorway for which he had often vainly searched. He entered the icy portal, and was never seen or heard of again, for, according to the legend, the goddess took him under her care, and bade him live in her cave, where his every wish was gratified.
Table of Contents for MYTHS OF THE NORSEMEN
| List of Illustrations |
| Introduction |
| CHAPTER I: THE BEGINNING |
| Myths of Creation |
| Ymir and Audhumla |
| Odin, Vili, and Ve |
| The Creation of the Earth |
| Mani and Sol |
| The Wolves Sköll and Hati |
| Dwarfs and Elves |
| The Creation of Man |
| The Tree Yggdrasil |
| The Bridge Bifröst |
| The Vanas |
| CHAPTER II: ODIN |
| The Father of Gods and Men |
| Odins Personal Appearance |
| Valhalla |
| The Feast of the Heroes |
| Sleipnir |
| The Wild Hunt |
| The Pied Piper |
| Bishop Hatto |
| Irmin |
| Mimirs Well |
| Odin and Vafthrudnir |
| Invention of Runes |
| Geirrod and Agnar |
| May-Day Festivals |
| The Historical Odin |
| CHAPTER III: FRIGGA |
| The Queen of the Gods |
| The Stolen Gold |
| Odin Outwitted |
| Fulla |
| Gna |
| Lofn, Vjofn, and Syn |
| Gefjon |
| Eira, Vara, Vör and Snotra |
| Holda |
| The Discovery of Flax |
| Tannhäuser |
| Eástre, the Goddess of Spring |
| Bertha, the White Lady |
| CHAPTER IV: THOR |
| The Thunderer |
| Thors Hammer |
| Thors Family |
| Sif, the Golden-haired |
| Thors Journey to Jötun-heim |
| Utgard-loki |
| Thor and Hrungnir |
| Groa, the Sorceress |
| Thor and Thrym |
| Thor and Geirrod |
| The Worship of Thor |
| CHAPTER V: TYR |
| The God of War |
| Tyrs Sword |
| The Story of Fenris |
| CHAPTER VI: BRAGI |
| The Origin of Poetry |
| The Quest of the Draught |
| The Rape of the Draught |
| The God of Music |
| Worship of Bragi |
| CHAPTER VII: IDUN |
| The Apples of Youth |
| The Story of Thiassi |
| The Return of Idun |
| The Goddess of Spring |
| Idun Falls to the Nether World |
| CHAPTER VIII: NIÖRD |
| A Hostage with the Gods |
| The God of Summer |
| Skadi, Goddess of Winter |
| The Parting of Niörd and Skadi |
| The Worship of Niörd |
| CHAPTER IX: FREY |
| The God of Fairyland |
| The Wooing of Gerda |
| The historical Frey |
| Worship of Frey |
| The Yule Feast |
| How the Sea became Salt |
| CHAPTER X: FREYA |
| The Goddess of Love |
| Queen of the Valkyrs |
| Freya and Odur |
| Freyas Necklace |
| Story of Ottar and Angantyr |
| The Husbands of Freya |
| Worship of Freya |
| Chorus of Witches. |
| CHAPTER XI: ULLER |
| The God of Winter |
| Worship of Uller |
| CHAPTER XII: FORSETI |
| The God of Justice and Truth |
| The Story of Heligoland |
| CHAPTER XIII: HEIMDALL |
| The Watchman of the Gods |
| The Guardian of the Rainbow |
| Loki and Freya |
| Heimdalls Names |
| CHAPTER XIV: HERMOD |
| The Nimble God |
| Hermod and the Soothsayer |
| CHAPTER XV: VIDAR |
| The Silent God |
| Vidars Shoe |
| The Norns Prophecy |
| Chapter XVI: Vali |
| The Wooing of Rinda |
| The Birth of Vali |
| Worship of Vali |
| CHAPTER XVII: THE NORNS |
| The Three Fates |
| The Norns Web |
| Other Guardian Spirits |
| The Story of Nornagesta |
| The Vala |
| CHAPTER XVIII: THE VALKYRS |
| The Battle Maidens |
| The Cloud Steeds |
| Their Numbers and Duties |
| Wayland and the Valkyrs |
| Brunhild |
| CHAPTER XIX: HEL |
| Lokis Offspring |
| Hels Kingdom in Nifl-heim |
| Ideas of the Future Life |
| Pestilence and Famine |
| CHAPTER XX: ÆGIR |
| The God of the Sea |
| The Goddess Ran |
| The Waves |
| Ægirs Brewing Kettle |
| Thor and Hymir |
| Unloved Divinities |
| Other Divinities of the Sea |
| River Nymphs |
| Legends of the Lorelei |
| CHAPTER XXI: BALDER |
| The Best Loved |
| Balders Dream |
| The Valas Prophecy |
| The Gods at Play |
| The Death of Balder |
| Hermods Errand |
| The Funeral Pyre |
| Hermods Quest |
| The Condition of Balders Release |
| The Return of Hermod |
| Vali the Avenger |
| The Signification of the Story |
| The Worship of Balder |
| CHAPTER XXII: LOKI |
| The Spirit of Evil |
| Lokis Character |
| Sigyn |
| Skrymsli and the Peasants Child |
| The Giant Architect |
| Lokis last Crime |
| Ægirs Banquet |
| The Pursuit of Loki |
| Lokis Punishment |
| Lokis Day |
| CHAPTER XXIII: THE GIANTS |
| Jötun-heim |
| Origin of the Mountains |
| The First Gods |
| The Giant in Love |
| The Giant and the Church Bells |
| The Giants Ship |
| Princess Ilse |
| The Giantesss Plaything |
| CHAPTER XXIV: THE DWARFS |
| Little Men |
| The Tarnkappe |
| The Legend of Kallundborg |
| The Magic of the Dwarfs |
| The Passing of the Dwarfs |
| Changelings |
| The Peaks of the Trolls |
| A Conjecture |
| CHAPTER XXV: THE ELVES |
| The Realm of Faery |
| The Elf-dance |
| The Will-o-the-wisps |
| Oberon and Titania |
| Alf-blot |
| Images on Doorposts |
| CHAPTER XXVI: THE SIGURD SAGA |
| The Beginning of the Story |
| The Volsunga Saga |
| Sigi |
| Rerir |
| Volsung |
| The Wedding of Signy |
| The Sword in the Branstock |
| Sigmund |
| Siggeirs Treachery |
| Signys Sons |
| Sinfiotli |
| The Werewolves |
| Sigmund and Sinfiotli taken by Siggeir |
| Sigmunds Vengeance |
| Helgi |
| The Death of Sinfiotli |
| Hiordis |
| Elf, the Viking |
| The Birth of Sigurd |
| The Treasure of the Dwarf King |
| Sigurds Sword |
| The Fight with the Dragon |
| The Sleeping Warrior Maiden |
| The Fostering of Aslaug |
| The Niblungs |
| Gunnars Stratagem |
| The Coming of Brunhild |
| The Quarrel of the Queens |
| The Death of Sigurd |
| The Flight of Gudrun |
| Atli, King of the Huns |
| Burial of the Niblung Treasure |
| The Treachery of Atli |
| The Last of the Niblungs |
| Swanhild |
| Interpretation of the Saga |
| CHAPTER XXVII: THE STORY OF FRITHIOF |
| Bishop Tegnér |
| Birth of Viking |
| The Game of Ball |
| The Blood Feud |
| Thorsten and Belé |
| Birth of Frithiof and Ingeborg |
| Frithiofs Love for Ingeborg |
| Helgé and Halfdan |
| Frithiofs Suit |
| Sigurd Ring a Suitor |
| At Balders Shrine |
| Frithiof Banished |
| The Tempest |
| Atlés Challenge |
| Frithiofs Home-coming |
| Frithiof an Exile |
| At the Court of Sigurd Ring |
| Frithiofs Loyalty |
| Betrothal of Frithiof and Ingeborg |
| CHAPTER XXVIII: THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS |
| The Decline of the Gods |
| The Fimbul-winter |
| The Wolves Let Loose |
| Heimdall Gives the Alarm |
| The Terrors of the Sea |
| The Terrors of the Underworld |
| The Great Battle |
| The Devouring Fire |
| Regeneration |
| A New Heaven |
| One too Mighty to Name |
| CHAPTER XXIX: GREEK AND NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES |
| Comparative Mythology |
| The Beginning of Things |
| Cosmogony |
| The Phenomena of the Sky |
| Jupiter and Odin |
| The Creation of Man |
| Norns and Fates |
| Myths of the Seasons |
| Frigga and Juno |
| Musical Myths |
| Thor and the Greek Gods |
| Idun and Eurydice |
| Skadi and Diana |
| Frey and Apollo |
| Freya and Venus |
| Odur and Adonis |
| Rinda and Danae |
| Myths of the Sea |
| Balder and Apollo |
| Ragnarok and the Deluge |
| Giants and Titans |
| The Volsunga Saga |
| Brunhild |
| Sun Myths |
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