Norse Stories (The Hippocrene Library of World Folklore) [Hardcover]

George Wright (Illustrator), Hamilton W. Mabie (Narrator)

Book Description

Series: The Hippocrene Library of World Folklore | Publication Date: September 1999

Eight hundred years ago, when the galleys of the bold Norsemen were scudding through storm and mist far into the unknown western seas, or, in the soft summer of the Mediterranean, riding at anchor into the ports of Italy and Northern Africa, the old stories of the battles of the gods and the giants that had been repeated for hundreds of years b Norse firesides in the long winter evenings were brought together by Saemund the Wise in Iceland, and were known henceforth as the Elder Edda; and a hundred years later Snorre Sturleson retold the same old stories, with others equally marvellous, in the Younger Edda. These ancient books, which a brave and noble race carried in its heart through all its wide wanderings and conquests, take one back to the beginning of the worlds and the coming of the gods to rule over them.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hamilton Wright Mabie

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781807700
• ISBN-13: 978-0781807708
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,371,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Norse gods are portrayed clearly and sympathetically., November 8, 1999

By 

Marjorie J. Dundas (Rutland, VT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Norse Stories (The Hippocrene Library of World Folklore) (Hardcover)

This collection of stories, originally published in 1901, is a graceful retelling of stories from the Eddas. The Norse gods come alive for us as we watch Odin, Thor, Loki (here called Loke) perform their familiar roles for us in the length of time between The Making of the World and The Twilight of the Gods.

The individual stories, enclosed on each page by marvelous intertwined bird and animal cartouches, recount everything from Odin's trip to Mimir for knowledge to the making of Thor's hammer, to the loss of the apples of Idun, to the binding of the Fenris Wolf with a supple, strong, silken twine that was "made out of such things as the sound of a cat's footsteps, the roots of the mountains, the breath of a fish, and the sinews of a bear. Nothing could break it." Just as you think of a story you wish Hamilton Wright Mabie would tell, there it is spread before you. This collection surely will appeal to young people; it is a masterful retelling of the great Norse stories.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good story book for Adults and Young readers alike., March 27, 2008

By 

Spence the Elder (East TN, USA) - See all my reviews

Norse Stories Retold from the Eddas (1901, 1902, 1908 & 2006)
a.k.a. Norse Mythology Great Stories from the Eddas (2002)
By Hamilton Wright Mabie

This review will be covering several editions of this work, while the text is the same in all the editions their presentations vary greatly.

A well written book covering seventeen of the more popular Norse Myths from the Eddas. Mr. Mabie had a very engaging style that is palatable for adults and will still hold the interest of children.

Now, having said this, it must be remembered that this work was originally written in 1882. This was a time when children were not sheltered from the realities of life and death. A time when being politically correct meant that you voted for the winner. A time when cholera, small pox and numerous other diseases ran rampant through the population. Children were quite a bit tougher back when this work was written. So if you have a wimpy, sheltered child you may want to find another book for story time. Or try something mindless and milk toast like the Disney Channel.

All the stories are faithfully translated into a readable and entertaining format. While this work can not be considered scholarly, it does convey the spirit of the Norse Era quite well. As a testament to the books quality, few works of any type continue to be published for over a century.

One of the newer editions, "Norse Mythology, Great Stories from the Eddas", 2002, was, (to me anyway), a bit of a disappointment. While the text remained the same as the older editions, the illustrations or lack of them has not. The early 1900's editions are lavishly illustrated with Nordic style gilt work on every page and simple, but powerful water color's throughout the book. The cover was graced with a depiction of a powerful Viking God, (probably Odin), looking proud and imposing. The 2002 paperback editions cover depicts a beardless, nude, neo-Greek Thor battling Jormungand, from the Chapter 9 story, "Thor Goes Fishing". While the cover art is well done, its style would be better served on a book of Greek or Roman Myths. The interior illustrations and gilt work of the 2002 edition are nonexistent. This lack of interior illustration transforms a very good book with eye catching pages that add life to the myths into just another paperback.

All and all a nice retelling of the tales but if you can get a copy of the older editions or the 2006 paperback it's well worth it.

In Frith,
Spence

"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc"
M. Addams

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars NORSE STORIES by Hamilton Wright Mabie, July 27, 2010

By 

thepaxdomini "The Book Review" (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Norse Stories (Paperback)

Norse Stories, Retold from the Eddas, also known as Norse Mythology: Great Stories from the Eddas, is an 1882 book on Norse mythology by Hamilton Wright Mabie. While never explicitly stated, this book is obviously geared toward a young adult audience.

Norse Stories reads like something of a greatest hits of Norse mythology. There's so much missing: many of the mythos's best-known tales are here, but ripped from the context needed to fully understand them. What is here, though, is well done. Mabie tells the stories well, and he provides some wonderfully rich descriptions. But feels like Mabie went through the Eddas and just ripped out whole pages without making the slightest effort to link things together. He was sloppy, too; an example: here we get "Odin's eyes began to flash" six pages after he trades one for wisdom at Mimir's Well.

In its degree of violence and pessimism, Norse mythology is unmatched throughout the world. Yet Norse Stories has a distinctly positive tone, perhaps due to the book's younger audience. Whatever the reason, this book doesn't really provide the true mood or tone of Norse mythology.

Ultimately, Norse Stories is a collection of well-told stories severely hampered by their lack of context and other limitations. If you're well-versed in Norse mythology, you may enjoy what Mabie does with the stories here. If not, you aren't going to get a coherent understanding of it from Norse Stories. But it shouldn't be difficult to find half a dozen better books on the topic.