Penguin Book of Norse Myths [Paperback]

Kevin Crossley Holland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 1996

The Scandinavian myths form a linked chain of stories, creating a mighty, fantastical world teeming with gods and goddesses, master-smiths and magicians. Battles between gods and giants exist alongside unexpected love matches until the final days of destruction dawn, with their promise of rebirth. Using his talents as poet, translator and author, Kevin Crossley-Holland brings the myths alive. He reveals a dynamic culture in which is reflected the Norseman's spirit and confidence, his ruthlessness and cruelty, arrogance and generosity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Kevin Crossley-Holland retells the Norse myths in clear, attractive prose . . . An excellent introduction, notes, and a glossary provide mythological and historical backgrounds and suggest parallels with myths in other parts of the world.”
–The Denver Post --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Kevin Crossley-Holland has published several outstanding collections of myths, legends, and folktales, and is an award-winning poet and author of children’s books. His King Arthur trilogy has been translated into twenty-two languages and has sold more than a million copies. He and his Minnesota-born wife live in Norfolk, England. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (October 31, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140258698
• ISBN-13: 978-0140258691
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #776,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

144 of 145 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An in-depth introduction, September 3, 2000

By 

Richard A. Weaver (lawrenceville, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Norse Myths (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) (Paperback)

The author starts off with a 25-page or so introduction to the myths, covering the Norse world, cosmology, the pantheon of Norse gods, the sources, and the general structure of the myths.

The heart of the book consists of 32 myths, arranged in basically a chronological order - beginning with the creation of the world / Ymir, and ending with Ragnarok.

This is followed by notes (of a more academic nature) keyed to each of the 32 stories, where he gives additional information, sources, parallels in other cultures, and interpretations.

The writing style moves well, and the myths are told in a way that holds the reader's interest. Younger folks may well need to start with something a little simpler, like D'Aulaire or "Gods & Heroes from Viking Mythology" published by Schocken Books, but for adult readers looking for an intelligent introduction to Norse mythology, this book can't be beat.

63 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and Contemporary, July 23, 2001

By 

unraveler "unraveler" (Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Norse Myths (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) (Paperback)

The book brings Northern mythology to life. Kevin Crossley-Holland retells the myths in a flowing, easy-to-follow, contemporary style. This is also a very comprehensive collection of myths that includes thirty two stories, some of which cannot be found in more slender volumes. The book also contains an introduction, notes, glossary, bibliography, and index.

The introduction is probably the most helpful of all introductions I found in books on Northern mythology. It starts with the role of geography in the shaping of Northern myths and proceeds to explain the cosmology and the pantheon of the ancient Anglo-Saxon peoples. It even contains a graphical representation of the mighty world tree Yggdrasill, which is very helpful in understanding the structure of various realms of the world of Northern mythology.

I cannot tell enough good things about the myths themselves. And the only way to appreciate them is to read them. The first myth in the book is the myth of creation, and the last myth is, of course, Ragnarok. The notes complement the tales and can be read after you are done with all the myths. I find many notes enlightening. I highly recommend this book

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable in the study of Norse Mythology., February 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Norse Myths (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) (Paperback)

I bought this book as a part of an analysis of Norse Mythology, and found it more than useful. Not only does the author show the myths in a new light, but also includes and in-depth background of each myth and an informatve introduction. The bibliography has seperate headings for each topic of research, and the glossary is useful for those who have trouble keeping track of the often confusing names.