Seven Viking Romances (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Hermann Palsson (Author), Paul Edwards (Author)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: January 7, 1986

Combining traditional myth, oral history and re-worked European legend to depict an ancient realm of heroism and wonder, the seven tales collected here are among the most fantastical of all the Norse romances. Powerfully inspired works of Icelandic imagination, they relate intriguing, often comical tales of famous kings, difficult gods and women of great beauty, goodness or cunning. The tales plunder a wide range of earlier literature from Homer to the French romances as in the tale of the wandering hero Arrow-Odd, which combines several older legends, or Egil and Asmund, where the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops is skilfully adapted into a traditional Norse legend. These are among the most outrageous, delightful and exhilarating tales in all Icelandic literature.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Icelandic (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (January 7, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140444742
• ISBN-13: 978-0140444742
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Language Nonfiction > More Languages > Icelandic
  • #30 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > European

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maybe better called Seven Fanciful Viking Adventures, May 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Seven Viking Romances (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

The term "Romances" in the title refers to the style not the content of these stories. These are really fantastic adventures. There are a couple lengthly ones and some short ones, but most all of them are great reading. I would say that even if you don't find the legalistic/feud-based Icelandic sagas particularly appealing, these are a quite different. These seem much more like mythical stories, although the Norse gods play only a limited role in them. In some ways they are like Beowulf because they portray Norse dealing with fantastic creatures and magic. They would make great movies, but not really for children.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful read, December 2, 2001

By 

Mark Guzowski (Idaho Falls, Idaho USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seven Viking Romances (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I picked this up on the way back from Iceland, hoping to learn a bit more about the legends and myths surrounding the viking culture. I was not disappointed in the least! The book is a wonderful read. I personally enjoy the old myths & epics, such as Gilgamesh, the Faerie Queen, The Odyssey, etc and found this book to be a nice addition to my collection.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL!!, September 3, 2000

By 

Halvor (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seven Viking Romances (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

It seems to me that the stories in this book are parodies of the more serious sagas that were in circulation in the twelfth century. At any rate, they are funny, sometimes outrageous, chauvinistic, and give an excellent picture into Viking life. The writers of these tales were very witty people indeed. I loved reading 'em! Definitely buy this one! Ten thumbs up!