Myths of the Norsemen from the Eddas and Sagas

A complete and wonderfully satisfying assembly of all the legends and tales of the Norse gods, collected and retold with authentic detail from the original Eddas and Sagas. Drawing upon original sources, this collection of tales will provide the reader with an inclusive overview of the fabulous stories which make up the entire pantheon of Norse gods, telling the story from the world's creation to the final end at Gotterdammerung. Along the way, the reader will learn all there is to know about Odin, Frigga, Thor, Tyr, Freya, Heimdall Loki, Balder, the Giants, the Elves, the Dwarves and much more besides. The author also shows how many classic European folk stories -such as the legends of Sleeping Beauty the Pied Piper of Hamelin, among others, originated in the Norse tales. In addition, this book shows how even the concepts of Christmas ("yule"), Easter, and Hell, all originate in the Norse legends, along with the names of most of the days of the week. The last chapter compares classical Greek and Norse mythology, showing their similarities. This edition also contains indices, glossary, a pronunciation guide and a full index.