The Norse Myths

Here are thirty-two classic myths that bring the Viking world vividly to life. The mythic legacy of the Scandinavians includes a cycle of stories filled with magnificent images from pre-Christian Europe. Gods, humans, and monstrous beasts engage in prodigious drinking bouts, contests of strength, greedy schemes for gold, and lusty encounters. The Norse pantheon includes Odin, the wisest and most fearsome of the gods; Thor, the thundering powerhouse; and the exquisite, magic-wielding Freyja. Their loves, wars, and adventures take us through worlds both mortal and divine, culminating in a blazing doomsday for gods and humans alike. These stories bear witness to the courage, passion, and boundless spirit that were hallmarks of the Norse world.

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.

Acknowledgments  /  xi
 
Introduction  /  xiv
     The Norse World  /  xiv
     Cosmology  /  xx
     The Pantheon  /  xxv
     Sources  /  xxxii
     The Literary Structure of the Myths  /  xxxvi
     Approach  /  xxxix
 
The Myths
1. The Creation  /  3
2. The War of the Aesir and Vanir  /  7
3. The Building of Asgard’s Wall  /  9
4. Lord of the Gallows  /  15
5. The Song of Rig  /  18
6. The Mead of Poetry  /  26
7. Loki’s Children and the Building of Fenrir  /  33
8. The Theft of Idun’s Apples  /  38
9. The Marriage of Njord and Skadi  /  44
10. The Treasures of the Gods  /  48
11. Skirnir’s Journey  /  54
12. The Lay of Grimnir  /  59
13. The Necklace of the Brisings  /  65
14. The Lay of Thrym  /  70
15. The Lay of Vafthrudnir  /  75
16. Thor’s Journey to Utgard  /  80
17. The Lay of Hymir  /  95
18. Hyndla’s Poem  /  100
19. Thor’s Duel with Hrungnir  /  104
20. Odin and Billing’s Daughter  /  112
21. Gylfi and Gedion  /  114
22. The Lay of Harbard  /  116
23. The Ballad of Svipdag  /  121
24. Thor and Geirrod  /  127
25. The Lay of Loddfafnir  /  133
26. Otter’s Ransom  /  136
27. The Lay of Alvis  /  143
28. Balder’s Dreams  /  147
29. The Death of Balder  /  150
30. Loki’s Flyting  /  162
31. The Binding of Loki  /  169
32. Ragnarok  /  173
 
Notes  /  179
 
Glossary  /  237
 
Bibliography  /  254
 
Index  /  263