Norse Myths. For Those Who Want to Keep Up with Everything

The world of northern legends and myths is striking for its complexity and layered nature: “branched” is the perfect word for Scandinavian mythology, because even the foundation of the universe for ancient northerners is a world tree—Yggdrasil, the ash tree. The harsher life was and the more strength it took to survive, the more tense and dramatic the stories became, retold from generation to generation. A warlike tone, the conquerors’ ethics, an aura of mystery—sometimes dark and unsettling—create its recognizable atmosphere. This book will help you see how ancient Scandinavia imagined the structure of the world, introduce you to astonishing creatures born from the imagination of the North, and trace the path by which myth becomes epic—and epic becomes great literature. We hope it will not only enrich your leisure time with exciting, informative, and instructive stories, but also offer new keys to reading your favorite works by European classics.