"I think Scandinavian Paganism, to us here, is more interesting than any other."- Thomas Carlyle.
Highly detailed, this book constitutes a veritable encyclopedia of Norse mythology, including descriptions of notable characters: Odin, Thor, Balder, Loke... The object of this work is to familiarize readers with the myths and legends which form the principal subjects of Nordic literature, and whose influence is everywhere apparent in the subsequent history of literature and art. It begins with a large introduction (What is mythology and what is Norse mythology?/ Why call this mythology Norse? Ought it not rather to be called Gothic or Teutonic? / Norse mythology compared with the Greek...) We need to know more about the Myths of the Norsemen... here is the very book to illumine, and, by its very beauty, to imbue its readers with an appreciation of that gospel of the beautiful which these ancient myths inculcate.This large print edition contains numerous notes and a useful vocabulary. For ease of consultation, the text is followed by a detailed table of contents.
Excerpt: What we claim for this work is, that it is the first complete and systematic presentation of the Norse mythology in the English language; and this we think is a sufficient reason for our asking a humble place upon your book-shelves. And, while we make this claim, we fully appreciate the value of the many excellent treatises and translations that have appeared on this subject in England. We do not undervalue the labors of Dasent, Thorpe, Pigott, Carlyle, etc., but none of these give a comprehensive account of all the deities and the myths in full. There is, indeed, no work outside of Scandinavia that covers the whole ground.