EXPLORING NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Five brief chapters cover many highlights of the substantial body of Norse myths.

Beginning with Yggdrasil, the World Tree; the race of gods called the Aesir; and the worldview, cosmology, and values inherent in the myths, Nardo then retells and comments on key stories. (Many others, however, like Baldr’s death, Sigyn’s catching the poison dripping on Loki, or the forging of Thor’s hammer, are omitted.) Citing historians and scholars, Nardo discusses the possible impetus behind the motifs and preoccupations found in these tales. One chapter traces the gods’ (especially Odin’s) various quests. Another examines Norse attitudes to fighting and death and their conception of the afterlife. A chapter is devoted to dwarfs, elves, and other supernatural beings, and the final chapter traces the ultimate destruction of the Aesir and their world. Sidebars define words and explain such topics as the Poetic Edda, an early written source of the myths; Norse worship practices; and the battle of Ragnarok. Many colorful illustrations and a couple of photographs add a romantic flavor, balancing the narratives’ violence. This book will not supplant Neil Gaiman’s magisterial volumes (cited as sources), and for pure storytelling, the d’Aulaires and Kevin Crossley-Holland are still the standard, but Nardo’s concise overview offers a solid foundation.

An introduction going beyond the tales to their sources and significance.