Myths of the Norsemen: Retold from the Old Norse Poems and Tales

I enjoyed this re-read of the Norse myths. After having read Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology recently, I was more mindful of spotting the parallels; Gaiman has said that Green’s retellings were a big inspiration for him. It was also interesting to be reminded of the bits of the myths that I had forgotten, such as Ratatosk the squirrel, and the ship made out of dead men’s nails (gross). This is an accessible retelling of the stories, not quite as modern as Gaiman’s obviously, but it flows well and does a good job of just riding out the weirdness and absurdity that is often present in myths (“sure, gods can give birth to wolves”).

Roger Lancelyn Green's Myths of the Norsemen (originally published in 1960 as The Saga of Asgard; reissued in 1970 as Myths of the Norsemen) is a young adult (with more emphasis on the "adult" than on the "young," even if some of the seamier aspects of the Norse myths -- the Milky Way springing from the jet of semen arising from Odin and his brothers castrating the frost giant Ymir, Odin's nickname of "Stallion Penis" and his having only one eye serving as a symbol of this moniker/attribute -- are not mentioned even in passing) retelling of the main tales in the Elder Edda and The Volospa. It was interesting and concise, and if it is muddled as regards Loki's provenance (Loki's father is first cited, on p. 49, as Farbauti, but show more subsequently [p. 66, etc.] his father's name is given as Laufey, which is the version that Marvel Comics uses in its Thor comics; also, Loki was apparently the cousin of Odin and Honir: upon first meeting them, Loki hails them as sons of Borr and Bestla, and then says that "'Bestla's father was Bælthorn the Giant, and his brother Bergelmir was father to my father Farbauti...'" [p. 49]), the fault doubtless lies with the source material and not with Green. The belief that all Finns had magic powers is repeated here (p. 183), and the Norns are depicted as having some rather significant limitations themselves ("..their task was to weave the web of each man's life, but not the life of the whole world;" p. 203). Thor is a lot like Hercules, save that he doesn't seem to regret his flights of temper, while Odin is as much of a horn-dog as Zeus, but his wife, Frigga, goddess of marital fidelity, doesn't give him so much as a cold shoulder; Odin justifies his numerous bastards by insisting that they're needed to fight on the side of the Aesir and Vanir come Ragnarok. (Come to that, Odin is nearly as much of a trickster as Loki, but his shenanigans are excused because he plays tricks to benefit mankind; nice job, if you can get it.) show less

Myths of the Norsemen is a nice, readable collection of Norse myths, adapted into a single narrative story. I wasn't sure it would work, but it does. Quite well, actually. Beginning with the creation of the world, Green winds his way through most of the Norse legends known to us all the way to the death of Baldur and the coming of Ragnarok. But instead of individual episodes, it is written in such a way as to read like a novel with a single narrative, a rather brilliant trick that makes the book accessible to readers of all ages. Although the Puffin Classics line is meant for children, this is one volume that is easily worth reading for adults as well. In fact, anyone with an interest in the Nordic gods and their stories will find show more something to enjoy hear. Highly recommended. show less

I felt this book provided good insight into Norse myths. I liked that they were arranged into one coherent narrative, & thought this organization worked well. I believe this is meant more for younger readers, but I (as an adult) found it plenty engaging

A retelling of the Norse myths into one coherent story. This is a good introductory book that brings Odin, Thor and all the other Norse gods to life with all their quirks and foibles. Very enjoyable.

Kick-ass. Rich, fascinating, original myths that would be great to use in a comparative myth course. The description of Ragnarok is terrifically sad and hopeful.

So here I am, once again, wondering how Roger Lancelyn Green can make these myths so incredibly dry, and yet my child is still interested in them.

This book was the latest of the bedtime story books for Jefferson, and pronouncing all the names was definitely its own form of torture. (A little help? A pronunciation guide somewhere? PLEASE?)

Yet, still, it was interesting (but dry!), adding to the little bit I already knew about Norse mythology. But I was definitely relieved when it was over.