13 h 48 minAudiobook6 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What holds a world together when even its gods live under the shadow of fate?
In Norse Mythology, Rasmus Björn Anderson gathers the myths of the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda into a connected account of the old northern religion. His handbook moves from creation toward Ragnarok, the doom of the gods, while offering his interpretation of what these stories mean to the people who tell them.
According to these myths, Yggdrasil stretches across the worlds, Odin hungers for wisdom, and Thor guards against giants. Loki brings mischief and grief, while the Valkyries choose warriors who fall in battle. Anderson connects these figures with the larger questions of death, courage and fate, giving beginners a clear path through a crowded mythical world.
What you’ll discover
- A world taking shape Explore a creation story that begins with fire, ice and the yawning gulf of Ginnungagap.
- The tree connecting everything Follow Anderson’s account of Yggdrasil, the vast ash tree whose branches reach over all worlds.
- Gods with different powers Meet wisdom-seeking Odin, mighty Thor and the Vanir, associated with fertility, wealth and the sea.
- Courage beneath the shadow Explore how the myths connect warriors, Valhalla and the fate that hangs over the gods.
- Stories gathered into order Discover how Anderson brings the Eddas together and adds his own readings of their meaning.
Who will love it
For readers who love Viking history, fantasy fiction, or exploring family roots and want a clear map of Norse myth. It welcomes beginners who enjoy stories of gods and giants, courage and fate.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- The myths survive in two Icelandic books
- The world begins in fire and ice
- Yggdrasil holds nine worlds together
- Odin seeks wisdom at any cost
- Thor guards the world against giants
- Loki brings mischief and then grief
- The Vanir, Freyja and the lesser gods
- Valhalla, the Valkyries and the land of the dead
- Ragnarok, and how Anderson reads it
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- Hardcover
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Mythologie nordique
by Rasmus Björn Anderson · 1875
Odin pays for wisdom, Thor guards the world, and the Eddas reveal a religion shaped by courage and fate.
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In short
Imagine a religion that expects its own gods to lose, and asks them to fight anyway. That is the world Rasmus Björn Anderson opens to English readers in Norse Mythology, first published in 1875.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
The myths survive in two Icelandic books
The old Scandinavians told their myths aloud and in verse. When Christianity reached the North around the year 1000, the old worship faded, and what we know comes from Iceland.
The Poetic Edda is a collection of poems drawn from oral tradition, which Anderson treats as far older than their written record.
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What is Norse Mythology by Rasmus Anderson about?
It retells the myths of the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda as one system, from the creation of the world to Ragnarok. It covers the gods, giants, dwarfs and the dead, and adds Anderson's own interpretation of their meaning.
Who are the main gods in Norse mythology?
Odin is the chief god of wisdom and war. Thor is the strong defender with the hammer. Loki is the trickster, Balder the gentle son of Odin, Frey and Freyja are gods of fertility and love, and Heimdal guards the bridge.
What are the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda?
The Poetic Edda is a collection of old mythological and heroic poems kept in an Icelandic manuscript. The Prose Edda was written by Snorri Sturluson as a guide to myth for poets. Together they are the main sources.
The author
Rasmus Björn Anderson
1846–1936 · American translator and scholar
Rasmus Björn Anderson (1846–1936) was an American scholar, translator, and diplomat. He was born in Wisconsin and died in Madison, Wisconsin. He wrote America Not Discovered by Columbus (1874) and Norse Mythology (1875). He taught at the University of Wisconsin and served as United States minister to Denmark from 1885 to 1889.
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