Summary
Summary of Stories from Northern Myths
Key ideas
Key idea 1
The world begins with a battle
Between the Land of Mist and the Land of Fire, melting frost brings the giant Ymir to life. The cow Audhumbla feeds him and frees a man from the ice. From that man come Odin and his brothers, who kill Ymir and shape his body into the world.
They build Asgard, link it to earth by the rainbow bridge Bifrost, and later give life to the first humans. But creation leaves an enemy behind: the giants never forget the battle, and their hatred threatens the gods.
Key idea 2
Odin pays for his wisdom
Odin rules gods and men, yet he worries that the giants know more than he does.
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Key idea 3
Kindness matters at every door
A stranger at the door may be more than he seems, especially when Odin walks among mortals in disguise.
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Key idea 4
Loki brings gifts and danger
Loki's mischief repeatedly harms the gods, then forces him to repair the damage.
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Key idea 5
Thor needs more than strength
Thor's hammer protects Asgard from the frost giants, but his adventures show that force is not always enough.
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Key idea 6
The gods discover their limits
Thor sets out to challenge the giants, only to find that appearances cannot be trusted.
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Key idea 7
Stolen gold carries a curse
After Loki kills a family's son while the boy is in otter form, he and his traveling companions must pay for their freedom.
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Key idea 8
Siegfried grows into his inheritance
The tales turn toward Siegfried, the last of the Volsung family, as he learns smithing from Regin.
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Key idea 9
Every gain has its cost
From the making of the world toward the edge of its end, bargains shape the fortunes of gods and heroes.
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Go deeper: the whole of Stories from Northern Myths
About 4 h 20 min to read.Who it’s for
Readers drawn to myths, monsters and cunning tricksters will love these tales. So will anyone curious about Odin, Thor and Loki, dragons, cursed gold, or stories to share by the fire.
What this book is
A cow licks salt from blocks of ice, and a man's head pushes out through the melting frost. Before earth, sea or sky exists, a cow named Audhumbla is already shaping what comes next.
That is how Stories from Northern Myths begins. Emilie K. Baker retells the old Norse legends in clear, lively prose and joins them into one story. She follows the gods of Asgard, led by one-eyed Odin, strong-armed Thor and the sly Loki. Then she follows the Volsung heroes, whose line leads to Siegfried.
In this summary
- 1Ice, fire and a giant's body make the worldFree
- 2Odin gives an eye and wins the mead
- 3A cruel king learns what hospitality demands
- 4Loki's mischief arms the gods and tests them
- 5Thor's strength meets tricks it cannot beat
- 6Love, apples and a dream shadow Asgard
- 7A hero's line begins with a sword in a tree
- 8Cunning and strength both rule the gods' world
- 9Promises, guests and cursed gold bind everyone
- 10The tales link into one story told by sound and sight
Key point 1 of 10
Ice, fire and a giant's body make the world
The book opens before earth, sea or sky exists. On one side of a bottomless gulf lies Niflheim, a land of mist and endless winter. On the other lies Muspelheim, a land of fire.
Sparks fall into the icy gulf and melt into steam, then freeze again as hoarfrost. From this frost comes the giant Ymir. The cow Audhumbla feeds him with four streams of milk. As she licks the salty ice, a man emerges, and from him come the gods Odin, Vile and Ve.
The brothers kill Ymir and build the world from his body. His flesh becomes earth, his bones hills, his blood the sea and his skull the sky. They build Asgard on a high mountain and link it to earth by the rainbow bridge Bifrost.
The surviving giants keep pressing at its borders, and the gods answer with fences, bridges and weapons. Creation is a victory that has to be guarded.
That’s 1 of 10 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
Why does Odin seek wisdom?
Right. “Wisdom matters to him because Asgard's safety depends on knowing the past and the future.”Not quite. “Wisdom matters to him because Asgard's safety depends on knowing the past and the future.”
What makes Loki both useful and dangerous to the gods?
Right. “Loki's cunning is both a help and a threat.”Not quite. “Loki's cunning is both a help and a threat.”
What fate does Andvari place on his ring?
Right. “Andvari's last treasure is a ring shaped like a serpent, and he curses it to bring ruin to anyone who owns it.”Not quite. “Andvari's last treasure is a ring shaped like a serpent, and he curses it to bring ruin to anyone who owns it.”
Go deeper: the whole of Stories from Northern Myths
About 4 h 20 min to read.Questions about Stories from Northern Myths
What is Stories from Northern Myths about?
It retells Norse myths in a connected order, from the making of the world out of the giant Ymir to the adventures of Odin, Thor and Loki, and then to the Volsung hero Siegfried and his dragon quest.
Who are Odin, Thor and Loki?
Odin is the one-eyed ruler of the gods and a seeker of wisdom. Thor is the thunder god who defends Asgard with his hammer Mjölner. Loki is Odin's clever, mischievous brother who causes and solves trouble.
What is Ygdrasil in Norse mythology?
Ygdrasil is the huge world tree that binds all the worlds together. Its roots reach Midgard, the giants' land and Hel's realm, and its top boughs shade Odin's hall. The Norns tend it, and a dragon gnaws its roots.
Is Stories from Northern Myths a true story, and where do the tales come from?
No, these are myths and legends, not history. They come from old northern traditions, including the Volsunga Saga, and the author retells them in plain, modern prose that is easy to follow and well suited to reading aloud.
Is Stories from Northern Myths good for younger readers?
Yes, it works well for many ages, since each chapter is a short, self-contained tale with clear scenes, vivid pictures and plain language. Families can read one story at a time and still follow the larger tale that links them all.
Cite this edition
Baker, Emilie K. Stories from Northern Myths. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/stories-from-northern-myths.
Baker, E. K. (2026). Stories from Northern myths. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/stories-from-northern-myths (Original work published 1914)
Baker, Emilie K. Stories from Northern Myths. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/stories-from-northern-myths.
@book{baker2026stories,
author = {Baker, Emilie K.},
title = {Stories from Northern Myths},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/stories-from-northern-myths},
note = {First published 1914}
}
