13 h 17 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 13 h 17 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What do gods fear in a world of giants, monsters, and shifting loyalties?
In Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas, H. A. Guerber gathers northern legends into one continuous account. Drawing on the Icelandic Eddas and sagas, she leads you from the world's making through stories of gods, giants, heroes, and monsters. No background is needed to find your way.
According to these tales, Odin seeks wisdom wherever he can find it, while Thor guards the world with his hammer, Mjolnir. Loki lives among the gods, but his loyalties shift. Alongside their stories come the Volsungs and Sigurd, human heroes caught in tales of gold, swords, love, and betrayal.
What you’ll discover
- A world taking shape Enter the Norse creation story, where ice and fire frame a great empty gap.
- Wisdom at a price Follow Odin's search for knowledge through tales that place wisdom beside war and poetry.
- Thunder and shifting loyalties Meet Thor the defender and Loki, whose place among the gods offers no certain loyalty.
- Heroes beneath doom's shadow Explore the Volsungs and Sigurd through northern legends of love, gold, swords, and betrayal.
- A clear first map Learn who the gods are, where they live, and what they fear.
Who will love it
Readers who love myths, legends and ancient epics will enjoy this book, as will those curious about the gods behind Thursday and Friday, and fans of dragons and tricksters.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Creation begins in a struggle
- One tree connects the worlds
- Odin pays dearly for wisdom
- Thor uses strength to protect
- Life needs more than battle
- A small omission threatens joy
- Trust makes the wolf's binding possible
- Human heroes face love and betrayal
- Small mischief can become something larger
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Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas
by H. A. Guerber · 1909
A one-eyed god trades his eye for wisdom while a wolf waits to swallow the sun and an ash tree holds nine worlds.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
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“Born was I of mothers nine,”
In short
What happens when fire meets ice at the edge of an endless gulf? In this book the answer is a giant born of frost, a cow that licks salt from the ice, and a god who steps out of a frozen block.
Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas at a glance
- Reading time
- About 7 h 25 min5 h 55 min fast, 8 h 50 min slow
- Length
- 106,400 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1909by H. A. Guerber
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Fire and ice give birth to the world
The Norse story of creation begins with a gulf, not a garden. To the north lies Nifl-heim, a home of mist and freezing streams. To the south lies Muspells-heim, a land of fire guarded by the giant Surtr.
Sparks from the south fall on ice from the north, and the melting ice gives life to Ymir, a giant of frost. A cow named Audhumla feeds him with her milk. She licks salty ice until a god named Buri steps out of it. Buri's grandsons Odin, Vili and Ve kill Ymir, and his blood drowns nearly all his kin.
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Details
- First published
- 1909
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Guerber, H. A. Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-of-the-norsemen-from-the-eddas-and-sagas.
Guerber, H. A. (2026). Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and sagas. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-of-the-norsemen-from-the-eddas-and-sagas (Original work published 1909)
Guerber, H. A. Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-of-the-norsemen-from-the-eddas-and-sagas.
@book{guerber2026myths,
author = {Guerber, H. A.},
title = {Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-of-the-norsemen-from-the-eddas-and-sagas},
note = {First published 1909}
}
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What is Myths of the Norsemen about?
It retells the myths of the Norse gods, from the making of the world out of fire and ice to Ragnarok, the last battle. It also covers giants, dwarfs, elves and the hero Sigurd.
Who are the main gods in Norse mythology?
Odin is the chief and father of the gods. Thor is the thunder god, and Frigga is the queen. Tyr, Frey, Freya, Balder, Heimdall and Loki also play major roles in these tales.
Where do these Norse myths come from?
They come mostly from the Elder Edda, a collection of pagan poems gathered in Iceland, and from later sagas. Guerber retells them and adds verse by modern poets.
The author
H. A. Guerber
1859–1929 · American historian and mythologist
H. A. Guerber was Hélène Adeline Guerber, an American writer who lived in the United States from 1859 to 1929. She wrote books about history, mythology, and legends. Her works included The Story of the Greeks (1896), Legends of Switzerland (1899), and The Book of the Epic (1913).
“Born was I of mothers nine,”
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