14 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook editionPaperback · 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
Readers drawn to myths, Viking lore and the origins of names such as Wednesday and Thursday will love this book. So will anyone fascinated by Odin, Thor and Loke.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Northern myths belong to a shared inheritance
- Iceland preserves the voices of the gods
- Nature takes on a human face
- Creation grows out of violent conflict
- Every life belongs to one world
- Odin pays a price for wisdom
- Thor discovers the limits of strength
- Balder's fall puts innocence at stake
- Courage matters under the shadow of fate
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook opens when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Norse Mythology in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Norse Mythology
by Rasmus Björn Anderson · 1875
A slain giant becomes sea, earth and sky, and the gods who kill him are fated to fall in the last battle.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeRenews every year · Cancel anytimeHow it works
- Read, large type too
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
“Conceive ye this or not?”
In short
Imagine a world that begins with nothing but a yawning gap, with ice to the north, fire to the south and a giant formed where the two meet. The sea, land, mountains and sky are built from that giant's body.
Norse Mythology at a glance
- Reading time
- About 7 h 35 min6 h fast, 9 h slow
- Length
- 108,400 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1875by Rasmus Björn Anderson
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
A scholar champions the northern gods
Anderson wrote this book while working at the University of Wisconsin. In his preface he claims it is the first English account to cover Norse mythology fully and in order. Earlier writers had translated pieces or given short outlines.
His argument rests on kinship. He holds that Norsemen, English, Germans and Americans share one Gothic inheritance, long neglected in favor of Greek and Roman tales. The names of the week already prove the link, since Wednesday honors Odin and Thursday honors Thor. He leans on the Eddas and on Scandinavian scholars, above all N. M. Petersen, and he claims no new research.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer. Your place follows you, and you can make the type as big as you like.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1875
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Anderson, Rasmus Björn. Norse Mythology. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/norse-mythology.
Anderson, R. B. (2026). Norse mythology. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/norse-mythology (Original work published 1875)
Anderson, Rasmus Björn. Norse Mythology. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/norse-mythology.
@book{anderson2026norse,
author = {Anderson, Rasmus Björn},
title = {Norse Mythology},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/norse-mythology},
note = {First published 1875}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every eBookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Norse Mythology
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Norse Mythology by Rasmus Anderson about?
It presents the myths of the Norse gods in order, from the making of the world and the tree Ygdrasil to the lives of Odin, Thor, Balder and Loke, and finally Ragnarok. Anderson explains each myth through nature and human feeling.
Where do the myths in this book come from?
They come mainly from the Elder or Poetic Edda and the Younger or Prose Edda, both preserved in Iceland. Anderson adds material from the sagas, Anglo-Saxon poems, German epics and Scandinavian folklore, and from the research of scholars like N. M. Petersen.
Who are the main gods in Norse mythology?
Odin is the wise chief of the gods, and Thor is the thunder god with the hammer Mjolner. Balder is the shining god of summer light, Frey and Freyja are Vanir gods of fertility and love, and Loke is the cunning trickster who brings trouble.
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.
“Conceive ye this or not?”
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
