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80 color illus. 8 3/4 x 11 5/8. ... Read more

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good source for school project
I bought this book for my grandson to use in his history project about Norse Gods. ... Read more

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Cold Counsel: The Women of Old Norse Literature and Myth is the only collection devoted to the place of women in Old Norse literature and culture. It draws upon the disciplines of history, sociology, feminism, ethnography, and psychoanalysis in order to raise fresh question about such new subjects as gender, class, sexuality, family structure, and ideology in medieval Iceland. ... Read more

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An outstanding collection of essays on Norse women
"Cold Counsel" is an outstanding collection of essays on Norse women.I found many of the articles thought-provoking and informative.It's still very difficult to find good information on Viking Age women - some of the best research is only published as journal articles, and it's only in the past 4-5 years that books on the topic of Norse women have begun to appear.This volume is fairly expensive, but very well worth it for anyone studying women in the Viking Age.Articles include:

(1) Introduction: "og eru köld kvenna ráð"; (2) "En hon er blandin mjök": Women and Insults in Old Norse Literature; (3) Hildigunnr's Lament; (4) Women's Voices in Old Norse Literature: The Case of Trójumanna saga; (5) Taming the Shrew: The Rise of Patriarchy and the Subordination of the Feminine in Old Norse Literature; (6) The Re-emergence of Women's Voices in Icelandic Literature, 1500-1800; (7) Vikings Westward to Vinland: The Problem of Women; (8) "Þegi Þú, Þórr!": Gender, Class, and Discourse in Þrymskviða; (9) Fathers, Mothers, and Daughters: "Hver er að ráða?"; (10) A Good Day's Work: Laxdoela saga, ch. 49; (11) Women's Counsel in the Riddarasögur: The Case of Parcevals saga; (12) The Woman Who Knows: Female Characters of Eyrbyggja saga; (13) Male Bonding, Female Body: The Absenting of Woman in "Bisclaretz ljóð"; (14) Ambiguously Gendered: The Skalds Jórunn, Auðr and Steinunn; (15) Women Outside: Discourse of Community in Hávamál; (16) Saga World and Nineteenth-Century Iceland: The Case of Women Farmers.

Terrific Work
This is a terrific study of an often overlooked subject. Truly groundbreaking work in fact. If you are trying to understand women in literature, this is a great study to look at.

New Takes on an Overlooked Topic
As far as Garland compliations go, this is one of the better ones.Collected essays span topics from goddesses and eddic lore to the roles of everyday women in the sagas.A couple exceptional articles, many quite good, an essay wrought with 1970's feminist theory I honestly could not wade through.Overall worth a read for divergent takes on Women in Norse Culture. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1893.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Discussing Ýdalir, Henry Adams Bellows comments that "the wood of the yew-tree was used for bows in the North just as it was long afterwards for England." Rudolf Simek says that "this connexion of the god with the yew-tree, of whose wood bows were made, has led to Ullr being seen as a bow-god." Andy Orchard comments that Ýdalir is an "aptly named dwelling-place [for the] archer-god, Ull." According to Hilda Ellis Davidson, while Valhalla "is well known because it plays so large a part in images of warfare and death," the significance of other halls in Norse mythology such as Ýdalir, and the goddess Freyja's afterlife location Fólkvangr has been lost. ... Read more

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A collection of essays on the inheritance of verse and prose from the early Norse lands. They look at how Norse literature has been influenced by the communities with whom they came into contact, and the mythological allusion in Eddic and scaldic poetry. ... Read more

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Seminal Work
I will not attempt to review the merit of this treatise in which Dumézil details a seminal application of his proposed tripartite structure of the indo-european religions and societies. The author started working on this in the middle of the twenties, but reached his conclusions onlyin the late thirties. I believe this edition is based on a 1958 revision. Notoriously, Dumézil's approach, questionable as it might be to some, revolutionized the field of Indo-European studies, and therefore it is not in my capacity to offer a criticism; only a taste of this brief yet insightful and profoundly influential book.

While Dumézil tries to find sense in the struggle between the Asi and Vani, the two "tribes" of scandinavian mythology, as it is depicted by relatively recent icelandic records, he unveils strikingly similar yet much older structures in Indian Vedic literature (Gods against Nsatya) as well as in the epics of the Italic people (Latini against Sabini) and, less frequently, Celts. After about fifteen years of research, the author discovers "the great connections that induce one to ascribe to the Indo-Europeans, before their dispersion, a complex theology centred upon the three functions of sovereignty, force and fertility". Odhinn and Tyr would occupy the first level in Scandinavia; Mitra and Varuna in Vedic India; Jupiter and Dius Fidius (eventually adsorbed into Jupiter) in central Italy.

This double occupancy of the first level replicates elsewhere in the Roman epic: Romolus and Numa, but also, Horatius Cocles and Mucius Scaevola: indeed, Dumézil explains, as Tyr sacrifices his right hand in the mouth of the primordial wolf Fenrir, to convince the beast to wear Odhinn's magical lace and therefore to pacify the universe, similarly Scaevola sacrifices his right hand in the burning bracer to convince Lars Porsena to end the war against Rome; and as Odhinn, the supreme sorcerer king, can shift the course of a battle by literally scaring the enemy by simply gazing with his one eye, so did Oratius Cocles, roman legionary, also one-eyed, scare away the enemy etruscans whom he faced alone on a bridge on the Tiber.

And then there is the second level (Thor in Scandinavia, Mars in Italy, Indra in India) and the third (Freyr in Scandinavia, Quirinus in Italy...). But by now perhaps I have convinced you that these one hundred and forty dense pages are worth the effort of a Sunday afternoon. I myself, always indirectly aware of the content of this book, was eventually much rewarded from reading it.

Interesting approach to the problem
Author offers us a very good comparative study on the Norse mythology. This book is very short but it is also a very informative source of knowledge about the religions of Indoeuropean people. It is worth mentioning that Georges Dumezil was a real and scrupulous scholar, whose mind was not affected by the ''political correctness''. This fact makes this book really good and highly recommended.

Classic, still of modern importance
Dumezil largely founded the discipline of tracing themes and stories across Indo-European traditions.His work was pioneering and often lead to a rough framing of ideas which other scholars would later fill in to some extent.His arguments are sound, and his logic solid.

This does not mean that the book does not contain ideas which may miss the mark (I am somewhat unconvinced of his arguments relating to the murder of Baldr and the parallels in the Mahabharata), but the general theories and framework are still very much accepted.

I would highly recommend this work as an introduction to Dumezil's work, as well as an important look into Norse mythology in general.

The first review on Amazon for this book?
It's a shame no one else has reviewed this books because it's really a classic. The works of Dumezil are still THE standard in comparative Indo-European religion.I can't even begin to guess the number of books I've read that make reference to his works in their footnotes.If you have heard of "trifunctionalism"** it's probably due to the influence of Dumezil.This book is a great read and very informative.

** The theory that Indo-European societies were traditionally structured in a tripartite manner and are patterned after the divine order andthe various roles of the gods themselves.

1. Maintenance ofCosmic and Juridical Order.( Priestly caste and Juridical powers.. Varuna and Mitra or Wotan and Tyr)
2. The exersize of physical prowess ( the warrior caste , Thor or Indra)
3. The promotion of physical well being and producers (farmers, craftsmen.. Frey and Freya.) ... Read more

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Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Students of the Poetic Edda have long ignored a seemingly unassuming, yet most important mythical character: Namely the mead-offering Maiden that appears at the heart of many a myth and heroic legend. This study shows how the Maiden with the Mead appears at the climax of a ritual structure within the myths - a structure that clearly is based on Pagan initiation rituals. The Maiden is the aim of the initiation and its consecration. Her mead is the mead that transfers knowledge, wisdom and indeed resurrection to the initiate. The study also shows that although the Maiden appears with different names and different status (she may be a goddess, a valkyrie, or giantess)she is always the same being - the Great Goddess of light hidden in the utter darkness of death. Only the initiate that overcomes his fears may find her in that ghastly realm and bring himself and the Goddess back to life - and to resurrection. This study shows the immense importance of this underlying myth and the ritual which it reflects, and throws new light on Old Norse religious practice and how to interpret Edda poetry. ... Read more

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The Concise Dictionary of Mythology
This concise dictionary includes an alphabetical listing of the major names of gods, persons, animals, plants, and places that appear in Greek, Roman, Norse, and Egyptian mythology with a succinct explanation of their relevance and importance. ... Read more

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In ancient Asgard, a redheaded boy was born to Odin, All-father of the Norse gods.The story of how Thor proved himself to be the mightiest of all Asgard's warriors is retold in this brilliantly illustrated Norse myth. ... Read more

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Chapters: Marvel Comics Asgardians, the Sandman, Thorgal, Neil Gaiman, List of Characters in the Sandman, Dream, Death, the Sandman: Preludes ... Read more

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From the myths and legends of the ancient world to the verfied historical records of modern times, these inspiring volumes provide a window onto the past, enabling the reader to understand previous eras and the men and women who created them.

The myths and legends of the Celts come alive in this beautifully illustrated volume. A complete history of Celtic lore is highlighted with full-color and archival images, vibrantly capturing the essence this fascinating ancient civilization. ... Read more

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It deserves zero stars.
I checked out this book from the public library, & I'm glad I did -- at least I didn't pay any money for it.It's full of inconsistencies, errors, opinions thinly disguised as fact, New Age ranting, &typographical errors.A complete waste of paper. ... Read more

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Tyr was the bravest and boldest of the Norse gods. As the god of battle and justice, he was known by all to keep his word at all costs.The story of Tyr's honorable battle with the wolf beast Fenrir is retold in this brilliantly illustrated Norse myth. ... Read more

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The Scandinavian legends and myths about ancient heroes, gods, and the creation and destruction of the universe developed out of the original common mythology of the Germanic peoples and constitute the primary source of knowledge about ancient German mythology. Because Scandinavian mythology was transmitted and altered by medieval Christian historians, the original pagan religious beliefs, attitudes, and practices cannot be determined with certainty. Clearly, however, Scandinavian mythology developed slowly, and the relative importance of different gods and heroes varied at different times and places. Thus, the cult of Odin, chief of the gods, may have spread from western Germany to Scandinavia not long before the myths were recorded; minor godsincluding Ull, the fertility god Njord, and Heimdallmay represent older deities who lost strength and popularity as Odin became more important. Odin, a god of war, was also associated with learning, wisdom, poetry, and magic. ... Read more

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This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: E. P. Dutton and company in 1917 in 353 pages; Subjects: Mythology, Norse; Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology; History / General; Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Country & Ethnic; Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / General; Religion / Comparative Religion; Social Science / Folklore & Mythology; ... Read more