The book presents a comprehensive overview of 100+ years of existing Beowulf scholarship and looks at that material and the poem itself with a fresh perspective. The conclusions Gräslund reaches are very thought-provoking. Namely, he states that the poem was composed in Scandinavia before being transported to England and that the Geats were from Gotland rather than the more commonly accepted Götaland. The geographic and archaeological evidence he presents struck me as particularly convincing for his argument regarding Gotland. Gräslund's ideas aren't without its critics and are still just a theories, but have taken off like wildfire in Sweden. The Anglophone world has been much slower to generally acknowledge Gräslund's work one way or the other. Whatever anyone thinks, it's a fascinating read.
I read the original Swedish edition; this book is the English translation.
In such a wide-ranging, long-standing, and international field of scholarship as Beowulf, one might imagine that everything would long since have been thoroughly investigated. And yet as far as the absolutely crucial question of the poem’s origins is concerned, that is not the case.
This cross-disciplinary study by Bo Gräslund argues that the material, geographical, historical, social, and ideological framework of Beowulf cannot be the independent literary product of an Old English Christian poet, but was in all essentials created orally in Scandinavia, which was a fertile seedbed for epic poetry.
Through meticulous argument interwoven with an impressive assemblage of…
One of the most original and imaginative novels I've ever read. It's set in the fantasy world island of Hrímland, which is essentially Vilhjálmsson's name for alternate reality Iceland, and most of the action takes place in and around an alternate reality version of Reykjavík. Hrímland is a place full of sorcerous energy, and populated not just by humans, but also huldrefolk, raven-folk, and sea people (all of which have their own Icelandic names for their species). For fans of all things Norse, there's also draugar, scorn-poles, and an extremely heavy does of seiðr and galdr. It's a heavily Norse magic-inspired, modern-day sort of world, and comes with a touch of steampunk, too.
For fans of China Mieville. A tale of revolution in a Reykjavik fuelled by industrialised magic, populated by humans, dimensional exiles, otherworldly creatures, psychoactive graffiti and demonic familiars.
A tale of revolution in a Reykjavik fuelled by industrialised magic, populated by humans, dimensional exiles, otherworldly creatures, psychoactive graffiti and demonic familiars.
HERE LIES A CITY...
FUELLED BY INDUSTRIALISED MAGIC. RULED BY A DESPOTIC CROWN. DEMANDING REVOLUTION.
WELCOME TO REYKJAVIK
Rebels and revolutionaries disappear into the infamous prison, the Nine, never to be heard from again. Masked police roam the streets, dark magic lurks in the shadows, and the implacable flying…
A really fun Norse fantasy novel and the second in the Spear of the Gods trilogy. Unlike many of the other Norse fantasy novels that have been released in recent years, this one isn’t a super somber spiral down into the grim dark pit of despair, but rather more of a traditional action-adventure full of wisecracks and hijinks that incorporates a sturdy foundation of Norse mythology into its Scandi-cosmos. The influence of Neil Price’s research is present, and hints of Beowulf, Hrolf Kraki, and (especially) Arrow Odd are all there as well. A blast and highly recommended, especially to readers who might be interested in a Norse fantasy that leans funny rather than heavy.
A viking crew set on revenge. A conspiracy among the gods. The Spear of the Gods Saga continues with Rune to Ruin.
Ansgar the Skald is sailing into the middle of an epic war between two legendary vikings. That’s about to be the least of his problems.
Delving deep beneath Midgard? Battling trolls, sea monsters, and sorcerers? Just another season for Ansgar and the crew of the Sea Squirrel as they seek revenge for fallen friends.
This time, they will need to cross even more dangerous thresholds. The realm of the dead awaits, where secrets are easier to uncover. That…
Picking up where its medieval forebears left off, The Impudent Edda not only introduces readers to a fresh, new perspective on both familiar and previously unknown narratives of Norse mythology, but also brings the world’s foremost epic fantasy trilogy to its inevitable and fateful conclusion: in a dank alleyway behind a dive bar in Boston.
“The text throughout is caustic, demotic and profanity-laden, as though our narrator isn’t some hoary-bearded Viking bard sitting by the fireside but a modern guy shooting the breeze with buddies over a beer. The result is a smart, lovingly rendered blend of academia and pastiche.” —Financial Times
“You don’t have to be a Bostonian to find The Impudent Edda hilarious and even if you know a lot about Old Norse mythology, you’ll find its unique take both thought-provoking and insightful. The Norse gods as you’ve never seen them before!” —Carolyne Larrington, translator of The Poetic Edda and author of The Norse Myths That Shape the Way We Think
