Old Norse literature?Norse mythology?

Question

I want to read some Norse mythology?
how is it called, was it translated to English and can I find it on amazon
and not some book about Norse mythology
the real thing
was it written story like or poem like?

Answer 1

The closest things we have to original texts of the Norse myths are the Poetic and Prose Eddas.

The Poetic Edda contains the actual mythological and heroic poems, translated from the Codex Regius, where they were preserved. The Hollander translation is suitably poetic, but the Larrington is more readily understood. I prefer the Bellows, which is a bit like the heathen KJV. :-)

The Prose Edda is a compilation of the myths written in the 12th C by Snorri Sturluson, in Icelandic, to provide a reference work for poets working in the traditional style, which uses alliteration, consonance, caesura, and something called "kennings," mythologically-based metaphoric imagery. The Jesse Byock translation is far superior to all others.

The central heroic epic of the Norse and Germanic peoples is found in The Saga of the Volsungs, also translated by Byock. In a later Germanicized version, The Nibelungeid, it became the basis for Wagner's "Ring Cycle" operas.

Finally, of course, Beowulf is the oldest known epic poem of the Norse peoples . . . although it is generally considered an early *English* work, the English came to England from the Cimbrian peninsula in Scandinavia, just south of Jutland, and since the poem itself is based there, seem to have brought it with them. The Seamus Heaney translation is not as scholarly as some others, but it's beautifully told, and I recommend it highly.

All of these can be found on Amazon.com.

Answer 2

Well if you want an actual story there is the Percy Jackson series but that does have a fair few mistakes but can be quite factual, there is also 'The Greek Myths' by Stephen Kershaw. Then there is 'The Ultimate encyclopedia of Mythology' by Arthur Cotterell and Rachel Storm. Both are very Informative. The Greek myths one having the actual myths whilst the encyclopedia has a short paragraph on nearly everything to do with mythology around the world, with pictures included.

Answer 3

Google things like:

Odin, Loki, Thor, Tyr, Baldur, Forseti, Frigg, Frey, Freya
Sleipnirr
Yggdrasil (the tree of knowledge/wisdom or life, cant remember which)
Hel, Fenrir
Aesir, Valhalla, Midgarr
Nordic Trolls, Gniddhogg

Hope some of this helps. Looking those up should get you some info on the culture, the beliefs, religions and history/creatures etc.

Answer 4

http://www.northernway.org/asabooks.html

Norse mythology was an oral tradition, so it was in poetry form for the most part. It was later transcribed and preserved by Christian monks, who may or may not have added their own flair to the stories. Many of the stories have been translated to modern english and are available free on the internet. However, you can buy them in book form if you prefer.

Answer 5

Try reading Beowulf!

Answer 6

There are some wonderful sites around that you can read that have some wonderful information. Here are my favorites

Answer 7

http://pantheon.org/areas/mythology/europe/norse/

go read about it here