Who will come to the aid of beleaguered King Hrothgar, whose warriors have become the prey of the vengeful outcast monster Grendel?A grand and glorious story that has endured for centuries, the ageless classic adventure takes on a breathtaking new life in a remarkable new version for a modern era. Brilliantly reimagined by acclaimed, award-winning author Caitlín R. Kiernan, based on the screenplay by #1 New York Times bestseller Neil Gaiman and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Roger Avary, it is the tale of a noble liege and a terrible creature who has cursed his kingdom with death, blood, and destruction—and of the great hero, Beowulf, who is called to a land of monsters to triumph where so many have failed . . . or to die as so many of the brave before him. Read more

"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Here it is at last (Odin be praised!) and well worth the wait. These amazing texts from a 13th-century Icelandic manuscript are of huge historical, mythological and literary importance, containing the lion's share of information that survives today about the gods and heroes of pre-Christian Scandinavians, their unique vision of the beginning and end of the world, etc. Jackson Crawford's modern versions of these poems are authoritative and fluent and often very gripping.  With their individual headnotes and complementary general introduction, they supply today's readers with most of what they need to know in order to understand and appreciate the beliefs, motivations, and values of the Vikings." --Dick Ringler, Professor Emeritus of English and Scandinavian Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Read more

Not so long ago, in the tiny, isolated villages of Finland, where prolonged summer days gave way to endless winter nights, people would pass the time by singing the many adventures of their favorite heroes: the mighty, magical men and women of ancient days.They sang of old Vainamoinen, greatest of sages and magicians, who helped create the world but never could find a woman to wed him. They sang of his friend and ally Ilmarinen, first among craftsmen, the blacksmith who forged the dome of the heavens.They sang of Louhi, the ancient lady of Northland, whose crafty wit and magical powers made her a worthy opponent for Vainamoinen himself. And they sang of Aila, Louhi's lovely daughter, who captured the hopes of the two old friends and drew them as rivals to the shores of Northland.And while these songs could still be heard, there came along a rural doctor, a scholar, who gathered and wove them together in a book he called the Kalevala. And so he created for Finns a national epic, and for the rest of the world, a work of wonder.The songs endure, the heroes live. . . .For ages 10 and up. Not illustrated!/////////////////////////////////////////////////Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker's Dozen," "The Sea King's Daughter," "Lady White Snake," and many more children's books. His stories have appeared often in Cricket magazine, while his Web site is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater. Once a professional storyteller, Aaron specializes in lively retellings of folktales and other traditional literature, which have won him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society.Cover artist Carol Schwartz is the award-winning illustrator of over 45 picture books. Read more

Part of the ancient Hindu epic The Mahabharata, The Bhagavad Gita is one of the enduring religious texts of the worldThe Bhagavad Gita is an early poem that recounts the conversation between Arjuna the warrior and his charioteer Krishna, a manifestation of God. In the moments before a great battle, Krishna sets out the important lessons Arjuna must learn to understand his own role in the war he is about to fight. Krishna reveals to Arjuna his true cosmic form and counsels the warrior to act according to his sacred obligations. Ranging from instructions on yoga to moral discussion, the Gita has served for centuries as an everyday, practical guide to living well. Translated with an introduction by Laurie L. Patton Read more

She sees, coming up a second time,earth from the ocean, eternally green;the waterfalls plunge, an eagle soars above them,over the mountain hunting fish.After the terrible conflagration of Ragnarok, the earth rises serenely again from the ocean, and life is renewed. The Poetic Edda begins with The Seeress's Prophecy which recounts the creation of the world, and looks forward to its destruction and rebirth. In this great collection of Norse-Icelandic mythological and heroic poetry, the exploits of gods and humans are related. The one-eyed Odin, red-bearded Thor, Loki the trickster, the lovely goddesses, and the giants who aretheir enemies walk beside the heroic Helgi, Sigurd the Dragon-Slayer, Brynhild the shield-maiden, and the implacable Gudrun. This translation also features the quest-poem The Lay of Svipdag and The Waking of Angantyr, in which a girl faces down her dead father to retrieve his sword.Comic, tragic, instructive, grandiose, witty, and profound, the poems of the Edda have influenced artists from Wagner to Tolkien and speak to us as freely as when they were first written down seven hundred and fifty years ago. Read more

This Kindle book is a copy of the Codex Regius (Icelandic Konungsbók) version of the Poetic Edda, along with additional Eddic Poems from various manuscripts, in the original Old Norse, as provided by Heimskringla, a Norwegian online collection of Old Norse source material available at https://heimskringla.no . The specific poems can be found at https://heimskringla.no/wiki/Eddukv%C3%A6%C3%B0i. This Kindle edition simply formats the poems for easy access on your Kindle, with a useful Table of Contents for accessing the individual poems. Students of the Poetic Edda will find this book a useful aid for side-by-side comparison along with your favorite translation of the Poetic Edda. Read more

A loyal translation of the medieval Icelandic saga of a strong ruler and his men versus a brotherhood of fierce Viking mercenaries.In A.D. 986, Earl Hákon, ruler of most of Norway, won a triumphant victory over an invading fleet of Danes in the great naval battle of Hjórunga Bay. Sailing under his banner were no fewer than five Icelandic skalds, the poet-historians of the Old Norse world. Two centuries later their accounts of the battle became the basis for one of the liveliest of the Icelandic sagas, with special emphasis on the doings of the Jómsvíkings, the famed members of a warrior community that feared no one and dared all. In Lee M. Hollander’s faithful translation, all of the unknown twelfth-century author’s narrative genius and flair for dramatic situation and pungent characterization is preserved.“[A] famous tale of derring-do . . . Hollander has been able to do the even more difficult job of faithfully rendering one text into English with complete loyalty to the style and spirit of his original.” —Speculum Read more

Journey to the mythic worlds of the medieval Norse and discover the timeless legends that still live within us. The Poetic Edda comprises a mythology of gods and their human heroes who are driven by honor, lust, and wisdom, always seeking power and always settling a new dispute. The Edda begins with resourceful creator-gods crafting the universe out of a giant’s corpse and a powerful seeress imparting details about the inevitable chaos of Ragnarok. This is followed by Odin’s words of wisdom and a plethora of other poems describing the High One’s never-ending quest for knowledge. The adventures of Thor and the god’s unsavory encounter with Loki ensue, leading up to the death of Baldr and the first signs of Ragnarok. Poems about Helgi, Sigurth, and other members of the powerful Volsung family, comprise an excessive amount of blood feuds. The slaying of Fafnir and the ownership of the dragon’s hoard creates an entirely new story amidst growing envy and constant betrayal. The Poetic Edda: A Study Guide, is an exceptional guide to the myths and legends of the medieval Norse. Read more

Titles in this Collection: The Elder or Poetic Edda of Saemund Sigfusson by Henry Adam Bellows The Younger or Prose Edda of Snorri Sturlson by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur Myths of The Norsemen by H.A Guerber Told by the Northmen: Stories from the Eddas and Sagas By E.M Wilmot-Buxton(Annotated) with A Historical Introduction to the Age of the VikingsThe Eddas and Sagas are important historical texts in Old Norse literature, often referenced to understand the culture, beliefs, and practices of the Norse people, including their mythology and heroic legends.There are two Eddas - the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda.The Poetic Edda, also known as the Elder Edda, is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. These poems tell stories about the Norse gods (like Odin, Thor, and Loki) and heroes. They provide a rich source of information about Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends. Experience the Poetic Edda through the esteemed lens of Henry Adams Bellows. His rendition elegantly captures the poetic cadence and profound essence of the original Old Norse verses.The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, was written by Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician, in the 13th century. This work is structured as a guide for aspiring poets, teaching the craft of Old Norse skaldic poetry, but its value extends beyond this. It is a critical source of information on Norse mythology and heroic legends, as it provides detailed narratives of many stories merely alluded to in the Poetic Edda. Arthur Gilchrist's version beautifully captures the essence and nuances of the original, making it a must-have for enthusiasts and newcomers alike."Myths of the Norsemen" by H.A. Guerber is an extensive retelling of the legends and myths of the Norse pantheon. Published in the early 20th century, Guerber's work is one of the most comprehensive and accessible English renditions of the stories of the Norse gods, goddesses, heroes, and the world they inhabit.Finally, E. M. Wilmot-Buxton's "Told by the Northmen: Stories from the Eddas and Sagas" is a collection of tales adapted from the ancient Norse sources, specifically the Eddas and Sagas. The aim of the book, much like similar collections from its time, was to make the rich tapestry of Norse mythology and history more accessible to a general audience, especially young readers.Wilmot-Buxton's retellings are crafted to be engaging, with a narrative style suitable for younger readers or those new to Norse mythology. While the book might not dive deep into academic analysis, it offers an approachable introduction to the rich world of Norse tales.Buy this definitive anthology that brings together four of the most revered works on Norse mythology today and embark on an unparalleled voyage into the mythical North, where gods and mortals weave tales of heroism, fate, and cosmic mysteries. Read more

The New York Times bestseller."This book is full of wonders...Loose teeth, chewing gum, it all becomes noble, almost holy, under Knausgaard’s patient, admiring gaze. The world feels repainted.” —The New York TimesFrom the author of the monumental My Struggle series, Karl Ove Knausgaard, one of the masters of contemporary literature and a genius of observation and introspection, comes the first in a new autobiographical quartet based on the four seasons.28 August. Now, as I write this, you know nothing about anything, about what awaits you, the kind of world you will be born into. And I know nothing about you...I want to show you our world as it is now: the door, the floor, the water tap and the sink, the garden chair close to the wall beneath the kitchen window, the sun, the water, the trees. You will come to see it in your own way, you will experience things for yourself and live a life of your own, so of course it is primarily for my own sake that I am doing this: showing you the world, little one, makes my life worth living.Autumn begins with a letter Karl Ove Knausgaard writes to his unborn daughter, showing her what to expect of the world. He writes one short piece per day, describing the material and natural world with the precision and mesmerising intensity that have become his trademark. He describes with acute sensitivity daily life with his wife and children in rural Sweden, drawing upon memories of his own childhood to give an inimitably tender perspective on the precious and unique bond between parent and child. The sun, wasps, jellyfish, eyes, lice--the stuff of everyday life is the fodder for his art. Nothing is too small or too vast to escape his attention. This beautifully illustrated book is a personal encyclopaedia on everything from chewing gum to the stars. Through close observation of the objects and phenomena around him, Knausgaard shows us how vast, unknowable and wondrous the world is. Read more

The celebrated heroic epic poem is brought to the the big screen with a script that envisions the trials and tribulations of the noble Beowulf. Thrilling, frightening, and truly epic, Gaiman and Avary have crafted an amazing script with all the adventure of the original that illuminates one of the all-time greatest tales. In this legend, the outcast monster Grendel attacks Hrothgar’s great hall, devouring many warriors. When the news of Grendel’s onslaught reaches the Geats tribe, their greatest warrior, Beowulf, leaves his homeland to aid those plagued by the monster. But beyond Grendel lie even greater foes and dark secrets that imperil the kingdom. This epic visualization of Beowulf’s combats with Grendel and later, Grendel’s revenge-crazed mother, merges science fiction and fantastic story-telling, bringing to life the most enduring tale of all time. Read more

From Hugo, Eisner, Newbery, Harvey, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, and Nebula award-winning author Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell (The Sandman, The Giver), Scott Hampton (American Gods), and Paul Chadwick (Concrete) comes a graphic novel adaptations of the short stories and poems : The Problem of Susan, October in the Chair, Locks, and The Day the Saucers Came.Two stories and two poems. All wondrous and imaginative about the tales we tell and experience. Where the incarnations of the months of the year sit around a campfire sharing stories, where an older college professor recounts a Narnian childhood, where the apocalypse unfolds, and where the importance of generational storytelling is seen through the Goldilocks fairytale. These four comic adaptations have something for everyone and are a must for Gaiman fans! Read more

Because Chekhov’s plays convey the universally recognizable, sometimes comic, sometimes dramatic, frustrations of decent people trying to make sense of their lives, they remain as fresh and vigorous as when they were written a century ago. Gathered here in superb new renderings by one of the most highly regarded translators of our time—versions that have been staged throughout the United States, Canada, and Great Britain—are Chekhov’s four essential masterpieces for the theater. Read more

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Written in AD 731, Bede's work opens with a background sketch of Roman Britain's geography and history. It goes on to tell of the kings and bishops, monks and nuns who helped to develop Anglo-Saxon government and religion during the crucial formative years of the English people. Leo Sherley-Price's translation brings us an accurate and readable version, in modern English, of a unique historical document. This edition now includes Bede's Letter to Egbert concerning pastoral care in early Anglo-Saxon England, at the heart of which lay Bede's denunciation of the false monasteries; and The Death of Bede, an admirable eye-witness account by Cuthbert, monk and later Abbot of Jarrow, both translated by D. H. Farmer. Read more

First ever illustrated guide to Tuonela, the land of the dead in Finnish mythology.An art book and a compact, easy-to-read introduction to the Finnish underworld, built around Tero Porthan's artworks with Tiina Porthan's texts explaining the background of the pictures in old poems. The paperback edition contains over 70 artworks. The Kindle e-book edition contains 37 artworks.Discover who is who in the Finnish underworld: gods and goddesses of death, rulers of graves, grim reapers, guardian spirits, corpse brides, gods of pain and disease. Read about a journey of a living shaman into the underworld.Learn about the restless dead who walk the roads and haunt houses as nightmares, ghosts or flames. Find out how ancient Finns raised the dead and returned them to the graves, expelled them from the house and cured diseases sent by the dead.Read about the animal guardians of the underworld and how these iron dogs, horses, bears, wolves, eagles and other creatures are summoned to our world.The book contains poem and spell excerpts both from the Kalevala and the Ancient Poems of the Finns collection, many of them for the first time translated from Finnish into English.Tero Porthan is a Finnish artist illustrating the magical world of Finnish mythology with its creatures and beings, inspired by ancient poems and songs. Tero's art has been shown in international exhibitions (Paris, Milan) and published in several art books and magazines.Tiina Porthan, Master of Arts, is a published author who blogs on Finnish mythology and collaborates with illustrator Tero Porthan to make Finnish mythology known worldwide.This book is for anyone interested in Finnish and northern mythology and folklore, as well as for art lovers, particularly lovers of dark art. Read more

A Heavenly Treasury of Angelic Lore!Every culture cherishes a winged spirit--from the ancient Egyptian ka and Norse Valkyries to Hindu apsaras and the archangels of the Bible. Featuring biblical tales, poetry, and lovely illustrations, this collection reveals the divine powers of angels, the history behind their existence, and the many ways you can include them in your life.For centuries, angels have served as messengers, warriors, and guardians who have a special bond with humans. Angels can help you release worry and guilt, heal physically and emotionally, and manifest your dreams. All you need to do is open yourself up to receive divine messages and insight. You'll discover the magic of signs, synchronicities, and coincidences and learn how to interpret their meaning as messages from angels.From the frightening cherubim guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden with their flaming swords to the ethereal angels of the Renaissance, this collection is sure to captivate anyone interested in exploring the varied history, culture, and ideas of mysterious celestial beings. Read more

The great poetic tradition of pre-Christian Scandinavia is known to us almost exclusively though the Poetic Edda. The poems originated in Iceland, Norway, and Greenland between the ninth and thirteenth centuries, when they were compiled in a unique manuscript known as the Codex Regius.The poems are primarily lyrical rather than narrative. Terry's readable translation includes the magnificent cosmological poem Völuspá ("The Sibyl's Prophecy"), didactic poems concerned with mythology and the everyday conduct of life, and heroic poems, of which an important group is concerned with the story of Sigurd and Brynhild.Poems of the Elder Edda will appeal to students of Old Norse, Icelandic, and Medieval literature, as well as to general readers of poetry. Read more

This is the first comprehensive and accessible survey in English of Old Norse eddic poetry: a remarkable body of literature rooted in the Viking Age, which is a critical source for the study of early Scandinavian myths, poetics, culture and society. Dramatically recreating the voices of the legendary past, eddic poems distil moments of high emotion as human heroes and supernatural beings alike grapple with betrayal, loyalty, mortality and love. These poems relate the most famous deeds of gods such as Óðinn and Þórr with their adversaries the giants; they bring to life the often fraught interactions between kings, queens and heroes as well as their encounters with valkyries, elves, dragons and dwarfs. Written by leading international scholars, the chapters in this volume showcase the poetic riches of the eddic corpus, and reveal its relevance to the history of poetics, gender studies, pre-Christian religions, art history and archaeology. Read more