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@00000400@@00000327@'A terrific, detailed introduction of these wonderful stories and the pantheon of characters in them . . . their writing is vivid and lively . . . a great addition to any library.'@00000133@@00000341@Rosi Hollinbeck, San Francisco Book Review@00000341@@00000327@@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@'With recent volumes, such as Neil Gaiman's @00000373@Norse Mythology@00000155@ and J.R.R. Tolkien's posthumously published @00000373@The Legend of Sigurd @00000041@ Gudrun@00000155@, appealing more to readers strictly interested in creative takes on classic Norse tales, this title attracts new readers by offering solid retellings and contextual information that serve as a valuable introduction to this rich tradition.' @00000133@@00000341@@00000373@Library Journal@00000155@@00000163@@00000341@@00000341@@00000400@While the main focus of the book is on telling the stories, some scene-setting is provided at the beginning and each chapter also contains a section of commentary to explain what is going on and its significance.@00000163@@00000400@The Norse myths have gained widespread attention in the English-speaking world, partly through a Scandinavian diaspora, especially in the USA) and partly through a great interest in the myths and legends which lie behind Viking activity. @00000163@@00000400@Tolkien's 'Middle Earth', too, as seen in both @00000373@The Lord of the Ring@00000155@s and @00000373@The Hobbit@00000155@ films is heavily indebted to Germanic/Norse mythology. The Whittock's book fills a gap in the market between academic publications and the interest-generating (but confusing) products of Hollywood and comic-culture. This is an accessible book, which both provides a retelling of these dramatic stories and also @00000373@sets them in context@00000155@ so that their place within the Viking world can be understood. @00000163@@00000400@The book explores Norse @00000373@myths@00000155@ (stories, usually religious, which explain origins, why things are as they are, the nature of the spiritual) and@00000373@ legends@00000155@ (stories which attempt to explain historical events and which may involve historical characters but which are told in a non-historical way and which often include supernatural events).@00000163@...
