From Asgard to Valhallatakes readers deep inside Odin's cavernous hall and tells of the adventures, tragedies and lessons of the Viking Gods. Here, Heather O'Donoghue skillfully uncovers both the history and legacy of these myths to provide the authoritative student text on Old Norse mythology.
From the magnificent tales ofA Song of Ice and Fireand the supernatural wonders of Valkyries to Tolkien's Riders of Rohan and Marvel's mighty Thor, Norse mythology is a fundamental part of western culture. Drawing from a wealth of sources and scholarly debates, this fully-updated and expanded 2nd edition offers both an engaging survey of the Old Norse myths and an accessible introduction to how such strange and fragmentary material has been seized, repurposed and at times abused throughout the centuries. Notably, this important and timely study explores how Old Norse mythology has been and continues to be weaponized by far right movements across the world.
Containing 2 brand new chapters on post-medieval reception, 30 illustrations for a stronger visual context and pedagogical updates throughout to aid further study, this new edition ofFrom Asgard to Valhalla: The Remarkable History of the Norse Mythsis a vital resource for all students of Old Norse mythology.
Heather O'Donoghueis Professor of Old Norse at University of Oxford, UK. Among others, she is the author of
Old Norse Icelandic Literature: A Short Introduction(2004),
English Poetry and Old Norse(2014) and
Narrative in the Icelandic Family Saga(Bloomsbury Academic, 2021), among others. She has also broadcast with the BBC on the topic of the Norse Gods.
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part I. The Earliest Sources of Old Norse Mythology
1. Creation and the Cosmos
2. Gods and Giants
3. Heroes and Humans
4. Afterlife and Apocalypse
Part II. The Reception of Norse Myth
5. The Viking Legacy
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