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Composed in medieval Iceland, Hrolf's Saga is one of the greatest of all mythic-legendary sagas, relating half-fantastical events that were said to have occurred in fifth-century Denmark. It tells of the exploits of King Hrolf and of his famous champions, including Bodvar Bjarki, the 'bear-warrior'- a powerful figure whose might and bear-like nature are inspired by the same legendary heritage as Beowulf. Depicting a world of wizards, sorceresses and 'berserker' fighters - originally members of a cult of Odin - this is a compelling tale of ancient magic. A work of timeless power and beauty, it offers both a treasury of Icelandic prose and a masterful gathering of epic, cultic memory, traditional folk tale and myths from the Viking age and far earlier.… (more)
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If you decide to read any of the Icelandic sagas I would really recommend the Penguin Classics editions. They have fantastic introductions and lots of notes, which really help you understand the history, geography, mythology and culture of Northern Europe in the dark ages and early mediaeval period.
I like the supplemental material Penguin included in this edition. There are general notes on the material, family trees, and a glossary of names. I always find it helpful to have the answers to my questions in the book. It was also interesting that some of the stories included are underlying tales in Beowulf, which I hope to read again soon to examine how the tales work together. I thought this saga was an engrossing read. The only problem is it's a short tale, so it is over too soon. I highly recommend this book if you like the sagas, tales of King Arthur and his knights, or fantasy.
The berserkers were disappointingly crap, though. They seem to travel and do everything together in groups of twelve and possible share a brain. They are also easily defeated by our various heroes and we don't get to seem them in a
But then again, there is what could possibly be a were-bear in the book.