Heimskringla, or The lives of the Norse kings

by Snorri Sturluson,

Other authorsErling Monsen, A. H. Smith

Paper Book, 1990

Status

Available

Call number

PT7277 .E5M6 1990

Publication

New York : Dover, 1990.

Description

Beginning with the dim prehistory of the mythical gods and their descendants, Heimskringla recounts the history of the kings of Norway through the reign of Olaf Haraldsson, who became Norway's patron saint. Once found in most homes and schools and still regarded as a national treasure, Heimskringla influenced the thinking and literary style of Scandinavia over several centuries.

User reviews

LibraryThing member agricolaoval

One of the great medieval books. Written around 1200 it looks back to what happened in the two preceding centuries. And believe me this is good reading. Snorri Sturluson lived 800 years ago, but he wrote like one of our contemporaries. His style is every bit comparable to that of Hemingway. He

tells his stories in the simplest of words, just mentioning what happens. And like Hemingway he makes us see the drama, the passion and the violent feelings that the characters must have experienced. He is also very much aware of the landscapes where the dramas unfold, and anyone familiar with the Norwegian landscapes will immediately recognize the setting and its almost mythical dimensions. A brilliant story that I never grow tired of.

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LibraryThing member DollyBantry

I have to admit I never finished this, it was just too violent. But interesting.

LibraryThing member Henning_Hartung

While it is a great book to read for a glimpse of what was happening in Scandinavia in the dark ages, it is interesting to read it in conjunction with the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles where their timelines cross and events are mentioned from both sides.

LibraryThing member dylkit

Ignore the rather suspect black gothic text against a red background - this is an interesting book.

So far, the first bit, "The Saga of the Ynglings" consists of along series of basically crap kings who rule for about five minutes each. They all die in a ludicrous manner - one drowns in a vat of

mead while wandering around (drunk) to look for a pace to take a pee, one gets lured into a cleft in a rock by a dwarf (while drunk) and is never seen again and others die by bull attack and nightmare.

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