Scandinavian myths. From Torah and Loki to Tolkien and Game of Thrones

About the book
Exciting acquaintance with the bright, cruel and noisy world of the Scandinavian myths and their heritage - from Tolkien to the "Game of Thrones".

The notorious gods of the Vikings are represented in the Scandinavian myths - from the powerful asyra, led by the aean and the mysterious Vanir to the Thor and the mythological space in which they live. Excerpts from legends revive this world of myths - from the creation of the world to Ragnarok, predicted the end of the world from the army of monsters and Loki, and everything that is between them: complete problems of relations between the gods and giants, the unsuccessful adventures of human heroes and heroines, their family raspings, their family raspings, their family. Revenge, marriages and murders, interaction between gods and mortals.

Photos and drawings show a number of Norwegian places, objects and characters - from the burials of the Viking ships to dragons on stones with hands.

Professor Caroline Larrington talks about the origin of the Scandinavian myths in pre -Christian Scandinavia and Iceland and their survival in archaeological artifacts and written sources - from ancient nosandinavian sagas and poems to less approving descriptions of medieval Christian writers. She traces their influence in the work of Wagner, William Morris and J. R. R. Tolkien, and even in the "Game of Thrones" in the resurrection of Fimbulvetra, or "Mighty Winter".

From the author
Who are Norwegian or Scandinavian gods? Migrants from the Middle East, who traveled through Germany and found a new homeland in Scandinavia: people, like you and I, are only smarter, more beautiful, civilized than all of us.

Medieval Christian scientists wanted to explain why their ancestors worshiped false gods, and one of the theories said that the pre -Christian gods were demons, evil spirits sent by Satan to tempt people, involving them in sins and error. Another, very convincing theory formed the basis of the text of Snorri Sturluson: the so -called gods were, in fact, exceptional people, immigrants from Troy, this idea began to be later called the term Eugemerism.

For Snorri Sturluson, Icelandic scientist, politician, poet and military leader of the 13th century, who left us the most complete and systematic set of legends about the Norwegian pantheon, the idea that the Scandinavian gods called them out - should be outstanding people, seemed to be very attractive .

The descendants of those who lost the war of the Trojans decided to migrate north and brought with them excellent technologies and knowledge of the peoples of Germany and Scandinavia. The culture of the aliens surpassed the one that the earlier settlers possessed, so that they accepted the language of the appeared, and after the death of the first generation of the immigrants began to worship them as the gods.

For lovers of history, fans of modern superheroes, connoisseurs of the Scandinavian gods, as well as those who want more to learn more about linen and Loki.

About the author
Caroline Larrington is a professor of medieval European literature Oxford, author of Winter Is Coming: The Medieve World of Game of Thrones and almost a dozen books on culture, literature, and folklore.
2nd edition