Hrólfs saga kraka
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Rated 5 starsAn Essential Nordic Legend
The mythology and legends of a people portray their philosophy, ideals, morality, and character. This saga takes place mainly in pre-Christian Scandinavia, and is a testament to the heroic nature, and high standards of personal honor idealized by the cultures of Northern Europe. The central character is King Hrolf Kraki, a Danish warrior-king of great status in his region. As is common in most Scandinavian Sagas, the story...
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Rated 5 starsA Tale of Great Warriors and the Supernatural
This saga tells much the same story as BEOWULF -- 500 years later and from half an ocean away. In their volcanic fastnesses, the Icelanders not only told and retold the famous Sagas of Icelanders, but also sagas of kings, warriors, and saints -- even when they had little or nothing to do with Iceland. As the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus wrote around 1200, Icelanders "take great pleasure in discovering and commemmorating...
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Rated 5 starsBefore Star Wars.....there were the Sagas.....
Wow! What a book! This was my first experience reading one of the Icelandic Sagas and I must admit, this was really a treat of a find. The story is compelling. Numerous Kings, Queens, Sorceresses, Wizards, and other larger-than-life characters populate this archaic text translated by Jesse Byock. Not only is the story good, but it actually has an interesting introduction as well as relevant and easy-to-follow footnotes. The...
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Rated 5 starsAn Incredible Work
Having had the incredible opportunity to attend a class in Norse mythology at the University of California, Los Angeles with Mr. Byock, I wholeheartedly encourage anyone with the slightest bit of interest in the area of Scandinavian literature and Norse mythology to read Byock's translation of THE SAGA OF KING HROLF KRAKI. The translation is accurate and detailed, and Byock's introduction and notes are elucidating and easy...
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Rated 5 starsOne of the most adventurous sagas I have read.
Hrolf's Saga is written in a style that most closely resembles Saga of the Volsungs about Sigurd the Dragon Slayer (the source of the Wagner opera). Although difficult to summarize, this saga set in Denmark has better characters and pacing than the longer ones set in Iceland (Njal's Saga, Laxdaela Saga, Egil's Saga, Eyrbyggja Saga) and the story possibly dates back to the 6th century AD. It is also noted that it shares...
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