Stories from Saxo

The wonderful and varied tales that make up the Norse myths continue to inspire many aspects of modern popular culture. Most of what we know and read comes from Icelandic writings, but the Danish writer Saxo Grammaticus also included a lot of mythological material in his great work Gesta Danorum. Stories from Saxo offers a selection of Saxo's takes on Norse myths and legends, retold in a vivid and accessible way.

Here you can read about the long feud between Hother and Balder over the love of Nanna. You can read about Odin's vengeance for the death of Balder, and the consequences of his actions. There are tales of giants and dragonslayers, and of visits to the underworld. And there are stories of heroes such as Amleth, who inspired Shakespeare, and Ragnar Lodbrok, who inspired more modern dramatic works.

Saxo's work is undoubtedly important, and with these clear and gripping retellings, Ian Cumpstey brings some of these extraordinary myths and legends to the modern reader.