On the Verge of Lunacy

Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine is a collection of myths and legends about the Rhine and the communities it fosters. Some of these are myths fused with real stories. Lewis Spence  first provides an introduction of the topography of the Rhine. To better understand the pervading beliefs and temperament of the people living near the famous river, the author provides a background and brief history of Germany. There is also a section about the folklore and literature of Rhine in general. The author cited examples of the type of stories that are usually produced or become popular. Readers do not have to immerse themselves in the stories right away but are given a proper introduction. Although Spence did not write an exhaustive comparative study of the folktales, he was able to provide some background of and explanation for most of the stories. The section on Nibelungenlied in particular was very informative and clear-cut. Spence's writing is easy to understand an...

This book can be treated partly as a biography of Olaf Tryggvason (or Olaf Triggvison in the book). His life however has the elements of the hero myth. A hero isn't just a representation of the changes in the season or life and death. They also symbolize their people or the changes in their society. Olaf was such a man. He forcibly imposed a change by converting his people to Christianity. If sources were to be believed, he had a very complicated life. He was chased out of his country and denied his right to the throne, became a slave in Esthonia, was later reunited with a family member and had a fairly comfortable life at the court of King Valdemar, had many adventures as a Viking, and became a persistent and often harsh advocate of Christianity during his rule as the king of Norway. He was also a brilliant boy. He learned things much easier than his peers and he excelled in almost everything, like the heroes of various myths. Like every great hero however, he also had ...

Edited and translated by Charles John Tibbits This book is a collection of 29 stories, some of which are from the Edda. Readers will also find stories about the Norse gods although this book does not include the tales leading to Ragnarok. Included are a few stories about Thor and Loki. The following are the myths and legends included in this volume: The Wonderful Plough (Isle of Rugen) How a Lad stole the Giant's Treasure (Sweden) Tales of Cats (Denmark) The Magician's Daughter (Sweden) The Hill-man invited to the Christening (Denmark) The Meal of Frothi (Norway) The Lost Bell (Isle of Rugen) Maiden Swanwhite and Maiden Foxtail (Sweden) Tales of Treasure (Denmark) Holger Danske (Denmark) Tales from the Prose Edda      The Gods and the Wolf      The Strange Builder      Thor's Journey to the Land of Giants     ...