The Völsunga saga and the Nibelungenlied were the primary sources for Wagner's Ring Cycle, so this is a must-read for any fans of German opera. It's aThe Völsunga saga and the Nibelungenlied were the primary sources for Wagner's Ring Cycle, so this is a must-read for any fans of German opera. It's also a must-read for anyone who enjoys Norse mythology. This is a really readable and enjoyable translation. I much prefer the Völsunga saga to the Nibelungenlied, which was recorded later, and focuses too much on courtly intrigue, romance, double-dealings, and medieval pageantry for my taste. The Völsunga saga is more mystical, brutal, and atavistic. Also, it's a lot shorter, which, philistine that I am, I always consider a plus....more
This is probably the ass-kickingest story I have ever read.
"Egil's Saga" kicks Conan's ass from one end of some stupid fictional continent to the otheThis is probably the ass-kickingest story I have ever read.
"Egil's Saga" kicks Conan's ass from one end of some stupid fictional continent to the other.
Did Conan ever get so miffed after being given sour curds and malt liquor as a guest (instead of meat and fine ale, which were being hidden by the greedy host) that he held his host against a pillar and vomited on his host's face with such force that his host's teeth were all knocked out?
Did Conan ax another boy to death at the age of six on a ball field, leading his mother to remark, "he'll make a fine viking"?
Did Conan ever steal a bunch of food from a longhouse and then realize that the occupants wouldn't know who'd done it, so he rode back to scream his name and set the whole place on fire?
"Egil's Saga" might not have much to tell us about honor and decency, but as a crazy, kick-ass story about early Norwegians settling Iceland and getting buck-wild crazy, it's beyond awesome....more
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