"The Prose Edda", or «Younger Edda», is a classic collection of Norse myths of the Icelandic people. Widely considered as compiled by Icelandic scholar and historian Snorri Sturluson around the year 1220, «The Prose Edda» contains a euhemerized Prologue followed by three tales: the 'Gylfaginning', the story of the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods; the 'Skaldskaparmal', consists of a dialogue betwee ...
The oldest transcript of «Egil's Saga» dates back to 1240 AD. Annonymously written, this epic Icelandic saga tells the story of the long and brutal life of tenth-century warrior-poet, Egil Skallagrissmon. It recounts Egil's progression from youthful barbarity to mature understanding as he struggles to defend his honor in a running feud with the Norwegian king, Erik Bloodaxe and fight for the English king, Athelstan in his battles again ...
German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach's romance story «Parzival» tells the whirlwind tale of a young man's life as a knight in search for the Holy Grail. It follows the Medieval heroic story of Parzival (Percival in the English texts) as he tries to balance his desire for love with his quest for the Grail. At first, Parzival is childish and ignorant, and his bad choices prohibit him from obtaining the Grail. Only through purging his soul ...
Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall achieved some notoriety in the early part of the 20th century for her historical works aimed at younger readers. Notable amongst these include «Our Island Story» which is a history of England from the time of the Roman Empire's invasion of England until the death of Queen Victoria. In this work «Stories of Beowulf Told to Children» the author turns her attention to a retelling of England's most famous work ...
Dating from between the 8th and 11th century Beowulf is the oldest known English epic poem. Beowulf is a narrative poem about the kings and heroes of Denmark and Geatland. It is a story of mythic creatures and medieval battles between men and monsters. Follow the adventures of Beowulf, the story's title character, as he battles the Grendel, the Grendel's mother, and a dragon. As you read imagine yourself in one of the taverns or royal ...
H. A. Geuerber’s «The Myths of the Norsemen» is a classic collection of stories retold from Norse mythology. Beginning with the Norse myth of creation and following through the sagas of more than twenty gods, heroes and villains, «The Myths of the Norsemen» recounts the rich mythological tradition of the Norse people. Of the more familiar characters in this collection one might immediately recognize the stories of Odin and Thor. These stories ar ...
First published in 1485, during England's War of the Roses, «Le Morte d'Arthur» or «The Death of Arthur» combines all of the known legends of King Arthur into one creative text. Beginning with the birth of Arthur and telling the tale of his rise to become the head of the Knights of the Round Table and the husband of Guinevere, we also learn of Lancelot, Arthur's most venerated knight. Many of the other knights' stories are to ...
Jeremiah Curtin was an American born translator and folklorist. In «Myths and Folk-Lore of Ireland» Curtin turns his attention to the tales of the island nation of Ireland. In this collection you will find the following tales: The Son of the King of Erin and the Giant of Loch Lein, The Three Daughters of King O'Hara, The Weaver's Don and the Giant of the White Hill, Fair, Brown and Trembling, The King of Erin and the Queen of the Lones ...
This timeless collection of short stories encompasses a vast history of famous literary heroes and their romantic tales of bravery, perseverance and compassion. Beginning with Socrates and the ancient Greeks, James Baldwin narrates the stories of larger-than-life figures like Leonidas and the Brave Three Hundred, Napoleon Bonaparte, Robin Hood, Sir Walter Raleigh, and George Washington. These stories illustrate the most celebrated protagonists o ...
