The Saga of the Volsungs: With the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok

Description

From the translator of the bestselling Poetic Edda (Hackett, 2015) comes a gripping new rendering of two of the greatest sagas of Old Norse literature. Together the two sagas recount the story of seven generations of a single legendary heroic family and comprise our best source of traditional lore about its members-including, among others, the dragon-slayer Sigurd, Brynhild the Valkyrie, and the Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok.

Jackson Crawford earned his Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies at the University of WisconsinMadison, and an M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Georgia. He is currently Instructor of Nordic Studies and Coordinator of the Nordic Program, University of Colorado Boulder.

This is a wonderfully supple and idiomatic modern translation of the most important account of the legendary Sigurd the Dragon-Slayer and his family in Old Norse-Icelandic literature. Crawfords version is vivid, clear, and exciting, tracing the intrigues, killings, battles, and magic that shape the lives of Sigurds kindred. Coupled with it is the brilliant sequel, the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok. Rarely translated into English before, the saga tells of Sigurds daughter and her husband, the unparalleled Viking king and hero, Ragnar, who is also a dragon-slayer. Lively and fresh, with gripping dialogue and intense scenes of action, the saga has long deserved to be better known. In Jackson Crawford it has found the perfect translator. -- Carolyne Larrington, Professor of Medieval European Literature, University of Oxford "A clear, idiomatic English style that also retains the feel of the original is no easy feat, and Crawford succeeds admirably. . . . This translation should serve well those who teach the sagas, their students, and any interested readers, particularly at such a reasonable price." Adam Oberlin, Princeton University, in The Medieval Review "This is only the second English translation of these two sagas to be published in one volume. . . . The overall aim of the book seems to be the entirely commendable one of inspiring beginners, in which it will no doubt be wholly successful. . . . Crawford's translation of both sagas reads fluently and engagingly. Reading this book has been, for me, an enjoyable and stimulating experience, as it undoubtedly will be for the audience for which it is aimed." Rory McTurk, Leeds University , in Saga-Book "The book is a gift, especially to beginning readers of the northern mythological literature. It makes its two texts approachable through the use of easy to read contemporary language. It also provides useful tools for the reader to get an overview of the stories through its explanatory matter. The book has a straightforward introduction that provides a nutshell of the sagas, a cast of characters, historical information about the origin of the tales, a brief outline of the chapters, a pronunciation guide, and there is an excellent and useful Glossary of Names and Terms at the end of the book. Crawford also includes notes throughout the text, including recommendations to see relevant passages of his translation of The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes . . . . I have read the William Morris translation (1870) a few times throughout the scattered years and I wanted to see what a contemporary translation would look like. I wasn't disappointed. I hope and expect that the Crawford translation will introduce many new readers to the pleasures of its two pieces of world literature." Phillip Fitzsimmons, in Mythlore