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A review by binstonbirchill
The Saga of the Volsungs by Jesse L. Byock
4.0
One of the most famous Icelandic Sagas, The Saga of the Volsung family line is one part myth and one part legend. Odin, Valkyries, and magic dominate the first half, the hero Sigurd, Attila the Hun and other historical characters dominate the second. It’s a short read full of life lessons, violence, and revenge. Viking to the core. Like all of the sagas I’ve read, I feel like I’ll enjoy them more the second time around, once I become more familiar with Norse literature.
The Penguin Classics edition I read had a fantastic introduction by Jesse L. Byock which gives background information and lays out a bit of the historical context for this saga, those thirty or so pages are well worth reading before or after reading the actual Saga.
The Penguin Classics edition I read had a fantastic introduction by Jesse L. Byock which gives background information and lays out a bit of the historical context for this saga, those thirty or so pages are well worth reading before or after reading the actual Saga.