Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
Popular Tales from the Norse
- Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
Popular Tales from the Norse
Buy Now for £18.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Summary
This is George Dasent's classic collection of Scandinavian folklore. This is not about Norse mythology per se; so if you are looking for tales of Odin, Loki, and Freya, etc., you will have to look elsewhere. Rather, this is an anthology of folk tales, similar to the Grimm Brothers', or Campbell's Popular Tales of the West Highlands. All of the usual suspects are in place, including giants, trolls, witches, evil step-siblings, magical boons and tasks, and anthropomorphic animals.
The introduction is exceptionally well written, and places various magical and other themes from the tales into the context of ancient Norse Pagan beliefs. It is a Victorian scholarly treatise, however (with the requisite rhetorical flourishes), and will mostly be appreciated by academic listeners. Once you get past the introduction however, the prose descends to the young adult level, and the delightful stories can be appreciated by listeners of all ages.
Listeners also enjoyed...
Editor reviews
Daniel Thomas May performs these Popular Tales from the Norse with his warm, slightly gravelly voice, creating amusing personalities for the varying animals, creatures, and characters that populate the tales. His engaging style will charm listeners young and old.
The stories were translated into English by Sir George Webbe Dasent, whose interest in Scandinavian mythology and literature was sparked by a meeting with Jakob Grimm who, along with his brother Wilhelm, collected German folktales into some of the most popular collections of children’s stories ever. These stories similarly reflect a culture’s unique flavor while containing lessons, jokes, dreams, and fears that are universally relatable and enjoyable.
What listeners say about Popular Tales from the Norse
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mr. J. Ambler
- 26-06-18
Call it something else!!!
This is not tales of the Norse. It is folk tales from Scandinavia. Mostly.
Apart from the tales about Anansi. Who is as far from being Norse as I am an African Spider God.
That sums up the book for me- marginally related (I bought this before they changed the description) to Northern European countries, but not Norse.
The stories were...ok. Abruptly dark in places, but some good ones.
The narrator did an amazing job under the circumstances. Although I was marginally confused by some of the accents, it was well read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!