Morris, William - Sigurd the Volsung (Fiction)

This is *THE* defining saga of Middle to Northern Europe, here in the Icelandic Sigurd version, written in metric verse with some parts excerpted to prose. Don't let the verses scare you off - they's good to read and contain quite a few puns and humorous bits. This Nordic early version is still dealing with the old gods, with Odin interfering in the story (what's his agenda anyway, one wonders), unlike the Christianized and more mystic and supernaturally charged later Germanic Siegfried tale of the High Medieval Age (of Wagner's operatic fame). A great introduction to Norse thought and concepts of honor and valor. -- DJ Vollkasko, 2005