The Illuminated Edda - Premium edition

The Viking tales of gods, giants and heroes come alive within the pages of the Illuminated Edda. Visit the majestic city of Asgard- home of the gods. Fight legendary dragons alongside Sigurd, renowned hero. Witness the creation of the world tree Yggdrasil along with the awesome worlds that hang upon its branches. Get entwined in Loki’s schemes as he saves the gods from disaster, and then witness as he makes matters worse. The Illuminated Edda contains a brand-new translation of the Poetic and Prose Eddas by Andrew Valkauskas. This illustrated translation has been rewritten using contemporary prose making it a pleasure to read. Get the authenticity and truthful ness of the stories without having to worry about the complexity of older academic translations. These faithful works have been painstakingly ordered into a chronology that offers a compelling overarching storyline. All the gaps in the narrative have been rounded out with the author’s own tales involving the heroes and villains of the Viking age. Over 442 pages are devoted to the exploration of the ancient beliefs of the Viking age. Every page is illuminated with unique evocative art. Barriers are shattered as adjacent mythologies are explored in conjunction with the Norse myths. This offers a new and unique view into what these mighty explorers may have faced as they raided and traded with their neighbours. The Illuminated Edda contains… All 35 poems found in traditional Poetic Eddas The Prose Edda (Gylfaginning and Skaldskaparmal) Rare works such as Heidrek the Wise Select stories from the Celtic myths (Lebor Gabala) Handpicked stories from the Welsh myths (Mabinogion) Select stories from the Finnish epic The Kalevala Handpicked stories from the Baltic myths Select stories from the Inuit myths Bonus sagas that come from the imaginative mind of Andrew Valkauskas An extensive glossary of characters, magical items and places A simple story telling game using the Futhark runes Beautiful and inspiring artwork from talented artists to enhance and delight your senses. Come and discover the genuine history of the Vikings, from the mind of the author who has researched and made Viking history his passion for the last 25 years. “Andrew Valkauskas and his talented team of artists have produced a truly remarkable and encyclopedic mythological compendium. Filling in the gaps in the surviving record with Valkauskas’ own imaginative understanding of Viking Age mythology and providing supple and powerful retellings of traditional myth, along with parallel myths from other European cultures, this book gives vivid life to a lost thought-world that yet still resonates with us today.”- Dr. Carolyne Larrington (Professor in Medieval English Literature, Oxford) “THE ILLUMINATED EDDA is one of the most beautiful books I have ever had the pleasure to read. Couple this welcoming, sink-into-the-book presentation with the clarity and accessibility of the author’s translation, and you’ve got the essential reference. This opens the door for the layperson to experience the root lore and enjoy the Eddas as saga. Bravo! This should delight librarians (like me), fantasy lovers (like me), gamers (like me), and just plain readers (like me), and should be in every school where English is used. Thank you!”- Ed Greenwood, author and game designer, creator of The Forgotten Realms description from developer