The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion
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- Create Date：2021-06-18 08:54:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Daniel McCoy
- ISBN：1533393036
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Summary
The Viking Spirit is an introduction to Norse mythology like no other。 As you'd expect from Daniel McCoy， the creator of the enduringly popular website Norse Mythology for Smart People （Norse-Mythology。org）， it's written to scholarly standards， but in a simple， clear， and entertaining style that's easy to understand and a pleasure to read。 It includes gripping retellings of no less than 34 epic Norse myths - more than any other book in the field - while also providing an equally comprehensive overview of the fascinating Viking religion of which Norse mythology was a part。 You'll learn about the Vikings' gods and goddesses， their concept of fate， their views on the afterlife， their moral code， how they thought the universe was structured， how they practiced their religion， the role that magic played in their lives， and much more。 With its inclusion of the latest groundbreaking research in the field， The Viking Spirit is the ultimate introduction to the timeless splendor of Norse mythology and religion for the 21st Century。
Reviews
Little Pieces
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El abordamiento resulta cercano e interesante， con argumentaciones bien desarrolladas。 Los retellings de los mitos le dan un valor añadido。
Seph
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I enjoyed the first half of the book， where McCoy discusses the history of Viking Age religion and the archaeology we have regarding it， more than the second。The retellings of specific myths are OK， and the insight into which are probably from the Viking Age vs。 which were inventions from later authors is great for identifying themes original to the Vikings。 The real value of the book is in its ability to clear up misconceptions about Viking Age religion as a whole though， such as the absence of I enjoyed the first half of the book， where McCoy discusses the history of Viking Age religion and the archaeology we have regarding it， more than the second。The retellings of specific myths are OK， and the insight into which are probably from the Viking Age vs。 which were inventions from later authors is great for identifying themes original to the Vikings。 The real value of the book is in its ability to clear up misconceptions about Viking Age religion as a whole though， such as the absence of a solidified cosmological model （the names and natures of the "9 worlds" on Yggdrasil change from one text to the next）; Viking Age eschatology being fatalistic and permanent （Balder's return being a Christian addition meant to imply that the Vikings recognized and acknowledged the coming of Christ）; and the dichotomy between the Gods （Aesir and Vanir） as preservers of order， and the Jotun and Thursar who devour and destroy that order。Overall， I enjoyed the book and learned a lot of new things about Viking Age religion， alongside correcting some misinformation that I'd picked up along the way。 。。。more
Margaret Fitton
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A beautiful retelling of classic Nordic myths。 I read this whilst in Iceland a few years ago and it truly made the holiday 10x more magical。 I love mythology but the stories told in this book are some of the only ones I can remember every detail off by heart because of how well the author describes them。 10/10
Megan Hudson
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I’ve been wanting to learn more about Norse mythology for a while and I think this book is a perfect start。 It contains a thorough breakdown of Viking custom which is essential for a full understanding of these myths and the myths themselves are also presented in way that is both easy to understand and entertaining to read
Alexandra
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This is one of the better books on Norse religion and mythology。 It doesn't make things up， colour in the blanks or claim to be definitive in any way。 He has done his research thoroughly and is very straightforward。 I have read a lot of books on this subject and most of them are either outright fabrication of so academic you call asleep after the first couple of chapters。 It speaks plainly， simply and is a highly enjoyable read。 I only gave it four stars as I would have liked more information on This is one of the better books on Norse religion and mythology。 It doesn't make things up， colour in the blanks or claim to be definitive in any way。 He has done his research thoroughly and is very straightforward。 I have read a lot of books on this subject and most of them are either outright fabrication of so academic you call asleep after the first couple of chapters。 It speaks plainly， simply and is a highly enjoyable read。 I only gave it four stars as I would have liked more information on the religious practices rather than the myths as I think they are told again and again by everyone。 However I still enjoyed it。 I now follow his website， as there is much more information on that， again， simply written and fun。 I would definitely encourage anyone to get this book as a starting point for anyone interested in Norse Paganism。 。。。more
Fazle Rabbi Shovo
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Definitely one of the better books on Norse culture as a whole。
Jacob Snider
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I love viking and this does a great job to get a basic understand。
johnny dangerously
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A weird book。 Self-published by an author with-- to my knowledge-- no official academic work in the field， it serves as much as an introduction to Norse mythology and its intersection with Norse culture as it does one man's perspective on Norse mythology and its intersection with Norse culture。If you're already familiar with the subject and don't need an easy introduction， you're much better off reading Gods and Myths of Northern Europe by H。R。 Ellis Davidson。 Not least because The Viking Spirit A weird book。 Self-published by an author with-- to my knowledge-- no official academic work in the field， it serves as much as an introduction to Norse mythology and its intersection with Norse culture as it does one man's perspective on Norse mythology and its intersection with Norse culture。If you're already familiar with the subject and don't need an easy introduction， you're much better off reading Gods and Myths of Northern Europe by H。R。 Ellis Davidson。 Not least because The Viking Spirit is hugely influenced by this book。 。。。more
Logan Horstman
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Excellent book and good introduction into the Norse religion。
Mary Sue Ulven
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Detailed and very readable history of Norse culture and mythology。
Elberta
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Interesting read on Vikings。 Learned something new， and this book definitely did that。
Rae
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Well written and I thought it was a really good， readable introduction to Norse Mythology that still felt thorough。 Worth the read！
Tina Mortensen
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I liked how all the myths were told。 I learned a lot of facts through interesting story telling。
David
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Great introduction to Norse Mythos and religious studies。 I am also reading the poetic Edda， but at a much slower pace to study it more completely （along with the in depth podcast Northern Myths）。 Yrs there are inconsistencies in interpretation of myths in this book， and the author does seem to sometimes present his view as fact， although he almost always explains himself in the prose leading up to his interpretation of the myths。 Not super academic， but I think that lends some readability。 I li Great introduction to Norse Mythos and religious studies。 I am also reading the poetic Edda， but at a much slower pace to study it more completely （along with the in depth podcast Northern Myths）。 Yrs there are inconsistencies in interpretation of myths in this book， and the author does seem to sometimes present his view as fact， although he almost always explains himself in the prose leading up to his interpretation of the myths。 Not super academic， but I think that lends some readability。 I like the fact that at the end， McCoy postulates that while there is a logining to have a definitive mythos of Northern lore， much has been lost， and it appears that even in the Viking age， stories varied widely among the people telling them。 He even suggests that these myths （and indeed all myths） are still alive and evolving and should be interpreted as the reader or teller sees fit。 I kind of like that idea。 。。。more
Matt
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Good book， interesting look at the Viking view of the world。
Cynik
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the first part is about the world of the Norse and their ideas， the 2nd part is mostly a retelling of the standard Norse myths。
Kenneth
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This was fine。 The first part of the book was more interesting than the second， which was another retelling of the major Norse myths。
Frobeg Ochaeta
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This is a Fantastic work of research about the viking culture， the Norse myth and the way the Norse myth has reached our modern days。
CJ Jones
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I'm doing research for a novel， and after two disappointing attempts I was pleased to find The Viking Spirit。 As I was doing my research， I kept ending up on McCoy's web page。 Finally I figured I'd better just buy the book。 The first section is about culture and setting， which really made reading the second section， with the various stories， much more enlightening。 The first thing I learned is that there is no Norse Canon。 Between the fact that it was largely an oral tradition and that the peopl I'm doing research for a novel， and after two disappointing attempts I was pleased to find The Viking Spirit。 As I was doing my research， I kept ending up on McCoy's web page。 Finally I figured I'd better just buy the book。 The first section is about culture and setting， which really made reading the second section， with the various stories， much more enlightening。 The first thing I learned is that there is no Norse Canon。 Between the fact that it was largely an oral tradition and that the people were spread out over such a wide area， there are a number of variations。 As Christianity grew in influence， there was a tendency to further alter the stories to fit the new paradigm， and culture today tends to want a consistent and continuous mythos so the stories bend a little further again。 Um。 And that's it。 。。。more
Sayantan Pal
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The book is divided into two parts， the first part is about the Viking way of life （ their idea of religion， their belief， their lifestyle， their rituals， their society etc） and the second part illuminates the myths and sagas prior to and contemporary of the viking age。 It is written in an absolutely vivid manner which doesn't bore the reader for a single instance。 It's limpid narrative， lucid language along with rich information make it unputdownable。 I was completely ignorant about Norse mytho The book is divided into two parts， the first part is about the Viking way of life （ their idea of religion， their belief， their lifestyle， their rituals， their society etc） and the second part illuminates the myths and sagas prior to and contemporary of the viking age。 It is written in an absolutely vivid manner which doesn't bore the reader for a single instance。 It's limpid narrative， lucid language along with rich information make it unputdownable。 I was completely ignorant about Norse mythology （ only conception （or misconception） I acquired about norse mythology was from marvel movies） but this book has satisfied my curiosity aptly。 Kudos to the author for his intense research and for making the book so enjoyable。 。。。more
Busrauyarimsi
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Bu kitap üzerine kaleme aldığım yazı 09。08。2019 tarihinde， Posta Kitap Eki’nde yayınlanmıştır。http://haberci。ajanspress。com。tr/pad/。。。Vikinglere Dair Eğlenceli Bir KılavuzViking mitolojisi， popüler kültürde her zaman önemli bir yere sahip olmuştur。 Çoğu sinema， televizyon yapımına ve edebiyat türüne ilham veren bu ilgi çekici kültür， sey reltilerek ya da entrikalı yönleri parlatılarak hayatımıza dahil edilmiştir。 Halbuki Viking mitolojisi， yalnızca ikonik karakterlerden ve enteresan olay örgüler Bu kitap üzerine kaleme aldığım yazı 09。08。2019 tarihinde， Posta Kitap Eki’nde yayınlanmıştır。http://haberci。ajanspress。com。tr/pad/。。。Vikinglere Dair Eğlenceli Bir KılavuzViking mitolojisi， popüler kültürde her zaman önemli bir yere sahip olmuştur。 Çoğu sinema， televizyon yapımına ve edebiyat türüne ilham veren bu ilgi çekici kültür， sey reltilerek ya da entrikalı yönleri parlatılarak hayatımıza dahil edilmiştir。 Halbuki Viking mitolojisi， yalnızca ikonik karakterlerden ve enteresan olay örgülerinden ibaret değildir。 Her mitoloji gibi bu mitoloji de çoğunlukla， toplumların günlük yaşantısına dair ritüellerden oluşur。 Var oluşu gereği önemli parçalarından yoksunken aynı zamanda， dönemin günlük hayatına dair eksiksiz bir panorama sağlayabilen mitolojilerin belki de en büyülü özelliği tam olarak bu。 Dolayısıyla her mitoloji gibi Viking mitolojisi de ayrıntılı ama bir o kadar da bilinmezliklerle dolu。 Sözlü olarak gelişen ve rünik alfabesiyle kurulan， Hıristiyanlığa geçişle birlikte bambaşka bir yazı dili ve din kültürüyle derlenmeye çalışılan bu mitolojide engebeler fazlasıyla mevcut。 Nitelikli şekilde ilerleyebilmek için arkeoloji， tarih， teoloji gibi sosyal bilimlerin en köklü dallarına hakim olmayı gerektiren uzun mitoloji yolculuğunda yalnız yol almak ise oldukça güç。İletişim Yayınları’ndan çıkan Viking Ruhu， Viking mitolojisinde yolculuğa çıkmak isteyenler için son derece donanımlı ve eğlenceli bir yol arkadaşı olarak kabul edilebilir。 Nors mitolojisi ve dinine dair başarılı çalışmalarıyla tanınan Daniel Mccoy， Viking Ruhu’nda Snorri Sturluson， Saxo Grammaticus gibi 12。 ve 13。 yüzyıl tarihçilerinin çalışmalarına da son derece hakim。 Arkeolojik bulguları， dönem tarihçilerinin çalışmalarını， Danimarka， İzlanda gibi coğrafyaların destanlarını ortak bir potada eritebilen Mccoy， kitabının ismiyle doğru orantılı olarak Viking ruhunu tam anlamıyla idrak edebilmemizi sağlıyor。 İki ana bölümden oluşan Viking Ruhu’nun ilk bölümü， Nors dinini okurun zihninde temellendirmeye yönelik bir adım atıyor。 “Kozmoloji”， “Kader”， “Ahlak” “Ölüm ve Öbür Dünya” gibi alt başlıklardan oluşan ilk bölüm， son derece mühim。 Zira bu bölüm sayesinde okur， Nors dininin müdahaleciden ziyade， sorgulanmayan， işlevsel bir rol oynadığını gözlemliyor。 Bu gözlem sayesinde toplum， tanrılar ve belki de coğrafya daha anlaşılır bir hal alıyor。 Dinle beraber ikonik tanrıların， elf， cüce ve devler gibi yarı tanrısal varlıkların tanımlanmaları da， ikinci bölüm için ilgi çekici ve işlevsel bir rol üstleniyor。Kitabın ikinci bölümü ise Nors Mitolojisi’nin hikayelerinden oluşuyor。 Mccoy， her anlatının başında kaynak karşılaştırması ve bilgilendirme yaparak bu bölümde de yol göstericiliği elden bırakmıyor。 “Evrenin Yaratılması”， “İlk İnsanın Yaratılması”， “Asgard’ın Surları Nasıl İnşa Edildi” gibi alt başlıklarda， bambaşka inceliklere sahip， son derece özgün yaratılış hikayeleri okuyan okur， kendini çalışmanın akıcılığına kaptırıyor。 Devam eden süreçte “Odin Neden Tek Gözlüdür？”， “Thor Büyük Yılanı Avlıyor”， “Thor ile Geirrod” “Freya’nın Gerdanlığının Çalınması” gibi bölümlerle Odin， Thor， Loki gibi bilinen karakterlerin kişiliklerini， çelişkilerini ve amaçları uğruna ödedikleri bedelleri anlatan mitleri okumak ise inanılmaz derecede eğlenceli。 Tüm bu duyguları nitelikli bir çalışmanın içerisinde hissetmek， kültürleri popülerlik süzgecinden geçmiş halde “tüketme” huyunu da ortadan kaldırır nitelikte。 İletişim Yayınları’ndan çıkan Viking Ruhu nefes kesici ama zorlu bir coğrafyanın; cömert ama fakir， merhametli ama vicdansız bir toplumun hikayesini anlatıyor。 Bilgelik ve onur için her şeyi göze alan tanrıların yeri geldiğinde nasıl tamamen zıt portreler çizdiğini görmek de， tanrılarla bizi “insan olmak” potasında， küçük bir gülümsemeyle birleştiriyor。 Vikingleri ve derinlerdeki kişiliğimizi belki de en iyi Mccoy ifade ediyor: “Tanrılar， yani evreni bir arada tutan ‘sütunlar’， mücadelenin ümitsiz olduğunu， karmaşa ve entropi yayan güçlerin sonunda egemen olacağını bilseler dahi yorulmadan ve yılmadan savaşıyorlardı。 Ağlayıp sızlanarak değil， dövüşerek gidiyorlardı。 Vikingleri Viking yapan tavır da budur。” （Sayfa 320） 。。。more
Benjamin。Scalise
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A great overview on the mythology accompanied by the stories themselves。
L
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The most efficient and enjoyable way to get an in-depth look and some understanding of norse myths and the history behind how we got them here today。 The tales are told well but they are also given their own historical background and context。 I bought it eBook originally but it earned itself a place on my physical shelf as well。 An excellent read。
Robert Patterson
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Unexpectedly enjoyable view and introduction into the world of Norse Mythology and Religion。 Filled with dark humor， sex， violence， rage， and a clear demonstration that the "viking spirit" while highly fatalistic fills opportunity for grand and noble heroism along the way。 Unexpectedly enjoyable view and introduction into the world of Norse Mythology and Religion。 Filled with dark humor， sex， violence， rage， and a clear demonstration that the "viking spirit" while highly fatalistic fills opportunity for grand and noble heroism along the way。 。。。more
Jess
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Badly researched。 Deeply biased toward a thoroughly debunked view of Viking Age peoples as hypermasculine， monstrous brutes and ONLY hypermasculine， monstrous brutes。 Deliberately shuffles myths about goddesses in an attempt to prove they're all the same person - even in myths where the vast majority of establishment scholars agree who it is being written about。The author reveals himself an armchair historian who clearly learned all he "knows" from television， and yet deigns to "teach" his views Badly researched。 Deeply biased toward a thoroughly debunked view of Viking Age peoples as hypermasculine， monstrous brutes and ONLY hypermasculine， monstrous brutes。 Deliberately shuffles myths about goddesses in an attempt to prove they're all the same person - even in myths where the vast majority of establishment scholars agree who it is being written about。The author reveals himself an armchair historian who clearly learned all he "knows" from television， and yet deigns to "teach" his views with manufactured authority on a website aimed at "stupid people。" Charming。Even the Victorians， bound by their inability to see past their own worldview， did not write so disastrously on the subject。 Part of me wonders if this is some sort of attempt at "trolling" people who actually care about evidence-based research。 The only more poorly researched documentation of the subject that I've encountered has come from Stephen Flowers' glorified cult or the German nationalists of the early 20th century from which Flowers drew his inspiration。 。。。more
Wolf
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For an introduction， it is very comprehensive， and detailed。
Alex Clark
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It's about Vikings。 It's about Vikings。 。。。more
Jason Donoghue
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Very well researched， loved it。
Icee
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Wow！！！ It took me almost two years to finish this book hahahaha。 It's a nice book to read before I plunge into the the Magnus Chase series by Uncle Rick。 Wow！！！ It took me almost two years to finish this book hahahaha。 It's a nice book to read before I plunge into the the Magnus Chase series by Uncle Rick。 。。。more
Jandro
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