I write about mythology, history, art, music, and cosmology. I also write science fiction. Mythology for me is an expression of a people trying to explain the world around them within the limits of their own knowledge. We are the same. Our search to understand the origins of the universe are limited by our language and mathematics, as were the Scandinavians who discovered countries for the first time, always expanding their horizons and adapting their legends accordingly. The Vikings had a rare vitality that sprang from every mythic tale and I love to explore both the deep origins of their worldview, and their influence in the cultures of today.
I wrote...
Norse Myths
By
Jake Jackson
What is my book about?
Vikings are probably the greatest warriors of the Western world. A fierce, passionate people the various tribes that spearheaded the Scandinavian invasions harried and burned a path through Europe and far beyond. From the early Medieval years, they fundamentally affected the culture of Russia, France, Britain, and sought gold, trade, and farmland as far as the Americas and Arabia, North Africa, and Asia. They were deeply religious with powerful Gods such as Odin, Thor, and Loki whose muscular exploits have fuelled the superhero phenomenon of today, with their classic heroic themes of conquest, friendship, fate, and loyalty.
This book is an excellent introduction and part of a series on popular mythology offering the dramatic tales of myths from traditions around the world.
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The Books I Picked & Why
Norse Mythology
By
Neil Gaiman
Why this book?
Gaiman is an exceptional and popular modern storyteller, his work in comics (Sandman), his own novels (such as the superb American Gods) and in various movie adaptations (Beowulf, 2007) demonstrates a deft and agile touch. This is an excellent introduction to the Prose Eddas, with a lively re-telling of the core tales of Norse mythology, from Odin to Loki, the frost giants to the Valkyrie. It’s a quick read which will pique your interest to research further.
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The Mighty Thor Omnibus Vol. 1
By
Marvel Comics
Why this book?
For a generation brought up with Netflix, Disney Plus, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the original Marvel comics are a modern form of mythology. I grew up with such comics, reading Thor and Tolkein, Dune and Asimov’s Foundation series alongside tales of Celtic and Greek mythology. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s version was the Thor I knew, an exaggerated, simplified but utterly compelling character with his trickster brother Loki and all-too-serious father Odin. I loved it, so I’ve included this as pure nostalgia – don’t judge me!
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Beowulf
By
Seamus Heaney
Why this book?
Beowulf is fascinating because it was written in Angle-land, probably Suffolk, probably in the 900s AD, when the Angles (Southern Scandinavians) held sway, with the Danes in Northumbria and Mercia, before the Anglo Saxons began to create the first truly English dynasty in Alfred the Great. It tells of a hero from Geats (in modern Sweden, possibly in the 600s AD) who rids the king of the Danes of the monster Grendel. Of all the translations Seamus Heany is the most vigorous and beautiful, and I often return to it as a reference.
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In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire
By
Tom Holland
Why this book?
Tom Holland’s excellent series of contextual historical books bring a rare quality, seeking beyond boundaries to understand the sweep of civilisation across continents. This book focuses on the period we call The Dark Ages in the West, from the Fall of Rome to the rise of the Anglo Saxons. But in Asia and the Middle East literature, science and religion flourished, just as the Vikings raided and traded through Europe across to Arabia where eventually they encountered the great cultures of the East.
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The Prose Edda
By
Snorri Sturluson,
Jesse L. Byock
Why this book?
For serious readers of Norse mythology, its origins in literature and early culture the Byock translation of the 13th-century text by Snorri Sturluson presents the Viking equivalent of Heroditus’ Histories of the Ancient Greeks and the religious texts of the Abrahamic religions. It’s a thrilling read and forms the basis of all modern versions of Viking legend. I still refer to this, years after first reading it.
