Overview
The stories contained in this volume are derived from the translations by Rasmus B. Anderson and George Stephens of the tales about the Viking warriors Thorstein and Fridthjof the Bold and other figures, all from Icelandic literature. There are stories of valiant explorers, beautiful princesses who test the strength of would-be suitors, magic swords, potions and spells and great battles fought in a bid to conquer new lands or establish the right to rule their lands in the aftermath of a king's death. Ranging across the countries we now know collectively as Scandinavia, these stories are by turns heroic, charming and magical.Author Bio
Rasmus B. Anderson was an author and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the late 19th century. A founder of the Department of Scandinavian Studies, he was descended from Norwegian immigrants. He also served as the US Ambassador to Denmark from 1885 to 1889.
George Stephens was an English philologist and archaeologist, who worked in Scandinavia and lectured in English at the University of Copenhagen. He was a prolific writer and known for his expertise in interpreting runic inscriptions.
