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Feud stands at the core of the Old Icelandic sagas. Jesse Byock shows how the dominant concern of medieval Icelandic society--the channeling of violence into accepted patterns of feud and the regulation of conflict--is reflected in the narrative of the family sagas and the Sturlunga saga compilation. This comprehensive study of narrative structure demonstrates that the sagas are complex expressions of medieval social thought.

Viking Language 2 immerses the learner in Old Norse and Icelandic. Readings include a wealth of Old Norse myths, legends, complete Icelandic sagas, poems of the Scandinavian gods, runic inscriptions. There is a large vocabulary and a full reference grammar.

Medieval Iceland was unique amongst Western Europe, with no foreign policy, no defence forces, no king, no lords, no peasants and few battles. It should have been a utopia yet its literature is dominated by brutality and killing. The reasons for this, argues Jesse Byock, lie in the underlying structures and cultural codes of the islands' social order. 'Viking Age Iceland' is an engaging, multi-disciplinary work bringing together findings in anthropology and ethnography interwoven with historical fact and masterful insights into the popular Icelandic sagas, this is a brilliant reconstruction of the inner workings of a unique and intriguing society.

Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader (Book 2 in The Viking Language Series) is a treasure trove of Scandinavian lore, immersing the learner in Old Norse sources and runes. The book offers a large Vocabulary, chapters on eddic and skaldic poetry, and a reference grammar. The learner reads complete sagas, myths, creation stories, legends, runic inscriptions, and poems about Scan-dinavian gods, monster-slayers, dwarves, giants, and warrior kings, and queens. This book takes the reader deep into the world of the Vikings. juleswilliampress.com and oldnorse.org

Old Norse - Old Icelandic: Concise Introduction is a modern "primer" for learning to read the Icelandic sagas in their original language. This straightforward, easy-to-use primer requires no previous language knowledge. It is designed for self-learning, in-class use, and distance learning. Starting with the first page, students read Old Norse passages from Icelandic sagas as well as episodes from Scandinavian myth and medieval sources. The language and thought of the Viking Age come alive in these critical, Old Norse reading segments. Old Norse - Old Icelandic is divided into 17 short lessons. Each lesson opens with a passage in Old Icelandic drawn from sagas or mythological sources. Lessons focus on the grammar and vocabulary necessary to master the reading(s). In this way, original texts determine the instruction, and students master grammatical elements as they are needed. To speed the learning, each lesson contains a short vocabulary of new words and phrases, as well as practice exercises, reinforcing the grammatical explanations. For a free Answer Key to the exercises, visit our website: oldnorse.org.

Gift of Joan Wall. Includes index. Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-248) and index. * glr 20090610.

This new introduction to the Old Norse Language of the sagas answers the need for an easy-to-use "primer." Carefully designed, this book requires no previous knowledge and is a quick and exciting way for modern self-learners and classes to read Old Scandinavian sources about the Viking Age. The concise lessons supply all necessary grammar, exercises, and vocabulary. The beginner quickly starts reading original passages from sagas and The Prose Edda (a primary mythological source). Here is an excellent way to begin mastering Old Norse. For more, visit juleswilliampress.com and oldnorse.org

Supplementary Exercises for Old Norse - Old Icelandic is a new volume in the Viking Language Old Norse Icelandic Series. A workbook of 17 lessons designed for those who want to learn or sharpen their skills in Old Norse with innovative exercises, word games, and map questions. With a full vocabulary and a free Answer Key at oldnorse.org. It also contains Old Norse readings drawn from the Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok (recounting Ragnar's attack on England and his death in the snake pit) and mythic passages from The Prose Edda describing a journey of the Norse gods, the great dragon ́s treasure, and the magical ring of the dwarves. Supplementary Exercises master Old Norse.

Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader (Book 2 in The Viking Language Series) is a treasure trove of Scandinavian lore, immersing the learner in Old Norse sources and runes. The book offers a large vocabulary, chapters on eddic and skaldic poetry, and a reference grammar. The learner reads complete sagas, myths, creation stories, legends, and runic inscriptions. There are passages and poems about Scandinavian gods, monster-slayers, dwarves, giants, and warrior kings, and queens. This book takes the reader deep into the world of the Vikings, their language, literature, and runes. Visit www.juleswilliampress.com and www.oldnorse.org