Myths of the Norsemen (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading) Book

A few years ago, I had bought this book from Barnes and Noble's online store. I didn't realize until I started reading it and looked at the info on its Goodreads page, this book is actually a reprint from 1909. If I had known that, I would not have bought it.

The book is largely summarizes different Gods and some of the popular Norse stories. However, I would not recommend this book to anybody interested in learning Norse Mythology (maybe if you wanted some nice illustrations).

I wouldn't recommend this book due to it being inaccurate and very outdated. For example on page 237, Guerber states Glut (Gloot) was Loki's first wife, when she actually wasn't. She was the wife to Hálogi, a King of Norway according to the Thorstein Saga (there are other listed inaccuracies such as pointed out by this Amazon reviewer). Also, sometimes what the author writes and what she quotes from other texts conflicted with one another. For example, the author points out that Einheriar, the fallen warriors who are brought to Valhalla by the Valkyries, feast/gorge themselves every night on the divine boar, Saehrimnir. But the quoted passage from Lay of Grimnir, Anderson's version: "Andhrimnir cooks in Eldhrimnir Saehrimnir: 'Tis the best of flesh; But few know What the einherjes eat." I did some looking and the Einherjes that I could find (not the band) were another possible term for the Einheriar.

The use of the authors "some accounts/mythologists/authorities" in relating a tale and never citing where she had garnered the information from, really irked my inner nerd. Each time, I wanted to strangle the book I had to remind myself that a lot of other authors I've read pre-1980's don't believe in the notion of citation.

Another point, that really irks me to no end is: "Loki: God of Evil"... ummm, okay. I have a bad feeling where she is taking this. "At first a god, he gradually becomes 'god and devil combined,' and ends in being held in general detestation as an exact counterpart of the mediaeval Lucifer." Yep, she went there. I actually did some digging. In 1889 this dude, Sophus Bugge, saw Loki as a variant to Christianity, Lucifer (Bugge was trying to connect Norse myths to christian prototypes). Apparently, this idea was popular with Guerber, too. Furthermore, I'm sure other authors were doing this at the time, Guerber allows Christianity to interfere with her work. I lost count of how many times she used "heathen" in her book and somehow pre-Christian people are ignorant because they believed stormy nights and hounds baying on such a night were omens for death cause of the Wild Hunt.

I am not sure if this is due to the times of not differentiating the two or due to lazy research, but Greek and Roman Pantheons are not the same. For the last chapter, Guerber tries to draw similarities between Norse mythology and Greek mythology. It would be more scholarly if she had used the correct Pantheon, instead she discussed Jupiter, Juno, Pluto, Proserpine, etc. which are all Roman, not Greek.