The last blog post featured Norse mythology, so now let’s move on to what McLure Library has that features those berserk wild fighting men of the North and their fearless exploration of the vast northern oceans.  While the Vikings were known for their fighting prowess they also had their softer side.  They were great storytellers and these stories have come down to us in many forms.  McLure Library has several books that incorporate features of the Viking sagas and voyages of exploration into fascinating retellings of these tales of daring-do.  The television mini-series American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and the success of those brutal Viking epics like The Last Kingdom have brought about renewed interest in old Norse myths.  Here is a sample of some of the stories about those cold cold gods of the North and the Viking sagas.

Canadian historical fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay‘s novel Last Light of the Sun is loosely based on Viking Sagas and is the tale of the conjoined fates of Bern Thorkellson and two others from lands ravaged by the Vikings.

For a completely twisted Norse story, try Story of Owen.  This novel is not only a mashup of Arthurian legends and myths with a good dose of Beowulf thrown in for good measure, it is alternative history.  Told, somewhat, in the style of the old Norse Sagas, it is the story of Owen Thorskard, the dragon slayer of Trondheim.  Full of daring-do, it also features a bard – Siobhan MacQuaid.