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An Introduction to Old Norse
The first edition of this standard work was published in 1927 and has been reprinted several times. This second edition has been revised and reset and the saga Hrafnkels saga freysgooa is now included in its entirety. The work is now available for the first time in paperback.
412 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1927
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 25, 2007
My junior year of college I did a study abroad at Oxford, primarily because they offered Old Norse, and I wanted to translate an Icelandic Saga as my senior project. I took a tutorial on ON with professor Clarington, and spent many hours huddled over this text, slowly deciphering "Hrafnkells Saga", and it was the beginning of the many years I would spend labouring over icelandic dictionaries - translating "Ragnars Saga Lodbrokar" my senior year, a year in Reykjavik, and now my slow laborious work on Olafur Gunnarssons "Vetrarferdin." I'd say there is no better place to start than Gordan's tome, but really, I don't think there IS any other place to start.
March 22, 2013
This book is completely surpassed by Anthony Faulkes' New Introduction To Old Norse, but is still interesting for its historical value and is one of those quirky old oddities that must be owned.
September 10, 2019
Originally published in 1927, and still available today, this introduction to the Old Norse language and literature was one of two texts that I used in my private reading during college. Although not a language officially offered at my school, I was lucky enough to discover that the head of the German department had studied it, and to convince him to tutor me in the subject...
Gordon's work, revised and updated by A.R. Taylor in the second edition, takes a rather old-fashioned approach to language-learning, in that it presents students with a selection of pieces in the original language, and expects them to wade right in. Notes, glossary and grammatical outline are (of course) supplied at the rear of the text, but the idea is definitely to learn as one goes.
I do not think my studies would have prospered, if I had used this method alone, but thankfully I also had access to Valfells' and Cathey's excellent Old Icelandic: An Introductory Course , which - when used in conjunction with Gordon - offered a coherent and fairly painless introduction to a complicated language.
Gordon's work, revised and updated by A.R. Taylor in the second edition, takes a rather old-fashioned approach to language-learning, in that it presents students with a selection of pieces in the original language, and expects them to wade right in. Notes, glossary and grammatical outline are (of course) supplied at the rear of the text, but the idea is definitely to learn as one goes.
I do not think my studies would have prospered, if I had used this method alone, but thankfully I also had access to Valfells' and Cathey's excellent Old Icelandic: An Introductory Course , which - when used in conjunction with Gordon - offered a coherent and fairly painless introduction to a complicated language.
April 8, 2008
Not really a "teach yourself" kind of book - more of a text reference for a course with an experienced tutor. Nevertheless, some of my first real experience with my ancestral language came from this book, which was a Yuletide gift from Heather.
February 22, 2020
A classic book on Old Norse grammar that any student of the language will find useful.
March 4, 2008
Increasingly my most well-worn book; the glossary is thumbed brown. Perhaps I should eat less barbecue and practice better manual hygiene.
It is an old-fashioned approach to the language, there is no doubt about that! However, upon returning to it, I find that I was an impatient college student, and this dense little fellow is increasingly making himself apparent to me. The fault, as it turns out, is not in the stars, or the book, for that matter.
It is an old-fashioned approach to the language, there is no doubt about that! However, upon returning to it, I find that I was an impatient college student, and this dense little fellow is increasingly making himself apparent to me. The fault, as it turns out, is not in the stars, or the book, for that matter.
April 19, 2021
This beautiful little book, written by the good cup-companion of one J. R. R. Tolkien (ever heard of 'im?), will not avail you much at all unless you already have some knowledge of Germanic grammar under your belt (and I'm not alluding to that phallic riddle of the Exeter Book, well-known among Germanicists, but you may take it that way if you really want to).
It's got selections aplenty, a bit on runes, a bit on dialects, a bit of that lovely linguistic waltz (the one-two-three, phonology/morphology/syntax) so beloved of the old-timers. And you and I both know that neither I nor you will ever be able to afford an authentic copy of Songs for the Philologists, so we'll content ourselves with this.
It's got selections aplenty, a bit on runes, a bit on dialects, a bit of that lovely linguistic waltz (the one-two-three, phonology/morphology/syntax) so beloved of the old-timers. And you and I both know that neither I nor you will ever be able to afford an authentic copy of Songs for the Philologists, so we'll content ourselves with this.
October 21, 2020
I really just picked this up because I saw it in my college library and thought it would be a good read. It definitely is interesting if you're a linguistics person like me since it details the history behind old norse, gives you some stories in old norse (that I didn't read because I can't read old norse), and even tells you how to speak it. Like some other people are saying, it's not a book to teach you how to speak/read old norse, but it's more like a reference or a summarization of how to read it. Very interesting and well worth the time to read it even casually if you enjoy this kind of literature.
August 20, 2017
It is a really interesting edition to introduce yourself in the world of the Norse literature and the history of the vikings (especially the preface and introduction). I find myself delighted when historical figures such as Ragnar Loðbrók, Floki (the viking who gave name to the country that we know today as Iceland) or Rollo are mentioned (they are main characters in the TV series 'Vikings').
The only thing to improve here, if we are talking about an introductory book, is the display of the Old Norse literature and poetry, written in Old Norse. Of course, if you don't know Icelandic or Old Norse, you are not going to understand anything, so providing the reader with a parallel translation of the text, he/she will be guided and not lost with an indecipherable text. I know this book is quite old, but thinking of the target audience is an important matter, and this suggestion can be taken for more contemporary pieces of work.
The only thing to improve here, if we are talking about an introductory book, is the display of the Old Norse literature and poetry, written in Old Norse. Of course, if you don't know Icelandic or Old Norse, you are not going to understand anything, so providing the reader with a parallel translation of the text, he/she will be guided and not lost with an indecipherable text. I know this book is quite old, but thinking of the target audience is an important matter, and this suggestion can be taken for more contemporary pieces of work.
October 15, 2006
Gordon's introduction to Old Norse remains a standard in the field. A well-selected anthology of prose and poetry (including Skaldic verse), with detailed notes, and a comprehensive grammar and glossary make this an ideal choice for beginning and intermediate readers. Check out the acknowledgements for a shout-out to Oxford don J. R. R. Tolkien!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews