The Saga of the Volsungs by Jackson Crawford
From the translator of the bestselling Poetic Edda—Carolyne Larrington, Professor of Medieval European Literature, University of Oxford
"A clear, idiomatic English style that also retains the feel of the original is no easy feat, and Crawford succeeds admirably. . . . This translation should serve well those who teach the sagas, their students, and any interested readers, particularly at such a reasonable price."
—Adam Oberlin, Princeton University, in The Medieval Review
"This is only the second English translation of these two sagas to be published in one volume. . . . The overall aim of the book seems to be the entirely commendable one of inspiring beginners, in which it will no doubt be wholly successful. . . . Crawford's translation of both sagas reads fluently and engagingly. Reading this book has been, for me, an enjoyable and stimulating experience, as it undoubtedly will be for the audience for which it is aimed."
—Rory McTurk, Leeds University, in Saga-Book
"The book is a gift, especially to beginning readers of the northern mythological literature. It makes its two texts approachable through the use of easy to read contemporary language. It also provides useful tools for the reader to get an overview of the stories through its explanatory matter. The book has a straightforward introduction that provides a nutshell of the sagas, a cast of characters, historical information about the origin of the tales, a brief outline of the chapters, a pronunciation guide, and there is an excellent and useful Glossary of Names and Terms at the end of the book. Crawford also includes notes throughout the text, including recommendations to see relevant passages of his translation of The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes. . . . I have read the William Morris translation (1870) a few times throughout the scattered years and I wanted to see what a contemporary translation would look like. I wasn’t disappointed. I hope and expect that the Crawford translation will introduce many new readers to the pleasures of its two pieces of world literature."
—Phillip Fitzsimmons, in Mythlore
Jackson Crawford holds an MA in linguistics from the University of Georgia and a PhD in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. From 2011 to 2020 he taught the Old Norse language, as well as courses in Norse mythology and Old Norse saga literature, at major universities including UCLA, UC Berkeley, and the University of Colorado Boulder. During that time, he also served as a consultant on a popular video game, television programs, and major Hollywood films. Since 2020 he has been an independent educator, using his YouTube channel and popular translations of Norse myths and sagas from Hackett Publishing to reach hundreds of thousands of viewers and readers with well-sourced information about Norse language, mythology, and runes. His research interests today focus on the relationship of the runes to Mediterranean alphabets, as well as the use of linguistic criteria to determine the date of Old Norse texts.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781624666339 |
| ISBN 10 | 1624666337 |
| Title | The Saga of the Volsungs |
| Author | Jackson Crawford |
| Series | Hackett Classics |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Hackett Publishing Co, Inc |
| Year published | 2017-07-31 |
| Number of pages | 184 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |