Tiivistelma

Like so many projects, the birth of this book came from of a completely separate, yet similar, project and it soon took on a life of its own.

This volume was always intended to be a compact volume of Viking and Norse Myths, Legends, Tales and Poetry for the modern day Skald (storyteller) to pull out his, or her, pocket for use around campfires or similar gatherings. Within you will find stories and poems like: In the Beginning, or how the Viking worlds began, The All-Father’s Foreboding, Baldur’s Dream, How Freya Gained Her Necklace, Hail Day – a prayer, The Halls of Odin, The Lay of Guthorm’s Army at Ethandun, The Lay of Rogann, Sif’s Golden Hair, Sigidrifa’s Prayer, Thor’s Hammer – Lost and Found, Thrym’s Lay and many more. Also included is the Viking version of Twas the Night Before Christmas. Lastly is an explanation of how the nine worlds and supernatural beings all fit together.

When searching for a suitable title that would best describe a compendium of Viking myths and legends compiled especially for storytellers (which this book is), it was no easy task choosing a single word that would encompass the rich and diverse anthology that is Viking folklore and myth.

Dissapointingly (for me) the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian translations of the word compendium were returned as kompendium. However, the Finnish translation was returned as Tiivistelmä. And so Tiivistelmä it has become.

As such, I invite Storytellers to take their listeners on a journey back to a time when the boundaries between myth, legend and reality were as fluid and as permanent as waves washing on a sandy beach.

To really benefit, you are encouraged to engross yourself in the stories and let your imagination run wild. Close your eyes, think of Odin, Thor and Tolkien and let your mind walk through the Hallowed Halls of Valhalla. Let yourself be amazed and overawed at the magnificenceand splendour of a time long passed.