The Northern Path: Norse Myths And Legends Retold...And What They Reveal

The Northern Path: Norse Myths and Legends Retold...And What They Reveal

From the Back Cover"If you would be initiated into the mysteries of our Nordic ancestors, then gather here on The Northern Path! Within these pages, Dag has revealed himself as a modern-day skald, expressing traditional wisdom wrapped in stories as stylistically engaging as they are non-pedantic. In his craft he has remained true to the Eddic sources and true to the tradition of the storyteller. Both his re-tellings of the myths and his exposition are informed by his many years of deeply personal involvement with the Northern Path. Perchance therein lies his greatest strength." --Edward W.L.Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Georgia Southern University"With his deep love and understanding of the substance and essence of the powerful Norse mythology, "Dag" Rossman gives us a magnificent treasure. In his retelling, these ancient myths gain renewed significance and freshness. They speak directly to our hearts and we all grow wiser for it." --Lloyd Alexander, Newbery-winning author of the Chronicles of Prydain"Dag Rossman breathes new life into these classic stories. Finding their relevance to today's world, he persuades us that the mystical power of these texts, once so essential to Viking culture, lives on. Feeling these narratives to his very core, Rossman conveys their deepest meaning with an assurance that audiences find entrancing. He invites readers to experience Loki, Balder, and the other colorful characters of old Norse mythology. He has us inhabit their world and mourn its destruction at Ragnarok. Beyond placing these narratives in their proper cultural context, he reveals their deeper truths about their own time and ours." --Kathleen Stokker, Professor of Norwegian, Luther CollegeThis accessible and reflective book will appeal to anyone with an interest in mythology and storytelling. It has two sections: a retelling of the myths, then an analysis of their sources, meaning, and application to modern people. We think Rossman is uniquely qualified both to tell these tales and to reflect upon their value for modern times, and that The Northern Path is far more than just another collection of Norse myths. Rossman is well acquainted with the work of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. For the past 25 years, he's not only studied Norse mythology but also told these tales to live audiences, as the Norse skalds told them centuries ago, and interacted with audiences about their meaning and relevance for today. He has worked with the myths both with adults and with Norwegian-American youngsters at the Sons of Norway's Camp Norway, and has made the myths, the runes, and their wisdom part of his own personal journey.Review"...Dag Rossman gives us a magnificent treasure." --Lloyd Alexander, June 2005About the AuthorDag Rossman holds a Ph.D. in zoology, and has studied and taught Norse mythology for over twenty-five years, amplifying his understanding of the ancient Norse world by six trips to Scandinavia, visiting ancient monuments and absorbing the spirit of the land and its people. For more than twenty-five years, Rossman has told these tales to contemporary audiences both young and old. By candlelight, moonlight, firelight, and torchlight, he's watched these myths cast their spell over his listeners. Rossman's previous publications include "Where Legends Live: A Guide to Cherokee Mythic Places" (Cherokee Publications, 1988), the award-winning "Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana" (1989), five Skandisk audiocassettes of his Norse storytelling (1990s), a series of magazine articles on Norse mythology, a collection of original stories, "Theft of the Sun, And Other New Norse Myths" (Skandisk, 2001), which fills in gaps and ties up loose ends left by the fragments of Norse manuscripts that we've inherited, and "The Nine Worlds: A Dictionary of Norse Mythology" (Skandisk, 2000). He and his wife, Sharon, wrote "Valhalla in America: Norse Myths in Wood at Rock Island State Park, Wisconsin" (Jackson Harb