Among the texts examined are Havamal, which includes an elegantly cynical poem about Odinn's sexual intrigues and a more mystical one about his self-sacrifice on the world-tree in order to gain magical wisdom; Volundarkvida, which recounts an elvish smith's revenge for his captivity and maiming; and Hervararkvida, where the heroine bravely but foolishly raises her dead father to demand the deadly sword Tyrfingr from him.
Originally published between 1988 and 2008, these twelve essays cover a wide range of mythological and heroic poems and have been revised and updated to reflect the latest scholarship.
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