Any good books on Norse Mythology that are comparable with Robert Graves's Greek Myths? I'm going to delve into the Eddas and Sagas very soon and would like a book that acts as a reference guide, by, not only retelling the stories, but illumnating more esoteric meanings and delve into the historical background of legends/beliefs. I've read Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland and, although a fun read, didn't give any depth to the tales beyond retelling them, and I'd like to learn how the cult of Odin developed across Europe to the point the Wild Hunt was known across Europe as well as how he potentially inspired the concept of Santa Clause.
The Sagas of Icelanders
>>25085674H. A. Guerberhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28497
>>25085674Skip the bloat and start with Snorri's Edda translated and made open-access by Anthony Faulkes: http://vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/SNORRA%20EDDA%20searchable.pdfRead all of Gylfaginning and the narrative segments of Skaldskaparmal, feel free to skim the kenning lists/poetic snippets but they can be a fun read if you want to better appreciate the skaldic world.After that you'll have an easier time grappling with the Poetic Edda, recommending the open-access translation by Edward Pettit: https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0308It comes with a wealth of notes, an indispensable educational resource on the topic.There is also Olive Bray's translation in the public domain: http://vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/The%20Elder%20or%20Poetic%20Edda.pdfThe translation only contains the poems focused on the gods is intentionally more archaic and ornately poetic, a product of its time, but does include some wonderful illuminations (pic related) and a plethora of introductory material. Much of the analysis of the poems is dated to its time as well and shouldn't be too readily accepted explanation, though there are some interesting perspectives nonetheless.If you'd rather get more to the root of Germanic heroic myth as preserved in the North, then read the Saga of the Volsungs: http://vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/Volsunga%20saga.pdfThere is a very brief retelling of the story by Snorri in Skaldskaparmal, but he leaves out much of the drama in favor of quickly explaining the action for reference by student skalds.
https://archive.org/details/phantom-armies-of-the-night/page/n199
>>25087823Forgot to mention Mimisbrunnr, great website and these links are good additions to the rest of the ones I posted before:https://www.mimisbrunnr.info/getting-started-with-norse-mythologyhttps://www.mimisbrunnr.info/germanic-mythology
https://elfinspell.com/MedievalMatter/PaultheDeacon-PaulusDiaconus/HistoryOfTheLangobards/PaulTheDeacon-Appendix2.html#Origo-part1
>>25085674>but illumnating more esoteric meanings and delve into the historical background of legends/beliefs.>>25086472this one
