{"product_id":"handbook-of-norse-mythology","title":"Handbook of Norse Mythology by John Lindow","description":"\u003ch2\u003eHandbook of Norse Mythology by John Lindow\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5\"\u003eNorse mythology is exceptionally difficult to track because the Viking Age was almost entirely oral. The stories we have today were written down centuries later by Christian scholars who often reframed the pagan gods to fit a monotheistic worldview. Lindow addresses this historical friction by dividing the handbook into four distinct, functional sections:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003e1. Historical Background \u0026amp; Sourcing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eThe book opens with a vital critique of our primary sources. Lindow examines the archaeological evidence (runestones, weapon caches, burial mounds) and contrasts it with the surviving written literature. He meticulously analyzes the \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"233\"\u003ePoetic Edda\u003c\/b\u003e (a collection of anonymous traditional poems) and the \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"299\"\u003eProse Edda\u003c\/b\u003e written by the 13th-century Icelandic chieftain \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"358\"\u003eSnorri Sturluson\u003c\/b\u003e, explaining how Snorri's Christian bias altered the narrative landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003e2. Time and Space in the Norse Cosmos\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003eLindow maps out the unique, highly unstable structural geography of the Norse world. He explores the cyclical nature of mythic time, starting from the primordial thawing of frost in \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"9\" data-index-in-node=\"182\"\u003eGinnungagap\u003c\/b\u003e to the creation of the nine realms held within the cosmic ash tree, \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"9\" data-index-in-node=\"262\"\u003eYggdrasil\u003c\/b\u003e. This section lays the groundwork for understanding the inherent vulnerability of the Norse universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"18\"\u003eRather than simply summarizing standard tales, Lindow teaches his readers how to decode the underlying social values embedded within the mythology:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"19\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"19\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003e1. The Fatalistic Universe\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"20\"\u003eLindow emphasizes that unlike many global mythologies where the gods are immortal and omnipotent, the Norse deities are trapped in time. They know exactly how, when, and by whom they will be killed. This creates a cosmic worldview defined by a profound, heroic \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"20\" data-index-in-node=\"261\"\u003efatalism\u003c\/b\u003e. Honor is not derived from winning—since total annihilation at \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"20\" data-index-in-node=\"333\"\u003eRagnarok\u003c\/b\u003e is completely inevitable—but from \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"20\" data-index-in-node=\"376\"\u003ehow\u003c\/i\u003e one fights and faces their unavoidable doom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"21\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"21\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003e2. Structural Inversion: The \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"21\" data-index-in-node=\"29\"\u003eJötnar\u003c\/i\u003e vs. The Gods\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"22\"\u003eThe handbook deconstructs the traditional Western tendency to view the giants (\u003ci data-path-to-node=\"22\" data-index-in-node=\"79\"\u003ejötnar\u003c\/i\u003e) as purely \"evil\" monsters. Lindow demonstrates that the relation between the gods and the giants is actually an anthropological exploration of \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"22\" data-index-in-node=\"230\"\u003eculture versus nature\u003c\/b\u003e. The gods represent order, law, construction, and agriculture; the giants represent the raw, unyielding elements of the Scandinavian landscape (frost, fire, avalanches). The two factions are deeply intertwined, frequently intermarrying and trading, reflecting a worldview where chaos is a necessary, permanent neighbor to civilization.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage: English.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGenre: Mythology.\u003cspan class=\"BookPageMetadataSection__genreButton\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBinding: সেলাই করা বাইন্ডিং\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuality: Premium Quality Books.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrinting: High Quality Printing.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaper: Eye Friendly paper (Cream White)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCover: Matt cover (Paperback).\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Royal Books BD","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47274759389369,"sku":null,"price":300.0,"currency_code":"BDT","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0780\/0874\/6169\/files\/Handbook_of_Norse_Mythology.jpg?v=1779472571","url":"https:\/\/royalbooksbd.com\/products\/handbook-of-norse-mythology","provider":"Royal Books BD","version":"1.0","type":"link"}