This section of sacred-texts archives the rich literature of Sagas and Legends.
These are mostly (but not all) from Northern Europe,
and primarily based on legendary events and people from the Middle Ages.
Many of these narratives are based on archetypal stories that date even
further back in time.
The 1001 Arabian Nights (Burton, tr.)
This is an 'unexpurgated' version,
translated from the Arabic by the Orientalist Sir Richard Burton.
The 1001 Arabian Nights (Lang, ed.)
This is a version suitable for Victorian children,
translated and abridged from the French version of Galland
by the folklorist Andrew Lang.
The Songs of the Russian People
by W.R.S. Ralston [1872]
A treasure trove of Russian and Slavic folklore, mythology and tradition.
Covers pre-Christian Slavic Paganism.
Roumanian Fairy Tales and Legends
by E.B. Mawr [1881]
A small collection of Romanian folk tales and historical legends.
The Kalevala is the national saga of Finland.
Pieced together (and embellished) by Elias Lönnrot
from traditional storytellers in the late 19th Century,
the tales which constitute the Kalevala show signs of great antiquity.
Wagner's Ring of the Niblung
translated by Margaret Armour; Illustrations by Arthur Rackham [1910].
This is an excellent translation of the librettos of
Richard Wagner's operas Siegfried and Die Götterdammerung, with beautiful illustrations by the best fairy
tale illustrator of the 19th Century.
The Nibelungenlied
The Nibelungenlied is derived from the
Ancient Norse Eddas.
The Nibelungenlied also supplied source material
for Wagner's Ring opera cycle.
Grimm's Household Tales
The Poetic Edda
Henry Adams Bellows, tr. [1936].
The Poetic Edda is also known as the Elder Edda.
This is a complete version of this key text, scanned at sacred-texts.
The translation is highly readable and has extensive, useful notes.
The Prose Edda
of Snorri Sturlson; Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur, tr. [1916].
Also known as the
Younger Edda.
The Story of the Volsungs
with extracts from the Poetic Edda.
by William Morris and Eirikr Magnusson [1888].
The Story of Grettir the Strong
translated by Eirikr Magnusson and William Morris [1869].
The Story of Egil Skallagrimsson (Egil's Saga),
Translated from the Icelandic by W.C. Green [1893]
