SUMMARY (from Goodreads): Many years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien composed his own version of the
great legend of Northern antiquity, recounted here in The Legend of Sigurd and
Gudrún.
In the Lay
of the Völsungs is told the ancestry of the great hero Sigurd, the slayer of
Fáfnir, most celebrated of dragons; of his awakening of the Valkyrie Brynhild,
who slept surrounded by a wall of fire, and of their betrothal; and of his
coming to the court of the great princes who were named the Niflungs (or
Nibelungs), with whom he entered into blood-brotherhood.
In scenes
of dramatic intensity, of confusion of identity, thwarted passion, jealousy,
and bitter strife, the tragedy of Sigurd and Brynhild, of Gunnar the Niflung
and Gudrún his sister, mounts to its end in the murder of Sigurd, the suicide
of Brynhild, and the despair of Gudrún.
The Lay of
Gudrún recounts her fate after the death of Sigurd, her marriage against her
will to the mighty Atli, ruler of the Huns (the Attila of history), his murder
of her brothers, and her hideous revenge.
MY OPINION:
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún was a demanding but rewarding read
for me. Tolkien’s poetic retelling of Norse stories is beautiful and the
accompanying texts provide plenty of interesting information.
Tolkien’s
poems are written in alliterative half verse in 8-line stanzas. Resembling the
form of Eddaic poetry, they also capture its spirit. The emphasis is on seizing
individual moments, with only a very general feel of the story in the
background.
Therefore, the
additional texts, especially the introduction, are helpful for the understanding
of Tolkien’s poems. Tolkien’s son Christopher provides an extensive commentary
and analysis of both poems, using his father’s notes for his lectures on Norse
literature.
The supplementary texts sound somewhat dry and require a lot of focus. There is a
lot of information and hypothesising on linguistics, etymology, history and mythology
– from Norse and Germanic to Old English, drawing parallels between various
texts. Some references to possible origins of Tolkien’s ideas for The Lord of the Rings and his other
works are also included.
On the
whole, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún
is far from being an epic narrative similar to The Lord of the Rings. However, the two poems once again reveal
Tolkien’s masterly skill of handling words and are a delightful read. The
additional texts are slow and somewhat tedious, but as a linguist I appreciate
the data they provide.
RECOMMENDATION: The Legend of Sigurd
and Gudrún is not a
leisurely read. If you expect an absorbing epic narrative such as The Lord of the Rings you will be
disappointed. Otherwise, it
is a great book for those who are interested in Nordic and Germanic tradition
and literature.
I never heard about this one before, but even if it's not a leisurely read it's definitely the book you can learn a lot from ( if one makes the effort).
ReplyDeleteI agree, it has a lot of value, especially if one is interested in mythology and linguistics.
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