|
Legends and Sagas |
This section of SpiritBride 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.
Northern European
Teutonic Myth and Legend
by Donald Mackenzie [1912]
Arabian Nights
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.
1001 Arabian Nights A full etext of the 16 volume Burton translation [External Site]
See also:
Vikram and the Vampire, Sir Richard Burton, translator. [1870]
Baltic
The Hero of Esthonia
by W. F. Kirby [1895] (2 vols)
This includes a extensive 'prose outline' of the Estonian national epic,
the Kalevipoeg, and some Estonian folklore.
This is a diverse collection of folklore, retold for young readers, from the Baltic region, including Finland.
Basque
Celtic
Celtic FolkloreIn order to deal properly with this extensive subject, all of the Celtic texts and books now have their own page. Topics include:
Wales
Scotland
Celtic Fairies
General Celtic
Eastern European
The Tale of the Armament of Igor
by Leonard A. Magnus [1915]parallel English/Russian
The first masterpiece of Russian literature, from the time of transition between Slavic Paganism and Christianity.
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.
Sixty Folk-Tales from Exclusively Slavonic Sources
by A. H. Wratisalw [1890]An excellent (and long out of print) collection of Slavic folktales, with hints of some very ancient lore.
Folk Tales From the Russian by Verra Xenophontovna Kalamatiano de Blumenthal [1903]
Heroic Ballads of Servia by George Rapnall Noyes and Leonard Bacon [1913]
Translations of Serbian oral poetry.
Stories of Russian Folk-Life
by Donald A. Mackenzie [1916]
The Key of Gold: 23 Czech Folk Tales
By Josef Baudis [1917].
England
EnglandAll of the texts and books about England also now have their own page. Topics include:
Anglo-Saxon
Arthurian
Finland
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.
The Kalevala (English) John Martin Crawford, tr. [1888]This etext was the first English version of the Kalevala available on the Internet; it was scanned at SpiritBride, and has been submitted to the Gutenberg project.
The Kalevala (Finnish) This etext is from the Runeberg project.
Baltic Wizards by Frances Jenkins Olcott [1928]
This includes a section on Finnish folklore.
France
The Song of RolandThis saga depicts a pivotal episode in the conflict between the Islamic and Christian world in the late Middle ages.
Germany
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 (Twilight of the Gods), 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.
Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine,
by Lewis Spence [1915]Lore of the Rhine valley, including the Nibelunglied saga.
Grimm's Household Tales
Summer Legends, by Rudolph Baumbach, Translated by Helen B. Dole [1888]
Thanks Eliza, for donating this text! Visit her site at http://www.sacredspiral.com/ [External Site].
The Germany of Tacitus
[1858]One of the only ancient descriptions of the Germanic tribes.
Iceland
Icelandic LoreAll of the texts and books about Icelandic lore now have their own page. Subjects include:
The Sagas.
Italy
Orlando Furioso
by Ludovico Ariosto, translated by William Stewart Rose [1823-31]Italy's most notable contribution to renaissance epic poetry.
Persia
The Shah Namah 460,993 bytesPortugal
The Lusiad
by Luis de Camoens trans. by William Julius Mickle
[1776, edition of 1877]The Portuguese national epic, the tale of Vasco da Gama's voyage to India.
Roma (Gypsy)
The Roma people and their lore now have their own page:
Roma Index.
Scandinavia
Popular Tales from the Norse by George Dasent [1904]The Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus
Heimskringla or The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturlson. tr. Samuel Laing [1844]
Spain
Legends and Romances of Spain By Lewis Spence [1920]The Lay of the Cid 240,127 bytes
