A delightful retelling of some of the most loved and famous Norse tales-from the beginning of the world, and how Odin traded one of his eyes in exchange for wisdom, to the use of the god Kvasir's blood to create the "Mead of Poetry," and the cataclysmic intrigues with the Jotun giants. Read here of the tales of Skadi, Loki and his evil children, Thor's Quest, the dwarfs and their gifts, Balder and the mistletoe, and finally the captivity of Loki, awaiting the Ragnarok, or end of the earth. An enthralling read which will provide old and young alike with new insights into one of the most majestic European mythological story sets. "This book is made of the stories told by the Northern folk, -the people who live in the land of the midnight sun, where summer is green and pleasant, but winter is a terrible time of cold and gloom; where rocky mountains tower like huge giants, over whose heads the thunder rolls and crashes, and under whose feet are mines of precious metals. Therefore you will find the tales full of giants and dwarfs, -spirits of the cold mountains and dark caverns." Contents The Beginning of Things How Odin Lost His Eye Kvasir's Blood The Giant Builder The Magic Apples Skadi's Choice The Dwarf's Gifts Loki's Children The Quest of the Hammer The Giantess Who Would Not Thor's Visit to the Giants Thor's Fishing Thor's Duel In the Giant's House Balder and the Mistletoe The Punishment of Loki