--- product_id: 9103791 title: "The Saga of the Volsungs (Legends from the Ancient North)" price: "101.63 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 12 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/9103791-the-saga-of-the-volsungs-legends-from-the-ancient-north store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # 5 classic Norse tales Next day UK dispatch Epic heroic saga The Saga of the Volsungs (Legends from the Ancient North) **Price:** 101.63 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > ⚔️ Unlock the ancient magic that forged modern fantasy legends! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Saga of the Volsungs (Legends from the Ancient North) - **How much does it cost?** 101.63 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/9103791-the-saga-of-the-volsungs-legends-from-the-ancient-north) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Cultural Legacy:** Discover the roots of Tolkien and Wagner’s masterpieces through authentic Viking Age storytelling. - • **Fast UK Delivery:** Order today and get your copy dispatched from the UK warehouse next working day. - • **Epic Heroism & Myth:** Follow Sigurd the Dragon Slayer’s legendary quest filled with magic rings, swords, and Valkyries. - • **Scholarly Excellence:** Expert translation and insightful notes by Jesse L. Byock enrich your reading experience. - • **Timeless Norse Legends:** Dive into 5 interconnected ancient Icelandic poems that inspired Tolkien’s Middle Earth. ## Overview The Saga of the Volsungs is a masterfully translated collection of five Norse sagas from 13th-century Iceland, chronicling the heroic deeds of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer and the mythic origins of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Featuring expert commentary by Jesse L. Byock, this Penguin Classics edition offers a rich blend of mythology, history, and epic storytelling, delivered with next-day UK dispatch for the eager modern reader. ## Description Legends from the Ancient North: Five classics of Norse literature that inspired J. R. R. Tolkien's epic vision in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Legendary fantasy writer J. R. R. Tolkien spent much of his life studying, translating, and teaching the ancient tales of northern Europe at Oxford and drew on them for his own writing. These epic stories, with their wizards and knights, dragons and trolls, cursed rings and magic swords, are as fascinating today as they were thousands of year ago. Reading them brings us as close as we will ever get to the magical worlds of the Vikings and the origins of their twentieth-century counterpart: Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Based on Viking Age poems and composed in thirteenth-century Iceland, The Saga of the Volsungs combines mythology, legend, and sheer human drama in telling of the heroic deeds of Sigurd the dragon slayer, who acquires runic knowledge from one of Odin's Valkyries. Yet the saga is set in a very human world, incorporating oral memories of the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun and other warriors fought on the northern frontiers of the Roman empire. In his illuminating introduction Jesse L. Byock links the historical Huns, Burgundians, and Goths with the extraordinary events of this Icelandic saga. With its ill-fated Rhinegold, the sword reforged, and the magic ring of power, the saga resembles the Nibelungenlied and has been a primary source for such fantasy writers as J. R. R. Tolkien and for Richard Wagner's Ring cycle. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Review: An Inspiration For Wagner and Tolkien - The Saga of the Volsungs is a series of interconnected poems written in thirteenth century Iceland by an anonymous author, telling the tale of the hero Sigurd the Dragon Slayer and his magic ring of power. This handsome edition, part of Penguin's Tales of the Ancient North series, was translated by Jesse L. Byock, who has also provided an informative Introduction and extensive Notes. Most people will immediately recognize that The Saga of the Volsungs was an inspiration for some of the works of Richard Wagner and J.R.R. Tolkien. But there is more to savor in these poems than just the dragons and heroes, magic rings and fabulous swords, which the names Wagner and Tolkien will bring to mind. Sigurd's tale is a great adventure, and Byock's masterful translation and helpful Notes illuminate it and add even more power and drama. Most of all, Sigurd's adventure depicts the tumultuous and beautiful world of the ancient Norse in all its magnificence, exactly as did Wagner in his greatest operas and Tolkien in his Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion. Review: Four Stars - I like Norse mythology. This fits right in. ## Features - Orders are despatched from our UK warehouse next working day. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #780,696 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #77 in Norse & Icelandic Sagas (Books) #5,771 in Folklore (Books) #14,724 in Classic Literature & Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 90 Reviews | ## Images ![The Saga of the Volsungs (Legends from the Ancient North) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/919jQIoochL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Inspiration For Wagner and Tolkien *by J***D on February 6, 2014* The Saga of the Volsungs is a series of interconnected poems written in thirteenth century Iceland by an anonymous author, telling the tale of the hero Sigurd the Dragon Slayer and his magic ring of power. This handsome edition, part of Penguin's Tales of the Ancient North series, was translated by Jesse L. Byock, who has also provided an informative Introduction and extensive Notes. Most people will immediately recognize that The Saga of the Volsungs was an inspiration for some of the works of Richard Wagner and J.R.R. Tolkien. But there is more to savor in these poems than just the dragons and heroes, magic rings and fabulous swords, which the names Wagner and Tolkien will bring to mind. Sigurd's tale is a great adventure, and Byock's masterful translation and helpful Notes illuminate it and add even more power and drama. Most of all, Sigurd's adventure depicts the tumultuous and beautiful world of the ancient Norse in all its magnificence, exactly as did Wagner in his greatest operas and Tolkien in his Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Four Stars *by A***R on August 20, 2016* I like Norse mythology. This fits right in. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great edition of a Wonderful translation of a terrific saga! *by C***G on January 6, 2014* Jesse Byock produces a wonderful prose translation of the Volsungsaga. Great complementary explanatory notes make this an easy and thoroughly enjoyable read. For those who revel in the stories of old, or those who might want to see how Wagner took this myth and compressed it... I would say this story should be on everyone's reading list. Few, if any, of the stories of the north are this easy and yet so rewarding to pick up and read... Also this particular edition... Beautiful. Just beautiful... I might just have to pick up the other "Legends from the ancient North" despite the fact that I have all of the extant texts in other translations... ## Frequently Bought Together - The Saga of the Volsungs (Legends from the Ancient North) - The Elder Edda: A Book of Viking Lore (Penguin Classics) - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/9103791-the-saga-of-the-volsungs-legends-from-the-ancient-north](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/9103791-the-saga-of-the-volsungs-legends-from-the-ancient-north) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-09-27*