Vikings came from a rich cultural heritage of storytelling and poetry. The poet was one of the most respected persons in Norse society and could always expect wealth and welcome in exchange for their talents. Even Odin the Allfather and the chief of the Aesir gods was a god of poetry. The tales of gods, heroes, and history found perpetual life in the mead halls of the Vikings. ...however, the Vikings never wrote any of it down. Viking lore might have fallen by the wayside and been lost to the mists of history, had it not been for a unique intellectual phenomenon in Iceland a century or more after the last Vikings died. In the middle of the 13th century more than 150 years after the last Vikings sailed the seas or stood in battle Iceland was undergoing a violent political crisis. This crisis of politics became a crisis of identity, and perhaps because of this, there was a strong intellectual impulse to record the remnants of their ancient heritage. For the first time, Viking lore was set down in writing for future generations to read. This creative impulse expressed itself in two forms: The first was the Eddas the collected poetry and myths of the Old Norse gods, goddesses, and heroes. But the second impulse may have been the more remarkable: the Icelanders set down the stories of their ancestors ordinary men and women. These sagas were a unique accomplishment in medieval literature. Even today, the sagas are recognized as one of the worlds great literary achievements and a forerunner of the modern novel. The Norse saga predicted the modern novel and has many similarities. Norse literature is the extension of Norse oral tradition and is one of the richest and most imaginative of cultural heritages anywhere. We are lucky that this body of work has survived and been passed down to us, and indeed it has influenced so many people in so many ways. We encourage the reader to try these fantastic poems, stories, and books to gain a fuller experience of this art and to be edified by the men and women who came before us. The lives, loves, and wisdom of the past can lead to better understanding and appreciation of what humanity shares regardless of time or distance.
