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fieldofhats's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
I feel like I need to rate these two sagas separately because they are extremely different in quality and tone. The Saga of the Volsungs is a solid 4 stars; the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok is 2 stars. Of course, I’m glad both of these texts exist and I’m glad to have read both of them for research and Pagan purposes, but that does not change the fact that Ragnar’s saga was awful. Especially when compared to the Volsunga Saga, or any other mainstream saga. The total combined rating for this volume is 2.5 stars, rounded up because I love the Volsunga Saga.
The Saga of the Volsungs is incredible. The characters are fascinating, and each of them have distinct flaws that become their ruin in the end. The emotional turmoil of the story is palpable, especially with the death of Sigurd and everything around that. I will say, though, that I prefer the Poetic Edda’s version of this saga, but it is nice to have this version to compare and contrast.
The saga of Ragnar Lothbrok is a sorry excuse for a sequel to the Volsunga Saga, and not a very good story in general. The very beginning, the cinderella-like story with the spear-point, was fantastic, but the rest was extremely lacking. It’s a story about death, avenging that death excessively with raids, and then more raids just for the fun of it. It’s a very stereotypical Viking saga, which I guess is why it’s so popular, but compared to the emotional intricacies of the Volsunga Saga, it’s just plain bad.
I think the crucial difference between the two sagas are with the characters, specifically the main characters. Sigurd is a good man who only makes war when he’s obligated to. It talks about him going out with Gjuki’s sons, but that’s never the focus of the story. He is a man of love, regret, shame, and strength. He is complex, and so are most of the other characters in that saga. Ragnar, by contrast, simply is not. He isn’t particularly wise, he loves war, and he rapes his wife… As his son, Ívar, says, “[Ragnar] is too proud and deals unrighteously with others” and is thus “shameful”. And his sons are, arguably, worse. His wife, Kráka/Randalín, is an independent and outspoken character (and is one of the two most interesting characters because of that), but doesn’t actually get any development. Ívar is sort of like Randalín in that he has some depth, but not a whole lot of development. He’s clever, and that trait stands out; but he’s still bent on murder and revenge, as we see in the last few chapters of the saga. And furthermore, none of the other characters have any distinct traits. They all blend together.
If you’re looking for something fun to read, the Saga of the Volsungs is entertaining, engaging, and emotionally impactful. The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok is the opposite of that. If you’re a Pagan, both sagas have a lot of references and allusions that are worth reading for, so it would probably be good to read. Otherwise, stay away from Ragnar’s saga.
The Saga of the Volsungs is incredible. The characters are fascinating, and each of them have distinct flaws that become their ruin in the end. The emotional turmoil of the story is palpable, especially with the death of Sigurd and everything around that. I will say, though, that I prefer the Poetic Edda’s version of this saga, but it is nice to have this version to compare and contrast.
The saga of Ragnar Lothbrok is a sorry excuse for a sequel to the Volsunga Saga, and not a very good story in general. The very beginning, the cinderella-like story with the spear-point, was fantastic, but the rest was extremely lacking. It’s a story about death, avenging that death excessively with raids, and then more raids just for the fun of it. It’s a very stereotypical Viking saga, which I guess is why it’s so popular, but compared to the emotional intricacies of the Volsunga Saga, it’s just plain bad.
I think the crucial difference between the two sagas are with the characters, specifically the main characters. Sigurd is a good man who only makes war when he’s obligated to. It talks about him going out with Gjuki’s sons, but that’s never the focus of the story. He is a man of love, regret, shame, and strength. He is complex, and so are most of the other characters in that saga. Ragnar, by contrast, simply is not. He isn’t particularly wise, he loves war, and he rapes his wife… As his son, Ívar, says, “[Ragnar] is too proud and deals unrighteously with others” and is thus “shameful”. And his sons are, arguably, worse. His wife, Kráka/Randalín, is an independent and outspoken character (and is one of the two most interesting characters because of that), but doesn’t actually get any development. Ívar is sort of like Randalín in that he has some depth, but not a whole lot of development. He’s clever, and that trait stands out; but he’s still bent on murder and revenge, as we see in the last few chapters of the saga. And furthermore, none of the other characters have any distinct traits. They all blend together.
If you’re looking for something fun to read, the Saga of the Volsungs is entertaining, engaging, and emotionally impactful. The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok is the opposite of that. If you’re a Pagan, both sagas have a lot of references and allusions that are worth reading for, so it would probably be good to read. Otherwise, stay away from Ragnar’s saga.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting