Description
Good dust jacket, wear at the head and foot of spine and edges, tape repaired tears, stain on rear panel, some toning, clipped jacket. The Very Good binding is white cloth over boards, stamped design on cover, black lettering on spine, cover shows some toning, bottom edge has several spots that do not effect text. The binding is tight and pages are clean. The black-and-white illustrations by Charles Mikolaycak can be found through the book.
About the book: (from the dust jacket)
Gods and Goddesses, giants and dwarfs, heroes and horrible monsters spring to life in this epic tale.
It is the story of the creation of the world, as told by early Norsemen who battled the elements in primitive Iceland.
The tale begins when Balder, god of innocence and goodness, dreams of the beginning of the world and of its end. One-eyed Odin, father of the Gods, discovers the meaning of the dreams: Balder will die, and spring will come no more. The Gods are horrified, and Odin’s wife Frigga tries desperately- but fruitlessly- to prevent the tragedy.
Interwoven with the central story of Balder are many other tales about the vivid characters that inhabit Norse mythology. There are the adventures of the mighty Thor and his hammer called Mjollnar, which can smash giants, break mountains, and cause thunder as it flies through the air…the machinations of Loki, the magician who provides the Gods with their most precious gifts and their most dangerous enemies the episode in which the terrifying Fenris Wolf (whose open mouth touched both the earth and the sky) is immobilized by an invisible chain called Gleipnir… and much more.
First written down by Icelandic poets between 800 and 1200 A.D., these myths represent the Norsemen’s attempts to explain the world they lived in the harsh environment, the “good” and “evil” forces in nature, the change of the seasons, and the beginning of time itself.
A useful glossary of names and terms is included. And an afterword gives background information on the myths, as well as some little-known-and fascinating facts about Iceland
The dramatic illustrations by Charles Mikolaycak provide a perfect complement to the text.
About the author: (from the dust jacket)
CYNTHIA KING attended Bryn Mawr College and the University of Chicago and has worked as a magazine editor and free-lance writer. She now lives in Scarsdale, New York, with her husband and three sons
About the illustrator: (from the dust jacket)
CHARLES MIKOLAYCAK has won the American Institute of Graphic Arts award for book illustration and design, two awards from the Society of Illustrators of New York, the Chicago Book Fair Award, a citation from the New York Art Directors Club, and two awards from Arkwright- Interlaken International for book design. He lives in New York City.
