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“The Legend of Sigurð and Guðrun is yet another wonderful posthumous publication from J.R.R. Tolkien, this time a poetic treatment of the most famous of Northern legends, the tale of the Volsungs. Drawing from sources such as the Codex Regius of the Elder Edda, Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, and the Volsunga saga, Tolkien constructed a retelling of the ancient legend in the original fornyrðislag alliterative meter used in Eddic poetry. This is not a translation of an existing poem, but an entirely new creation. The story follows the family known as the Volsungs, culminating in Sigurð, who slays the dragon Fafnir and is tragically killed by newfound allies as a result of their betrayal and manipulations. It then follows the fate of Sigurð's wife, Guðrun, as she faces sorrow and threat of violence in the wake of his death.
The poetry is very well-constructed, written in a terse, energetically formal meter that demands, Attend! This is life or death! As all good Northern poetry should. That quality was present in Beowulf as well, and is something that I find delicious and invigorating. The book also comes with a lengthy introduction and appendices explaining the history of the poem, the cultural background, the writing process and the structure of its meter. These parts can be skipped by those not interested in them, but I found them among the most fascinating aspects of the book and am very glad they were included. As always, Christopher Tolkien has done a great job not only editing and introducing his father's work, but putting it into the context which it deserves. ”
Michael wrote this review Thursday, July 9 2009.
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