She Speaks: The Women of Norse Myths in Their Own Words

We know the Norse Gods – Odin, Thor, Loki and others. What about the Goddesses?  Honor Cargill-Martin gives them voices. We meet Freyja, her chariot drawn by magical cats, Idun whose golden apples give them all eternal youth, Skadi, Hervor, Brynhildr, Frigg and others less well known. It is an exciting gathering. Their words are bold as each steps forward to present their stories, dramatic, immediate. They are supported by the vivid images created by Pauliina Hannuniemi. We open the covers to see the world of the Norse myths –through Midgard, across the rainbow bridge, Bifrost to the towers of Asgard, together Helheim with the realms of the Vanir, the giants and dwarves all linked by the great tree Yggdrasill. We follow each goddess as she talks, the pages full of colour and decoration. Cargill-Martin provides a brief – but welcome introduction, and then at the end adds further background to each character, placing them firmly in Norse mythology; each narrative is a dramatic enactment of details within the myths, shining a light on these powerful women. Finally there is a brief bibliography.  This will surely attract young readers today. The voices are relentlessly contemporary – ‘Only if I get first dibs?’ – says Frey as she bargains with Odin. This is very much the language of the classroom today bringing familiarity to the text. However, in the reading, the result is almost too direct, the tone and characterisation too similar across the collection, the magic lessened.  Nevertheless, backed up as it is by impressive scholarship, this is a collection to attract a young audience in the classroom and the library bringing these ancient stories to life.