Old Norse – Old Icelandic: Concise Introduction to the Language of the Sagas is a new upgraded second edition in the “Viking Language Old Norse Series” from Jules William Press. Answering the need for a modern Old Norse primer, it is designed for self-learning, class teaching, and remote instruction. The straightforward, incremental approach requires no previous foreign language knowledge.

The book provides everything necessary to read the sagas. The 17 self-contained lessons are short and supply all necessary vocabulary, grammar, and explanations. Each lesson is built around original passages from Icelandic sagas and Norse mythological sources, so that students read original material from the first lesson. Exercises in each lesson greatly assist the beginner and those more advanced.

The book contains an extensive Old Norse Reference Grammar, a Pronunciation Guide, and a full Vocabulary of All Words and Phrases. The Old Norse passages in the lessons are drawn from a wide variety of sagas and sources, including: Egil's Saga; Ragnar Lodbrok´s Saga; Njal's Saga; History of the Kings of Norway (Heimskringla); The Book of Settlements (Landnámabók); The Prose Edda; Saga of the Families of Weapon's Fjord; Saga of the Ynglings; Saga of the Foster-Brothers; Tale of Thorstein Staff-Struck; Saga of Gisli Sursson; Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue; Saga of Havard; Saga of Hrafnkell the Priest of Frey; Saga of Magnus Erlingsson; Saga of Olaf Tryggvason. A free Answer Key and further resources can be found at www.oldnorse.org)