Violence
A Duel By Night
“I would rather die here and now than let the 9 king’s daughters or their mother see me bound, and after that be insulted by all ladies and maidens as long as I live.” […]
Issues
Britons and Celts
A Self-Proclaimed Master
“They are surprised that, from all the great and striking subjects which the world can offer, I choose to extol in my writings and to adorn with all the flowers of my rhetoric those rugged countries.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Scandalous Empress
“Messalina, the wife of Claudius Ceasar, thinking it would be a royal triumph, chose to compete against a certain notorious prostitute.” […]
Human Affairs
A Righteous Fury
“Vigdis raised the purse and struck him on the nose with it, drawing blood; she accompanied this with a stream of derisive words, adding that he would never get the money back, and told him to clear off.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Mercy of Caesar
“t. But the enemy clearly had a preconcerted plan. They equipped themselves with arms that they had hidden, or with shields made of bark or wickerwork, and soon after midnight their whole force suddenly made a sortie at the point where our fortifications appeared easiest to scale.” […]
Britons and Celts
The Magic of Music
“When the fish heard him singing, they came up from the bottom and began to swim in a circle round the boat – in such a way that the brothers could not see beyond the fish anywhere, so great was the multitude of the different fishes swimming.” […]
Britons and Celts
A Taste of Welsh Kindness
“Here are two things worth remembering: the Irish are the most jealous people on earth, but the Welsh do not seem to know what jealousy is; and in every Welsh court or family the menfolk consider playing on the harp to be the greatest of accomplishments.” […]
Britons and Celts
What Makes a Man Turn Neutral?
“We wander through various regions of the air and the firmament and the earth, just like the other spirits that travel on their missions. But on holy days and Sundays we are given bodies such as you now see so that we may stay here and praise our creator.” […]
Greek and Roman
Unsatisfactory Mating
“All other animals derive satisfaction from having mated; man gets almost none.” […]
Human Affairs
The Coldest of Counsel
“You are remarkably unlike your noble kinsmen if you don’t want to avenge such a brother as Kjartan was. Your grandfather, Egil Skalla-Grimsson, would never have behaved like this. It is cruel to have such craven sons; and I for one believe it would have suited you better to have been your father’s daughters and been married off.” […]