then I finished reading The Pre-Christian Religions of the North!

After 2,122 pages, I've leveled up my Norse Lore studies by consuming all four volumes of The Pre-Christian Religions of the North!

Inarguably the new standard academic reference work on Norse Mythology, as of its publication in 2020 CE it establishes a current baseline on what we believe we know about the Norse Gods and references all the possible usable contexts from literature, archaeology, anthropology, ancient sources, folklore, and comparative mythology/beliefs/culture, taking a much needed interdisciplinary approach that tends to support each other, though contrary and conflicting elements and analyses are openly noted, which only adds to the amazing scope of this offering.

Breaking the overview of this History and Structures set down into its respective volumes, we get:

Volume I: Basic Premises and Consideration of Sources

Volume II: Social, Geographical, and Historical Contexts, and Communications Between Worlds

Volume III: Conceptual Frameworks: The Cosmos and Collective Supernatural Beings

Volume IV: The Christianization Process, Bibliography, and Index.

Retailing at ~$520 USD (I found a set used for $425, which was super lucky), you're asking yourself if it's worth it. What I want to say is that if you're late early to nascently intermediary in your pursuit of Old Norse studies, and know deep down inside you're super-serious about it, pull the trigger. You're going to get chapters by heavy-hitters in the field: Price, Gunnell, Nordvig, Simek, Clunies Ross, Brink, Mitchell, Sundqvist, plus more from the editors/writers Schjødt, Lindow, and Andrén, who had to have worked hard overtime to bring the comprehensiveness of this set together.

Deal is, if you've already gone ahead and advanced to read the Eddas, Gesta Danorum, Völsunga Saga, Nibelungenlied, Complete Sagas of Icelanders, Germania, some Davidson, contributors' key papers on Academia.edu, caught up & kept up with the major archaeological finds, watched reputable content producers in the cybervikingsphere, and taken in a fair amount about the ancient Germanics and medieval Scandinavians, then you're going to know a majority of this, and could consider begging off.

But even then in my knowing that majority I'm still glad I got it since every so often there were odd accounts I'd never run across before, or the writers would frame something in a way I hadn't thought of, and for that minority of material I'm still grateful I went for it.

And when you finally cross the text's finish line into those last 256 pages of bibliography, you might feel the sweet finality of accomplishment, but then your inner-Óðinn is compelled to start drinking from that Urðarbrunnr of rich sources to wishlist/bookmark all the ones you somehow actually hadn't heard of, so that's ([kind of] passion or OCD-wise) a bonus.

My big beef was the rather disappointing black & white photos, some really low resolution, since at such a huge retail cost having clear color photos would not been out of the question.

And the text parenthetically references its own chapters quite a bit, but unless you're carrying all four volumes with you (and you won't be), there isn't a chapter list for you to look at outside of the one at the front which is limited to its own contents, so adding an appendix page in the back of each to cover that would've been an easy thing.

After the first three books, Volume IV feels like an unexpectedly sad denouement as it covers the conversion and reasons behind the end of Norse Polytheism, and it's written by a different assemblage of authors who're more expert in the unfolding of monotheism in the regions they are historical experts on. And while that curiously unexpected religious fall away isn't as exciting as its rise & deep details of praxis in the preceding volumes (which is why & what, like most, you probably came for), it is an important part of the story and answers how the new faith manages to spread and occur (... over what could-have-been).

Also with the availability of the PCRN, the reality is that we're never going to see the previous standard reference, the 37 volume [woah!] Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (2nd edition, 1973-2008 CE) ever translated into English, so be grateful for the much more "succinct" PCRN with all its updates in light of newer discoveries & thought applied toward concepts & ideas between then's RdGA and now's PCRN.

And yes, the PCRN is a huge commitment not only of money but of time. It actually took me over a year to read it (hey, I've a day job, this blog, my major mapping project, creative endeavours, real world investigative Norse Mythology, and social/familial obligations), so bear that additional life cost in mind.

And a final perspective check about the price versus the assembled contents: Think about what a couple semesters of university survey classes in literature, philology, mythology, archaeology, ancient studies, medieval history, Viking Age culture, and comparative religion under these very professors would run you (plus dorm costs, awful caf food, and stupid parking permits!), and that makes the PCRN a relative bargain. Still, it would be nice if publisher Brepols included at least an Associates Degree upon proof of completion (and hey Háskóli Íslands, can you mail me an honorary VMN doctorate? Twelve years of blogging is pretty much a dissertation).

Okay, now that the above four-volume red set's off my Norse Studies TBR pile, the two-volume blue PCRN: Research and Reception set awaits! Yay! Will let you know when I get to it, NorsePlayers!

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Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants at age seven. Since then he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the Map of Midgard project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay. If you have employment/opportunities in investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.