The World’s Story Volume VIII: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland and the Search for the Poles


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This is the eighth volume of the 15-volume series of The World’s Story: a history of the World in story, song and art, edited by Eva March Tappan. Each book is a compilation of selections from prose literature, poetry and pictures and offers a comprehensive presentation of the world's history, art and culture, from the early times till the beginning of the 20th century. Topics in Part VIII include excerpts from the Eddas, the life of the Vikings, the Scandinavian kings' fight for supremacy and the race towards the North and South Pole. - Summary by Sonia

Cast list for The ghost of Hamlet's father:
Bernardo: alanmapstone / Francisco: Jim Locke / Horatio: Eva Davis / Marcellus: Tomas Peter / Hamlet: Nemo / Narrator: Sonia

Chapters

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The humiliating entry of Sonnavater and Knut into Stockholm, by C. G. Hellquist, (Swedish artist, 1851-1890), painting frontispiece 2:23 Read by Sonia
Norway Part I: Stories from Scandinavian mythology: Historical note 2:01 Read by Sonia
The wolf Fenris, from the Younger Edda 6:54 Read by Sonia
The horse Sleipnir, from the Younger Edda 4:42 Read by Devorah Allen
Thor fishes for the Midgard Serpent, from the Younger Edda 5:15 Read by Tomas Peter
Thor among the giants, from the Younger Edda 12:37 Read by Philip Watson
The death of Balder, from the Younger Edda 12:35 Read by Philip Watson
Proverbs from the Eddas 1:24 Read by Sonia
Boinnis Glacier and river, photograph p. 28 2:43 Read by Jim Locke
Norway Part II: Tales of the sea-rovers: Historical note 2:12 Read by April6090
The discoverer of the North Cape (about 890), by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 6:20 Read by Nemo
The story of Hakon the Good (934-961), from the Heimskringla 19:01 Read by Jim Locke
Stories of Olaf Tryggvason (king of Norway from 996 to 1000) 14:05 Read by Devorah Allen
Iron-Beard, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 4:10 Read by cathar maiden
Stories of Olaf the Saint (1015-1030) 27:45 Read by Jim Locke
The ancient church of Göl, photograph p. 76 1:59 Read by Foon
King Magnus, who was reformed by a poem (reigned from 1035-1047), by Hjalmar H. Boyesen 11:33 Read by Wanda Wilkey
How King Harald Hard-Ruler gave his treasure for his life (1049), by Hjalmar H. Boyesen 4:53 Read by Jim Locke
How King Sigurd smoked out the pirates (1107), from the Heimskringla 3:20 Read by Chris Fields
Birchlegs carrying King Hakon, by Knut Bergslien (Norwegian painter, born 1827), painting p. 88 1:54 Read by cathar maiden
Norway Part III: Life in the Far North: Historical note 1:56 Read by Foon
Finn blood (nineteenth century), by Jonas Lie 17:01 Read by Jim Locke
A home in the North, photograph p. 92 2:35 Read by Foon
The Naerodal and Jordalsnut, photograph p. 100 2:34 Read by Foon
How the Laplanders live, by A. F. Mockler-Ferryman 11:46 Read by KevinS
Market day in the Far North, photograph p. 106 2:26 Read by Monika M. C.
The music of Ole Bull, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 4:37 Read by Alan Mapstone
Sweden Part I: Stories of Viking life and adventure: Historical note 2:35 Read by J. M. Smallheer
The hall of the early chiefs, by Henry Morley 2:14 Read by Tomas Peter
How the Swedes elected their king, by Neander N. Cronholm 2:19 Read by Alan Mapstone
How the Swedes learned of Christianity (850), by S. Baring-Gould 7:41 Read by Jim Locke
How Ragnar Lodbrog won a wife and a nickname, by Saxo Grammaticus 4:14 Read by cathar maiden
The defeat of the Jomsburg Vikings (983), by Neander N. Cronholm 7:47 Read by Phjodor
Sigrid the Haughty (about 988-1000) 35:23 Read by April6090
Sweden Part II: Tales from Swedish history: Historical note 2:18 Read by J. M. Smallheer
The blood-bath of Stockholm (1520), by William Widgery Thomas, Jr. 12:15 Read by Hopeforce1
Gustavus Vasa, the saviour of Sweden (1520), by William Widgery Thomas, Jr. 14:38 Read by Max Körlinge
The marriage of Gustavus Vasa (1523), by Wilhelm Jensen 12:58 Read by Max Körlinge
Gustavus Adolphus at Lützen (1632), by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller 18:01 Read by Jim Locke
The battle-song of Gustavus Adolphus, by Michael Altenburg 2:24 Read by Alan Mapstone
The crossing of the Little Belt (1658), by Z. Topelius 14:15 Read by Jim Locke
How the ''Madman of the North'' defended himself at Bender (1713), by François Marie Arouet Voltaire 28:23 Read by Jim Locke
Bringing home the body of Charles XII, by Gustav Olaf Cederström (Swedish painter, 1845), painting p. 208 2:46 Read by Alan Mapstone
The Nobel Prize, by Vance Thompson 25:58 Read by Availle
Denmark Part I: Tales of the Dark Ages: Historical note 2:42 Read by J. M. Smallheer
The ghost of Hamlet's father, by William Shakespeare 14:37 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
The play scene in ''Hamlet'', by Daniel Maclise (Irish painter, 1806-1870), painting p. 234 1:55 Read by Sonia
The slaying of the monster Grendel, retold by Florence Holbrook (from ''Beowulf'', an ancient epic poem of Denmark) 18:32 Read by Philip Watson
How King Rorik regained the tribute, by Saxo Grammaticus 7:40 Read by Philip Watson
The speaking of Prince Uffe the Speechless, by Saxo Grammaticus 14:47 Read by Philip Watson
The letter of King Canute (1027) 4:50 Read by Sonia
Waldemar Atterdag and the Hansa (1361), by Helen Zimmerman 9:23 Read by Colleen McMahon
Denmark Part II: Folk-stories and legends: Historical note 1:02 Read by J. M. Smallheer
King Volmer and Elsie, by John G. Whittier (after the Danish of Christian Winter) 9:38 Read by Tomas Peter
The King of Denmark's ride, by Caroline Norton 2:57 Read by Nemo
Molboer stories 6:08 Read by Jim Locke
Denmark Part III: Scenes from Danish history: Historical note 2:23 Read by J. M. Smallheer
The ''Madman of the North'' overcomes Copenhagen (1700), by François Marie Arouet Voltaire 9:00 Read by Colleen McMahon
King Christian (1677-1730), by Johannes Evald 2:56 Read by Alan Mapstone
Stories of Tordenskjöld the great Danish admiral (early eighteenth century) 10:05 Read by PatrS
The fall of Queen Caroline Mathilda (1772), by G. Hesekiel, from the memoirs of Baron Simolin 16:05 Read by Colleen McMahon
Hans Christian Andersen as a boy, by himself 12:17 Read by Devorah Allen
Iceland Part I: In Saga times: Historical note 2:31 Read by Alan Mapstone
How the Sagas came to be written, by Sabine Baring-Gould 4:19 Read by Tomas Peter
How the early Icelanders dressed, by J. Fulford Vicary 15:18 Read by Jim Locke
Paying visits in Saga time, by J. Fulford Vicary 13:27 Read by Jim Locke
How the laws were made in Saga time 2:11 Read by Sonia
Iceland Part II: Stories from the Icelandic Sagas: Historical note 2:31 Read by Alan Mapstone
The Irish in Thule (eighth century), from the Saga of Olaf Tryggvason 2:09 Read by Alan Mapstone
Glum and his man Ingolf (about 950), from ''Viga-Glum's Saga'' 14:22 Read by Jim Locke
How Kjartan of Iceland became a Christian (about 1000), from the Laxdaeler's Saga 15:57 Read by Jim Locke
Thangbrand the priest (about 1000), by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 5:26 Read by Nemo
How Grettir the outlaw saved the farmhouse (early eleventh century), from the Saga of Grettir the Strong, rewritten by Sabine Baring-Gould 9:21 Read by April6090
The burning of Njal (1014), from the Saga of Burnt Njal 12:59 Read by Kathrine Engan
How the boy Sigurd won the horse Greyfell, by William Morris 11:19 Read by KevinS
Iceland Part III: Iceland and its people: Historical note 2:25 Read by cathar maiden
The fire mountains of Iceland (1783), by Lord Dufferin 9:21 Read by Availle
Climbing Mount Hekla (1854), by Pliny Miles 11:13 Read by April6090
Waiting for the Great Geyser to spout (1874), by Bayard Taylor 14:56 Read by Availle
How Icelandic children get their surnames, by Mrs Disney Leith 2:43 Read by Sonia
Greenland Part I: Stories from the history of Greenland: Historical note 2:36 Read by Tomas Peter
How Eric the Red came to Greenland (983), by Dr. Isaac I. Hayes 10:45 Read by Jane Bennett
How the Greenlanders got a bishop (1126), by Dr. Isaac I. Hayes 9:56 Read by Jane Bennett
The search for the lost colonies of Greenland (1579-1671), by Dr. Henry Rink 10:24 Read by PatrS
The apostle to Greenland (1721-1736), by Jacob A. Riis 22:24 Read by Jim Locke
A model parliament, by Dr. Isaac I. Hayes 10:43 Read by Jim Locke
Greenland Part II: Stories of life in Greenland: Historical note 1:33 Read by Availle
Greenland customs of two centuries ago, by Hans Egede 8:51 Read by Jim Locke
How to build a ''woman's boat'', by Dr. Isaac I. Hayes 5:51 Read by Jim Locke
The Eskimos and their ways, from the Cornhill magazine 17:30 Read by Jim Locke
The farewell of the Greenlanders, from the Cornhill magazine 7:45 Read by Jim Locke
What is an iceberg ?, by Dr. Isaac I. Hayes 17:16 Read by Availle
Escaping from a glacier, by Dr. Isaac I. Hayes 14:58 Read by Availle
The search for the Poles Part I: Adventures in the frozen North: Historical note 1:42 Read by J. M. Smallheer
Spitzbergen, the island that belongs to no one, by Lord Dufferin 15:39 Read by April6090
Fifteen hundred miles of floating ice (1871-1872), by Hans Hendrik 20:49 Read by Kristine Bekere
How to build a snow-hut, by Roald Amundsen 17:05 Read by April6090
The Northwest Passage, by Sir John Everett Millais (English painter, 1829-1896), painting p. 518 2:13 Read by Tomas Peter
Paying a call in the Northwest Passage (1906), by Roald Amundsen 17:02 Read by Kristine Bekere
The search for the Poles Part II: The North Pole: Historical note 1:50 Read by J. M. Smallheer
The fate of Sir John Franklin (1849), by Elizabeth Doten 5:17 Read by Kristine Bekere
A balloon search for the North Pole (1897), by G. Firth Scott 5:21 Read by Devorah Allen
The attack of the ice (1893), by Fridtjof Nansen 13:28 Read by April6090
The discovery of the North Pole (1909), by Admiral Robert E. Peary 24:02 Read by Availle
Admiral Peary in his North-Pole costume, photograph p. 546 2:38 Read by Alan Mapstone
The search for the Poles Part III: The South Pole: Historical note 1:34 Read by J. M. Smallheer
In Antarctic winter quarters (1908-1909), by Sir Ernest H. Shackleton 21:00 Read by KevinS
Norway at the South Pole (1911), by Roald Amundsen 4:49 Read by KevinS
At the South Pole, photograph p. 574 2:45 Read by Alan Mapstone
The rivals in the Antarctic (1911), from Harper's Weekly 10:38 Read by KevinS
Captain Scott's last message (1912), by Robert F. Scott 5:29 Read by Sonia