About FDU Press

Written by a Professor of English at Gallaudet University and an expert on Germanic languages, literatures, and mythologies, Oedipus Borealis: The Aberrant Body in Old Icelandic Myth and Saga poses the argument that many well known figures in the Icelandic saga are based on mythic prototypes. Drawing commonalities between saga heroes and mythic figures such as a physical deformity linked with sexual deviance and supernatural powers, and noting that modern narratives sharply contrast with the myth and saga by establishing aberrance as the sign of a villain or victim, Oedipus Borealis offers a scholarly and studious study of the symbolism within myths including that Oedipus, tales of gods and giants, Egil Bald-Grim’s son, and other characters as well as the saga skalds themselves. A heavily researched and evenly weighed study that succinctly retells myths as needed to espy core similarities within the ancient tales, recommended for academic library mythology study and reference shelves.