Gudrun: A Mediaeval Epic

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 587K words
Chapters: 59

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Gudrun: A Mediaeval Epic by Mary Pickering NicholsAuthor: ,Language: English, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Jun 27, 2014

Editor's review

Gudrun is a medieval German epic, translated into English by Mary Pickering Nichols and released by Project Gutenberg as a free public-domain ebook. It belongs to the same Germanic heroic epic tradition as the Nibelungenlied but has a gentler tone, centering on loyalty, betrothal, family honor, and female steadfastness; the story moves through court intrigue, a sea disaster, and a long vengeance before reaching reconciliation. For general readers it is both an accessible entry into medieval Germanic narrative literature and a reading experience distinct from Norse heroic sagas. The English translation preserves the epic's stanzaic form and formulaic style, suiting slow reading and comparative study. Being a free electronic edition, it is low-cost to obtain and especially suitable for classroom selections, comparative literature assignments, or self-study by folklore enthusiasts. Readers are advised to first grasp the main character relationships before entering the long dialogues and scene descriptions, which makes the oral-traditional rhythm easier to appreciate.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in medieval European epic and Germanic heroic literature
Comparative literature or foreign language students needing a public-domain English translation as course material
Readers of classical narrative who enjoy themes of loyalty, revenge, and reconciliation
Those who want free access to classic texts for slow reading and self-study

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced modern fiction and lack patience for epic formulas and long sentences
Beginners who want a Chinese translation or detailed scholarly annotations
Those wholly unfamiliar with medieval family lineages and courtly etiquette who are unwilling to fill the gap

Reading tips

Read an introduction to the epic's background first, clarifying the main characters and family relationships before entering the text
Read section by section, summarizing the plot in a few sentences after each to avoid confusing characters
Do not dwell on repeated formulas word by word; focus on shifts in stance and emotion in the dialogue
Use a map or notes to understand medieval North Sea and court geography, enhancing the sense of scene

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is the English translation suitable for non-native English readers?

The translation is generally clear, but it preserves the epic's stanzaic form and some archaic expressions, so non-native readers need a certain foundation in English reading. It is advisable to read the introduction or a plot summary first, then proceed section by section; slow down at long sentences and do not try to finish in one sitting.

What is the relationship between Gudrun and the Nibelungenlied?

Both belong to the medieval Germanic heroic epic tradition and are often discussed together, but their stories and characters differ. Gudrun emphasizes loyalty, betrothal, and final reconciliation, with a gentler tone. Knowing the Nibelungenlied helps for comparative reading but is not a prerequisite for understanding this book.

Does this edition include annotations or an introduction?

According to the provided information, this is a public-domain electronic text released by Project Gutenberg, offering mainly the work's text and basic bibliographic information; no detailed scholarly annotations or introduction are stated. For deeper background, consult separate introductory materials on medieval Germanic literature.

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Project Gutenberg is not a single author but a nonprofit digital library founded by Michael Hart in 1971 and one of the world's earliest free ebook platforms. It relies on volunteers to digitize, proofread, and freely distribute public-domain works and is now operated by the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Its collection contains 2,692 works, mainly religious texts, epics, and story collections, including the King James Bible and the Douay-Rheims volumes, the epic Mahabharata, a literal translation of the Arabian Nights, and Danish editions of the Old and New Testaments. Public information is limited, and its nature is closer to a public-interest compiling and dissemination body; these texts are open to the public, easy to consult and circulate, and have had a profound influence on the spread of ebooks and the preservation of public-domain resources.