Norse Sagas

Long, long ago, in a land of sparkly snow, there were cozy wooden halls. Inside, a warm fire would crackle, crackle, crackle. The wind would whoosh outside, but everyone was safe and warm. People would gather close and listen to whispers. They were whispers of big adventures. They were whispers of brave heroes and tall ships sailing on the sea. Whoosh went the wind, and whoosh went the stories, from one friend to another. I am the Norse Sagas, the wonderful tales from the land of the Vikings.

First, I was just a story you could hear. I was not in a book. For many, many years, I was a whisper shared around the fire. Grandmas and grandpas told my stories to moms and dads, and they told them to their little children. This started a very long time ago, in the 8th century. After many sleepy nights and sunny days, way later in the 13th century, some very smart people in a place called Iceland wanted to keep my stories safe forever. So they decided to write me down. They took a feather, dip, dip, dipped it in dark ink, and wrote on special paper. They wrote all about brave explorers and strong gods like Thor and his mighty hammer. They saved me so I would never be lost.

My stories were very important. They helped people remember their families from long ago. My stories taught them how to be brave and kind. And guess what. I am still here today. You can find my adventures in books and see my heroes in movies and games. I am a little spark that helps you dream big dreams of your own. Every time you play and pretend, you are making a story, too. Your life is a wonderful story, just waiting to be told.