A handsome Folio Society edition of Legends of the Ring, selected and edited by Elizabeth Magee and illustrated with striking wood engravings by Simon Brett. This substantial volume gathers the great medieval traditions surrounding the legendary Ring and the Nibelungs, bringing together both Scandinavian and Germanic source material in a single beautifully produced edition. The work is divided into The Ring Legends of Scandinavia and The Ring Legends of Germany, drawing on traditions including the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, the Völsunga Saga, and the Nibelungenlied.
The book comprises 694 pages, preceded by an extensive introduction by Magee, and is illustrated with a sequence of dramatic black-and-white wood engravings by Simon Brett. The Folio Society presentation is particularly attractive, with a quarter black leather binding, gilt spine lettering, richly illustrated cloth boards, and red top edge, housed in its original black slipcase.
The dark red, black, and gilt cover design complements the epic character of the text, while the oversized gilt title along the leather spine gives the volume an imposing shelf presence. The accompanying slipcase shows some light handling and edge wear, while the book itself presents very well.
An impressive collectible edition for admirers of Norse mythology, Germanic legend, medieval literature, Wagnerian source material, and fine press books, combining an important collection of legendary texts with the craftsmanship for which the Folio Society is known.
Details: Legends of the Ring • Selected and edited by Elizabeth Magee • Illustrated by Simon Brett • The Folio Society, London • 2004 • 694 pages • Quarter black leather with illustrated cloth boards • Gilt spine lettering • Original black slipcase • Scandinavian and German Ring legends.