I have enjoyed seeking out new collections of Norse mythology to read ever since I first discovered a few brief tales at the back of Edith Hamilton's Mythology way back in my grade-school days. I found Padraic Colum's Nordic Gods & Heroes at a used book sale, and of course I had to take it home with me.

Although my edition of the book was printed in 1996, I discovered it was actually a reprint of a 1920 publication. Accordingly, the early chapters include a few asides to the "beloved reader" that I always find annoying in many books from that era. Fortunately, they are not excessive and are easily ignored.

Although not specifically marketed to young readers, the myths have been sanitized a bit. For instance, when Loki takes the form of a pretty little mare to lure a giant's stallion away from a building project, Colum writes that the two horses were "wandering" and "playing so nicely" together that the stallion Svathilfari forgot his work. In the original myth, a good bit more occurred; suffice it to say that Loki gave birth to Sleipnir, an eight-legged horse, soon after. Similarly, in the Vanir goddess Freya's quest for the necklace Brisingamen, the original myths say she was coerced to "lie with" four dwarves before achieving her desire. In Colum's book, the dwarves merely kissed and teased her.

Otherwise, Nordic Gods & Heroes is an enjoyable retelling of the Norse mythology. You'll find all of the familiar stories from the sagas, as well as a few that are less well-known. Some, especially in the early stages, are a bit silly -- such as Thor and Loki's adventures among the giants of Jotunheim -- while others, such as the death of Odin's son Baldur, are tragic. Sometimes the gods are noble, aiding humans, and at other times they are deceitful, tricking their foes in dishonorable fashion.

Other tales recount how Thor gained his hammer Mjolnir and Odin received the wisdom from Mimir's well, how Iduna lost the golden apples that keep the gods young and Loki brought a dwarf's curse on the gods, why Frey gave up his magic sword and Tyr lost his right hand, how Asgard's walls were built and the Fenrir Wolf was fettered, how Sigurd of the Volsungs came to slay Fafnir the gold-hoarding dragon and win -- and then lose -- the heart of the valkyrie Brynhild.

And all of it leads, inexorably, to Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods, when the gods must die to protect the world from evil.

And that, truly, is the strength of Norse mythology. The gods are silly at times, petty and greedy at others, but always they march towards their destiny, which is to die in a mighty battle, saving the world from evil. Though brief, the final chapter on Ragnarok is the best part of the book.

Minor quibbles aside, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Colum's interpretations of these classic myths. Anyone interested in the Norse pantheon -- and I don't mean the characters popularized in Marvel's cinematic universe -- could do far worse than to read this excellent volume.