Tales and Legends of Sweden and Norway

"Tales and Legends of Sweden and Norway" is not your average folktale collection. Originally published in 1867 as part of the Fonthill Recreations series, it is full of descriptions of characters, customs, costumes, and occupations of the Scandinavian people, along with a great deal of myth, songs, legends and history. The storytelling takes the form of a conversation between a well-travelled uncle, who lives at Fonthill, and his nephews and nieces. These conversations and stories are written down from the perspective of the eldest child, a school-girl of sixteen, who intersperses them with descriptions of the family recreations, the walks, drives, visits, guests, and plays, and also with the spicy stories told at various periods for the entertainment of the home-circle, either by its own members, or by the visitors at the house.