The Best Way, and Perhaps the Only Way, to Speak Old Norse are these Pronunciation Albums
Learning or teaching Old Norse is easy with The Viking Language Series. These audio lessons enrich the Viking Language books. You embark on a journey to properly pronounce Old Norse, taking a deep dive into Icelandic sagas, heroic legends, Viking runes, Old Norse mythology and history.

Viking Language 1 (Third Edition):
Audio Lessons
“These audio albums make learning Old Norse pronunciation easy. Together with the Viking Language books,” one of our customers has said, “You have it all, history, myths, runes, and readings from the sagas.”
In these albums, you learn to pronounce Old Norse and Icelandic passages from native Icelanders Ása Bjarnadóttir and Magnús Lyngdal Magnússon. Readings are drawn from sagas, myths, and runes with introductions by Jesse Byock. These carefully crafted audio Mp3 albums coordinate with the lessons of Viking Language 1 (3rd Edition). They reinforce and speed up the learning. No previous foreign language knowledge is required!
Viking Language 1 (Second Edition):
Audio Lessons
““This is an absolute must have for any serious student of Old Norse. Good, clear pronunciation by a native Icelander, with plenty of readings.”
In addition to Viking Language 1 & 2, we’ve put together two MP3 audio albums that teach the pronunciation of saga passages and runes from the Viking Language series. The audio passages are spoken by native Icelander Ása Bjarnadóttir with introductions by Jesse Byock. Also available on iTunes.
Viking Language 2:
The Old Norse Reader
“The Dragon has landed! The long-awaited ‘Viking Language 2 – The Old Norse Reader,’ companion volume to ‘Viking Language 1,’ has, at last, arrived, and I’m in Viking Heaven!”
This reader is a stand-alone work that immerses the learner in Icelandic and Viking Age sources, including a wide selection of original texts about the Scandinavian gods and beliefs. It provides the tools necessary to read complete sagas and Norse mythic and heroic poetry. The book takes the student directly into the Viking World with introductions, history, notes, maps, and cultural discussions as well as comprehensive grammar and vocabulary sections. Where lessons contain exercises, answers given.

About the Authors
Jesse Byock is Distinguished Professor of Old Norse and Medieval Studies in the Scandinavian Section at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). With a Ph.D. from Harvard University, he is an archaeologist and specialist in Old Norse and the Viking Archaeology. In Iceland, he is professor at the University of Iceland, and Director of the Mosfell Archaeological Project (MAP). His publications include: Viking Age Iceland (Penguin), Grettir’s Saga (Oxford), The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer (Penguin), The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin), Feud in the Icelandic Saga (UC Press), The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki (Penguin), Islande des Vikings (Aubier Flammarion) and The Viking Language Series (Jules Williams Press).
Randall Gordon is a specialist in historical linguistics of Celtic and Germanic Languages, with concentrations on the development and grammar of Old Norse and Old Irish. He received his Ph.D. in Indo-European Studies from UCLA.
Getting Started With Old Norse
Check out the Old Norse Blog
Old Norse for Beginners: The Complete Guide
Welcome to our site, OldNorse.org! We seek to educate on Old Norse teaching Old Scandinavian language, culture, and sagas. Learn Old Norse–the language the runes and myths of the Vikings–through user-friendly textbooks, online content, and blog. Here you will find books, free content, audio resources, and a community of Old Norse students to aid teachers,…
















