Amleth's Tale - Audio Book
"Not idly do I wear the mask of folly, for I doubt not that he who destroyed his brother will riot as ruthlessly in the blood of his kindred."
Amleth's Tale is the original Danish legend that ultimately inspired Shakespeare's greatest play, Hamlet.
The story was first written in full by a Christian monk in the early years of the thirteenth century, charged with recording the legends of Denmark, to put them on a par with Greek classics such as Homer's writings.
The monk was Saxo Grammaticus, who wrote Gesta Danorum - The History of the Danes. The later volumes were history proper, though the first volumes are a treasure trove of myths and legends, mingling folklore, heathen religion, and heroic tales.
In 1905 Oliver Elton, an American scholar of English Literature, translated those folkloric volumes into English, preserving Saxo's bombastic turn of phrase into a language that is archaic, and reminiscent of Shakespeare, while accessible to the modern reader. The translation is a tour de force, and a work of literature in its own right.
Among these tales is that of Amleth, a young Danish prince, whose father has been murdered by his uncle. Fearing for his own life, Amleth feigns madness . . . .
"Amleth's Tale" is an inspiring story of danger, isolation, bravery, and above all cunning, as Amleth navigates the peril of a dark age royal intrigue, with episodes of magical surrealism. Just as Hamlet is Shakespeare's greatest play, Amleth's Tale is the brightest gem from Saxo's trove of Danish legends.
For the first time, this story is now available as an audio-book, recorded in a natural English accent. To purchase, please click "Buy" at the bottom of this page.
If you'd prefer to hear a free sample first, complete the form below:
Technical Info'
The text of "Amleth's Tale" is the latter half of Saxo's Book Three, which runs parallel to Shakespeare's Hamlet. The running time is 30 minutes, and the file collection includes an accompanying PDF file of Elton's masterly translation.
This is a 100% digital download product - there is no physical product, and no wait. The main part is a set of MP3 files, plus a PDF transcript. To read the PDF file, you can get a free PDF reader from Adobe.com, though alternative readers, like Sumatra PDF Reader, are also available.
Guarantee
If what you have read speaks to you, I don't want you to have any reason to hesitate in making a purchase, so I take all of the risk. In the unlikely event that you're less than delighted with these recordings, raise a support ticket within 60 days of purchase, and I will issue a full refund (see terms and conditions).
The price is £6 / $7. (Taxes may have to be added depending on circumstances.)
That's all. The decision is now yours. To be or not to be?