The Broken Sword

E816139

The Broken Sword is a 1954 dark fantasy novel by Poul Anderson that blends Norse mythology with a tragic, high-stakes tale of humans, elves, and gods.

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Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf novel
revised edition
author Poul Anderson NERFINISHED
Poul Anderson NERFINISHED
centralObject magical sword
comparedTo The Lord of the Rings NERFINISHED
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
genre dark fantasy
high fantasy
mythic fantasy
hasCharacter Fredia NERFINISHED
Imric NERFINISHED
Skafloc NERFINISHED
The Broken Sword (weapon) NERFINISHED
Valgard NERFINISHED
hasEdition 1971 revised edition of The Broken Sword
hasMotif bargains with supernatural powers
changeling child
doom-laden prophecy
hasMythologicalElement Celtic elements
Norse gods NERFINISHED
elves
trolls
hasReception critical praise for imaginative power
cult classic status in fantasy literature
noted for its violence and bleakness
hasTheme conflict between humans and elves
identity and duality
tragic fate
war among gods and supernatural beings
hasWeapon cursed sword
influencedBy Norse mythology NERFINISHED
language English
literarySetting Scandinavia NERFINISHED
Viking Age NERFINISHED
movement pre-Tolkien modern fantasy
narrativePerspective third-person narration
notableFor grim and tragic tone
integration of Norse myth into secondary-world fantasy
use of archaic-sounding prose style
originalLanguage English
publicationYear 1954
1971
publisher Abelard Press NERFINISHED
timePeriodOfPlot era of Viking raids in Britain

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Poul Anderson notableWork The Broken Sword