pWilliam Morris is more widely known for his beautifully designed 'Arts and Crafts' wallpapers, but his first love was ancient Nordic Poetry, and especially the 13th century Icelandic 'Volsunga Saga'. Morris was obsessed with this tale from his youth, and over many years penned a 10,000 line epic poem that, on publication, was accorded high praise by such literary luminaries as George Bernard Shaw and T. E. Lawrence. The saga tells the History of the Volsungs, a tale strewn with epic battles, supernatural visitations, dragon-guarded treasures, enchanted swords forged from ancient weapons, magical rings, beautiful maidens, undying loves and implacable hatreds. The motifs and themes in the 'Volsunga Saga' have inspired a host of artistic works, among them Richard Wagner's 'Der Ring des Nibelungen' and J. R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'. William Morris' full poem proved taxing for most readers, and a shorter version - with some of the less compelling episodes pr cised by W Turner and H S