The prose Edda

Description

"Over a period of twenty years Snorri Sturluson, scholar, courtier and poet, compiled the prose Edda as a textbook for young poets who wished to praise kings. His work surveys the content, style and metres of traditional Viking poetry and includes a lengthy poem of Snorrie's own, praising the king of Norway. Ironically, Snorri was killed in his own cellar in Iceland in 1241 on the instigation of the king of Norway, as a result of political intrigue. The Edda contains the most extensive account of Norse myths and legends that has survived from the Middle Ages as well as the popular stories of Odin winning back the mead of poetic inspiration and Thor fishing for the Midgard serpent" --

Description

"The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse mythology. Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, it tells ancient stories of the Norse creation epic and recounts the battles that follow as gods, giants, dwarves and elves struggle for survival. It also preserves the oral memory of heroes, warrior kings and queens. In clear prose interspersed with powerful verse, the Edda provides unparalleled insight into the gods' tragic realization that the future holds one final cataclysmic battle, Ragnarok, when the world will be destroyed. These tales from the pagan era have proved to be among the most influential of all myths and legends, inspiring modern works as diverse as Wagner's Ring Cycle and Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings." "This new translation by Jesse Byock captures the strength and subtlety of the original, while his introduction sets the tales fully in the context of Norse mythology. This edition also includes detailed notes and appendices."--Jacket.

Subjects

Other Editions

• The prose Edda: Norse mythologyPenguin2005-01-01
• Edda Snorra SturlusonarGyldendals1924-01-01
• EddaÍslendingasagnaútgáfan1954-01-01
• The Prose EddaPaperbackUniversity of California Press1964-08-01
• The prose Edda of Snorri SturlusonUniversity of California Press1966-01-01
• The prose EddaAnglo-Scandinavian Foundation1967-01-01