The Poetic Edda

Carolyne Larrington

Oxford University Press, 1999 - Fiction - 323 pages

The collection of Norse-Icelandic mythological and heroic poetry known as thePoetic Eddacontains the great narratives of the creation of the world and the coming of Ragnarok, the Doom of the Gods. The mythological poems explore the wisdom of the gods and giants, narrating the adventures of the god Thor against the hostile giants and the gods' rivalries amongst themselves. The heroic poems trace the exploits of the hero Helgi and his valkyrie bride, the tragic tale of Sigurd and Brynhild's doomed love, and the terrible drama of Sigurd's widow Gudrun and her children. Many of the poems predate the conversion of Scandinavia to Christianity, allowing us to glimpse the pagan beliefs of the North. Since the rediscovery of thePoetic Eddain the seventeenth century, its poetry has fascinated artists as diverse as Thomas Gray, Richard Wagner, and Jorge Luis Borges. This is the first complete translation to be published in Britain for fifty years, and it includes a scholarly introduction, notes, a genealogy of the gods and giants, and an index of names. With a new, modern package this title is an invaluable classic for your bookshelf.

What people are saying

Review: The Poetic Edda

User Review  - Fox - Goodreads

I bought this book several years ago and by several I mean many but never got around to reading it in its entirely. I thought it was about time I did that, so.. well, I did. Although it took me ages ...

Review: The Poetic Edda

User Review  - Chalchihut - Goodreads

I mistaken the book to be a novel that I can read non-stop but I was wrong. It was pretty heavy to do justice to reading. Although considering the original language and how hard the translation would ...

Contents

• THE SEERESSS PROPHECY: 3
• SAYINGS OF THE HIGH ONE: 14
• VAFTHRUDNIRS SAYINGS: 39
• GRIMNIRS SAYINGS: 50
• SKIRNIRS JOURNEY: 61
• HARBARDS SONG: 69
• HYMIRS POEM: 78
• LOKIS QUARREL: 84
• THRYMS POEM: 97
• THE LAY OF VOLUND: 102
• ALLWISES SAYINGS: 109
• THE FIRST POEM OF HELGI HUNDINGSBANI: 114
• THE POEM OF HELGI HIORVARDSSON: 123
• A SECOND POEM OF HELGI HUNDINGSBANI: 132
• THE DEATH OF SINFIOTLI: 142
• GRIPIRS PROPHECY: 143
• THE LAY OF REGIN: 151
• THE LAY OF FAFNIR: 157
• THE LAY OF SIGRDRIFA: 166
• FRAGMENT OF A POEM ABOUT SIGURD: 174
• THE FIRST LAY OF GUDRUN: 177
• A SHORT POEM ABOUT SIGURD: 182
• BRYNHILDS RIDE TO HELL: 192
• THE DEATH OF THE NIFLUNGS: 195
• THE SECOND LAY OF GUDRUN: 196
• THE THIRD LAY OF GUDRUN: 203
• ODDRUNS LAMENT: 205
• THE LAY OF ATLI: 210
• THE GREENLANDIC POEM OF ATLI: 217
• THE WHETTING OF GUDRUN: 234
• THE LAY OF HAMDIR: 238
• BALDRS DREAMS: 243
• THE LIST OF RIG: 246
• THE SONG OF HYNDLA: 253
• THE SONG OF GROTTI: 260
• Explanatory Notes: 264
• Annotated Index of Names: 298

About the author

Carolyne Larrington is Senior Research Fellow at Montfort University, Leicester.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Poetic Edda; Oxford World's Classics; The world's classics
• Editor: Carolyne Larrington
• Translated by: Carolyne Larrington
• Contributor: Carolyne Larrington
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1999
• ISBN: 0192839462, 9780192839466
• Length: 323 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology; Poetry / Ancient & Classical