The Poetic Edda: Mythological poemsUrsula Dronke This volume presents a wholly new edition of five of the most brilliant and celebrated poems of the Poetic Edda: 'The Sibyl's Prophecy', 'The Rigmarole of Rigr', 'Wayland's Poem', 'Skirnir's Lay', and 'Loki's Quarrel'. New textual readings and interpretations are established. New light is shed on the Franks Casket and on King Alfred's interest in Wayland; new links are found between the Viking and Christian worlds. A close translation accompanies the text to give the non-specialist reader a transparent and rhythmic sense of the original. For each poem the sequence of ideas is traced in the introduction and the interpretation substantiated by a detailed commentary. Much consideration is given to the themes of the poems and the ancient ideas in which they are rooted: analogues come from many sources - Irish, Anglo-Saxon, Sanskrit, African, and Finnish. The excellence and variety of the poems give a rare insight into the genius of oral poets of the Viking age. |
Contents
Text and Translation | 7 |
Introduction | 25 |
a voluspá within Voluspá | 48 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
Æsir Æsir-Vanir war AEW s.v. allusion alvítr archaic Baldr Boðvildr Bragi Christian cited commentary context death divine dwarfs earth Egill Freyja Freyr Frigg Fritzner s.v. Gerðr giant gods Grím Hákon hár Háv Hávamál heathen Heimdallr hón human hvat Icelandic initial capital Jarl killing king Konr Ungr konungr lausavísa legend lines Lokasenna Loki LP s.v. magic meirr Mímir myth Níðuðr Norse Óðinn parallel phrase poem poet poet's poetic prose Ragnarok reference refrain stanzas Ríg Rígr Rígspula runes s.vv Saga seiðr sequence shamanic Skaði Skírnir Skírnismál Skjald Snorri stanza suggest Surtr svá swan maidens sword symbolic term theme tradition Vafp valkyrie Vanir variant Velent verse við Víðarr Vkv Introd Völundarkviða Volundr Voluspá volva Vsp Introd Weland wife wolf world tree Ymir þat þeir þér Þórr Þórr's