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The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes

Unknown,

Jackson Crawford (Goodreads Author) (Translator)

4.27 · Rating details · 7,856 ratings · 414 reviews

"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Here it is at last (Odin be praised!) and well worth the wait. These amazing texts from a 13th-century Icelandic manuscript are of huge historical, mythological and literary importance, containing the lion's share of information that survives today about the g

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Kindle Edition, 390 pages

Published March 15th 2015 by Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. (first published 1270)

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Daily Life of the Vikings by Kirsten Wolf

The Age of the Vikings by Anders Winroth

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Sep 11, 2011 Wood Wroth rated it it was ok · review of another edition

PLEASE NOTE: Due to poor organization of translations on this website, I must note that this is a review of Andy Orchard's translation of the "Poetic Edda", which he has titled "The Elder Edda: A Book of Viking Lore".

Being familiar with Andy Orchard's handbook on Norse mythology ("Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend", 1997) and finding it to be a nice middle ground between Rudolf Simek's deeply flawed handbook and the limited scope of John Lindow's own, it was with high hopes that I waited for ...more

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May 15, 2015 João Fernandes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: norse-literature, favorites

What I love the most about Norse literature and mythology is that the gods are all incredibly... for the lack of a better word, human. They suffer, they lust, they love, and they even seem to be quite mortal as far as gods go.

The Elder (or Poetic) Edda is a collection of 'poems' found in an ancient manuscript in Iceland, the Codex Regius.

The Elder Edda has a mythological section, with poems about the gods and the start and end of the world (the famous Ragnarok), and a heroic section.

I was surpri ...more

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Jan 13, 2012 sologdin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: medieval, never-were-any-human-spirits-saved

famous for being one of the earliest plagiarisms of professor Tolkien's LotR. ...more

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Jan 15, 2017 Markus rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, poetry, medieval, mythology, nordic-culture, old-norse

"Wits are needful for someone who travels widely,
anything will do at home;
he becomes a laughing-stock, the man who knows nothing
and sits among the wise."
- Hávamál

Arguably the greatest mythological masterpiece human civilisation has achieved, in my mind. But I'm biased for a variety of reasons; from being from the north, from researching its history and culture every day as a profession and from this being the main inspiration for my favourite literary author J. R. R. Tolkien.

I'll do a more prope ...more

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Jun 10, 2019 Cinda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, classics, norse-mythology

Based on my limited knowledge, Dr Crawford seems to have done an excellent job with the material. An important read for anyone interested in primary sources on Norse mythology. The stories themselves are long on plot, short on character development.

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Oct 24, 2013 John Snow rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Poetic Edda is not a book you read from beginning to end like a novel. The Poetic Edda contains 35 poems, some of which are very complicated. I usually read and study one or a few poems at a time, put the book aside, and then get back to it later. But the more times I read the poems, the more I appreciate their poetic qualities and the glimpses they give into the deep mysteries and wisdom of Norse mythology.

Together with The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson, The Poetic Edda is the best medieva The Poetic Edda is not a book you read from beginning to end like a novel. The Poetic Edda contains 35 poems, some of which are very complicated. I usually read and study one or a few poems at a time, put the book aside, and then get back to it later. But the more times I read the poems, the more I appreciate their poetic qualities and the glimpses they give into the deep mysteries and wisdom of Norse mythology.

Together with The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson, The Poetic Edda is the best medieval source for the study of Old Norse mythology and cosmology. The poems are about the creation of the world, of æsir and vanir (the two kind of gods), of giants, dwarves, elves, volvas, valkyries and all kinds of creatures, including the norns who decide our faith, and Yggdrasil, the World Tree. The poems tell how Thor fights the giants, of Freya's seductive powers, of Siv's beauty, and of Loki's treachery. But first of all the poems are about Odin's obsessive quest for knowledge and the truth about his own death in Ragnarok, the Doom of Goods. The Poetic Edda also tells the stories of Helgi Hundingsbane and his valkyrie bride and the tragic love between Sigurd the Dragonslayer and Brynhild.

It may seem out of place to recommend the reading of another book before you read the one which is up for review, but for the first-time reader who knows little about Norse mythology, Snorri's Edda is actually a better starting point. In his book Snorri explains the old poems and the myths, and the mythological stories are retold in plain prose. With this background it is easier to understand the poems in The Poetic Edda. But it definitely helps that the Oxford edition of the poems is equipped with an index, explanatory notes, genealogies, and an introduction.

Being accustomed to the rhythm and non-Latinate wordings of Norwegian translations, I find it a bit strange to read English versions of the old poems, but I am in no position to compare Carolyne Larrington's translation with other English translations. It is nevertheless very refreshing to get a new perspective on the poems given by another language. And, as I said in the beginning of the review, the more I read the Edda poems, the more impressed I get. ...more

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May 26, 2009 Mike rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: native speakers of Anglo-Saxon, etins

The introduction states that the Edda is "a repository, in poetic form" of mythology and heroic lore "bodying forth both the ethical views and the cultural life of the North during the late heathen and early Christian times." It is also, for the most part, boring as fuck. It may be an interesting read if you are a fan of English before it got corrupted by all those French and Latin borrowings, or don't mind stopping several times a page to find out the meaning of an obscure or terribly archaic w ...more

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Feb 02, 2017 Roman Clodia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Then Brynhild laughed - all the hall resounded - / just one time with all her heart: / 'Well may you enjoy the lands and followers / now you've brought the brave prince to his death'

Collected in the 13th century in the Codex Regius, the body of poetry here straddles Old Norse myth and heroic poetry from probably around the 10th century, a time when the pagan North was becoming Christianised. The heroic verse is primarily from the complicated tales of Helgi, Sigurd, Gunnar and the valkyrie Sigrd ...more

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Sep 01, 2017 Kate Elliott rated it it was amazing

Translations like this are what saves ancient literature otherwise doomed to death by obscurity. Dr. Crawford brings the Poetic Edda to life in a clever way that is easily accessible to all readers, without dumbing it down. Translations of the Edda have a high barrier to entry--they have to presuppose knowledge that casual readers generally neither have nor want, and the language tends to be difficult. This translation beautifully strikes that knife's edge balance between modernization and remai ...more

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Jul 06, 2020 Thomas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: western-canon, religion

Jackson Crawford's translation reads like Lattimore's translation of Homer; both of them sound overly literal at times, but in each case the original shines through. The poems here often read like fragments -- sometimes they are exactly that, fragments -- which again enhances the feeling that you're reading something closer to the original than the many reconstituted versions of the stories. I came to the Poetic Edda via Neil Gaiman's very entertaining Norse Mythology, and I came to that via Wag ...more

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Jun 10, 2019 Jackballoon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audies

I wish I hadn’t read all the gory details!

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Sep 24, 2009 Briynne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It turns out that I have a real thing for Scandinavian literature. Reading this and the sagas has made me a little obsessed with the idea of visiting Iceland. It’s hard for me to separate my thoughts on the eddas from my thoughts on the sagas and the most recent Sigrid Undset novel I’m reading, but I’m going to try to keep everything to it’s proper review space.

Alright. The Elder Edda (or Poetic Edda) is the written version of the oral-tradition base material from which the later Younger/Prose It turns out that I have a real thing for Scandinavian literature. Reading this and the sagas has made me a little obsessed with the idea of visiting Iceland. It’s hard for me to separate my thoughts on the eddas from my thoughts on the sagas and the most recent Sigrid Undset novel I’m reading, but I’m going to try to keep everything to it’s proper review space.

Alright. The Elder Edda (or Poetic Edda) is the written version of the oral-tradition base material from which the later Younger/Prose Edda was constructed. As I understand it, these two eddas are the two most important primary sources for what is known about Norse Mythology. If I can step onto my soapbox for a moment, I think it’s a shame to read those clinical synopsis-type mythologies (i.e. encyclopedia-like entries for each deity and concept) when the source material is so much better. Sure, it can be slightly incomprehensible at times, but you get so much more local color, as it were.

The opening poem, the Völuspà , is a knock-out. Really, go find it on the internet and read it. In the poem, a seer-woman spins the future out for Odin and delivers the dark, dismal fate of the gods and the world in a hauntingly ethereal, lyrical style. What I loved about this collection is that the next poem Saying of the High One does a complete 180 in tone and delivers a sometimes-amusing string of advice that could have been taken from the Viking version of the Poor Richard’s Almanac. The comedy roles on with the Lay of Thrym (note: according to the OED a “lay” is “a short lyric or narrative poem intended to be sung” – I had no idea, so I thought I’d share). In this poem, Thor and Loki disguise themselves, badly, as ladies in order to fool a giant. The king of the giants demands the goddess Freyja as his wife in return for giving Thor back his stupid hammer, but since she won’t have anything to do with it, the guys go in her place. It was funny in an absurd way – I kept thinking that the folks in medieval Iceland probably would have really enjoyed Harold and Kumar.

The Lay of Harbard also operated on this sort of sophomoric level. Basically, Thor and this guy Harbard stand on opposite banks of a river yelling insults at each other. Thor tries to prove his masculinity or whatever by bragging about various feats of battle, to which Harbard responds by enumerating his various, shall we say, romantic conquests. I honestly kept waiting for him to respond with “yo momma”.

Things turned back again in style with The Lay of Alvis, which I really liked. It reminded me of Tolkein, who may not have been as creative as I had originally thought, but he certainly had a good eye for inspiration. The whole poem is dedicated to Alvis listing the names for different things in the various worlds of the Vanir, Æsir, elves, dwarves, and humans; it doesn’t sound interesting, but I found it to be one of the most lovely and poetic of the lays. For instance, when Thor asks Alvis what the sun is called in the different worlds, he replies: “Men call it Sol, and gods the Sun, | The dwarfs say Dvalin’s Delight; | The giants Ever-Glowing, the elves Fair Wheel, | The Æsir Shadowless Shining.”

The entire second half of the Edda is devoted to poems of the Volsung saga. I’m still not in love with this story, although I felt like I got to know the story and characters better in this edda, and I’ve warmed up a little. The drama centers around the Sigurd – Gudrun – Gunnar – Brynhild love square, only not really since Gudrun and Gunnar are siblings. It’s a horrible mess and neither the heroic Sigurd nor the high-maintenance valkyrie Brynhild make it out alive. They both get on my nerves, though, so it’s alright. Gunnar is a loser, and Brynhild was probably right to be so scornful of him.

But Gudrun I like. She is Sigurd’s wife, and there is a really touching lay describing her silent grief after he is killed. I changed from pitying her to just plain being scared of her pretty quickly, though. The Lay of Atli is like a horror movie. In the poem, Gudrun is married against her will to a barbarian king whom she cannot stand after the death of her beloved Sigurd, at the insistence of her brothers. After a few miserable years together, the king kills Gunnar and the rest of her brothers in some dispute and she just snaps. She murders the two young sons they had together and feeds her husband their blood and hearts in disguise as some sort of delicacy at a feast before killing him and everyone else she could find. Not joking. So, she’s completely crazy, but she provides a great punctuation mark to the sometimes tedious Volsung-themed poems.

As a whole, these poems were utterly fascinating. They were strange and beautiful in fairly equal measure, and I’m very glad I tracked this particular translation down through ILL. Seriously, there are some horrific translations out there. I don’t know anything about their technical merits, obviously, but from a readability stand-point this was the best one I could find. I wouldn’t recommend reading this book before you have a little background from either the Prose Edda or one of those anthologies I bashed earlier, because I don’t think it would make a lot of sense without some outside context.
...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Lancelot Schaubert rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Where else can you find a joint source for half of Tolkien's names and a good chunk of Marvel comics?

The Poetic Edda is the crux of Norse mythology and I won't presume to aspire to heavy or valued literary criticism here. I appeal as a lay reader to lay readers – you need to work your way through this book as you would any classic piece. You need this book as source material for your own stories, as enjoyment for life, and as a platform upon which to build an understanding of modern stories.

As Where else can you find a joint source for half of Tolkien's names and a good chunk of Marvel comics?

The Poetic Edda is the crux of Norse mythology and I won't presume to aspire to heavy or valued literary criticism here. I appeal as a lay reader to lay readers – you need to work your way through this book as you would any classic piece. You need this book as source material for your own stories, as enjoyment for life, and as a platform upon which to build an understanding of modern stories.

As Lewis said in the intro to Athanasius:

"There is a strange idea abroad that in every subject the ancient books should be read only by the professionals, and that the amateur should content himself with the modern books. Thus I have found as a tutor in English literature that if the average student wants to find out something about platonism, the very last thing he thinks of doing is to take a translation of �lato off the library shelf and read the symposium. He would rather read some dreary modern book ten times as long, all about "isms" and influences and only once in twelve pages telling him what Plato actually said. The error is rather an amiable one, for it springs from humility. The student is half afraid to meet one of the great philosophers face to face. He feels himself inadequate and thinks he will not understand him. �ut if he only knew, the great man, just because of his greatness, is much more intelligible than his modern commentator. The simplest student will be able to understand, if not all, yet a very great deal of what �lato said; but hardly anyone can understand some modern books on Platonism. It has always therefore been one of my main endeavours as a teacher to persuade the young that firsthand knowledge is not only more worh acquiring than secondhand knowledge, but is usually much easier and more delightful to acquire.

"This mistaken preference for the modern books and this shyness of the old ones is nowhere more rampant than in theology. Wherever you find a little study circle of Christian laity you can be almost certain that they are studying not St. Luke or St. Paul or St. Augustine or Thomas Aquinas or Booker or Butler, but M. Berdyaev or M. Maritain or M. Niebuhr or Miss Sayers or even myself.

"Now this seems to me topsy-turvy. Naturally, since I myself am a writer, I do not wish the ordinary reader to read no modern books. But if he must read only the new or only the old, I would advise him to read the old. And I would give him this advice precisely because he is an amateur and therefore much less protected than the expert against the dangers of an exclusive contemporary diet. A new book is still on its trial and the amateur is not in a position to judge it. �t has to be tested against the great body of Christian thought down the ages, and all its hidden implications (often unsuspected by the author himself) have to be brought to light. Often it cannot be fully understood without the knowledge of a good many other modern books. If you join at eleven o'clock a conversation which began at eight you will often not see the real bearing of what is said. remarks which seem to you very ordinary will produce laughter or irritation and you will not see why—the reason, of course, being that the earlier stages of the conversation have given them a special point. In the same way sentences in a modern book which look quite ordinary may be directed at some other book; in this way you may be led to accept what you would have indignantly rejected if you knew its real significance. The only safety is to have a standard of plain, central Christianity ("mere Christianity" as Baxter called it) which puts the controversies of the moment in their proper perspective. Such a standard can be acquired only from the old books. It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones."

It goes on, but that's enough to say that reading the Poetic Edda is the easiest way to understand much of fantasy literature today. So read it, and then come back and let's discuss its influence. ...more

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Apr 11, 2019 Jen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

So... yeah. I'm not sure why I had to be a fully-grown adult before it ever occurred to me that I could read this, but I probably would have gotten a bit bored at a younger age.

Takeaways:
1. Tolkein was a huge Norse Fanboy. I mean, so was C. S. Lewis to an extent (I'm looking at you, Fenris Ulf, captain of the White Queen's guard), but a full third of Tolkein's named characters are named in the very first poetic Edda. This cracks me up.
2. All the great stories borrow from other great stories in t ...more

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Jan 21, 2019 Jason Donoghue rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It's been so long since I read this book, I need to reread it to give it another review. ...more

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Dec 17, 2018 Biblio Curious rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ancient-global-epic-project, drama-poems, classics-western, history-ancient

The first few poems were absolutely amazing & packed with allusions to mythological stories or lines of wisdom. The rest of the poems are mostly unrelated to each other & perhaps are best read separately at your own leisure.

This Oxford Edition is rather clumsy because the poems themselves require so many notes to understand what they are referring to. I would have preferred footnotes instead because of how important these notes are for making these poems readable. About halfway through, I stopp ...more

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Jul 26, 2013 Cymru Roberts rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: other-ancients

The gods of antiquity are our super heroes of today. Marvel has transformed most of the Norse gods into comic book characters, for better or for worse I don't know. I am inspired by the tales of glorious gods and I was interested in any overlap that may occur between the Norse and Greek pantheons. This text met and exceeded my expectations, but contained many lays that would only appeal to a completist or college-level student of Norse mythology.

The lays are epic in scope, encompassing the begin ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A great read containing Norse mythology prose and poetry. Jackson Crawford did a wonderful job with the translation, while still maintaining the Old Norse feel to the poetry meter and stories. His introduction is very helpful to any readers that may want a refresher on the common Gods and heroes discussed in these writings. Very enjoyable!

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Sep 21, 2017 Daniel Morgen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a trippy adventure, and there's a lot I want to say about it, but I'll start by saying that it was an incredible read for those with the patience to read ancient literature. And believe me, it takes a lot of patience; it is poetry from a dead language which often doesn't translate in a stirring way. However, after reading the Poetic Edda itself (not really the four additional poems they tack on to the end of this book), you walk away with a feeling about the inescapability of fate. Many ...more

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Oct 11, 2019 Edoardo Albert rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The metres used by the skalds, the court poets of the Norse chieftains, were among the most complex and difficult metres ever used regularly by poets. As such, the success of a translation of the Elder Edda should maybe be best judged by how well it conveys the complexity of the original. Andy Orchard's version is vigorous and contemporary, doing a good job of conveying the meaning of the original verse without attempting much in the way of replicating their structure. This may be an inevitable ...more

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Nov 15, 2019 Shannon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: via-audiobook, historical, vikings, mythology, read-in-2019

4.5 Stars

I read this during two different time periods, and had two different reactions.

I started it in the summer and felt it was interesting but also hard to hold the information of what was going on. When I came back to it in the fall, I was able to seep into it and truly love the stories. It was also extremely helpful to listen to a work like this because I often am unable to figure out how to pronounce the names. Audiobooks really help you out that way! I also loved that they included trans ...more

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Aug 18, 2017 Kiwi Begs2Differ ✎ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

I thought I would enjoy this more than I actually did. Luckily, I already knew about the legends in Norse mythology or I would have given up, I definitely prefer prose to poetry.

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Oct 18, 2009 Chris rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When you consider the fact that pre-Christian Scandinavian cultures, at least the ones responsible for the stories written down in the Edda, believed the world was created from the dismembered body of a giant, then you begin to realize that it's not going to be a trip to Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

Even the gods are doomed, and when Odin, boss of the gods, is constantly trying to find secret wisdom to avert the prophesied battle that will kill the gods, you know you're screwed.

Not for the faint ...more

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Jan 18, 2015 Kaila rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalypse, 2015, fantasy, gods, classics, for-class, christianity-wins-again, mythology

The Voluspa is the first poem of the Edda. It tells of the birth of the world, the giants and the gods, a few things in their lives, and then Ragnarok. It is one of the most beautiful, poignant, and sad things I've ever read. The world is out to get you and everyone dies, that's what Norse mythology teaches us.

Note on the translation: I mostly read Carolyn Larrington's UNrevised translation. I had the great fortune of getting a copy of Ursula Dronke's Voluspa and it is superior in every way as f ...more

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Apr 01, 2014 Stephen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If for no other reason, this translation is remarkable for its scrupulous adherence to English words of Germanic origin - I cannot recall a single instance of finding a Greek or Latin root. The language and meter are deliciously archaic, and give a feel for the grammatical richness which has now largely fallen away from our modern tongue.

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Jan 07, 2014 Kirsty Cabot rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2014, norse-mythology, avengers-vs-xmen-challenge

Really interesting! But hard going... So many names and mothers and fathers and sons and daughters and gods and names and more names and places. Hard to get your head around...

Better review to come!

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Jan 23, 2021 Ben rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mythology

Buried beneath the earth / are horrible sorrows, / the desperate things / that make the elves weep. / Early in the morning, / everything that has caused / someone unhappiness / will be remembered anew." (Hamthismal, Stanza 1)

Jackson Crawford translates and edits the The Poetic Edda, a Norse collection of mythical and heroic poems dating back to before the 14th century AD. I found a beautiful challenge in these stories; not only in the poetry itself but in the context of an early morality system different from what we might define during modern times. One will quickly identify transactional honor, repayment in kind for deeds done to them, the importance of hospitality, wisdom, vengeance, oaths and fate. One might surmise that these codes derive from a natural survival instinct within a culture scraping to survive in a harsh northern wilderness of scarce resources and a growing population. And yet more than a thousand years later we glean universal elements of human nature and might even see a bit of ourselves staring back at us from the pages.

The Poetic Edda splits between stories of the Norse gods and specific human heroes; the ferocity and imagery of genesis and Ragnarok; the practicality of the Havamal, the humor and entertainment of the god's lives and the sorrow and tragedy of these ancient heroes.

Within all the poems, one senses a unifying thread of nature and fate. From a modern perspective, one might look for themes like justice within their eye-for-an-eye approach, or just desert for deeds done, or wisdom transcending everyday life into what we might call a spiritual plain. However, though it might take time - like building a muscle, one can only understand this culture after abandoning the rudimentary foundation of morality engrained within our own modern global culture.

Consider the idea of Fate. Odin spends much of his time working to prevent his fate which inadvertently twists it tighter around his neck and brings about the reality of Ragnarok. One quickly understands that despite the greatest strength and wisdom, one cannot escape their fate. Sigurth, despite knowing his fate through the prophecies of Gripir, faces it without the slightest effort to divert it. Because of this, audiences likely love Sigurth's honor and courage and revere him as a great hero. Then we hear from the perspective of women, like Guthrun, who endure their fated suffering because of the deeds of men over which they have little control due to social constructs.

I imagine this idea of Fate as a universal truth; not in the literal sense of three Norns at the roots of Yggsdrasil carving destinies, but as a natural reality not even the gods can change. One imagines an inescapable cycle of cause and effect which denounces ideas of justice, mercy, love or forgiveness. Someone as commendable as Sigurth suffers an undeserved fate. Modern readers would feel a sense of tragedy and injustice. They might call to the heavens and ask God why He let this happen. But in a world governed by natural laws of human nature, a great man like Sigurth can understandably suffer an undeserved fate simply because of covetous men envying his treasure. This does not pervert an ancient Norse sense of morality. In fact, it might even seem natural. Even for the gods, Fate does not alter relative to a man's character or deeds. It will function according to the laws of human nature regardless of the kind of hero or trickster upon which it executes itself.

Audiences can only live their best within these laws in an effort to survive as long as they can, even to the point of seeking renown, fame and sons to carry their name into immortality. The glory and honor, the suffering and sorrow; these things do not change natural law. In fact, themes like justice (in a fated sense), mercy, forgiveness...these words might sound similar to "green snow" for those living during ancient times. These themes invert natural law. Transcending such a concept would not ensure their survival nor inherently prove how they can deviate from their fate.

The Poetic Edda offers so much more: the characters of the gods when compared to the modern concept of deity, how they relate to people, and how humanity struggles between itself and the life into which it is thrust into leading. In fact, historically, as these Norse cultures expanded into lands more abundant in resources, one can imagine how their understanding of human nature may change leading to the death of the gods and a rebirth into a new world governed by a different nature. Perhaps this was fated, regardless of Odin's efforts to postpone Ragnarok. ...more

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Aug 19, 2017 Edy || Hex rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Oh, if I read this book before Gaiman's Nordic Mythology, I would feel so much better.
It was really informative (especially all commentaties added by the translator) and the whole thing had it's old story charm. Definitely big 4,5 from me, maybe because I had to read it quickly and didn't sank much into the stories. ...more

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Nov 24, 2020 Thirza rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own-this-book

Mythological texts are always a blast to read! Larrington's translation and notes are incredibly helpful. I created a full summary, which you can check out here. ...more

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Apr 08, 2018 Rebecca Jane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-poetry

3.5 stars.

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Goodreads Librari...: Please update the book cover to better image	7	27	Nov 09, 2020 05:25AM
Into the Forest: The Poetic Edda Discussion	23	21	Jan 14, 2019 09:34AM
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Books can be attributed to "Unknown" when the author or editor (as applicable) is not known and cannot be discovered. If at all possible, list at least one actual author or editor for a book instead of using "Unknown".

Books whose authorship is purposefully withheld should be attributed instead to Anonymous. ...more

Books by Unknown

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Cleanness, Patience

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42 New Books to Read this Pride Month

This June, as we observe LGBTQ Pride—the annual celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning communities—we...

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Quotes from The Poetic Edda

“Men brave and generous live the best lives, seldom will they sorrow; then there are fools, afraid of everything, who grumble instead of giving.” — 20 likes

“When a real battle starts, you’ll always find that there is no bravest man.” — 10 likes

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Preview — The Poetic Edda by Unknown

The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes

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Preview — The Poetic Edda by Unknown

The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Unknown

Books by Unknown

Related Articles

Trivia About The Poetic Edda: ...

Quotes from The Poetic Edda

new topic
Discuss This Book