The Poetic Edda

by Unknown (collection of anonymous Icelandic poets)

Also known as: Edda Sæmundar, Elder Edda

"A vision of a fated cosmos where gods and humans alike must face inevitable destruction, yet courage, wisdom, and poetic memory preserve meaning against the darkness."
The Poetic Edda cover
Type:Collection of Mythological and Heroic Poems
Source:Medieval Iceland (Norse mythology)
Original Date:Oral tradition, pre-Christian Norse myths (c. 800–1100 CE)
Written Date:c. 1270 CE (Codex Regius manuscript)
Length:1 books, varies (Codex Regius contains 31 poems) lines (~6 hours)

Summary

The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse mythological and heroic poems preserved in the Codex Regius manuscript. It contains mythic lays about the creation of the world, the deeds of the gods, and the foretold destruction of Ragnarök, as well as heroic sagas of mortal heroes like Sigurd the dragon-slayer. Its language is stark and powerful, presenting a world where fate (wyrd) is inescapable, gods themselves are doomed, and yet courage and honor shine against the inevitable twilight of the world. It is one of the primary sources for Norse mythology and heroic legend.

Themes

Creation and destructionFate (wyrd) and inevitabilityWisdom and prophecyHeroism and vengeanceTwilight of the gods (Ragnarök)The trickster and chaos (Loki)

Major Characters

OdinThorLokiBaldrFriggFreyrFreyjaHeimdallFenrirJörmungandrSurtThe NornsSigurd (in the heroic lays)

Notable Quotes

"I know that I hung on that wind-swept tree, nine long nights, wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin, myself to myself."

"A hall I saw, far from the sun, on Dead Body Shore; its doors face north, venom drops fall in through its roof vent. Serpents coil round its walls."

"Brothers will fight and kill each other, sisters' children will defile kinship. It is harsh in the world, whoredom rife—an axe age, a sword age—shields are riven—a wind age, a wolf age—before the world goes headlong."

Notable Translations

Benjamin Thorpe(1866)

One of the first English translations.

Henry Adams Bellows(1923)

Classic early 20th-century translation with commentary.

Lee M. Hollander(1962)

Highly regarded scholarly translation with strong poetic qualities.

Carolyn Larrington(1996)

Oxford World’s Classics edition, modern and accessible.

Jackson Crawford(2015)

Popular modern translation aimed at general readers, clear and faithful.