The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics)
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Product Description
Product 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.
About the Author
Snorri Sturlson (1179-1241) was an Icelandic descendant of the poet and hero from Egil's Saga, Egill Skallgrímsson. He was the best-known writer of the saga, author of the PROSE EDDA, which was written as a textbook for young poets who wished to praise kings, and HEIMSKRINGLA, a history of the kings of Norway, the most important prose collection in Old Norse literature.
Jesse Bycock is Professor of Icelandic and Old Norse Literature at the University of California and has published widely on Medieval Iceland. For Penguin, he is the author of Viking Age Iceland (2001).
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First Sentence
King Gylfi ruled over the lands now called Sweden. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
King Gylfi ruled over the lands now called Sweden. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Most of what we think of when we think of Norse mythology is in the "Prose Edda", a 13th century Icelandic manuscript. In this translation, it consists of 3 parts: a short prologue, the Gylfaginning, and Skaldskaparmal.
The prologue is just a few pages long, and was probably added later. It's inconsistent with the rest and confusing, and best skipped by the first-time reader.
The second part, Gylfaginning, is the real thing. It takes the form of a conversation between Gylfi and three manifestations of Odin. Gylfi questions, and they tell him the whole history of the gods, from the earth's creation out of the body of the giant Ymir, all about the cosmic tree Yggdrasil and the structure of the universe, introductions to each of the gods (Aesir), the death of Balder, Thor's adventures in the land of the giants, how Odin lost his eye, the various schemes of the trickster Loki, right up to the apocalyptic battle of Ragnarok.
Gylfaginning is only 70 pages long, so it's very fast-paced, and very readable.
Skaldskaparmal has more tales of Norse heroes, including the tale that became Wagner's Ring cycle. The narrative thread isn't as strong as Gylfaginning, so it's not as engrossing for the casual reader, but still interesting.
This is an excellent edition. The translation is highly readable, and the introduction is straightforward, clear and comprehensive, aimed at the general reader, rather than the scholar. It also has notes, and an index giving each appearance of each character and place, as it's easy to lose track of some of the strange names. The appendices include a detailed description of the structure of the cosmos according to Norse mythology, and also an illustration showing Yggdrasil and all the worlds surrounding it.
If you're unfamiliar with Norse mythology, you'll be surprised at how accessible this Prose Edda is; it is also stirring, imaginative, and sometimes bawdy and amusing.
The prologue is just a few pages long, and was probably added later. It's inconsistent with the rest and confusing, and best skipped by the first-time reader.
The second part, Gylfaginning, is the real thing. It takes the form of a conversation between Gylfi and three manifestations of Odin. Gylfi questions, and they tell him the whole history of the gods, from the earth's creation out of the body of the giant Ymir, all about the cosmic tree Yggdrasil and the structure of the universe, introductions to each of the gods (Aesir), the death of Balder, Thor's adventures in the land of the giants, how Odin lost his eye, the various schemes of the trickster Loki, right up to the apocalyptic battle of Ragnarok.
Gylfaginning is only 70 pages long, so it's very fast-paced, and very readable.
Skaldskaparmal has more tales of Norse heroes, including the tale that became Wagner's Ring cycle. The narrative thread isn't as strong as Gylfaginning, so it's not as engrossing for the casual reader, but still interesting.
This is an excellent edition. The translation is highly readable, and the introduction is straightforward, clear and comprehensive, aimed at the general reader, rather than the scholar. It also has notes, and an index giving each appearance of each character and place, as it's easy to lose track of some of the strange names. The appendices include a detailed description of the structure of the cosmos according to Norse mythology, and also an illustration showing Yggdrasil and all the worlds surrounding it.
If you're unfamiliar with Norse mythology, you'll be surprised at how accessible this Prose Edda is; it is also stirring, imaginative, and sometimes bawdy and amusing.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A good translation that does not get bogged down with technicalities. A very good book for someone wanting an overview of the Norse Gods and religion. Well appointed appendices and decent index.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was a complete novice in Norse mythology and this book was amazing... Couldn't put it down!! Now one of my firm favourites...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Great Run Through Norse Mythology
This work, together with the Elder Edda which covers much of the same material in verse form, comprises the very core of what we know as Norse myth. Read more
Published 3 months ago by David Ford
What a book!
If you're into Tolkien, Pratchett, the Eragon books, or anything fantastical, this is the book for you. This, in fact, is the book that started it all. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Adam
An excellent insight into the beliefs and myths of the nordic peoples
This book is absorbing right from the word go. You begin by being introduced to Gylfiginning or the "deluding of gylfi", which recalls numerous events of past occurences within... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Odin's Mead
Superb!
I loved this translation! As a layman and totally unqualified in Scandinavian manuscripts or language, I loved it! Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2009 by B. Moule
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