In this Book
- Poems of the Elder Edda
- Book
- 2014
- Published by: University of Pennsylvania Press
- Series: The Middle Ages Series
The great poetic tradition of pre-Christian Scandinavia is known to us almost exclusively though the Poetic Edda. The poems originated in Iceland, Norway, and Greenland between the ninth and thirteenth centuries, when they were compiled in a unique manuscript known as the Codex Regius.
The poems are primarily lyrical rather than narrative. Terry's readable translation includes the magnificent cosmological poem Völuspá ("The Sibyl's Prophecy"), didactic poems concerned with mythology and the everyday conduct of life, and heroic poems, of which an important group is concerned with the story of Sigurd and Brynhild.
Poems of the Elder Edda will appeal to students of Old Norse, Icelandic, and Medieval literature, as well as to general readers of poetry.
Table of Contents
- Frontmatter
- pp. i-vi
- Preface to the Revised Edition
- pp. ix-x
- Preface to the 1969 Edition
- pp. xi-xiv
- Introduction
- pp. xv-xxvi
- Poems of the Elder Edda
- Völuspá: Vǫlospá
- pp. 1-10
- Sayings of the High One: Hávamál
- pp. 11-35
- The Lay of Grimnir: Grímnismál
- pp. 46-49
- Skirnir's Journey: For Scírnis
- pp. 50-57
- The Lay of Harbard: Hárbarðzlióð
- pp. 58-65
- The Lay of Hymir: Hymisqviða
- pp. 66-71
- The Insolence of Loki: Locasenna
- pp. 72-84
- The Lay of Thrym: þrymsqviða
- pp. 85-89
- The Lay of Alvis: Alvíssmál
- pp. 90-96
- The Lay of Volund: Vǫlundarqviða
- pp. 97-103
- The Prophecy of Gripir: Grípisspá
- pp. 135-144
- The Lay of Regin: Reginsmál
- pp. 145-151
- The Lay of Fafnir: Fáfnismál
- pp. 152-160
- The Lay of Sigrdrifa: Sigrdrífomál
- pp. 161-168
- The Grief of Gudrun: Guðrúnarqviða in fyrsta
- pp. 173-177
- Oddrun's Lament: Oddrúnargrátr
- pp. 201-206
- The Lay of Atli: Atlaqviða
- pp. 207-214
- Gudrun's Chain of Woes: Guðrúnarhvǫt
- pp. 231-234
- The Lay of Hamdir: Hamðismál
- pp. 235-240
- Balder's Dreams: Baldrs draumar
- pp. 241-243
- The Mill Song: Grottasǫngr
- pp. 244-247
- Glossary and Index of Proper Names
- pp. 255-268