The Prose Edda

Autorentext

Born in Iceland in 1179, Snorri Sturluson was a well-known politician, poet, and historian who also held two positions as the lawspeaker of the Icelandic Althing. His upbringing by Jón Loftsson, a member of the powerful Sturlungar clan, gave him a strong education that influenced his intellectual and political development. Texts such as the Prose Edda and Heimskringla provide insight into Norse mythology and kings' sagas. Sturluson's works are essential reading for anybody interested in learning about Norse culture and medieval Scandinavia. His life, characterized by intricate connections and political aspirations, came to a sudden end in 1241 when he was slain, purportedly by agents of the Norwegian King.Beyond his literary accomplishments, Snorri's career included active participation in Icelandic politics and the development of relationships with Norwegian monarchs. The architectural characteristics of his Reykholt home, which include the well-known Snorralaug hot spring, are well-known. His literary creations - especially his poetry and historical narratives - have had a profound impact on Scandinavian literature and the general knowledge of the history and mythology of the Viking Age. The complexity of Snorri's connection with power and his tragic end underscore the unstable character of medieval Icelandic politics.

Klappentext

The Prose Edda, first systemized and captured as a coherent document by the Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson in the year 1220, contain the collection of traditional stories and legends handed down since the age of the Vikings, and has become the main source for all subsequent iterations of Norse mythology. Based on the earlier, and untitled "Poetic Edda," the Prose Edda covers the entire spectrum of Norse mythology from the creation to the prophesized destruction of the world. The work consists of three major parts: The Prologue, which is an euhemerized Christian account of the origins of Nordic mythology: the Nordic gods are described as human Trojan warriors who left Troy after the fall of that city and who settled in northern Europe, where they were accepted as divine kings because of their superior culture and technology. The second part, The Fooling of Gylfe, tells of the creation and destruction of the Nordic gods' world, and deals with many other aspects of Norse mythology. The third part, The Skáldskaparmál, consists of a dialogue between Ægir, a god associated with the sea, and Bragi, a skaldic god, in which both Nordic mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined. This edition also contains an important introduction, a full set of explanatory notes, a vocabulary list, and an index.