Snorri Sturluson
Paperback | Pages: 180 pages Rating: 4.17 | 10635 Users | 488 Reviews
Point Books Toward The Prose Edda
| Original Title: | Edda |
| ISBN: | 0140447555 (ISBN13: 9780140447552) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Ilustration In Favor Of Books The Prose Edda
'What was the beginning, or how did things start? What was there before?'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 realisation 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.
This new translation by Jesse Byock captures the strength and subtlety of the original, while his introduction sets the tales fully in the context of Norse mythology. This edition also includes detailed notes and appendices.
Describe About Books The Prose Edda
| Title | : | The Prose Edda |
| Author | : | Snorri Sturluson |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 180 pages |
| Published | : | July 28th 2005 by Penguin Classics (first published March 30th 1220) |
| Categories | : | Fantasy. Mythology. Classics. History. Poetry. Historical. Medieval. Religion. Literature |
Rating About Books The Prose Edda
Ratings: 4.17 From 10635 Users | 488 ReviewsWrite Up About Books The Prose Edda
From a literary point of view, most of the tales are told in an interview-like fashion. We have curios characters, King Gylfe disguised as Ganglere asking questions to the asas, and in part two we have Æger asking questions to Brage. Therefore, the myths are presented in a matter-of-factly kind of fashion. You should not expect lavish, Tolkienesque descriptions, it wasn't the literary style of the time.The The Prose Edda is much more than a simple collection of myths, it offers insight into theIve been meaning to read both this and the Poetic Edda for a while now, and starting the Icelandic Sagas was just the kick in the pants I needed to do it. I felt like I could use some cultural context, and Snorri here provides it in spades. Norse mythology is fascinating in that it represents a belief-system that was actually practiced not so long ago, relatively speaking. Rome officially converted in the early 300s and I think that most of Europe outside the empire was at least nominally
Did you know that all the Norse gods (Æsir) are descended from Priam of Troy, and therefore from Zeus himself?Did you know apparently the Icelandic authors of the Viking myths are actually Plato disguised to continue his sick addiction to one-sided-interrogation-for-infodump?If you did not, this book is for you!
The historical figures and mythological structure of the cosmos found in the Prose Edda existed in an oral tradition and skaldic poems long before an Icelandic nobleman named Snorri purportedly decided to put them down on paper. Much of the poetry concerning the Norse gods is sadly lost as a consequence of that tradition.Snorri's work is an obvious attempt to preserve some of what was lost and promote the continuation of a poetic tradition that had begun to fade by the 13th century in the face
So after diving headlong into ancient Norse mythology and history, by way of the Heimskringla, The Poetic Edda, and Sagas of Icelanders in turn, I've become ever more interested in the subject (and medieval literature generally). There simply isn't enough extant, well-preserved material to satisfy the desire to know everything, more often we're left with as many questions as answers. The Prose Edda is no exception. Written by the Icelandic chieftain-poet-historian Snorri Sturluson in the 13th
I respect the Prose Edda as our main source of Norse mythology. That said, it not particularly well written, its intention mostly being a lesson in poetry. As a fan of ancient myth and epics, I am the target audience and it did not land. That said, one interesting aspect is the references to Christianity that are shoe-horned into the text. In our time it might seem odd, but people do the same today. Austrian School economists try to explain the fall of Rome as caused by regulation and taxation
Naturally my review has turned out to be too long, so I'll post what I can and then post the rest as comments. And if anyone in a position of power at goodreads sees this, please give us more room to write!An excellent translation of Snorri's Edda, or the Prose Edda. I hear Jesse Byock has a translation out as well which I'll have to check out, but I see no reason for the beginner to try anything other than Faulkes'-- at the very least, I believe his academic work has had him more involved in
0 Comments