Wisdom of the Norse: Snorra Edda

The Prose Edda, or Snorra Edda, was compiled by the great Icelandic scholar and poet Snorri Sturluson in the early 13th century. In his edda, the reader is treated to excerpts of poems that no longer exist, and much of the information contained in his work can be found nowhere else. The first part, the Prologue, is written in the voice of Snorri himself and reveals the fascinating hybridization and coexistence of Norse paganism and Christianity, itself the democratically-determined religion of the nation. The Gylfaginning is the second part of this great work and arguably the most important, as it deals almost exclusively with those riveting tales of Norse cosmology; the gods, the Heavens, Creation, and ultimately the destruction and rebirth of all existence. Examined in isolation, the Gylfaginning is an essential component of the broader Norse canon, and for this reason deserves close and careful examination. The third part, the Skáldskaparmál, is designed to instruct skalds and poets in the fine art of skaldic poetry. To this end, the Skáldskaparmál contains myriad examples of Nordic verse and metre, interspersed with stories of Norse cosmology and their gods. It is these stories that attract our attention today, especially as many of them are contained nowhere else, either the unique product of Snorri’s imagination or derived from poems and manuscripts lost to modernity. Unlike the Gylfaginning that the precedes it, the Skáldskaparmál focuses heavily on the technique of skaldic technique and includes far less in the way of Norse cosmology and narrative verse. This edition includes both the Gylfaginning and the Skáldskaparmál, both of which are examined independently in other Wisdom of the Norse publications. Examined collectively, this compilation includes a staggering 210 annotations and three essays, one for each part of the Snorra Edda. Together with the other books in the Wisdom of the Norse series, the beauty and art of the Norse ethos can be read and enjoyed by anyone, from the erudite to the casual reader, from Christians to modern pagans. No matter your views or position, the Norse people were a font of wisdom, and the Snorra Edda is an integral part of that legacy.