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The Elder Edda of Saemund Sigfusson, Translated from the Original Old Norse Text into English by Benjamin Thorpe, and The Younger Edda of Snorre Sturleson, Translated from the Original Old Norse Text into English by I. A. Blackwell. — London : Norroena Society, 1907. — 345 p.
The Poetic Edda is the modern attribution for an unnamed collection of Old Norse poems, while several versions exist all consist primarily of text from the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript known as the Codex Regius. The Codex Regius is arguably the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, and from the early 19th century onwards has had a powerful influence on later Scandinavian literatures, not merely through the stories it contains but through the visionary force and dramatic quality of many of the poems. It has also become an inspiring model for many later innovations in poetic meter, particularly in the Nordic languages, offering many varied examples of terse, stress-based metrical schemes working without any final rhyme, and instead using alliterative devices and strongly concentrated imagery.
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HORRCENA ANGLO-SAXON CLASSICS
COPYRIGHT T.
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1905
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The Elder Edda OF SAEMUND SIGFUSSON. Translated from the Original Old Norse Text into English
BY
BENJAMIN THORPE, AND THE
YOUNGER EDDA OF SNORRE STURLESON. Translated from the Original Old Norse Text into English
BY I.
A.
BLACKWELL.
HON. RASMUS
B.
ANDERSON,
LL.D.,
EDITOR IN CHIEF. J.
W. BUEL,
Ph.D.,
\aK^
MANAGING EDITOR.
/0 PUBLISHED BY THE
NORRŒNA
SOCIETY,
LONDON STOCKHOLM COPENHAGEN BERLIN NEW YORK 1907
LIST
OF PHOTOGRAVURES.
(Elder and Younger Eddas.)
Frontispiece
—Gunnar
(Gunther). Page
Siegfried
Awakens Brynhild
159
Death of Atli
247
A
331
Feast in Valhalla
CONTENTS. THE ELDER EDDA OF SAEMUND. Page Preface by the Translator Introduction to the Voluspa The Vala's Prophecy The Lay of Vafthrudnir The Lay of Vegtam, or Baldur's
ix
xv 1
9
Dream
The High One's Lay Odin's Rune Song The Lay of Hymir The Lay of Thrym, or the Hammer Recovered The Lay of the Dwarf Alvis The Lay of Harbard The Journey, or Lay of Skirnir The Lay of Rig Egir's Compotation, or Loki's Altercation
The The The The The The The The
Lay Lay
48 53
57 63 71
78 84
102
Hyndla
Incantation of Groa Song of the Sun
109
Lay Lay
121
of
Ill
Volund
Son First Lay of Helgi Hundingcide Second Lay of Helgi Hundingcide
Sinfiotli's
The Lay The Lay The Lay
of Helgi Hiorvard's
End
First
137 144
180
of Sigrdrifa
of
157
172
of Fafnir
Lay
127
155
Prophecy
of Sigurd, or Gripir's
Fragments of the Lay of Sig