#elder edda

[a-denn]

[hecatesdelights]

I trow I hung on that windy Tree

nine whole days and nights,

stabbed with a spear, offered to Odin,

myself to mine own self given,

high on that Tree of which none hath heard

from what roots it rises to heaven.

- Hávamál

The Words of Odin the High One

[victormalonso]

"Edda" is a compilation of various poems and stories from the Poetic Edda, or "Elder Edda" put to music. These stories are part of the biggest collection of anonymous Old Norse poetry dating as far back as 800 AD, and have inspired many artists and musicians throughout the ages. This album seeks to bring to life some of these tales, and to help the listener forge a connection with them.

[haybop-86]

So I ordered these 3 books online...I blame (/thank) @neil-gaiman and his beautiful, amazing, gorgeous book Norse Mythology.

I was reading the book, surrounded by my books on ancient Greece and Rome, and The Sagas of Icelanders, and my fingers slipped 😂 In my defence I don't think I have enough on/from that time and place considering how much I have always loved the history of Vikings.

My sister's work which deals with old library books has some Egypt books I kinda want too. This is never going to end with me not surrounded by piles of books 🤦‍♀️

[boundfenris]

The Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda

[fuckyeahnorsemythology]

Hi, I have been getting into Norse mythology as of late, and I have read the Eddas (the ones by Snorri Sturluson) but I have read and heard that the ones by snorri are particularly painted by his visions of Christianity and such, like when he ties some gods from the pantheon to the Devil and such. Do you know of other authors that I can read the Eddas from and are more or less well versed in it?

Hello @skryr and thank you for the question, although there seems to be a little confusion to your wording.

Only the Prose Edda (also called the Younger Edda) was authored by Snorri Sturluson. Other related works of which he was an author include Heimskringla and (as it is believed by many scholars) Egils Saga.

The Poetic Edda (also called the Elder Edda) was a separate collection of poems of unknown authorship and unknown exact date. I have touched on the origins of both with this post.

The discussion of how much influence Christianity played into Snorri’s works is a mystery that remains unsolved and probably never shall be.

I hope that helps - @hedendom

[eddathoughts]

Hávamál 122-123

These are a pair of those verses that’ve turned out to be especially useful in the modern age, I think! They read:

I advise you, Loddfáfnir, to take this advice:

it’ll help, if you take it,

do you good, if you get it:

you never ought to bandy words

with any dumb blockhead;

For never from a wicked man

will you get a good return;

but a good man will surely make you

well-respected and praised.

I suspect that originally this could have been more to do with selecting your friends carefully in aid of your own social advancement?

However, it works well now as a reminder to not feed the trolls! Nothing good will ever come from it. Instead, we should make an effort to be decent to one another.

[pagansquare]

Fimble-Winter

Just before Ragnarok, according to the Elder Edda, will come a terrible winter called Fimbulvetr, the “mighty winter.”

Read more...