The Prose Edda
Snorri Sturluson
Penguin Classics - Vertaald door
Jesse L. Byock
Penguin Books, 2005
´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 realization 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.
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