The Prose Edda: Tales from Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics) - Softcover

Byock, Jesse

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140447555 ISBN 13: 9780140447552

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 2005

Synopsis

The most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source of Norse mythology

Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, The Prose Edda tells ancient stories of the Norse creation epic and recounts the battles that follow as gods, giants, dwarves and elves struggle for survival. In prose interspersed with powerful verse, the Edda shows the gods' tragic realization that the future holds one final cataclysmic battle, Ragnarok, when the world will be destroyed. These tales have proved to be among the most influential of all myths and legends, inspiring works such as Wagner's Ring Cycle and Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Translated with an Introduction and notes by JESSE BYOCK

About this title

Synopsis:

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.

About the Author:

Snorri Sturlson (1179-1241) was an Icelandic descendant of the poet and hero from Egil's Saga, Egill Skallgrímsson. He was the best-known writer of the saga, author of the PROSE EDDA, which was written as a textbook for young poets who wished to praise kings, and HEIMSKRINGLA, a history of the kings of Norway, the most important prose collection in Old Norse literature.

Jesse Bycock is Professor of Icelandic and Old Norse Literature at the University of California and has published widely on Medieval Iceland. For Penguin, he is the author of Viking Age Iceland (2001).

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0140447555
• ISBN 13: 9780140447552
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304