Gylfaginning, or the tricking of gylfi, is the first part of snorri sturlusons prose edda. Snorri sturluson1 1179 23 september 1241 was an icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was the author of the prose edda or younger edda, which consists of gylfaginning the fooling of gylfi, a narrative of norse. 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. Books by snorri sturluson sorted by popularity project gutenberg. The gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the norse gods, and many other aspects of norse mythology. During snorris times, however, the christian church strongly discouraged anything that was connected with the heathen past. Snorri, a descendant of the great poet and hero of the egils saga, egill skallagrimsson, was brought up at oddi from the age of three in the home of jon loptsson, the most influential. Jul 31, 2006 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg.
He belonged to an aristocratic family, the sturlungar. Snorri sturluson, who cites most of the abovementioned verse, was the first to have established a specificalbeit at times ambiguous contextual relationship between the individual myths about loki. Its gods live with the tragic knowledge of their own impending destruction in the cataclysmic battle of ragnarok. He was the author of the prose edda or younger edda, which consists of gylfaginning the fooling of gylfi, a narrative of norse mythology, the skaldskaparmal, a book of. Their attempt at colonization reprinted from transactions and proceedings of the geogrpahical society of the pacific, 1910, trans. The prose edda is a text on old norse poetics, written about 1200 by the norwegian poet and politican snorri sturlson, who also wrote the heimskringla.
The prose edda, also known as the younger edda, snorris edda icelandic. Sturluson, an icelandic lawspeaker high court official, was a. Snorri sturluson, icelandic poet, historian, and chieftain, author of the prose edda and the heimskringla. Jan 10, 2019 gylfaginning, or the tricking of gylfi, is the first part of snorri sturlusons prose edda. The prose edda of snorri sturlson translated by arthur gilchrist brodeur 1916 the prose edda is a text on old norse poetics, written about 1200 by the norwegian poet and politican snorri sturlson, who also wrote the heimskringla. Great classic by icelandic poetchieftain chronicles the reigns of 16 high kings descended from the warriorwizard god odin. Snorri sturluson simple english wikipedia, the free. While snorri sturluson appears to have been a nasty man, his fame rests on his literary genius, all in all the greatest of ancient scandinavia.
Snorri acquired great wealth and power and was twice lawspeaker at the icelandic parliament, and twice visited norway, where he became embroiled in the politics of king hakon hakonarson and the. Snorri sturluson was a master storyteller, and this translation in modern idiom of the inimitable tales of the gods and heroes of the scandinavian peoples brings them to life again. He was threetime elected lawspeaker at the icelandic parliament, the althing. The life of snorri sturluson fell in a great but contradictory age, when all that was noble and spiritual in men seemed.
Snorri sturluson, born 1179, hvammur, icelanddied sept. The prose edda contains a wide variety of lore which a skald poet of the time would need to know. The prose edda of snorri sturlson ebook by unknown rakuten kobo. Immediately download the snorri sturluson summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching snorri sturluson. Snorri sturluson, historian, poet and politician, was born at hvamm in western iceland in 1179. Snorri sturluson 1 1179 23 september 1241 was an icelandic historian, poet, and politician. Snorri sturluson books list of books by author snorri sturluson. The uppsala codex parchment of about 20 names snorri s book as edda. He was born in western iceland, the son of a great chieftain. The heimskringla and the prose edda of snorri sturluson. Snorri sturluson s fame as a historianhis main work is the 16 sagas included in heimskringla c. Orb of the world, collection of sagas of the early norwegian kings, written by the icelandic poetchieftain snorri sturluson. The poetic edda oxford worlds classics carolyne larrington.
Norse mythology penguin classics snorri sturluson, jesse l. The prose edda by snorri sturluson paperback university. Project gutenberg offers 61968 free ebooks for kindle, ipad, nook, android, and iphone. He was the author of the prose edda or younger edda and the heimskringla, a history of the norwegian kings that begins with legendary material and moves through to early medieval scandinavian history.
Snorri sturluson was in the fullest sense a product of his time. Early in his career, he won a reputation at home and in norway for his poetic talents. The saga of the last viking warrior by andrea hopkins, snorri sturluson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Snorri sturluson also spelled snorre sturlason was an icelandic historian, poet and politician. He comes to the great judgment and gathers all the good into gimle to dwell there forever, and evermore delights enjoy. The prose edda, also known as the younger edda, snorri s edda icelandic. Its tales are peopled by giants, dwarves, and elves, superhuman heroes, and indomitable warriors. Sturla sigvatsson, snorri s nephew, made a pilgrimage to rome, and visited germany. The uppsala codex parchment of about 20 names snorris book as edda. The heimskringla and the prose edda of snorri sturluson ebook. Snorri sturluson 1179 23 september 1241 was an icelandic historian, poet, and politician.
The book called the prose edda, by snorri sturluson, is a or some might say the seminal work of western culture. Snorri sturluson 1178 september 23, 1241 was an icelandic historian, poet and politician. The prose edda forms the basis of what the world knows as norse mythology, and contains legends of the creation of the cosmos and the bestknown stories of odin, thor, and the other gods. Widely considered as compiled by icelandic scholar and historian snorri sturluson around the year 1220, the prose edda contains a euhemerized prologue followed by three tales. Read the prose edda of snorri sturlson by unknown available from rakuten kobo. He was the author of the prose edda or younger edda, which consists of gylfaginning the fooling of gylfi, a narrative of norse mythology, the skaldskaparmal, a book. About the author icelands most versatile literary genius, snorri sturluson 11791241 wrote about poetry, mythology, and the lives of norse kings. Snorri sturlusons fame as a historianhis main work is the 16 sagas included in heimskringla c. Gylfaginning is the first part of snorri sturlusons edda, and contains the most extensive and coherent account of scandinavian mythology that exists from the. Icelands most versatile literary genius, snorri sturluson 11791241 wrote about poetry, mythology, and the lives of norse kings. A big plus is the fact that the book contains both the original names of characters in old icelandic, and a translation in english. Tales from norse mythology selected and translated by jean i. Written in iceland a century after the close of the viking age, the prose edda is the source of most of what we know of norse mythology.
It is distinguished by snorris classical objectivity, realistic psychology, and historically feasible if not always accurate depiction of cause and effect, all these counterbalanced by the pleasure he took, to use one literary. The prose edda of snorri sturlson, free ebook global grey. The prose edda, or younger edda, is a classic collection of norse myths of the icelandic people. The prose edda the younger edda by snorri sturluson. Snorri sturluson 11791241, apparently in iceland after his first visit to norway to visit the two rulers in 121820, and is thus an example of the modification of the skaldic tradition brought about by the increasing. This is an excellent translation of snorri sturlusons prose edda.
He was elected twice as lawspeaker to the icelandic parliament, the althing. During snorri s times, however, the christian church strongly discouraged anything that was connected with the heathen past. Snorri sturluson books list of books by author snorri. The work is often assumed to have been written, or at least compiled, by the icelandic scholar, lawspeaker, and historian snorri sturluson c. Prose eddagylfaginning wikisource, the free online library. This is an excellent translation of snorri sturluson s prose edda. He was elected twice as lawspeaker at the icelandic parliament, the althing. Jan 30, 2010 the prose edda, or younger edda, is a classic collection of norse myths of the icelandic people. See all books authored by snorri sturluson, including edda, and egils saga. Brown recommends this 1987 everyman edition, translated from old icelandic by anthony faulkes, as her. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the icelandic parliament, the althing. Snorri sturluson 11791241 icelandic poet, prose writer, and historian.
The discoveries of the norsemen on the northeast coast of america. Stories of the norse gods and heroes hackett classics jackson crawford. Snorra edda or, historically, simply as edda, is an old norse work of literature written in iceland during the early th century. One of his major works, originally titled edda, which is today commonly re ferred to as the snorra edda or prose edda in order to distinguish it. The younger edda, also known as snorres edda, or the prose edda, is a collection of old norse poems preserved by snorri sturluson 11791241. Snorri is the most celebrated figure in icelandic literature, remembered for his dramatic renditions of history. The prose edda, also known as the younger edda, snorris edda or simply edda, is an old norse. The prose edda is the most renowned of all works of scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for norse mythology. Snorri wrote the prose edda as an instruction manual on how to write the kind of oldfashioned. Sturla sigvatsson, snorris nephew, made a pilgrimage to rome, and visited germany. The second part of the prose edda is called the skaldskaparmal and the third hattatal.
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