Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.
Will Rogers
The Poetic Edda
Translated by: HENRY ADAMS BELLOWS [1936]
This text is in the public domain because it was not
renewed in a timely fashion as requrired at the time by copyright law.
(U.S. Copyright Office online records)
Many of the texts at sacred-texts are of interest only to the specialist,
somewhat like small art movies.
By contrast The Poetic Eddas, the oral literature of
Iceland which were finally written
down from 1000-1300 A.D, are like big summer movies, full of gore,
sex, revenge and apocalyptic violence.
This translation of the Poetic Eddas is highly readable.
They are also a primary source for our knowledge of
ancient Norse paganism.
The poems are great tragic literature, with vivid descriptions of the
emotional states of the protagonists, Gods and heroes alike.
Women play a prominent role in the Eddic age,
and many of them are delineated as skilled warriors.
The impact of these sagas from a sparsely inhabited
rocky island in the middle of the Atlantic on world culture is wide-ranging.
Wagners' operas are largely based on incidents from the Edda,
via the Niebelungenlied.
J.R.R. Tolkien also plundered the Eddas for atmosphere, plot material and the
names of many characters in the Hobbit,
and the Lord of the Rings. -- jbh
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Contents
General Introduction
Voluspo
Hovamol
Vafthruthnismol
Grimnismol
Skirnismol
Harbarthsljoth
Hymiskvitha
Lokasenna
Thrymskvitha
Alvissmol
Baldrs Draumar
Rigsthula
Hyndluljoth
Svipdagsmol
Völundarkvitha
Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar
Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I
Helgakvitha Hundingsbana II
Fra Dautha Sinfjotla
Gripisspo
Reginsmol
Fafnismol
Sigrdrifumol
Brot Af Sigurtharkvithu
Guthrunarkvitha I
Sigurtharkvitha En Skamma
Helreith Brynhildar
Drap Niflunga
Guthrunarkvitha II, En Forna
Guthrunarkvitha III
Oddrunargratr
Atlakvitha En Grönlenzka
Atlamol En Grönlenzku
Guthrunarhvot
Hamthesmol
Pronouncing Index Of Proper Names
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