---
title: Edda
author: Kimberly Lin
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Edda/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 1970-01-01
---
# Edda
_Authored by [Kimberly Lin](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/kimheddlesten/)_
Edda is a term used to describe two Icelandic manuscripts that were copied down and compiled in the 13th century CE. Together they are the main sources of [Norse mythology](https://www.worldhistory.org/Norse_Mythology/) and skaldic poetry that relate the [religion](https://www.worldhistory.org/religion/), cosmogony, and history of Scandinavians and Proto-Germanic tribes. The *Prose* or *Younger Edda* dates to circa 1220 CE and was compiled by Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic poet and historian. The *Poetic* or *Elder Edda* was written down circa 1270 CE by an unknown author.
### Etymology of 'Edda'
Snorri Sturluson's work was the first of the two manuscripts to be called *Edda*, however, scholars are uncertain how this exactly came about. Snorri himself did not name it. The term, 'Edda', was later ascribed to Snorri's work by a different author in a manuscript from the early 14th century CE, the *Codex Upsaliensis*, which contained a copy of Snorri's *Edda* within it. Gudbrand Vigfusson, in *The Poetry of the Old Northern Tongue*, quotes the *Codex Upsaliensis* as saying, “This Book is called Edda, which Snorri Sturlason put together according to the order set down here: First, concerning the Æsir and Gylfi.” The first use of the word 'Edda', that has thus far been located, was in a poem called the *Lay of Righ* (*Háttatal*), which was authored by Snorri. In this poem, the word 'Edda' is used as a title for “great-grandmother.” Multiple theories exist, but one suggests that the term may have become associated with Snorri's manuscript because, like a great-grandmother, it carries a breadth of ancient knowledge and wisdom. Another theory that is more widely accepted by scholars today proposes that 'Edda' is closely associated with the word *Oddi*, which is the Icelandic town where Snorri grew up.
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### The Prose Edda
Snorri Sturluson's *Edda* was later called the *Prose Edda*, due to his addition of prose explanations of the difficult alliterative verse and symbolism. It appears that Snorri designed the manuscript as a textbook on skaldic poetry. However, it has been most highly prized for the songs and poems that record an incredible array of [mythology](https://www.worldhistory.org/mythology/), heroes, and battles. His verse was reflective of older styles of court poetry and was esteemed as a high standard for other poets. It was a standard perhaps unattainable by future generations of poets, as it was considered by many as overly cryptic and difficult.
Snorri's *Edda* was later nicknamed the 'Younger Edda' because much of it derives from older sources. What those sources were is a matter of speculation. Some researchers believe Snorri based it largely on folkloric oral traditions that he may have heard, while others think he used an elder written *Edda*. However, experts agree that he did add many of his own details. As a result, he gives readers a more elaborate version of Norse mythology that at times reveals his Christian influence.
### Contents of the Prose Edda
- **Prologue:** Snorri reveals his Christian influence by giving an account of the Biblical version of creation with the stories of Adam and Eve, the Great Flood and [Noah's Ark](https://www.worldhistory.org/Noah's_Ark/).
- **Gylfaginning: Here Begins the Beguiling of Gylfi** - Perhaps truest to ancient sources, this book is a mythological story in the form of Odinic poems that explain the origin of the Norse cosmos and the chaos that will ensue.
- **Skáldskaparmál: The Poesy of Skalds** - This text continues with mythological stories of the Norse gods but weaves educational explanations on skaldic poetry into the narrative.
- **Háttatal: The Enumeration of Metres** - Includes three distinct songs that celebrate King Hákon and Skúli Bárdsson, the powerful father-in-[law](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/law/) of the king. Snorri added comments and definitions between stanzas to ease the reader's difficulty of interpretation.
### Poetry From the Prose Edda
The following excerpt from the first book in the *Prose Edda*, 'Gylfaginning', connects the *Poetic* and *Prose Edda* together. In it, Snorri references the 3rd stanza of *Völuspá*, the most famous poem of the *Poetic Edda* that details the mythological creation and destruction of the Norse cosmos. This story in the *Prose Edda* is about King Gylfi of Scandinavia who travels to investigate the wise and cunning leaders of the east. The king pretends to be an old man, Gangleri, who asks many questions of the leaders.
> Gangleri said: 'What was the beginning, or how began it, or what was before it?' Hárr answered: 'As is told in Völuspá
> Erst was the age | when nothing was:
> Nor sand nor sea, | nor chilling stream-waves;
> Earth was not found, | nor Ether-Heaven,—
> A Yawning Gap, | but grass was none.
> (Gylfaginning: Chapter IV)
### An Elder Edda Surfaces
In 1643 CE, a highly respected Icelandic collector of numerous works on Norse [literature](https://www.worldhistory.org/literature/), Bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson, obtained a copy of an older manuscript. No scholar knows where it came from or if it originally had a name, however, it was evident that the newly discovered compendium and Snorri's *Edda* had some common origins. Although the bishop attributed this manuscript to the priest and author, Saemundur Sigfússon (1056-1153 CE), and called it *Saemundur's Edda*, today, scholars agree that this was incorrect. The author/compiler is still unknown. However, Bishop Brynjólfur believed the manuscript to be the *Elder Edda*. Completely written in verse, the *Elder Edda* later became known as the *Poetic Edda* to distinguish it from Snorri's prose counterpart.
In 1662 CE, Bishop Brynjólfur gifted many of his important literary collections to the King of Denmark, Frederick III, to place in the new Royal Library. The *Poetic Edda* was among those gifts. It became known as the *Codex Regius* ('King's or Royal Book') and remained safeguarded in Denmark until it was returned to Iceland in 1971 CE.
[  Codex Regius of the Poetic Edda Unknown (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/6411/codex-regius-of-the-poetic-edda/ "Codex Regius of the Poetic Edda")The *Codex Regius* is a cherished artefact containing ancient myths and stories of heroes that cannot be found elsewhere. Older copies of the *Codex Regius* and its sources that may have once existed were lost or destroyed. It currently contains 90 pages, but 16 of those went missing sometime after it went to Denmark. The *Poetic Edda* took a bit of an evolutionary divergence from the *Codex Regius* as other poems were added to the *Poetic Edda* over the years. Today, many people refer to the oldest King's Book as the *Codex Regius of the Poetic Edda* to distinguish it from a different volume of *Codex Regius*, which contains a copy of Snorri's *Edda* and dates to the first half of the 14th century CE. The contents of any modern *Poetic Edda* vary and depend on the author.
### Contents of the Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)
**Mythological Poems**:
- Völuspá - The Seeress's Prophecy
- Hávamál - Sayings of the High One
- Vafþrúðnismál - The Ballad of Vafthrúdnir
- Grímnismál - The Lay of Grímnir
- Skírnismál - The Lay of Skírnir
- Hárbarðsljóð - The Lay of Hárbard
- Hymiskviða - The Lay of Hymir
- [Lokasenna](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1938/lokasenna/) - [Loki](https://www.worldhistory.org/Loki/)'s Wrangling
- Þrymskviða - The Lay of Thrym
- Völundarkviða - The Lay of Völund
- Alvíssmál - The Lay of Alvís
**Heroic Poems**:
Three lays of Helgi
- Helgakviða Hundingsbana I or Völsungakviða
- Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar
- Helgakviða Hundingsbana II or Völsungakviða in forna
- Frá dauða Sinfjötla - A short prose text
- Grípisspá - Grípir's Prophecy, The Prophecy of Grípir
- Reginsmál - The Lay of Regin
- Fáfnismál - The Lay of Fáfnir
- Sigrdrífumál - The Lay of Sigrdrífa
- Brot af Sigurðarkviðu - Fragment of a Sigurd Lay
- Guðrúnarkviða I - The First Lay of Gudrún
- Sigurðarkviða hin skamma - The Short Lay of Sigurd
- Helreið Brynhildar - Brynhild's Ride to [Hel](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hel/)
- Dráp Niflunga - The Slaying of The Niflungs
- Guðrúnarkviða II - The Second Lay of Gudrún
- Guðrúnarkviða III - The Third Lay of Gudrún
- Oddrúnargrátr - Oddrún's Lament
- Atlakviða - The Lay of Atli
- Atlamál hin groenlenzku - The Greenlandic Poem of Atli
- The Jörmunrekkr Lays
- Guðrúnarhvöt - Gudrún's Lament
- Hamðismál - The Lay of Hamdir
### Poems Added That Are Not in the Codex Regius
- Baldrs draumar - [Baldr](https://www.worldhistory.org/Baldr/)'s Dreams
- Gróttasöngr - The Song of Grotti
- Rígsþula - The Lay of Ríg
- Hyndluljóð - The Lay of Hyndla
- Völuspá - Short Prophecy of the Seeress
- Svipdagsmál - The Lay of Svipdag
- Grógaldr - Gróa's Spell
- Fjölsvinnsmál - The Lay of Fjölsvid
- Hrafnagaldr Óðins - Odins's Raven Song
### Poetry from the Poetic Edda
One of the most important mythological poems is *Hávamál*, in which [Odin](https://www.worldhistory.org/odin/) explains how he acquired the [runes](https://www.worldhistory.org/runes/) by sacrificing himself to himself on the Yggdrasil tree. As translated by Olive Bray, stanzas 137 and 138 explain:
> 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.
> None refreshed me ever with food or drink,
> I peered right down in the deep;
> crying aloud I lifted the Runes
> then back I fell from thence.
### Preservation of Germanic History
It was by good fortune that the *Codex Regius* of the *Poetic Edda* was preserved. Widespread destruction of pagan manuscripts occurred in the 18th century CE across [Europe](https://www.worldhistory.org/europe/). Additionally, in 1728 CE the Great Fire in Copenhagen tragically burned at least one-third of the [city](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) including over 35,000 volumes of books and a large collection of historical documents at the University of Copenhagen library.
Today, the *Eddas* are a key to the ancient world of Germanic history. More than just a vast source of mythology, the *Eddas* reveal the intimate relationships between humans, gods, and nature, and the deep reverence that was built upon these beliefs. This is especially significant in light of a resurgence of Icelandic Pagan religion. Additionally, the extensive usage of the *Eddas* across the world as resources for Norse studies testifies to their scholastic relevance. Both the *Prose* and *Elder Eddas* are national treasures that have captured history within their poetic pages and are a testament to the tenacity of the Icelanders to remember and preserve their precious heritage.
#### Editorial Review
This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).
## Bibliography
- [Gudbrand Vigfusson and F. York Powell. *Corpus Poeticum Boreale\[Volumes 1 & 2\].* Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1883, XVII-XXXIII.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B001B3Q3C4/)
- [Philip Pulsiano Kirstin Wolf. *Medieval Scandinavia An Encyclopedia.* Garland Publishing, 1993, 100-103.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B0017SVG8O/)
- [Terry Gunnell. "Eddic Poetry." *A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture*, edited by Rory McTurk. BLACKWELL PUBLISHERS, 2005, 82-100.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B00Y4RF960/)
## About the Author
Kimberly is the administrator of historicmysteries.com, and her passion is sharing what she learns about our enigmatic past. She lives within the Campi Flegrei supervolcano in Italy, from where she will continue to dive into the ancient world.
- [Facebook Profile](https://www.facebook.com/Historic.Mysteries/)
- [X/Twitter Profile](https://twitter.com/HistoricMystery)
## Timeline
- **c. 1220 CE**: The Prose [Edda](https://www.worldhistory.org/Edda/) by Snorri Sturluson is written.
- **c. 1270 CE**: The Poetic [Edda](https://www.worldhistory.org/Edda/) is written. It contains poetry that dates further back, though.
## External Links
- [The Poetic Edda Index](http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/index.htm)
- [The History of Vikings Podcast](https://thehistoryofvikings.com/)
## Cite This Work
### APA
Lin, K. (2017, March 21). Edda. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Lin, Kimberly. "Edda." *World History Encyclopedia*, March 21, 2017. .
### MLA
Lin, Kimberly. "Edda." *World History Encyclopedia*, 21 Mar 2017, .
## License & Copyright
Submitted by [Kimberly Lin](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/kimheddlesten/ "User Page: Kimberly Lin"), published on 21 March 2017. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.