The Poetic Edda [Kindle Edition]

Henry Adams Bellows (Author, Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Poetic Eddas are the oral literature of Iceland, which were finally written down from 1000 to 1300 C.E. The Eddas are a primary source for our knowledge of ancient Norse pagan beliefs. This translation of the Poetic Eddas by Henry Adams Bellows is highly readable.

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. -- J. B. Hare

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Icelandic

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 543 KB
• Print Length: 298 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Evinity Publishing Inc; 1.0 edition (April 3, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0024NLGNQ
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #516,002 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #76 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > History > Australia & Oceania > Polar Regions

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor formatting, December 28, 2010

By 

Ryan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Poetic Edda [Illustrated] (Kindle Edition)

Technically, this is Bellows's translation, but formatted poorly. Other editions actually put spaces in between the lines of poetry. And do a better job of separating the footnotes from the stanzas.

8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Non-standard translation makes for intrusive read., February 6, 2010

By 

Jesper Johansson (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Poetic Edda [Illustrated] (Kindle Edition)

This translation uses nonstandard terms which do not conform to the common English terms used for most of the characters and places. Bellows actually points out that this is done deliberately, and even that it will "undoubtedly perplex and annoy those who have become accustomed to one or another of the current methods of anglicising Old Norse names." For example, Bellows translates "Ožin" as "Othin." While this is quite likely truer to the original sound of the word "Ožin", it does not match the English "Odin", nor the more commonly accepted Old Norse version: Óšinn. In fact, it does not even match the current name "Oden" in use in Scandinavia. Many other names have been "less" or differently translated, such as "Baldr" (Baldur, or Balder in common Scandinavian usage), "Voluspo" (Voluspa). A few take a while to figure out what they mean, such as "Mithgard" (apparently Mižgardr, commonly translated as Midgard in English, Midgård in Sweden, from the generally accepted Old Norse "Mišgaršr"). Someone who is more of scholar of Old Norse might actually question the accuracy of Bellow's interpretation of the original.

Some may appreciate this translation. For me, at least, this translation was intrusive enough to go look for a different translation of the Poetic Edda.