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The Poetic Edda: The Mythological Poems Paperback – July 19, 2004
Known as the "Lays of the Gods," these mythological poems include the Voluspo, one of the broadest conceptions of the world's creation and ultimate destruction ever crystallized in literary form; the Hovamol, a compilation of sagacious counsels reminiscent of the biblical book of Proverbs; the Lokasenna, a comedy bursting with vivid characterizations; and the Thrymskvitha, a ballad of enduring loveliness.
The Poetic Edda is not only of the highest interest to students of antiquity; in the exceptionally detailed and complete translations included here, it offers lovers of poetry and myth some of the most remarkable surviving specimens from a distant age of poet-singers and oral traditions.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherDover Publications
- Publication dateJuly 19, 2004
- Dimensions5.25 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN-100486437108
- ISBN-13978-0486437101
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The Poetic Edda: The Heroic Poems (Dover Value Editions)Henry Adams BellowsPaperback$9.95 shippingOnly 10 left in stock (more on the way).
Product details
- Publisher : Dover Publications; 0 edition (July 19, 2004)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0486437108
- ISBN-13 : 978-0486437101
- Item Weight : 9.3 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.25 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #238,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #45 in Norse & Icelandic Sagas (Books)
- #46 in German Poetry (Books)
- #6,619 in Classic Literature & Fiction
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The spelling he chose for transliterated names doesn't follow the common style, Voluspo is usually Voluspa, Hovamol is usually Havamal, etc, but these differences are minor and easy to get used to. The print is a facsmile (typical of this publisher) but clear and easy to read, and the binding is good quality (unlike products from some similar companies).
Unfortunately Dover only published half of the book, the section referred to to as the "Mythological Lays", and have omitted the "Heroic Lays", assuming I suppose that we'd only want to read the poems referring directly to the gods. They do clearly admit the omission at the beginning of the book. Much of the ancient scandinavian works we have are regarding heroes related to the gods, so to focus completely on the gods themselves is to miss pieces of the whole picture. Some researchers (in the minority) even suggest that the "Heroic Lays" are actually stories about the gods under different names, which was a very common practice (as you'll see when you read the poems that are included). So I consider the omission very unfortunate.
Despite that complaint I think this book is worth the cost. Unless you want to print your own (the Bellows translation is in the public domain), this book is an excellent choice for what it does have. Just be aware of what you're missing.
Edit: Dover has recently announced that they will finally release the second half of the book, The Poetic Edda: The Heroic Poems (Dover Value Editions)
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These are absolutely essential since the poems allude to myths, events and relationships outside them that you need to understand before you can comprehend them properly. These are, however, clearly written and make this translation a much easier read than many of the more academically aimed texts. (I cannot be the only person who is infuriated by some translator's refusal to call a kenning a kenning but insist on referring to it as a periphrastic description throughout. )
For the reader, like myself, who is just beginning to explore the Edda this is definitely one of the translations to get.
(I say one of the translations, because, if my experience with Beowulf is anything to go by, you will probably end up with a few, ranging from poets attempts to recreate a recognisable, but loosely translated, piece of enjoyable poetry to word for word translations.)
The only downside to this inexpensive edition of the Poetic Edda, which is well laid-out and printed on better paper than most paperbacks, is that it only the first half of the work. If you want the rest - The Heroic Poems - you will have to buy the other volume reprinted by Dover.
I do not believe this is not as clearly signposted as it should be in the description and may be a source of irritation. So if you are choosing your Poetic Edda on the basis of price alone you have to add the cost of the other volume to this one to compare prices properly.




