The Poetic Edda: The Mythological Poems (Dover Literature: Poetry)

Experience the vibrant Old Norse poems in this collection, authentically capturing the ancient oral traditions of the Norsemen. Dating back to the thirteenth century, these "Lays of the Gods" have profoundly influenced celebrated storytellers such as Richard Wagner and J. R. R. Tolkien. With powerful images and vivid characterizations, the poems include the Voluspo which presents the world's creation and ultimate destruction, the Hovamol filled with sagacious counsels, the Lokasenna bursting with comedy, and the Thrymskvitha, a ballad of enduring loveliness. This extraordinary collection, complete with detailed translations, will captivate both students of antiquity and lovers of poetry and myth, offering a glimpse into a distant age of poet-singers and oral traditions.