The Prose Edda
Snorri Sturluson
Now this is an interesting book. It might as well be called "An Introduction to Norse Mythology". The translation I have is split up into two sections, though I didn't sense as much variance between them as the introduction to the book might have indicated. Nevertheless, I'm not complaining, as both sections were of interest to me, if a little confusing and overwhelming at times. Taken as a whole, however, the stories present a view of the gods so utterly different from typical Chrsitian sensibilities that I could not help but be astounded. I read this for class today, but it was so intriguing that I actually thought about the questions presented outside of that context.
The story is basic enough. This dude goes out hunting and stumbles across a hall, wherein sit three gods. Gylfi, the adventurer, proceeds to attempt to outwit them by posing various questions about the gods. In the process, the reader is treated to a very long and confusing list of who begat whom, which frost giant's body became the world, and so on and so forth. What's especially interesting about this whole interaction is the information presented in the stories, which provide a concrete history of the world from beginning to end, with selected stories about the adventures of the gods thrown in here and there for good measure.
What's most interesting about the gods is their susceptibility. The gods didn't create the world but instead arise from it. Indeed, they are from the mythical land of Troy, which becomes their heaven. Being human, or merely a tad bit super-human, makes the gods relatable and far more interesting than gods who can just do as they wish. The Norse gods have to be clever and have to outwit their foes in order to triumph. When challenged to empty the sea in a single drink, Thor fails miserably but still manages to create the tides. This attitude towards the gods propels the narratives and prevents them from becoming boring. Each tale is a separate story of a challenge and its solution.
Of course, we have explanations for things such as earthquakes, but the Norse conceptions of heaven and the afterlife are arguably the most interesting nuggets in the work. Up in heaven, the gods spend their nights feasting and their days fighting epic battles, only to be resurrected. The gods will even die at the end of the world, ushering in a new era in which water is non-existent and there is plenty of corn to go around. The gods are vulnerable, are more human constructions than hard core deities, and as such the tales are stripped of any moral pretension. The stories are merely there to be enjoyed and to explain rituals already in place. This is why things are they way they are, and boy are they interesting.
I struggled a bit through the very heavy beginning of the book, which was mostly a list of names, but about halfway through the Deluding of Gylfi I was completely hooked. As an introduction to Norse mythology and a bonus look at Icelandic sensibility regarding gods and certain aspects of life, The Prose Edda excels.
Grade: A-
Snorri Sturluson
Now this is an interesting book. It might as well be called "An Introduction to Norse Mythology". The translation I have is split up into two sections, though I didn't sense as much variance between them as the introduction to the book might have indicated. Nevertheless, I'm not complaining, as both sections were of interest to me, if a little confusing and overwhelming at times. Taken as a whole, however, the stories present a view of the gods so utterly different from typical Chrsitian sensibilities that I could not help but be astounded. I read this for class today, but it was so intriguing that I actually thought about the questions presented outside of that context.
The story is basic enough. This dude goes out hunting and stumbles across a hall, wherein sit three gods. Gylfi, the adventurer, proceeds to attempt to outwit them by posing various questions about the gods. In the process, the reader is treated to a very long and confusing list of who begat whom, which frost giant's body became the world, and so on and so forth. What's especially interesting about this whole interaction is the information presented in the stories, which provide a concrete history of the world from beginning to end, with selected stories about the adventures of the gods thrown in here and there for good measure.
What's most interesting about the gods is their susceptibility. The gods didn't create the world but instead arise from it. Indeed, they are from the mythical land of Troy, which becomes their heaven. Being human, or merely a tad bit super-human, makes the gods relatable and far more interesting than gods who can just do as they wish. The Norse gods have to be clever and have to outwit their foes in order to triumph. When challenged to empty the sea in a single drink, Thor fails miserably but still manages to create the tides. This attitude towards the gods propels the narratives and prevents them from becoming boring. Each tale is a separate story of a challenge and its solution.
Of course, we have explanations for things such as earthquakes, but the Norse conceptions of heaven and the afterlife are arguably the most interesting nuggets in the work. Up in heaven, the gods spend their nights feasting and their days fighting epic battles, only to be resurrected. The gods will even die at the end of the world, ushering in a new era in which water is non-existent and there is plenty of corn to go around. The gods are vulnerable, are more human constructions than hard core deities, and as such the tales are stripped of any moral pretension. The stories are merely there to be enjoyed and to explain rituals already in place. This is why things are they way they are, and boy are they interesting.
I struggled a bit through the very heavy beginning of the book, which was mostly a list of names, but about halfway through the Deluding of Gylfi I was completely hooked. As an introduction to Norse mythology and a bonus look at Icelandic sensibility regarding gods and certain aspects of life, The Prose Edda excels.
Grade: A-
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