Die Edda

The Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda together form our most important source for Old Norse mythology. One cannot be used or read without the other. The Poetic Edda contains tales of gods and heroes that date back in part to the 9th century. They depict legendary events from Iceland, Norway, and Greenland during the so-called Viking Age. The younger Edda was originally a textbook for young singers, skalds, to learn the fundamentals of their art. Through its examples from contemporary and ancient songs, it now serves as an invaluable treasure trove for the Nordic-Germanic mythology that had long been suppressed in Germany at that time.