Die Edda

The texts of the Edda are the basis for almost all preserved Germanic myths about the gods. Without the writings of the Prose and Poetic Edda, which are published in this volume, we would know almost nothing about the world of the Germanic gods, about Odin and Thor, Loki and the sun god Baldur, who he murdered, about the Fenrir wolf and the Midgard serpent. We would know nothing about the gods' fortress Asgard or the dark realm of the dead Hel, nothing about the adventures and battles between the Aesir and the giants, nothing about Ragnarök, the twilight of the gods. The texts published here are based on the original texts of Simrock's translation. The editor provides detailed explanations in the margins, clarifying terms and making actions understandable for the reader.