Eddas

The Eddas are two medieval Icelandic works that together form the principal written source for Norse mythology and the related Germanic heroic tradition. The term Edda, of uncertain origin, is used in modern scholarship to refer to these two collections, commonly distinguished as the Poetic Edda (the Elder Edda) and the Prose Edda (the Younger Edda).

The Poetic Edda is a compilation of traditional Old Norse poems preserved in manuscripts dating from the 13th century, most famously the Codex Regius. The poems, largely anonymous and drawn from older oral tradition, cover myths about the gods, cosmology, and heroic legends, as well as skaldic praise and other topics. Notable poems include Völuspá, Hávamál, Grímnismál, and Lokasenna. The collection provides the raw material for Norse myth and is a key source for understanding the worldviews and poetic culture of medieval Iceland.

The Prose Edda, written by Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson in the early 13th century, serves as a manual of poetics and a guide to mythology. It contains four parts: the Prologue, Gylfaginning (a narrative presentation of the myths), Skáldskaparmál (a technical treatise on poetic diction and kennings), and Háttatal (a systematic set of verse forms). Its purpose was to help poets compose in the Norse tradition and to preserve mythic material in a cohesive framework.

Together, the Eddas shaped later Icelandic literature and had a lasting impact on Western interpretations of Norse myth, influencing medieval narratives and modern fantasy.