Query for Reading Group folks - Elder Eddas

[Greybar]

So I'm looking for a copy of the Elder Eddas that would be highly recommended by the august members of the boards.

The one ref I have so far is "Poems of the Elder Edda translated by Patricia Terry", but I've been warned that it may be a bit on the academic side. On the other hand, I don't want some watered-down Time-Life Books compilation. [grin]

Any recommendations?

Thanks,
John

 

[Rhialto]

Well, first if you're looking for a good copy, with a recent translation, it'll be under the name of "The Poetic Edda", as the whole "Elder Edda" name was the result of some rather poor scholarship. (The Poetic Edda was actually assembled after the Prose Edda, which was likely a major inspiration for that act--and it probably isn't an Edda at all, as that was Snorri's title for his work, and probably means something along the lines of "Poetry Lessons"....")

That said, Lee Milton Hollander and Carolyne Larrington both have written fine translations, though fans of one or the other tend to say that the other one is crap and "alters the meaning of the poems".

 

[tarchon]

Les ðu þat á Norrœnu, http://www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/eddais/.
Or if you prefer English,
http://www.northvegr.org/lore/poetic/index.html

 

[Greybar]

Thanks everyone. Great link, tarchon!

John