Snorri Sturluson EDDA Translated and edited by ANTHONY FAULKES University of Birmingham EVERYMAN J. M. DENT • LONDON CHARLES E. TUTTLE VERMONT CONTENTS Note on the Author and Editor vi Chronology of Early Icelandic Literature viii Introduction xi Select Bibliography xxiv PROLOGUE i GYLFAGINNING 7 SKALDSKAPARMAL 59 HATTATAL 165 Text Summaries zzi Annotated Index of Names zz$ Index of Metrical Terms z6o NOTE ON THE AUTHOR AND EDITOR Snorri sturluson, historian, poet and politician, was bom at Hvamm in western Iceland in 1179. He belonged to an aristo­ cratic family, the Sturlungar, who gave their name to the period of violence and turmoil in the early thirteenth century which led to the loss of Icelandic independence to the king of Norway in 1262-4. Snorri acquired great wealth and power and was twice lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament (Althingi), and twice visited Norway where he became embroiled in the politics of King Hakon Hakonarson and the king’s father-in-law, Earl Skuli. The latter rebelled against the king and was killed in 1240, and Snorri also became subject to the king’s displeasure and in 1241 was killed in his own cellar at Skalholt. As he is depicted in contemporary records, Snorri was not an attractive character, but he is acknowledged to be one of Iceland’s greatest writers, and appears in his books as urbane, intelligent and sensitive. His Heimskringla is the best account of medieval Scandinavian history, and his Edda is a masterpiece of organization, wit and irony. He may also be the author of one of the finest of the Sagas of Icelanders, Egils saga. He was a man of great learning, and in spite of belonging to a society that had been fully Christian for two centuries, was deeply immersed in the traditions of his pagan Viking ancestors. Anthony faulkes is Professor of Old Icelandic at The Univer­ sity of Birmingham. He studied Old Icelandic and Medieval English at Balliol College, Oxford, and was lecturer for ten years at Birkbeck College, University of London. He has travelled widely in Iceland, and took his doctorate at the University in Reykjavik in 1981. He has carried out extensive research on Icelandic texts, including various versions of Snorri Sturluson’s Edda. He was President of the Viking Society for Northern VI Note on the Author and Editor Research from 1986-8 and is now joint editor of the Society’s Saga-Book and Text Series. In 1992 he was awarded the knight’s cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon for services to Icelandic scholarship. Vll CHRONOLOGY OF EARLY ICELANDIC LITERATURE Year (ad) Historical and Literary Context Norse poets ft. c. 715 Beowulf written 793 First viking raid on Northumbria c. 850 Beginning of viking settlement in Bragi the old England c. 870 Beginning of viking settlement in Iceland 871 Alfred the Great becomes king of England c. 885 Harald finehair becomes king of all Thiodolf of Hvinir Norway Thorbiom Homklofi 93° Foundation of Althingi 948-54 Eirik Bloodaxe king at York 963 Division of Iceland into quarters Eyvind Skaldaspillir 981 Beginning of settlement of Greenland Egil Skallagrimsson 986 Discovery of America by Vikings Kormak 995 Olaf Tryggvason becomes king of Einar Skalaglamm Norway 999-1000 Christianity accepted in Iceland Hallfrod C. IOOJ Fifth court established IOIO Burning of Nial 1014 Battle of Clontarf Sigvat 1030 Fall of St Olaf Amor jarlaskald 1056 First bishop at Skalholt. Thiodolf Arnorsson Sæmund the wise born 1066 Fall of Harald Hardradi in England. Battle of Hastings 1067 Birth of Ari the wise 1096 Tithe laws introduced into Iceland 1x06 First bishop at Holar 1117-18 Icelandic laws first written down c. 1130 Islendingabok compiled H33 First monastery founded (at Thingeyrar) Vlll Chronology of Early Icelandic Literature Year (ad) Historical and Literary Context Norse poets fl. c. 1150 Earliest Icelandic manuscript fragments ” 53 Archbishopric established at Einar Skulason Nidaros in Norway c. 1170 First Grammatical Treatise. Hryggjarstykki. 1179 Birth of Snorri Sturluson c. 1190 Sverris saga 1197 Death of Jon Loptsson 1199 Thorlak declared saint 1214 Birth of Sturla Thordarson 1215-18 Snorri Lawspeaker 1217 Hakon Hakonarson becomes king of Norway 1218-20 Snorri’s first visit to Norway C. 1220 The Prose Edda 1222-31 Snorri Lawspeaker again 1226 Tristrams saga ” 37-9 Snorri’s second visit to Norway 1240 Earl Skuli killed 1241 Snorri Sturluson killed 23 September c. 1250 Oldest surviving manuscript of a saga of Icelanders (Egils saga) 1262 Iceland ceded to king of Norway 1263 Death of King Hakon c. 1275 Codex Regius of eddic poems. Morkinskinna c. 1280 Nials saga. Hrafnkels saga 1284 Death of Sturla Thordarson c. 1320 Grettis saga 1321 Death of Dante c. 1340 Birth of Chaucer c. 1350 Modruvallabok written Eystein Asgrimsson 1382 Flateyiarbok begun 15J0 Reformation in Iceland 1944 Iceland regains complete independence lx