The general plan of the Voluspo is fairly clear. On the whole, how ever, and allowing for certain interpolations, the order of the stanzas in the Codex Regius seems more logical than any of the wholesale “improvements” which have been undertaken. The order of the stanzas in the Hauksbok version differs materially from that in the Codex Regius, and in the published editions many experiments have been attempted in further rearrangements. Another version of it is found in a huge miscellaneous compilation of about the year 1300, the Hauksbok, and many stanzas are included in the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson.

a conservative sparseness that often comes close to echoing the terseness of the Old Norse Eddic metres.The Wise-Woman’s Prophecy Introductory NoteĪt the beginning of the collection in the Codex Regius stands the Voluspo, the most famous and important, as it is likewise the most debated, of all the Eddic poems. Crawford’s sense of rhythm is perhaps his strongest suit here, contributing significantly to the readability of the verse. A published poet in his own right, Crawford renders his translation in a modest, cautiously elegant free verse with a rigorous consistency that gives the material fluency impossible in a translation reflecting the original Old Norse syntax. Commentary is minimal but useful, and the verse itself is presented in a visually clear style. “Crawford’s Edda is easy to pick up and read. Van Deusen, University of Alberta, in Scandinavian-Canadian Studies I will most certainly be using this translation when I teach Norse mythology in the future and will recommend it to anyone looking for an approachable introduction to the subject.” Crawford’s knowledge of and passion for the topic is clear throughout, and he strikes an excellent balance between approachability and authenticity. “n excellent and entertaining work that succeeds in achieving its intended purpose: to create an accessible and readable English translation of the Poetic Edda. Dick Ringler, Professor Emeritus of English and Scandinavian Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison With their individual headnotes and complementary general introduction, they supply today’s readers with most of what they need to know in order to understand and appreciate the beliefs, motivations, and values of the Vikings.” Jackson Crawford’s modern versions of these poems are authoritative and fluent and often very gripping. These amazing texts from a 13th-century Icelandic manuscript are of huge historical, mythological and literary importance, containing the lion’s share of information that survives today about the gods and heroes of pre-Christian Scandinavians, their unique vision of the beginning and end of the world, etc. Here it is at last (Odin be praised!) and well worth the wait.

“The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice.

The Poetic Edda by Unknown