The Poetic Edda (Oxford World's Classics)

Translation is a big deal. The smallest words interpreted different ways can change the whole meaning. This book was recommended by the Norroena Society as being one of the more accurate translations. Trying to translate the meaning and thinking of an ancient society that has been lost and crushed by Christian rule has a huge impact on the end result. What were the social norms at the time? How did our ancestors view nature, god's, marriage, property, community, and family? It's interesting to read the same stanza from different translations and the message is completely different in parts while the same in others.

Professor Larrington wrote an amazing compilation of what original manuscripts provided modern scholarship. It is a delight to read and learn.

This is not to review the Eddic poems themselves, but Larrington's translation of them. I've given her translation five stars because it is the most accurate complete translation available in English, and as such, along with Ursula Dronke's editions, the only English translation to be recommended as an aid to the student reading the poetic Edda in Old Norse. That being said, while it is the best available, it is still not completely reliable, so be careful. For a proper study of the Poetic Edda you'll need to also consult the glossary of Lafarge and Tucker, the massive Frankfurt commentary (in German), as well as the editions of Jónas and Gísli published in Icelandic. For the reader not intending to read the Old Norse, I would say any of the translations of the Edda from Larrington, Orchard, Crawford, or Dodd can be recommended, each for different reasons.

An absolute must read.

Solid translation. However, there are a few mispellings and some incorrect information. (One example being the introduction mentions Loki as Odin's half brother, which is incorrect. In spellings, works like fjord are translated into fiord, not sure if thats on the author or not. In my opinion words like fjord do not need a respelled translation as fjord is still spelled fjord in current day) Overall, a good read for those who prefer an easier translation to comprehend.

Great read with prefaces helping understand the readings that are translated. Arrived quickly.

Great book, for the ones who want to understand history before Christianity, colonized the world. Must have for any Norse pagans or people wanting to get back to there heritage. If you are into the Norse gods or Runic folklore you have to own yourself a copy

A translation that is faithful to the spirit of the original.

I give my fullfledged endorsement to Larrington's translation of the Edda's with the qualification that I am not an expert in the field. I rate it highly for technical and for personal reasons. The binding is strong, the type is clear and I have not found any misspellings or other signs of careless publication. As with all edited literary material, the introduction is important and this introduction clearly lays out Larrington's explanation of her approach to the word choice rhyme and meter of this translation of an ancient treasury of Norse myth. She also argues for greater attention to be paid to the female figures, "powerful actors themselves in the unfolding drama." I bought this copy of the Poetic Edda as a gift for a man of 20, and was delighted to see how quickly he grasped its parentage to much of the literature he has read and loved. This and the more didactic Prose Edda are valuable volumes for readers of any age who want to know more and go back further into the world of the Norse gods and heros.

Great book

I am not a scholar of the Edda, but based on my hobby reading I can only say this is greatly recommendable: the translater somehow seems to have find a wonderful middle ground between an easy read, great English with real depth, and a real feeling for the source and it's language. Very happy to have found this book!

Las fuentes principales para el conocimiento de la mitología nórdica son la Edda poética y la Edda en prosa. Ambas cuentan con buenas traducciones al español, pero esta bonita edición en tapa dura contiene una de las mejores traducciones en inglés y debe ser tenida en cuenta por los aficionados.

The translation in this book is easy to understand, and it includes key notes for all important points, making understanding the Edda extremely easy.