British publisher releases a translation of Iceland’s Poetic Edda
Publisher Joe Whitlock Blundell. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Árni Sæberg
The Poetic Edda is an Icelandic literary work not quite like any other. It was written in the beginning of the 13th century and is one of the most treasured heritage of the Icelandic nation.
The Edda tells tales of gods, heroes, monsters, wars, folly and deceit. They offer some of the best insight available into the culture and belief system of the Vikings.
Over the decades they have inspired a lot of great writers and composers. William Morris and in Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle, of which the mythological substrata are formed from Eddic tales. The fascination with the collection continued into the following century, with Ezra Pound, W. H. Auden and Jorge Luis Borges all professed admirers. Most pervasively of all, J. R. R. Tolkien found inspiration in the Edda for his creation of Middle Earth.
Only 980 copies
These epic tales were recently translated by Carolyne Larrington, Professor of Medieval European Literature and published by The Folio Society. It’s with fully revised translations and updated introduction and notes. The original text is also in the book, next to the translation. According to Joe Whitlock Blundell of The Folio Society, it was important to the publisher to give the reader a feel for the language.
It’s a limited edition, only 980 copies. They are bound in leather which gives them an aincient overall look. The book contains illustrations by artist Simon Noyes, whose art in the book is meant to remind the reader of Nordic runes.
