Edda facts for kids
The Edda (plural: Eddas or Eddur) refers to two important collections of stories: the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. These books tell us a lot about the gods, goddesses, and heroes of Norse mythology, which was the religion of the Vikings.
These stories were written down in Iceland between the 9th and 13th centuries. They were put together by Icelandic historians who were Christian. Because the writers were Christian, some parts of the original Viking stories might have been changed to fit their new beliefs. Even so, the Eddas are the most important written records we have today about Norse mythology.
The name "Edda" probably comes from Oddi, a place in Iceland. Two important people connected to the Eddas lived there:
- Saemund Sigfusson was a cleric (a church leader or scholar) who is thought to have written parts of the Poetic Edda.
- Snorri Sturluson was a Christian politician (someone involved in government) and a writer. He wrote the Prose Edda.
Contents
Types of Edda
The Poetic Edda
The Poetic Edda is a collection of old poems. These poems tell many tales about the Norse gods, like Odin, Thor, and Freyja. They also include stories about heroes and the creation of the world. These poems were passed down orally (by speaking them) for a long time before they were written down.
The Prose Edda
The Prose Edda was written by Snorri Sturluson. It's like a textbook that explains the old Norse poems and myths. Snorri wrote it to help people understand the complex poetry of his time. It includes:
- Gylfaginning: This part tells the main stories of the Norse gods, from the creation of the world to its end (Ragnarök).
- Skáldskaparmál: This part explains poetic language, like metaphors and special ways of naming things used in Norse poetry.
- Háttatal: This section shows different types of poetic forms and how to write them.
Why the Eddas are Important
The Eddas are super important because they are our main source of information about Norse mythology. Without them, we would know much less about the beliefs, stories, and culture of the Vikings. They help us understand ancient Scandinavian history and literature.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Edda para niños
