Free Downloads The Poetic Edda: Stories Of The Norse Gods And Heroes (Hackett Classics)
"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Here it is at last (Odin be praised!) and well worth the wait. 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. Jackson Crawford's modern versions of these poems are authoritative and fluent and often very gripping. 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." --Dick Ringler, Professor Emeritus of English and Scandinavian Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
Series: Hackett Classics
Paperback: 392 pages
Publisher: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. (March 5, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1624663567
ISBN-13: 978-1624663567
Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.5 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #38,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #3 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Regional & Cultural > European > German #7 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Regional & Cultural > European > German #13 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Regional & Cultural > European > Norse & Icelandic Sagas
the philological skills of the author are evident in this careful translation. No pretender to the throne, Dr. Crawford brings to bear all the necessary historical linguistics, consummate mastery of the entire Norse corpus, and shrew literary judgement to produce a more authentic experience of the style and rhetoric of the Poetic Edda than has ever been rendered in English. While translation of poetry can never truly avoid doing violence and injustice to the source material, this translation injures least.
There's a difference... actually, there's an abyss between a translation and a true, high quality social localization. That means conveying the work in a way it respects the original context and makes it available to a foreign audience in the right context. That's not easy. But the reader can sense when reading a mere translation or a true localization. Mr. Crawford has given us the context of the Edda in a language we can truly feel and visualize the Edda in its full wonder.
While the actual translation of the original Old Norse poetry is superb, skillfully capturing the rhythmic meter of the ancient Skaldic poetry, the bonus features such as the engrossing, comprehensive introduction to Viking society, as well as Dr. Crawford's whimsical "Cowboy Havamal" help to bring these venerable texts to life.
As a huge fan of Norse mythology, I have read several translations of The Poetic Edda and I must say, this one is–hands down–the best translation I have read and now, one of my favorite books.While I respect some other translations, I find the ones that I have read to be often inconsistent in style, and with difficult and odd word choice, which makes the reading of those translations a bit challenging (but not in a good way).This is not the case with Crawford’s Edda. I read this book and never felt more connected to the stories of the gods and heroes. The introduction is clear and really gives a nice background to the poems, and why they were translated the way they are in the book. It also gives a nice understanding about the history, as well as the Vikings and their culture which is a huge part of the poems and their background. The language throughout is contemporary and polished, and the poems are translated and written so beautifully! The poems can easily take the reader into a world of magic and myth, heroes and sagas with such beautiful writing. Also, don’t miss out on the the excellent bonus of this book, which is the Cowboy Havamal- that on its own deserves a 5-star review.Crawford did a fantastic job finally bringing the Poetic Edda into the 21st century with this flawless translation. If you’re into Vikings/ Norse Mythology/ history or books in general: don’t miss out on this one!(btw, I bought this book as gifts to many family and friends and they all love it!)
I really enjoyed Jackson Crawford's version of The Poetic Edda. I came to it after having read a few books about the history of the Vikings, and was ready to learn a little more about their literature, mythology, and way of thinking. Crawford's translation is clear and modern, and his introductions to the various poems in the work are helpful for people who, like myself, are new to the subject. I was fascinated by this book and you will be too.
These are nice fluent translations that capture the spirit and rhythm of the originals; they are far more pleasing to read than previous English translations of the Poetic Edda by Bellows and Hollander. The Introduction and headings for each poem provide just enough information to place each in their context without scholarly overkill. Highly recommended.
Jackson Crawford has done a great job of linguistic and cultural translation in this new iteration of The Poetic Edda.The Norse gods, goddesses, giants, elves, dwarves and monsters are all vividly portrayed in these ably interpreted tales.As to the stories themselves...There is simply no mistaking Odin for Jesus despite the shared crucifixion; Wotan is thoroughly documented in these pages as being a bare-knuckled Old Sage of mean streets and hard times - a good friend to have in a bar fight but Freyja help you if you cross him or he sizes you up for a weakling or a coward.As for the heroes - both male and female -, the picture is even more problematic. These folks are not, strictly speaking, Vikings at all. Instead , they are a bloody-minded collection of Huns and Goths from the Sarmatian Steppe who by turns marry, molest, torture, murder, and actually eat each other with such merciless abandon as to cause even the hardest of Old Testament ruffians to blanch.The entire Volsunga Saga is so outrageous that one is tempted to consider the possibility that it may have been either invented outright, or at least to have been substantially warped and rewritten, by Christian partisans with an anti-heathen ax to grind....on the other hand, it might explain the underlying dynamic of some family reunions you may have attended. You’ll just have to read it and decide for yourself.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading these poems & immersing myself in pre-Christian stories, philosophies and mores. Mr. Crawford did a skillful job in translating these Old Norse mythologies and making it user-friendly to the masses like myself. The poems have an easy rhythm and are not bogged down with arcane language. My favorite poem was, Balder's Dreams, where Odin awakens the dead witch to interpret his sons dreams of his own death.I enjoyed the Poetic Edda immensely and look forward to other works by the author in the future.
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