NM - Old Norse Poetry and Modern Poetry Lesson
Old Norse Poetry and Modern Poetry
Begin by reading "The Origin of Poetry" from the Younger Edda or Prose Edda. Use the text below and read pages 160- 165.
Click here to read The Younger Edda Links to an external site.
The Norse culture, like any other, is rich in literature and poetry. The Poetic Edda contains a collection of poems from the Old Norse era. This is one of the two main sources of Norse mythology and legend, the other being the Prose Edda. Many poems and prose writings after these followed the poetic meter, rhyme, and other figurative language devices.
Below is a selection from the Poetic Edda. Because this was a time period when stories and poems were told through song and oral tradition, many of the authors are not known.
Sigidrifa's prayer from the Eddic Sigdrifumál
| Old Norse Original | Translation |
|
"Heill dagr,
Heilir æsir, |
"Hail Day ! Hail Sons of Day !
Hail the Aesir ! Hail Asynjur !
|
Now, read the selected poems in the Norse Poetry handout, located in the sidebar. The handout contains poems from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Alfred Lord Tennyson. The poems are examples of literary allusion to Norse mythology.
"The Wanderer" is a famous Old English poem found in the Exeter Book
. "The Wanderer" is a poem about the meditations of an Old English warrior, as he roams seas in exile. What is the cause of his sorrow? What does he long for from days past? Read the poem below:
Reading Assignment: The Wanderer
Click here to read "The Wanderer" Links to an external site.
Click here to read "The Wanderer" Translation Links to an external site.
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