Snorri Sturluson, Edda, the Prose

Carl Olsen (University of California, Berkeley)

Ed. by Richard William Dance, University of Cambridge
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.4: Icelandic Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Guðrún Steinþórsdóttir (University of Iceland), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 1220

Places

Iceland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Epic
Story

Resources

The Prose Edda was composed in Iceland around 1220 by Snorri Sturluson (1178/79-1241), a poet and a member of the powerful Sturlung family. He is believed to also have written Heimskringla. The Prose Edda is also referred to as Snorra Edda [Snorri’s Edda] and The Younger Edda. The latter title is based on the belief that the Prose Edda was composed after the texts that make up the Poetic Edda. The Prose Edda, however, is the only one of the two books which was known by the name Edda in Medieval Iceland. This name is attested in the Codex Upsaliensis version, which opens by stating that the book is called Edda and that it was compiled by Snorri.

The Prose Edda survives in four relatively complete manuscripts as well as some fragments. The primary manuscripts...

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1145 words

Citation: Olsen, Carl. "Edda, the Prose". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 July 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5442, accessed 09 June 2026.]

Snorri Sturluson, Edda, the Prose

Dates

Places

Genres and Modes

Resources

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