The Poetic Edda - A Tolkien-Inspired Book for Professors

The Poetic Edda, often referred to as The Elder Edda or Saemund's Edda, stands as an extraordinary assembly of thirty-four Icelandic poems, intricately woven with prose. This collection spans the 9th to 12th centuries, featuring the original Old Norse verses presented alongside their English translations. Within its pages lie the quintessential tales of Odin, the wise god; Thor, the hammer-wielding warrior; the clever yet troublesome Loki; and the pantheon of Asgard’s gods and goddesses.

A notable acknowledgment of this work comes from Professor J. R. R. Tolkien, the ingenious mind behind The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. At the tender age of sixteen, Tolkien encountered a beautifully illustrated translation by Olive Bray, published by the Viking Club of London. Readers familiar with Tolkien's literary genius can easily trace the echoes of the Poetic Edda in his narratives—the names of dwarves found within The Hobbit, the riddle challenges, the treacherous Mirkwood, the eerie Paths of the Dead, and the creature from the underworld deceived into staying above ground until dawn, when the sunlight turns him to stone. Additionally, the text explores the theme of various races referring to a single object by different names.

In this ancient collection, the world inhabited by humans is called "Midgarth," directly translatable to "Middle-earth." The presence of elves is noted, alongside a host of dwarves bearing names like Thorin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Gloin, Fili, Kili, Bifur, Bafur, Bombur, and Oaken-shield. Furthermore, Thrainn, Thror, and Gandalf are mentioned, with Bray translating Gandalf as "Wand-elf," a fitting title for Tolkien's rendition, as his Gandalf wields a staff.

One striking feature of the poems is the presence of a dragon known as Fierce-stinger, who captures a poetic essence through lines such as: “Fares from beneath a dim dragon flying, a glistening snake from the Moonless Fells. Fierce-stinger bears the dead on his pinions away o'er the plains. I sink now and cease.” Given the archaic language of the text, a glossary is included at the end of the book for contemporary readers, along with an index of names to aid in the identification of characters. Bray's extensive introduction has been updated for modern audiences, although many footnotes have been left out; the core of the text remains true to Tolkien’s era.

Significantly, Bray's edition includes the original Icelandic text, a feature that would have undoubtedly fascinated Tolkien, given his background in philology, allowing him to compare the English and Icelandic texts side by side.

The illustrations accompanying this edition were crafted by W. G. Collingwood, an English author, artist, and professor who embarked on a journey to Iceland in 1897. During his three-month sojourn, he sketched and painted numerous landscapes that reflect the settings of medieval Icelandic sagas. His expertise in Norse and Anglican archaeology positioned him as a leading authority in the field, and his richly symbolic Art Nouveau-style illustrations contribute significantly to the Bray edition's allure.

Ultimately, the Poetic Edda remains a vital repository of Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, instrumental in shaping Tolkien's literary vision, thus influencing the creation of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

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