Snorri Sturluson
• Snorri was born in Iceland in 1179 and died on
the 22nd September 1241.
• He was a descendent of the poet and warrior Egil
Skallagrimsson, and probably composed the
famous Egilssaga about his ancestor.
• Snorri grew up in Oddi at the home of Jan
Loptsson, at the time the most wealthy and
influential chieftain in Iceland. He received the
best possible education – Jan’s grandfather was
Saemund the Learned, who had studied in Paris.
Snorri Sturluson
• Unlike the vast majority of medieval writers,
Snorri was a political, rather than a religious
figure.
• Snorri belonged to a famous and powerful
family, the Sturlungars, who gave their name to
the chaotic period in Icelandic history in which
Snorri lived.
• Snorri began his career with a marriage to a
wealthy woman, though he was soon separated
from her and had many affairs during his life.
Snorri Sturluson
• Snorri held important offices during his life,
including twice being elected Lawspeaker of
Iceland (1215-18 and 1222-1231) and serving on
the highest court in the country.
• Snorri’s greed, ambition and cunning led him to
make alliances with the King of Norway, and
later to plot a rebellion against the king.
• Snorri was assassinated by his former son-in-law
on orders by the Norwegian King, in the cellar of
his home in Reykholt in 1241.
Icelandic History
• Iceland is discovered by Norwegian sailors around
870; island inhabited only by Irish anchorites.
• Settlement by Norwegians and others begins
shortly afterward; the country is officially settled
in 930, when the Althing is instituted.
• 1000 A.D. Iceland converts to Christianity.
• 1241 A.D. Death of Snorri.
• 1262 “Voluntary Subjugation” of Iceland to
Norway; prosperity of the island decreases greatly.
• 1944 Icelandic Independence from Denmark.
Snorri Sturluson
• Snorri is one of the few known authors of medieval
prose works in Iceland – most of the saga authors
remain anonymous.
• Snorri established a reputation as a poet and writer,
in addition to his legal and political career.
• Heimskringla, a history of medieval Scandinavia.
• Olafssaga and (probably) Egilssaga.
• Snorra Edda (1220), consisting of Gylfaginning,
Skaldskaparmal and Hattatal, books dealing with
the art of medieval Scandinavian court poetry.
Snorri Sturluson
• Snorri probably wrote his Edda because the art of
the poet (Skald) was falling out of fashion or
becoming increasingly archaic and difficult.
• In contrast to the mythological poetry of the Elder
Edda (e.g. Voluspa or Havamal), court poetry was
complicated and intricate, depending on a shared
body of lore for mutual understanding.
• Skaldskaparmal (or “Language of Poetry”) is a
discourse between Ægir (god of the sea) and
Bragi (god of poetry) about the origin and
language of poetry in Scandinavia.
Skáldskaparmál
• Snorri’s treatise on poetry deals in dialogue form
with the mythic origins of poetry as well as with
the various verse forms and the common phrases
used.
• He quotes verses from many authors who are
otherwise unknown.
• His explanations of kennings (from kenna eitt
vio – to express a thing in terms of another)
provide us with much mythological information
that is available from no other source.
Skáldskaparmál
• Ægir comes from his island home (he is a sea god
or giant) to visit the gods and goddesses in their
hall while they are drinking.
• He sits beside Bragi (whose name is related to the
verb “to brag,” and who may have originally been
a real person, the legendary poet Bragi Boddason,
from the 9th century AD).
• Bragi becomes a little drunk and starts telling
stories, first the myth of the Theft of Idunn (59f.)
• Giant Thiassi steals Idunn, but is tricked and
killed.
Skáldskaparmál
• Bragi then relates the myth of Skadi and her search
for compensation for the death of Thiassi, her
father (61).
• Bragi explains the division of the inheritance of
Olvaldi, that each son in turn took a mouthful of
gold – “and now we have this expression among
us, to call gold the mouth-tale of these giants, and
we conceal it in secret language or in poetry by
calling it speech or words or talk of these giants.”
• Ægir is impressed by this information and asks
Bragi to explain the origin of poetry.
Skáldskaparmál
• Bragi relates that the Æsir and Vanir spit into a
kettle to seal the truce after their war. They kept the
spittle as a symbol of peace, but later used the
magic liquid to fashion a man, who was named
Kvasir, exceedingly wise and eloquent (61f.)
• Kvasir traveled through the world, sharing his
wisdom, but was treacherously killed by two
dwarfs, Fialar and Galar.
• The dwarfs mixed his blood with honey and
brewed mead, which they put in vats named
Odrerir and Son and Bodn (62).
Skáldskaparmál
• The mead made from Kvasir’s blood had the
special property that whoever drank from it would
speak poetry.
• Fialar and Galar had a nasty Giant guest named
Gilling, whom they drowned and whose wife they
killed (by dropping a stone on her head).
• Gilling’s son Suttung came for vengeance and they
paid for their lives with the precious mead.
• Suttung hid the mead in the mountain cave
Hnitbiorg, putting his daughter Gunnlod in charge
of guarding the vats.
Skáldskaparmál
• The mead of poetry is thus called:
• Kvasir’s blood
• Dwarf’s drink
• Liquid of Odrerir or Bodn or Son
• Dwarf’s transportation
• Suttung’s mead
• Liquid of Hnitbiorg
• Fialar’s treasure or Galar’s ransom, etc. etc.
• Ægir then asks, how the Æsir got hold of the mead
of poetry?
Skáldskaparmál
• Odin set out on a quest to seize the mead of poetry
from Suttung.
• He came to a field where nine slaves were mowing
hay; he sharpens their scythes and then asks if they
would like his whetstone. Since they all wanted it,
he threw it into the air – and they all slit each
other’s throats fighting for it. (God of the Dead)
• Odin, calling himself Bolverk (worker of evil) then
goes to Baugi, Suttung’s brother, and offers to
work in place of his dead slaves, in return for one
draught of the mead.
Skáldskaparmál
• Baugi makes no promises, but agrees to talk with
his brother about the requested payment.
• Odin/Bolverk does the work of nine men during
the summer and then asks for his payment.
• He and Baugi go to Suttung, but he refuses even a
single drop of the precious mead.
• Bolverk takes out an auger named Rati and asks
the Giant Baugi to bore a hole with it. Baugi drills
two times, before Bolverk is satisfied that he has
truly drilled through the mountain.
Skáldskaparmál
• Bolverk transforms himself into a snake, slithers
through the hole into the mountain – Baugi tries to
kill him with the auger, but is too slow.
• In the mountain cave, Odin reassumes his shape
and seduces the Giantess Gunnlod. He sleeps with
her for three nights and then she lets him take three
sips of the mead – Odin drains each vat.
• Odin/Bolverk turns himself into an eagle and flies
as fast as he can for Asgard. Suttung takes his own
eagle shape and pursues him. When he nears
Asgard, Odin spits the mead into vats (63f.).
Skáldskaparmál
• A little of the mead spills out, and that is called the
“rhymster’s share” – for bad poets.
• Odin bestows the mead on his favored mortals –
poetry is thus a form of divine inspiration or
intoxication associated with the wisest and craftiest
of all the gods.
• Odin’s booty or Odin’s find
• Odin’s gift
• Æsir’s drink
Idunn and her golden apples
Idunn being carried
off by the Giant Thiassi
Idunn and her apples, Idunn with Loki
Odin with the
Giantess Gunnlod,
Drinking the
Mead of Poetry
Skáldskaparmál
• The narration now assumes a “question and
answer format” – very common in medieval
pedagogical or philosophical texts.
• The language of poetry (64) has three categories:
• To call everything by its name
• To use substitution
• To use a description or periphrastic term, called
a kenning.
• Odin thus called Victory-Tyr, Hanged-Tyr or Cargo-Tyr
Skáldskaparmál
• Snorri justifies his explanation of these kennings
– which should be obvious – because young poets
need to learn the rich language of their ancestors.
• Snorri is careful to remind his audience that
“Christian people must not believe in heathen
gods, nor in the truth of this account … (64f.)
• Snorri presents a euhemeristic account of the
settlement of the North by heroes of ancient Troy.
• Snorri offers a novel interpretation of the Myth of
Hymir (65f.), mixing Trojan and Norse heroes!
Skáldskaparmál
• An example of Norse verse (see 66):
Now for *sea-steeds *trunks there is
*Eagles’ flight over land in store –
I guess they are getting *Hang-god’s
*Hospitality and *rings.
*ship’s *men (=Viking warriors)
*eagles are massing over a battlefield
*Odin’s
*as his (slain) guests in Valhall *plunder
Skáldskaparmál
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Some common kennings for poetry (70ff.):
Kvasir’s blood, Dvalin’s drink, dwarf’s yeast-surf
Dwarf’s ship, dwarf’s mead, giant’s mead
Suttung’s mead, liquid of Odrerir, Bodn and Son
Liquid of Hnitbiorg, Bodn’s wave or surf
Odin’s booty, Odin’s find, Odin’s cargo or gift
Mountain-kept liquid, pot-liquid of gallows-cargo
Har’s (Odin’s) ale, stream of Mim’s friend (Odin)
Skáldskaparmál
• Some kennings for Thor (72-74):
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Son of Odin and Iord (earth)
Father of Magni and Modi and Thrud
Husband of Sif
Ruler and owner of Miollnir
Defender of Asgard and Midgard
Slayer of giants and troll-wives
Killer of Hrungnir, Geirrod, Thrivaldi, etc.
Lord of Thialfi and Roskva
Enemy of the Midgard serpent
Skáldskaparmál
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Some kennings follow for lesser gods:
Baldr (74f.)
Niord (75)
Freyr (75)
Heimdall (75f.)
Tyr (76)
Bragi, Vidar, Vali, Hod, Ull (all on 76)
Loki (76f.): father of monsters, thief of giants,
mother of Sleipnir, enemy of gods, maker of
mischief, Sif’s hair-harmer, the bound one…
Skáldskaparmál
• Snorri relates more myths to explain the kennings
he has just listed for various gods.
• Myth of Hrungnir’s visit to Asgard and his duel
with Thor and excerpts from the poem Haustlong
(77-81).
• Myth of Thor’s visit to Geirrod and excerpts
from the poem Thorsdrapa (81-86).
Skáldskaparmál
Snorri lists a number of kennings for
goddesses:
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Frigg (86)
Freyia (86)
Sif (86)
Idunn – and here he cites extensively from the
poem Haustlong – see Thor and Hrungnir –
(86-88).
Skáldskaparmál
• Snorri then lists kennings for geographical and
cosmological features:
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The Sky–Ymir’s skull, toil of the dwarfs (88ff.)
The Earth–Ymir’s flesh, bride of Odin (90f.)
The Sea–Ymir’s blood, sea-king’s way (91ff.)
The Sun–daughter of Mundilfæri, sister of moon
The Wind, Fire, Winter, Summer (93f.)
Skáldskaparmál
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Some kennings for Man (94)
Woman (94)
Gold (94f.)
Why is gold called Ægir’s fire? Snorri relates
this myth of Lokasenna, relating how gold was
used to illuminate Ægir’s hall (95).
• Snorri also relates that Ægir has a daughter called
Ran who catches men in the sea.
• Snorri relates that poets went even further, using
terms associatively or allegorically (95).
Some Images of Ran
Some Images of Ran
Skáldskaparmál
• Why is gold called Sif’s hair? Snorri relates the
myth of how Loki cut off Sif’s hair and was
forced to find a replacement (96f.).
• This myth also explain how the gods acquired
some of their greatest treasures – Skidbladnir,
Miollnir, Gungnir, Draupnir, Freyr’s golden
boar.
• The myth ends with Loki escaping decapitation,
but he does have his lips sewn together with an
awl and thread.
Skáldskaparmál
• What is the reason for gold being called Otter’s
payment / Otter’s ransom? Snorri relates this
myth, which is known from a number of other
literary sources (99-100).
• This is the famous myth that is used to explain
the background to the Saga of the Volsungs (or in
Germany, the Nibelungenlied).
• The motif of the Cursed Ring (or cursed gold) is
used in a number of later retellings, from
Wagner’s Ring-cycle to Tolkien’s Lord of the
Rings.
Skáldskaparmál
• What more is there to tell about the gold?
• Snorri goes on to summarize the Saga of the
Volsungs (100-105). The legendary poems from
the Poetic Edda deal with aspects of this legend.
• Part of the story is clearly myth, most of the story
is fanciful romance or legend, and part of the
story is based on historical information – King
Atli and King Iormunrekk are figures from the
Völkerwanderung, having lived nearly 1000 years
before Snorri recorded this tale in writing.
Skáldskaparmál
• Why is gold called Frodi’s Mead? (106ff.)
• Frodi, King in Denmark, bought two slave girls
(giantesses) from Sweden – Fenia and Menia.
• He set them to work with two magic millstones
and told them to grind out gold and prosperity,
but they ground out an army instead.
• Frodi was defeated and killed; the sea-king
Mysing set the girls to work grinding out salt–
they ground too much and the boat sank.
• “Song of Grotti” in Poetic Edda tells this myth.
Skáldskaparmál
• Why is gold called Kraki’s seed? (110ff.)
• Snorri here discusses Hrolfs saga kraka (and
poems of the saga), which we read in class.
• Snorri tells the incident of Hrolf’s “christening”
somewhat differently: Vogg indeed first called
him “Kraki,” but as a young man, not in Sweden.
• The adventure in Sweden is also different; in
Snorri’s version, Adils owes Kraki payment for
sending his champions to assist him in a battle
against the King of Norway.
Skáldskaparmál
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More kennings for silver and gold (113f.)
Gold-Kennings for “man” (114f.)
Gold-kennings for “woman” (115f.)
How shall battle be referred to? (117f.)
• Weather of weapons or shields, or of Odin
• Clash or noise of weapons or shields
• Hail or rain of arrows or stones or darts
• How shall weapons and armor be referred to?
• Many picturesque terms for weapons (118)
Skáldskaparmál
• Battle is also called “Hiadnings’ storm,” because
of a battle between Hogni and Hedin, who had
abducted King Hogni’s daughter Hild. (122f.)
• Hild cannot stand to see either her husband or her
father killed, so she uses her magic to return the
dead men to life – whereupon they continue the
battle.
• In time, the dead men and their weapons become
stones during the day, assuming their mortal and
violent natures at night, in the Orkney islands.
Skáldskaparmál
• How shall a ship be referred to? (124ff.)
• Horse, animal or ski of sea-kings or of the sea
• Wave’s steed, bear of currents, ocean-otter
• How shall Christ be referred to? (126f.)
• Interesting that Christ and Christian subjects
are assimilated into Norse poetry – sometimes
in associations with pagan imagery.
• Snorri then describes kennings for various ranks
of nobility – emperors – kings – earls – lords –
hersar, Grafen, barons – Holdar [heroes] –
hirdmen and housecarls (128ff.)
Skáldskaparmál
• Snorri’s discussion of poetry then turns to other
aspects of poetry – (non-periphrastic terms):
• Rhyme and praise, rhapsody, encomium, eulogy
• Other, less poetic terms are given for gods (133),
heavens and heavenly bodies (133f.), for the
earth itself (134f.), wolves, bears and other
animals (135f.).
• Snorri also lists common names of horses (136f.)
and of serpents (137), livestock (137), birds
(137f.)—ravens and eagles always referred to “in
terms of blood or corpses.”
Skáldskaparmál
• What terms for the sea are there? (139ff.)
• Snorri lists quite a few verses describing the
sea, including Ægir and his wife Ran and their
nine daughters (waves).
• What terms for fire are there? (143ff.)
• Snorri then discusses other non-periphrastic terms
for: Times, Men and Kings, especially the
legendary dynasties of Scandinavia, the Ynglings,
Volsungs, Niflungs, Budlungs, Skioldungs and
others.
Skáldskaparmál
• What terms are there for poets? (150f.)
• At this point, Snorri’s book assumes the character
of a poetic thesaraus (150-155), with terms for
men and women and for parts of the body.
• Snorri provides us with a lengthy catalogue of
names of all sorts of mythological and legendary
beings and things:
• Kings, giants, troll-wives, Æsir, Æsyniur
(goddesses), men, battle, swords, battle-axes,
arrows, bows, armor (byrnie), sea, rivers, fish,
ships, earth, livestock, and finally the heavens.
Skáldskaparmál
• What does Snorri’s book tell us about Norse
poetry in general?
• What does his book tell us about the culture in
which he lived?
• What were the priorities of the culture?
• What sort of imagery dominates his book?
• What did he think of his ancestry and history?
• What is the role of the poet in this society?
• What do you think the effect of his book was?
• What did you learn from this book?