Talk:Poetic Edda

Poems contained within the Edda

Mythological poems

In Codex Regius

• Völuspá (Wise-woman's prophecy, The Prophecy of the Seeress, The Seeress's Prophecy)
• Hávamál (The Ballad of the High One, The Sayings of Hár, Sayings of the High One)
• Vafþrúðnismál (The Ballad of Vafthrúdnir, The Lay of Vafthrúdnir, Vafthrúdnir's Sayings)
• Grímnismál (The Ballad of Grímnir, The Lay of Grímnir, Grímnir's Sayings)
• Skírnismál (The Ballad of Skírnir, The Lay of Skírnir, Skírnir's Journey)
• Hárbarðsljóð (The Poem of Hárbard, The Lay of Hárbard, Hárbard's Song)
• Hymiskviða (The Lay of Hymir, Hymir's Poem)
• Lokasenna (Loki's Wrangling, The Flyting of Loki, Loki's Quarrel)
• Þrymskviða (The Lay of Thrym, Thrym's Poem)
• Völundarkviða (The Lay of Völund)
• Alvíssmál (The Ballad of Alvís, The Lay of Alvís, All-Wise's Sayings)

Not in Codex Regius

• Baldrs draumar (Baldr's Dreams)
• Gróttasöngr (The Mill's Song, The Song of Grotti)
• Rígsþula (The Song of Ríg, The Lay of Ríg, The List of Ríg)
• Hyndluljóð (The Poem of Hyndla, The Lay of Hyndla, The Song of Hyndla)
  • Völuspá in skamma (The short Völuspá, The Short Seeress' Prophecy, Short Prophecy of the Seeress) - This poem, sometimes presented separately, is often included as an interpolation within Hyndluljóð.
• Svipdagsmál (The Ballad of Svipdag, The Lay of Svipdag) – This title, originally suggested by Bugge, actually covers two separate poems. These poems are late works and not included in most editions after 1950:
  • Grógaldr (Gróa's Spell, The Spell of Gróa)
  • Fjölsvinnsmál (Ballad of Fjölsvid, The Lay of Fjölsvid)
• Hrafnagaldr Óðins (Odins's Raven Song, Odin's Raven Chant). (A late work not included in most editions after 1900).
• Gullkársljóð (The Poem of Gullkár). (A late work not included in most editions after 1900).

Heroic lays

After the mythological poems, Codex Regius continues with heroic lays about mortal heroes, examples of Germanic heroic legend. The heroic lays are to be seen as a whole in the Edda, but they consist of three layers: the story of Helgi Hundingsbani, the story of the Nibelungs, and the story of Jörmunrekkr, king of the Goths. These are, respectively, Scandinavian, German, and Gothic in origin. As far as historicity can be ascertained, Attila, Jörmunrekkr, and Brynhildr actually existed, taking Brynhildr to be partly based on Brunhilda of Austrasia, but the chronology has been reversed in the poems.

In Codex Regius

The Helgi Lays

• Helgakviða Hundingsbana I or Völsungakviða (The First Lay of Helgi Hundingsbane, The First Lay of Helgi the Hunding-Slayer, The First Poem of Helgi Hundingsbani)
• Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar (The Lay of Helgi the Son of Hjörvard, The Lay of Helgi Hjörvardsson, The Poem of Helgi Hjörvardsson)
• Helgakviða Hundingsbana II or Völsungakviða in forna (The Second Lay of Helgi Hundingsbane, The Second Lay of Helgi the Hunding-Slayer, A Second Poem of Helgi Hundingsbani)

The Niflung Cycle

• Frá dauða Sinfjötla (Of Sinfjötli's Death, Sinfjötli's Death, The Death of Sinfjötli) (A short prose text.)
• Grípisspá (Grípir's Prophecy, The Prophecy of Grípir)
• Reginsmál (The Ballad of Regin, The Lay of Regin)
• Fáfnismál (The Ballad of Fáfnir, The Lay of Fáfnir)
• Sigrdrífumál (The Ballad of The Victory-Bringer, The Lay of Sigrdrífa)
• Brot af Sigurðarkviðu (Fragment of a Sigurd Lay, Fragment of a Poem about Sigurd)
• Guðrúnarkviða I (The First Lay of Gudrún)
• Sigurðarkviða hin skamma (The Short Lay of Sigurd, A Short Poem about Sigurd)
• Helreið Brynhildar (Brynhild's Hell-Ride, Brynhild's Ride to Hel, Brynhild's Ride to Hell)
• Dráp Niflunga (The Slaying of The Niflungs, The Fall of the Niflungs, The Death of the Niflungs)
• Guðrúnarkviða II (The Second Lay of Gudrún or Guðrúnarkviða hin forna The Old Lay of Gudrún)
• Guðrúnarkviða III (The Third Lay of Gudrún)
• Oddrúnargrátr (The Lament of Oddrún, The Plaint of Oddrún, Oddrún's Lament)
• Atlakviða (The Lay of Atli). The full manuscript title is Atlakviða hin grœnlenzka, that is, The Greenland Lay of Atli, but editors and translators generally omit the Greenland reference as a probable error from confusion with the following poem.
• Atlamál hin groenlenzku (The Greenland Ballad of Atli, The Greenlandish Lay of Atli, The Greenlandic Poem of Atli)

The Jörmunrekkr Lays

• Guðrúnarhvöt (Gudrún's Inciting, Gudrún's Lament, The Whetting of Gudrún.)
• Hamðismál (The Ballad of Hamdir, The Lay of Hamdir)

Not in Codex Regius

Several of the legendary sagas contain poetry in the Eddic style. Its age and importance is often difficult to evaluate but the Hervarar saga, in particular, contains interesting poetic interpolations.

• Hlöðskviða (Lay of Hlöd, also known in English as The Battle of the Goths and the Huns), extracted from Hervarar saga.
• The Waking of Angantýr, extracted from Hervarar saga.

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