Lore

One of the reasons the Lore in general, and the poems of the Poetic Edda in particular, speaks so strongly to us is that they function on a variety of different levels.

The Eddic poems do indeed function as mythological metaphors. They speak to fundamental truths about the human condition, and in this sense they are commentary on our psyches both individually and collectively as a society. They evoke themes that are echoed throughout our lives, the histories of our nations, and in the inner conversations that form our thoughts. The Lore is metaphor.

However, they also function on a purely literal level. The events recorded therein actually happened (or, in some cases, will happen), in mythic time, historical time, and present time. They form a historical record-- imperfectly transmitted in some instances, perhaps-- and a prophetic outline of future events. They speak to the ørlög of our current world; they are intended to show the foundations of that very ørlög. The Lore is literal.

Also, in many if not all instances, they function as ritual guidelines. That is, many if not most of the Eddaic poems can be viewed as outlines for ritual, whether that is more abstract (as in Voluspá as an outline for a ritual of self-initiation and renewal) or more concrete (as in Skírnismál as a script for a performed ritual drama). The Lore is ritual.

Too, the poems and other writings present us with concrete examples of right and wrong living. There are moral lessons contained within them, with the aphorisms of Hávamál being only the most obvious examples. Sigurdrífumál contains similar nuggets of advice, and many of the so-called Heroic poems are rife with concrete examples of the consequences of right and wrong actions and thoughts. The Sagas and Heimskringla are without doubt the best examples of such advice-from-experience. The Lore is moral compass.

Here, then, is the Lore of the Germanic peoples. What follows is by no means a complete or definitive collection, but it is hopefully a help to those who wish to delve into the written record of Germanic history, morality, religion, and myth. Where possible, we have endeavored to present the texts in the original language, with an accompanying English translation facing. Often, translations are inadequate (whether to maintain artistic integrity, lack of suitable technical language in English, or out of sheer ignorance), and it is helpful to have the original text available to compare difficult words. Often highly specific technical religious terms are glossed over with English words with completely alien connotations, and the careful student of the Lore may find a facing translation useful.

The following represent only a small fraction of the Lore of our ancestors.

Please be sure to check out our e-Books page for a selection of lore and secondary sources around the web.

Anglo-Saxon Sources

• Beowulf

• The Life of Alfred the Great

Continental and Other Sources

• The Bayeux Tapestry

• The Bayeux Tapestry (animated). Very clever.
   

• Charlemagne's Capitulary for Saxony

• An Exerpt from Ibn Fadlan's Rasala

• The Orgins and Deeds of the Goths (by Jordanes)

Icelandic and Scandinavian Sources

• Egil's Saga

• Eirik the Red's Saga

• Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway

• Kormak's Saga

• Njal's Saga (aka the Saga of Burnt Njal)

• The Poetic Edda (aka Saemundar's Edda, aka the Elder Edda)

• The Prose Edda (aka Snorri's Edda, aka the Younger Edda)

• The Saga of the Ere-Dwellers (aka Eyrbyggja Saga)

• The Saga of Grettir the Strong

• The Saga of the Heath-Slayings (aka Heidarviga Saga)

• The Saga of the Men of Salmon-River Dale (Eyrbyggja Saga)

• The Saga of the Volsungs

Modern Sources

• Dansmal

Secondary Sources

• H.R. Ellis-Davidson, The Battle-God of the Vikings. U. of York Medieval Monograph Series, 1971.
• H.R. Ellis-Davidson, The Road to Hel. Greenwood Press, 1968.
• Jones, George Fenwick, Honor in Germanic Literature. U. of North Carolina Press Studies in Germanic Languages and Literatures #25, 1959.

New Updates in our Tidings Page (1/19)

Click to join Our Email List