Vafþrúðnismál
thumb|Odin and Vafþrúðnir battle in a game of knowledge (1895) by Lorenz Frølich. Vafþrúðnismál (Old Norse: 'The Lay of Vafþrúðnir') is the third poem in the Poetic Edda. It is a conversation in verse form conducted initially between the Æsir Odin and Frigg, and subsequently between Odin and the jötunn Vafþrúðnir, as they engage in a battle of wits. The poem goes into detail about the Norse cosmogony and was evidently used extensively as a source document by Snorri Sturluson in the construction of the Prose Edda who quotes it. The poem is preserved in Codex Regius and partially in AM 748 I 4to
Book · Open Library
- Author
- Tim William Machan
- First published
- 2008
- Editions
- 2
- Subjects
- Norse Mythology, Old Norse poetry, Poésie vieux norroise, History and criticism, Eddas, Histoire et critique, Mythologie nordique
via Open Library
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Synopsis
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Odin and Vafþrúðnir battle in a game of knowledge (1895) by Lorenz Frølich. Vafþrúðnismál (Old Norse: 'The Lay of Vafþrúðnir') is the third poem in the Poetic Edda. It is a conversation in verse form conducted initially between the Æsir Odin and Frigg, and subsequently between Odin and the jötunn Vafþrúðnir, as they engage in a battle of wits. The poem goes into detail about the Norse cosmogony and was evidently used extensively as a source document by Snorri Sturluson in the construction of the Prose Edda who quotes it. The poem is preserved in Codex Regius and partially in AM 748 I 4to. There are preservation problems relating to stanzas 40-41. Vafþrúðnismál is believed to be a 10th century poem.
==Structure== The poem consists of 55 stanzas in total, which are composed in a ljóðaháttr meter. Stanzas 1-4 are a conversation between Odin and Frigg, which set up the plotline and stanza 5 sends him off on his journey. Stanzas 6-55 are solely between Gagnráð (Odin) and Vafþrúðnir.