*Please, press play on the track above to enjoy the music believed to be enjoyed during this time period. 

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Thought to be brought to life in Iceland and other Scandinavian territories, The Poetic Edda is a compilation of grand tales of Norse gods and their hero’s. The poetry’s date of origin is assessed to have been created no earlier than 985 but no later than 1300, with a rough estimation of 1270. There are many versions of the Poetic Edda, but it was only translated into English for us to enjoy in 1797 by Cottle (Cottle, 1797). The Poetic Edda has some many unique elements including its anonymous authorship and its history of being passed down via story tellers and song writers.

A distinctive quality of the Edda is the fact that is a leading example and inspiration of a unique Eddic poetry. The poetry is not reliant on rhyming, instead it is reliant of the intense visual imagery to entrance the audience. The poetry is often octosyllabic couplets that are often seen in romantic and courage themed literature.  This presentation format, also called historical lays, makes reading the stories entrancing in a way that most people haven’t experienced. This was a great medium to help story tellers remember the stories more accurately. Without this medium, we may not have some of the incredible stories that have come from the Edda like Thor, Oden, Loki, treasure hunting dwarfs, and the prediction of the end of the world.

The Poetic Edda is also one of the first works of literature that talks about cross dressing and speaks to the fragility of masculinity (Frankki, 2012).Similarly, in Orlando cross dressing is written about because of the characters sex change. The construct of gender and its fluidity many seem like a new world concept. However, as we can see the fluidity od gender and the questioning of gender boundaries dates back to the beginnings of literature. Additionally, like the many modern novels we have been introduced to, a quest is centric to each of the poetic Edda. What makes this piece of literature so important to our examination of the modern novels is that is highlights people’s heroic efforts that may not be expected to be heroic figures. Unlike literature in this time, women are allowed to play powerful and heroic roles within the Edda. Like in the stories of Orlando, the perspective of a woman is highlighted and celebrated.