THE HIES OPEN LIBRARY
MYTHOLOGY, RELIGIOUS TRADITION & HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
The Old Norse Religion collection brings together primary sources, historical narratives, and scholarship relevant to the study of pre-Christian Scandinavian religion and its later preservation and interpretation.
These resources provide material for the study of the Gods, cosmology, religious practice, sacred tradition, sacrifice, death and afterlife, religious memory, and the historical transition from the older religious traditions of Scandinavia to Christianity. Individual resource pages provide information about each work, its edition, its use at HIES, and access to the available online text.
The Poetic Edda
Henry Adams Bellows, trans. • 1923
PRIMARY SOURCE
A foundational English translation of Eddic mythological, wisdom, and heroic poetry preserving important material concerning the Gods, cosmology, conduct, fate, and Old Norse religious tradition.
The Prose Edda
Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur, trans. • 1916
PRIMARY SOURCE
An English translation of Snorri Sturluson's influential work preserving extensive accounts of Old Norse mythology, cosmology, divine traditions, Ragnarök, poetic language, and cultural memory.
Heimskringla
Snorri Sturluson • Samuel Laing, trans.
PRIMARY SOURCE
A collection of Old Norse kings' sagas containing important narratives concerning religious practice, kingship, conversion, political authority, and the religious transition of medieval Scandinavia.
The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia
William A. Craigie • 1914
HISTORICAL SCHOLARSHIP
An early scholarly examination of Old Norse religious evidence, the Gods, religious practice, sacred places, sacrifice, beliefs concerning death, and the historical transition to Christianity.
The Old Norse Religion collection will continue to develop as suitable primary sources, historical translations, scholarly works, archaeological resources, and responsibly licensed materials are identified and reviewed for inclusion.
Resources are selected for their value in the study of Old Norse religious traditions and the historical evidence through which those traditions are understood. Historical scholarship is approached critically and in conversation with primary sources, archaeological evidence, and later research. Inclusion in the Open Library does not mean that every resource is required reading within the Bachelor of Eddic Studies program.