The Prose Edda, written by lawspeaker and politician Snorri Sturluson, is a textbook demonstrating the poetic artform of “kenning.” While heavily Christianized, the Prose Edda remains an extensive source of Icelandic mythological Norse stories. The book contains three parts: Gylfaginning (“The Tricking of Gylfi”), Skáldskaparmál (“The Language of Poetry”), and Háttatal (“Tally of Metres”).

A cover page of a late manuscript of the Prose Edda, featuring figures from Norse mythology.

Last revised on December 31, 2021.