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When did Snorri die

Snorri Sturluson was born in 1179 CE and died in

1241 CE.

Who is Snorri

He was the son of a powerful chieftain, and he grew up at the farm Oddi

There, he was educated by the chieftain Jón Loptsson,

Snorri is the first major writer in Iceland, who has eft a large body of texts.

He was lögsögumaðr (lawspeaker) at the Alþingi (General Assembly) in 1215-18, and again in 1222-31

What did Snorri write

Edda, written in 1220 CE about the Nordic gods. He

is also typically assumed to have written the

collection of Norwegian kings’ sagas known as

Heimskringla around 1230 CE

Snorris Edda

Edda consists of four parts:

• Prologus (Prologue)

• Gylfaginning (The Delusion of Gylfi)

• Skáldskaparmál (The Language of Poetry)

• Háttatal (Enumeration of Meters)

Euhemerism

the gods are originally just humans, whose stories have been told and retold so much that

people have begun believing them and creating religion around them.

Interpretatio Christiana

applying a Christian interpretative framework to anything non-Christian. The

world is ca. 6,000 years old, Adam and Eve were the first humans, Noah’s flood occurred, etc. Non-Christian gods prefigure Christ (Baldr, Freyr, Krsna, Buddha, etc.).

Elucidarius

a text about heaven and hell, angels and demons; the saga of the people of Troy; the saga of the

Romans.

Prologus

gives a euhemeristic account of the origin of the Norse gods; provides a history based on

Christian world history beginning with God’s creation and the Flood. Describes who the Norse gods

migrated from Troy to Sweden and created a kingdom based on false pagan beliefs.

Gylfaginning

is a chapter framed by the prologue, where the Swedish king Gylfi visits the gods upon

hearing that they have come to his lands. They relate their mythology to him, and he ends up believing in these stories (because he’s a fool). This is the primary source to our knowledge of Old Norse mythology.

Skáldskaparmál

is a chapter with a looser frame, but in similar style: the gods have come to the giant

Gymir/Aegir to feast, and the legendary poet/god Bragi sits down with Gymir and recounts kennings

and heiti and gives mythology background information.

Háttatal

is a panegyric skaldic poem composed by Snorri Sturluson in honor of the Norwegian king

Hakon and his earl Skuli. It was composed between 1218 and 1220, when Snorri visited Norway, and

forged an alliance with the king and the earl. It is also a didactic exegesis on the forms of skaldic diction and the entire reason that Snorri created Edda.

World body analogy

• Known to medieval scholars by way

of Plato’s Timaeus.

• One of the oldest creation stories,

which is present on every continent

and with as diverse groups as the

Maring in Papua New Guinea, the

Zuni in the American Southwest, in

Vedic texts from India, and in Eddic

poetry from Scandinavia.

. Well-known in pre-Christian

Hellenic Greek, Avestan, Persian,

and Indian philosophy.

Heimskringla

, written by the Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson around 1230, is a collection of sagas about the kings of Norway, blending myth and history from the legendary Yngling dynasty to the late 12th century.

King Gylfi

is the legendary, historic Swedish king who acts as the framework narrator for the Gylfaginning ("The Deluding of Gylfi") section. Seeking knowledge about the Æsir (Norse gods) after being tricked by the goddess Gefjon, he disguises himself as a traveler named Gangleri and questions three figures in Asgard—High, Just-As-High, and Third—who provide a comprehensive overview of Norse mythology.

High/Just as High/Third

(specifically Gylfaginning), High (Hár), Just-as-High (Jafnhár), and Third (Þriði) are three enigmatic figures sitting on thrones who answer questions from King Gylfi (disguised as Gangleri). They are widely understood to be three different aspects or manifestations of the god Odin in disguise.

Ymir

(specifically Gylfaginning), is the primordial, hermaphroditic giant and the first living being, formed from the meeting of fire (Muspelheim) and ice (Niflheim) in the void of Ginnungagap. He is the progenitor of the frost giants and was nourished by the cow Audhumla before being slain by Odin and his brothers, who fashioned the world from his body.

Odin

All-Father & Ruler: As king of the gods, he resides in Valhalla, where he receives the slain warriors

Frigg

Gylfaginning), is the highest-ranking Aesir goddess, wife of Odin, Queen of Asgard, and mother of Baldr. She lives at Fensalir, is a master of wisdom and fate (a völva), and is depicted as a dignified matriarch who often acts as a protective, loving, yet ultimately tragic figure in the myths, particularly surrounding her son's death

Thor

depicted as the strongest of all gods and men, the son of Odin and Jörd (Earth), and the primary protector of Asgard and Midgard against giants. Known as Öku-Thor (Driving-Thor), he rides a chariot pulled by two goats, Tooth-Gnasher and Tooth-Gritter. He wields the hammer Mjöllnir, possesses the belt of might (Megingjörð) to double his strength, and lives in Bilskirnir within Thrúdvangar

Loki

is a complex, shape-shifting figure, described as handsome but evil in disposition, highly cunning, and treacherous. Though a son of giants (Fárbauti and Laufey), he is accepted among the Æsir as Odin's blood brother. Loki is a foundational trickster who causes, then solves, problems for the gods, ultimately engineering Baldr's death and siding against the gods at Ragnarök

Njord

(specifically Gylfaginning), is a major Vanir god residing at Nóatún (“Place of Ships”), who lives among the Æsir as a hostage, acting as a deity of the sea, wind, fishing, and wealth. He is renowned for calming the sea and fire, fathering the twins Freyr and Freyja, and for his ill-fated marriage to the giantess Skadi.

Aegir

is a jötunn (giant) who personifies the ocean and acts as a gracious, often friendly host to the Norse gods. He resides in a magnificent hall beneath the sea with his wife, Rán, and is famously skilled at brewing, often holding lavish banquets for the Æsir.

Hoenir

Prose Edda and associated Norse mythology is an obscure, long-legged Aesir god known as Odin's silent companion, a creator of humanity, and a hostage exchanged with the Vanir. He is described as a swift runner, nicknamed "mud-king" or "marsh-king," and survives Ragnarök

Hod

is a Norse god known primarily as the blind son of Odin who is tricked into killing his brother, Baldr.

Tyr

is depicted as one of the major Æsir gods, celebrated as the boldest and most courageous deity who oversees victory in battle. Known for his wisdom and role in law, he is notably described as the one-handed god who lost his hand while binding the wolf Fenrir, and is listed as a son of Odin

Baldr

Baldr is depicted as the most beloved, beautiful, and "shining" son of Odin and Frigg. As the god of light, purity, and wisdom, he represents innocence. His death, orchestrated by Loki using mistletoe, is a central, tragic event, signaling the beginning of Ragnarök.

Idunn

is the Aesir goddess of youth, rejuvenation, and spring. As the wife of Bragi, the god of poetry, she is primarily known as the keeper of an ash-wood chest containing magical apples, which the gods must eat to maintain their eternal youth and vigor until Ragnarök.

Sif

is a Norse goddess known primarily as the wife of the thunder god Thor and mother to Ullr, famous for her long, golden hair. She is a relatively passive figure, most notable for the story where Loki cuts off her hair, prompting him to have dwarves create new golden hair for her.

Eir

is identified as one of the Ásynjur (goddesses) and described as the best physician and healer among the gods. She is associated with medical skill, protection, and mercy, often linked as a handmaiden to Frigg

Sol

is the personified Norse goddess of the Sun, who drives the chariot drawn by horses Arvakr and Alsviðr across the sky. She is the daughter of Mundilfari, sister of Máni (the Moon), and wife of Glenr, destined to be consumed by the wolf Sköll during Ragnarök

Gefjon

(specifically Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál), Gefjon (or Gefjun) is a prominent Norse goddess (ásynja) of agriculture, plowing, and foresight, often described as a virgin goddess who receives women who die unmarried. She is most famous for using her four giant sons as oxen to plow a massive piece of Sweden away, creating the Danish island of Zealand, as told in the opening of Gylfaginning.

Ull

(specifically Gylfaginning), is a Norse god identified as the son of Sif and the stepson of Thor. He is described as a remarkably skilled archer, hunter, and skier (or snow-shoer) whom none can rival. He is also noted for being exceptionally handsome, having warrior skills, and being a good god to call upon for aid in single combat or duels.

Angrboda

Prose Edda (specifically Gylfaginning), is a giantess (jötunn) residing in Jötunheimar. Known as "the mother of monsters," she is the mate of Loki and mother of the wolf Fenrir, the Midgard serpent Jörmungandr, and Hel, ruler of the dead

Fenrir

(specifically in Gylfaginning), is a monstrous, rapidly growing wolf and the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. Prophesied to cause great havoc, the Æsir gods bound him with the magical, dwarven-made chain Gleipnir, during which he bit off Týr’s hand

Hel

(specifically Gylfaginning), is the daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboða, appointed by Odin to rule over the underworld realm of the same name. She governs a cold, dark place in Niflheim, presiding over the dead who perish from sickness or old age

Midgard Serpent

is Jörmungandr, a massive, venomous sea serpent that encircles the human world (Midgard) in the surrounding ocean, biting its own tail. It is one of the three monstrous children of Loki and the giantess Angrboða, cast into the sea by Odin.

Surt

is a powerful fire giant who rules and guards the southern fiery realm of Muspelheim. He is destined to lead the fire giants to Ragnarök, where he will kill the god Freyr and burn the world with his flaming sword

Skrymir

is an enormous and enigmatic giant (jötunn) who encounters Thor, Loki, and their servants on their journey to Utgard. He is later revealed to be an illusion-casting alter-ego of Utgard-Loki (Útgarða-Loki), the king of the giants.

Utgardaloki

is a powerful and deceptive giant king who rules the castle Útgarðar in Jötunheimr. He humbles Thor, Loki, and their companions through illusions and tricks, revealing that he is actually the giant Skrýmir.

Thjazi

is a powerful jötunn (giant) known primarily for kidnapping the goddess Iðunn and her apples of youth, an event that forces the gods into rapid aging.

Hrungnir

is a mighty stone-hearted jötunn (giant) known for his arrogance, strength, and role as a nemesis to Thor. He is depicted as a "brawler" who races Odin, boasts of destroying Ásgard, and ultimately loses a duel to Thor, leaving behind a triangular "stone heart" symbol.

Suttung

is a powerful Jötunn (giant) who owns the magical Mead of Poetry. He is crucial to the myth of how Odin steals the mead, having obtained it from his murdered parents and later hiding it in the mountain Hnitbjorg, guarded by his daughter Gunnlod.

Hreidmar

is a powerful sorcerer or dwarf king who demands a massive ransom (weregild) in gold from the gods Loki, Odin, and Hœnir. This ransom, paid in the cursed gold of the dwarf Andvari, leads directly to his murder by his own sons, Fafnir and Regin, fueling the infamous treasure curse cycle

Gunlod

is a jötunn (giantess), the daughter of the giant Suttungr, and the guardian of the Mead of Poetry

Geirrod

is a wicked, powerful jötunn (giant) who attempts to kill Thor, the god of thunder. Loki is captured by Geirröðr and promises to lure Thor into his domain without his hammer, belt of strength, or iron gloves. However, with help from the giantess Grid, Thor survives the ordeal and kills Geirröðr.

Valkyries

are supernatural female beings sent by Odin to battlefields to choose who dies and who wins victory. They are "choosers of the slain" who escort worthy fallen warriors to Valhalla and serve them mead. They are portrayed as Odin's servants and sometimes as swan maidens.

Einherjar

are the chosen souls of warriors who died courageously in battle. Selected by Valkyries, these elite dead are brought to Odin's hall, Valhalla, to live and fight daily in preparation for the final battle of Ragnarök.

Thjalfi

is a human peasant boy who becomes a loyal servant to the god Thor along with his sister, Röskva. He is best known for breaking one of Thor’s goat bones to suck out the marrow, causing the goat to be lame, and for his incredible speed, challenging Thought in a footrace.

Berloga Workshop

Kvasir

is a being renowned as the wisest of all people, created from the mingled saliva of the Æsir and Vanir gods to seal their peace treaty. He was murdered by dwarves who brewed his blood into the "Mead of Poetry," a magical drink conferring wisdom and poetic skill.

Sleipnir

Sleipnir is the eight-legged, grey, and fastest horse in Norse mythology, owned by Odin. Born from the trickster god Loki (as a mare) and the stallion Svaðilfari, he is described as the "best of all horses," capable of riding over sea, land, and through the air, including to the underworld realm of Hel.

Mokkurkalfi

is a gigantic, artificial clay warrior fashioned by the jötnar (giants) to aid Hrungnir in his duel against Thor. Created to be nine miles tall and three broad, he was meant to intimidate, but instead proved cowardly and was easily killed by Thor’s servant, Þjálfi

Aurvandill

specifically in the Skáldskaparmál book, is a mortal warrior known as the husband of the sorceress (völva) Gróa and a companion of the god Thor. He is primarily known for the myth explaining his frozen toe, which Thor threw into the sky to become a star.

Grid

is a jötunn (giantess) who plays a critical role in assisting the god Thor on his journey to the hall of the giant Geirröðr.

Gjalp

is a jötunn (giantess) who plays a critical role in assisting the god Thor on his journey to the hall of the giant Geirröðr

Andvari

(specifically in the Skáldskaparmál section) is a dwarf renowned for his immense wealth and his ability to shape-shift. He is best known as the original owner of the cursed ring, Andvaranaut.

Fafnir

(specifically in the Skáldskaparmál section) and the related Völsunga saga, is a dwarf—and later a fearsome dragon—renowned for his intense greed, patricide, and for being slain by the hero Sigurd.

Sigurd

(specifically within Skáldskaparmál), is the preeminent Germanic legendary hero known as the "dragon slayer" and "Fafnir’s bane". He is portrayed as the heroic descendant of Odin, celebrated for killing the dragon Fafnir, eating its heart to gain wisdom, and seizing a cursed treasure

Asgard

is the dwelling place and fortress of the Æsir (gods), depicted as a towering celestial city at the center of the world. Snorri describes it as a place of immense golden halls, including Odin's throne room, Gladsheim, and the goddesses' hall, Vingolf. He also offers an euhemerized view, suggesting it was historically a city in Asia or ancient Troy

Midgard

is the central realm of humanity, created by Odin and his brothers from the giant Ymir’s flesh. Positioned between the chaos of Jotunheim and the order of Asgard, it is designed as a fortified, circular world protected against giants by a barrier made from Ymir's eyebrows.

Valahll

is Odin’s majestic, golden-roofed, and spear-raftered hall in Asgard, where he houses half of the worthy warriors who die in battle. These fallen heroes, or einherjar, feast on the boar Sæhrímnir and drink mead from the goat Heiðrún while preparing for the final battle of Ragnarök

Jotunheim

is described as one of the Nine Realms and serves as the primary home of the jötnar—beings often translated as giants, rime-giants, or ice-giants. It is a dangerous, wild realm that embodies chaos and represents the "untamed wilderness" situated outside the ordered world of gods (Asgard) and humans (Midgard)

Niflheim

is the primordial, freezing northern realm of ice, mist, and darkness, situated below one of the three roots of the world tree, Yggdrasil. It is central to Norse creation, serving as the source of the river Élivágar, which flowed into Ginnungagap to create the first giant, Ymir.

Muspellzheim

is the primordial realm of fire, heat, and light, located in the southern part of the void Ginnungagap. It is described as a glowing, scorching world, inhabited by fire giants and guarded by Surtr, who carries a flaming sword

Ragnarök

, specifically the Gylfaginning section, is described as the apocalyptic destruction, final battle, and death of the Norse gods (the Æsir). It is portrayed as an inevitable catastrophe preceded by a three-year winter (Fimbulwinter), ending with the world being burned by Surtr and sinking into the sea before being reborn

Mead of Poetry

s a mythical beverage that grants the drinker the ability to become a skald (poet) or scholar, enabling them to recite any information and solve any question. Created by dwarves from the blood of the wise being Kvasir, it is stolen by Odin.

Rhein Gold

as a specific, river-guarded treasure is largely a creation of Richard Wagner's opera, not a term found in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda. Instead, the Edda contains the original Norse myths—the theft of [Andvari’s Gold] and the [builder story of Valhalla]—which Wagner combined to create the Rhinegold

Hvergelmir

is a primary wellspring in Norse mythology, described in Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda as a, or the, central source of rivers. Located in Niflheim, it acts as a "Roaring Kettle" at the roots of Yggdrasil, co-existing with the dragon Níðhöggr, which gnaws on the roots above it

Skidbladnir

is the finest, magical ship in Norse mythology, owned by the god Freyr and described in Snorri Sturluson’s 13th-century Prose Edda (Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál). It is unique because it is large enough to hold all the gods of Asgard, yet it can be folded up like cloth to fit in a pouch

Loki’s Dwarf Treasures

refers to a set of six legendary, magical items created by dwarves as a direct result of a wager and punishment following Loki's mischief.

After Loki maliciously cuts off the golden hair of Thor’s wife, Sif, Thor forces him to have new hair made by dwarves. This leads to a competition between two sets of dwarves, producing the following treasures:

1) Sif’s Golden Hair: Created by the Sons of Ivaldi, it is crafted from pure gold and grows naturally like real hair.

2) Gungnir: Odin's spear, created by the Sons of Ivaldi, which never misses its target.

3) Skíðblaðnir: A ship created for Freyr by the Sons of Ivaldi. It always has a favorable wind, can carry all the Æsir gods, and can be folded up small enough to fit in a pouch.

4) Draupnir: A gold ring created by Brokkr and Sindri (or Eitri) for Odin. Every ninth night, it drips eight identical, heavy gold rings.

5) Gullinbursti: A living boar with golden bristles that glow in the dark, created by Sindri and Brokkr for Freyr. It can run through air and water faster than any horse.

6) Mjölnir: The mighty war hammer of Thor. Created by Sindri and Brokkr, it is considered the best of the treasures. Despite a flaw—a short handle caused by Loki (in fly form) distracting the dwarves—it never misses and always returns