The Earliest English Translations of Eddaic Poems |
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For a Detailed History of the Earliest Eddic Scholarship in English, See: 1903 Frank Edgar Farley Scandinavian Influences in the English Romantic Movement 2007 Carolyne Larrington Translating the Poetic Edda into English Also See Foreign Language Editions & Translations of the Poetic Edda Covering the Period from 1665 to 1927
1761 Thomas Gray Vegtam's Kivitha or The Descent of Odin An Ode from the Norse Tongue (Vegtamskviða from an excerpt of the poem published in Bartholin's Antiquitatum Danicarum) 1763 Thomas Percy
Five Pieces of Runic Poetry
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CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH WORKS and significant foriegn language titles A complete list of foriegn language works can be found HERE 1770 Paul Henri Mallet Northern Antiquities: or, A Description of the Manners, Customs, Religion and Law of the Ancient Danes Vol. I Vol. II contains a translation of Gylfaginning by Bishop Thomas Percy Introduction 1775 Thomas Wharton The History of English Poetry Contains a prose summary of Hákonarmál as 'The Eulogium of Hacon' 1781 Thomas James Mathias Runic Odes Imitated from the Norse Tongue in the Manner of Thomas Gray 1782 Jim Johnstone Lodbrokar-Quida or the Death-song of Lodbroc 1787 Edda Saemundar hinns Fróda: Edda rhythmica seu antiquior The first published collection of the Eddic poems Vafþrúdnismál, Grímnismál, Skírnismál, Harbarðsljóð, Hymiskviða, Lokasenna, Þrymskviða, Hrafnagaldur Óðins, Vegtamskviða (Baldur's Dreams), Alvismál, Fjölsvinnsmál, Hyndluljóð and Sólarljóð with facing Latin translations, (excludes Völuspá, Hávamál and Rigþula) 1788 Anonymous Review of Edda Sæmundar hinns froða Edda Rhythmica Pars 1 The Gentleman's Magazine Vol 63, p. 139 |
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1788 Anonymous The Analytical Review or History of Literature, Domestic and Foriegn, Vol. 2 Review of Saemundar Edda hinns Froða Vol I (1787) Edda Rhythmica Pars 1 and The First English Translations of Hymis Quitha För Skirnis with a new translation of Vegtams Quitha |
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CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH WORKS and significant foriegn language titles 1790 Frank Sayers Poems, Containing Sketches of Northern Mythology, &c. 1790 (1st edition) 1792 (2nd edition) 1803 (3rd edition) 1807 (4th edition) The first collection of Eddic poems in English: 1797 Amos Cottle Icelandic Poetry of The Edda of Sæmund Vafthrudnismal, Grimnismal Skirnismal, Harbardsljod, Hymiskvida, Lokasenna, Thrymskvida, Hrafnagaldur Odins, Baldur's Dreams, Alvismal, Fjolsvinnsmal and Hyndluljod. This volume is a poor English translation of the Latin versions contained in Edda Saemundar hinns fróda Volume 1 (1787) (excluding Sólarljóð) |
1801 John Thewall "Notes and Illustrations of Runic Mythology" 1804 Nathan Drake Literary Hours |
1811 Henry Holland Travels in the Island of Iceland: During the Summer of the Year MDCCCX (1810) 1812 Dr. Henry Holland Account of the Edda Annual Register Vol. 53 |
1831 Henry Wheaton History of the Northmen contains excerpts of Vafthrudnismál and Hávamál 1839 Samuel Astley Dunham
History of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway
Contains summaries and excepts of Eddic poems |
1854 Rudolf Keyser The Religion of the Northmen Translated by Barclay Pennock Contains translations of many Eddic verses scattered throughout the text. An excerpt from Hávamál appears on pp. 311-316 |
THE FIRST ACCURATE TRANSLATION OF ALL EDDIC POEMS INTO ENGLISH 1865-66 Benjamin Thorpe Edda Sæmundar Hinns Froða The Edda Of Sæmund The Learned From The Old Norse Or Icelandic With A Mythological Index in Two Volumes Vol. I Mythological Poems (1865) includes Hrafnagaldur Odins Vol. II. Heroic Poems (1866) |
THE THIRD ENGLISHED COLLECTION OF EDDIC POEMS 1883 Gudbrand Vigfusson & Frederick York Powell Corpus Poeticum Boreale Vol. I Eddic Poems Vol. II. Court Poems (Skaldic Poetry) |