I would suggest reading the Elder (Poetic) Edda excerpts after the Prose Edda excerpt. Included in the Elder Edda PDF are:
- Andy Orchard’s introduction to the volume (helpful and interesting)
- Völuspá: The prophecy of the seeress (a well-known poem describing the movement of time from creation through apocalypse)
- Gudrúnarkvida in forna: The ancient song of Gudrún (one of the laments of the heroine Gudrun, the dragon-slayer Sigurd’s widow; she recalls sitting over the body of her husband, Sigurd, murdered at the instigation of her brother Gunnar and his wife, the valkyrie Brynhild, who is Sigurd’s former lover)
- a page from Hamðismál: Hamdir’s lay: just read verse 17, in which Gudrún’s sons, riding at Gudrún’s instruction to avenge their sister Svanhild’s death, find the body of Svanhild’s murdered stepson
- Notes (helpful and interesting)
When you read these, you need not note every detail or assiduously follow the plot. Instead, follow the beasts! Look at how wolves, ravens, serpents, and other non-human animals carry meaning in these poems. You might think about our discussion of metaphor and metonymy on Thursday.
Have a lovely weekend.
