Iceland in the early 13th century stood as a remote island where oral traditions met written history. Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic scholar and lawspeaker, wrote or compiled the Prose Edda around 1220. The work emerged during a time when Icelanders were converting to Christianity yet still preserving ancient pagan stories. Scholars debate whether Snorri was the sole author or merely a compiler of existing material. A paragraph in Codex Upsaliensis, dated to the first quarter of the 14th century, explicitly names him as the writer. This manuscript remains one of seven surviving copies from medieval times. No single copy is complete, and each contains unique variations that complicate reconstruction of the original text. Renaissance scholar Arngrímur Jónsson defended Snorri's authorship from 1568 to 1648, but modern researchers question if he authored every section. Some passages in Skáldskaparmál appear to be later additions by scribes who modified the text over centuries. The prologue and parts of Gylfaginning may not reflect Snorri's exact words either. Despite these uncertainties, his name remains central to how we understand this foundational Norse document today.
Manuscript Traditions
Seven manuscripts of the Prose Edda have survived into the present day, spanning from the early 1300s to the 1600s. Six copies date back to the medieval period while another emerged during the 17th century. Codex Regius, housed at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavík, dates to the first half of the 14th century. It stands as the most comprehensive version scholars use as a basis for translations. Codex Upsaliensis resides at the University of Uppsala library in Sweden and offers variants absent elsewhere. Codex Wormianus sits in Copenhagen's Arnamagnæan Manuscript Collection and dates to the mid-14th century. Codex Trajectinus was written around 1600 but copies an earlier manuscript from the second half of the 13th century. Three additional fragments exist: AM 748, AM 757 a 4to, and AM 738 II 4to. These documents differ significantly enough that no single one preserves Snorri's original work intact. Recent studies suggest scribes drew from multiple exemplars or relied on memory when copying texts. The Prose Edda remained largely unknown outside Iceland until Edda Islandorum appeared in 1665. This publication marked the beginning of broader European awareness about Norse mythology.Euhemerized Prologue
The Prologue presents a Christian reinterpretation of Norse gods by describing them as human Trojan warriors who fled Troy after its fall. This narrative parallels Virgil's Aeneid while adapting ancient myths for medieval audiences. Nordic deities become historical figures rather than supernatural beings within this framework. The text explains how these warriors traveled northward and established themselves across Scandinavia. Their divine status arose later through cultural memory and poetic tradition. Scholars note this approach reflects efforts to reconcile pagan heritage with Christian doctrine. The section functions as an introduction before Gylfaginning begins its detailed mythological accounts. It sets up a euhemerized worldview where gods originate from real people. This strategy allowed Icelandic poets to preserve their ancestral stories without directly contradicting Church teachings. The Prologue thus serves both theological and literary purposes within the larger structure of the work.