XolokReads reviewed The Poetic Edda by Jackson Crawford
A classic piece of literature (and toxic masculinity)
4 stars
The Edda were written centuries ago, and we can't be sure whether or not they are perfect reflections of pre-Christian Norse culture. The culture presented can be pretty alarming. The poems sometimes express deeply misogynistic views. Violence seems to be the go-to chosen solution to any problem. It feel less heroic when "Heroes" tend to kill people because they want to or because of oaths rather than because they have to. Violence is usually answered with more violence. This makes me question how accurate of a portrayal these are of Norse life, because if everyone acted so "heroically," there would be hardly anyone left in Scandinavia, Iceland, or Greenland. The culture was more complex. Possibly the Eddas, which are often focused on the gods and nobles, reflect more an impression of the fickle and deadly reality of Nature and the ruling class. Maybe the gods are murderous savages because Nature …
The Edda were written centuries ago, and we can't be sure whether or not they are perfect reflections of pre-Christian Norse culture. The culture presented can be pretty alarming. The poems sometimes express deeply misogynistic views. Violence seems to be the go-to chosen solution to any problem. It feel less heroic when "Heroes" tend to kill people because they want to or because of oaths rather than because they have to. Violence is usually answered with more violence. This makes me question how accurate of a portrayal these are of Norse life, because if everyone acted so "heroically," there would be hardly anyone left in Scandinavia, Iceland, or Greenland. The culture was more complex. Possibly the Eddas, which are often focused on the gods and nobles, reflect more an impression of the fickle and deadly reality of Nature and the ruling class. Maybe the gods are murderous savages because Nature and Chiefs can be too. Keeping all this in mind, these are classic stories and Jackson Crawford's collection is well done.
