The Oldest Norse Literature

On Early Norse Literature: The only pagan texts to have survived from medieval Europe. We find no parallel in other Celtic, Slavic, or Germanic regions, offering a unique opportunity to explore one of the cultures that flourished in Europe before the final triumph of Christianity.

The pagan poets of the North utilized all available resources and were influenced by diverse cultures. The convergence of traditions during the Viking Age led to a remarkable literary flourishing and striking creativity, particularly because it was more daring in its defiance of Church standards.

This book provides an introduction to the study of texts in dead languages ​​and to early Norse prosody. Theodoric’s poem on the smoke-stone, dating from around 800 CE, is then analyzed, followed by the poetry of Braggis from around 850 CE, the wisdom poem “The High Valley” from the first half of the ninth century, and the prophecy “Wolvan Spadom” from the second half of the ninth century. Together, these texts offer a rich picture of ancient Norse art and mythology.

To analyze these texts in their proper context, a reliable date is necessary, which in turn requires a rigorous scientific method. Research in this area has made significant progress over the past ten to fifteen years, and its findings are presented here for the first time to a wider audience.