Editing Prose Edda (section)

==Contents==
===Prologue===
{{Main|Prologue (Prose Edda)}}
The Prologue is the first section of four books of the ''Prose Edda'', consisting of a [[euhemerism|euhemerized]] [[Christianity|Christian]] account of the origins of [[Norse mythology]]: the Nordic gods are described as human [[Troy|Trojan]] warriors who left Troy after the fall of that city (an origin which parallels Virgil's ''[[Aeneid]]'').

===''Gylfaginning''===
[[File:Manuscript Gylfi.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Gylfi]] and [[High, Just-as-High, and Third]]. [[Icelandic Manuscript, SÁM 66|Manuscript SAM 66]] (Iceland, 1765–1766), [[Reykjavík]], [[Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies]].]]
{{Main|Gylfaginning}}
''Gylfaginning'' (Old Icelandic 'the tricking of [[Gylfi]]')<ref name="FAULKES-1982-7">Faulkes (1982: 7).</ref> follows the Prologue in the ''Prose Edda''. ''Gylfaginning'' deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the [[Æsir|Nordic gods]], and many other aspects of [[Norse mythology]]. The section is written in prose interspersed with quotes from eddic poetry.

===''Skáldskaparmál''===
[[Image:Treated NKS haustlong.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.13|[[Thjazi]] and [[Loki]]. Beginning of the myth of the abduction of [[Iðunn]], attested in ''Skáldskaparmál''. Manuscript NKS 1867 4to (Iceland, 1760), Copenhagen, Royal Library]]
{{Main|Skáldskaparmál}}
''Skáldskaparmál'' (Old Icelandic 'the language of poetry'<ref name="FAULKES-1982-59">Faulkes (1982: 59).</ref>) is the third section of ''Edda'', and consists of a dialogue between [[Ægir]], a [[jötunn]] who is one of various personifications of the sea, and [[Bragi]], a [[skald]]ic god, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined. The origin of a number of kennings are given and Bragi then delivers a systematic [[list of kennings]] for various people, places, and things. Bragi then goes on to discuss poetic language in some detail, in particular ''[[heiti]]'', the concept of poetical words which are non-periphrastic, for example "steed" for "horse", and again systematises these. This section contains numerous quotes from skaldic poetry.

===''Háttatal''===
{{Main|Háttatal}}
''Háttatal'' (Old Icelandic "list of verse-forms"<ref name="FAULKES-1982-165">Faulkes (1982: 165).</ref>) is the last section of  ''Prose Edda''. The section is composed by the [[Iceland]]ic [[poet]], politician, and historian [[Snorri Sturluson]]. Primarily using his own compositions, it exemplifies the types of verse forms used in Old Norse poetry. Snorri took a prescriptive as well as descriptive approach; he has systematized the material, often noting that the older poets did not always follow his rules.