Poetic Edda

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/poetic-edda

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the codex regius compilation date?Circa 1270 AD
2. What is the estimated poem origins?Ranging from the 9th to 11th centuries AD
3. Who are some of the main gods mentioned in the Poetic Edda?Odin, the All-Father who loves wisdom and magic; Thor, the thunder god who protects people; and Freyja, the goddess of love, beauty, and magic.
4. Why do the Poetic Edda poems talk about Yggdrasil and the nine realms?Yggdrasil is the world tree that connects all nine realms, showing how the Norse believed the universe was linked and how gods and giants lived in different places.

Old Norse: The North Germanic language spoken by the Northmen or Norsemen during the Viking Age.
Eschatology: The branch of theology concerned with the final destiny of the soul and of humankind, particularly concerning the end of the world.
Oral Tradition: The transmission of cultural knowledge, stories, and history by word of mouth from one generation to another.
Codex Regius: The principal manuscript containing the Poetic Edda, dating from the late 13th century.