Appreciate your video! In particular reiterating that multiple references in this case translations, are worth reviewing to help gain insight etc is very valuable - just need more space on my bookshelf! Also wish there was a Snorri Sturluson historian/ poet for our ancient Celtic stories.
Really fascinating what you said about using a poem as an original source because you can tell (or at least have a better chance) if it has been modified because that breaks the meter. Very clever.
Come on man, Snorri Sturluson was not a monk as you say. He was a chieftain and a powerful politician in Iceland in the 13 th. century and an influential writer as we know. Be sure of what you are telling people on UA-cam. Greetings from Iceland.
I get the feeling that many "translations" are more like paraphrases. Why do translators still feel the need to "bowdlerise" stories for their contemporary audiences? Are there translations that include explanatory notes that put place names, personal names, actions and objects in an accurate historical context? Why, as a very simple example, was Harald Bluetooth so named? What did "Bluetooth" imply in his society? We often look at Mediaeval art that contains objects and symbolism that would require a knowledge contemporary with the execution to really understand what we are looking at and may require an actual book for a single painting to fully explore its meaning. I would prefer a translation that is as literal as possible on one page with explanatory notes on the opposite or succeeding pages. Imagine a translation of an Old Testament chapter direct from the oldest Aramaic source with contextual notes that reveal context and reasoning behind its actual or proposed meaning, if not obvious from the translation. Or, even a tryptich with a reproduction of the original / translation / explanation. While not easy with a printed book, this would be possible on a wide screen monitor, laptop or tablet: perfect for academics and the truly curious.
After the video last night, I was wondering, so I looked on Project Gutenberg and found a translation of the Prose Edda (I believe so anyway). For once lacking resources, would that still be a good option?
It is better than no translation, but they are very difficult to read due to the archaic nature of the language used in many of these copyright free versions.
Hello, I'm not sure if you're going to see this but when you said there was "print errors" in the hardback edition, what kind of print errors exactly are we talking about?
Hi, I'm sure there'd be a formal list in 2nd revisions of the book, but there are typos and very loose, if not mis-translations. Probably easier if you look up a formal academic review of the work as without doubt they would pick these up. A quick google finds this; scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/tmr/article/view/20902/26905 which touches on some of the issues
@@Crecganford Oh cool thank you very much! oh wait and another thing... if I wanted to get the book off Amazon is there any way to tell what edition/revision of the book it is? I can't seem to find out.
I am aware of the book although I haven't read it as it is complete fiction. I may get around to it one day though, as the mix of characters does sound interesting
Do you have any specific questions about any of these books or their translations?
After those two books, what are the next most important books for Norse mythology?
Appreciate your video! In particular reiterating that multiple references in this case translations, are worth reviewing to help gain insight etc is very valuable - just need more space on my bookshelf! Also wish there was a Snorri Sturluson historian/ poet for our ancient Celtic stories.
Really fascinating what you said about using a poem as an original source because you can tell (or at least have a better chance) if it has been modified because that breaks the meter. Very clever.
Thank you.
I have the Poetic Edda translated bye carolyne larrington, and I love itt
Thank you, it was very helpful!
Great video thank you!
Come on man, Snorri Sturluson was not a monk as you say. He was a chieftain and a powerful politician in Iceland in the 13 th. century and an influential writer as we know. Be sure of what you are telling people on UA-cam. Greetings from Iceland.
This helped me decide thank you.
And thanks for watching
I get the feeling that many "translations" are more like paraphrases. Why do translators still feel the need to "bowdlerise" stories for their contemporary audiences?
Are there translations that include explanatory notes that put place names, personal names, actions and objects in an accurate historical context? Why, as a very simple example, was Harald Bluetooth so named? What did "Bluetooth" imply in his society?
We often look at Mediaeval art that contains objects and symbolism that would require a knowledge contemporary with the execution to really understand what we are looking at and may require an actual book for a single painting to fully explore its meaning.
I would prefer a translation that is as literal as possible on one page with explanatory notes on the opposite or succeeding pages. Imagine a translation of an Old Testament chapter direct from the oldest Aramaic source with contextual notes that reveal context and reasoning behind its actual or proposed meaning, if not obvious from the translation. Or, even a tryptich with a reproduction of the original / translation / explanation. While not easy with a printed book, this would be possible on a wide screen monitor, laptop or tablet: perfect for academics and the truly curious.
After the video last night, I was wondering, so I looked on Project Gutenberg and found a translation of the Prose Edda (I believe so anyway). For once lacking resources, would that still be a good option?
It is better than no translation, but they are very difficult to read due to the archaic nature of the language used in many of these copyright free versions.
Between H.P. Lovecraft, classical philosophy and literature and 40+ years of Dungeons & Dragons, I'll take my chances! ;-)
Hello, I'm not sure if you're going to see this but when you said there was "print errors" in the hardback edition, what kind of print errors exactly are we talking about?
Hi, I'm sure there'd be a formal list in 2nd revisions of the book, but there are typos and very loose, if not mis-translations. Probably easier if you look up a formal academic review of the work as without doubt they would pick these up. A quick google finds this; scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/tmr/article/view/20902/26905 which touches on some of the issues
@@Crecganford Oh cool thank you very much! oh wait and another thing... if I wanted to get the book off Amazon is there any way to tell what edition/revision of the book it is? I can't seem to find out.
Great video, please can you tell me if you have read - The British Edda by L. A. Waddell and what do you think about it.
I am aware of the book although I haven't read it as it is complete fiction. I may get around to it one day though, as the mix of characters does sound interesting
@@Crecganford Maybe you should have a wee peek, I don't read fiction.
Thanks.
What in your opinion would be the best copy to get of each ?