7 h 37 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 7 h 37 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Enter a world where Odin gives an eye for wisdom and poets turn the gods into riddles.
In The Younger Edda, also called the Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson gathers Norse myths into a guide for poets. King Gylfi seeks answers about the powerful Aesir. His questions open onto Ginnungagap, the great empty gap before the earth, and stories of creation, gods, monsters and the world's end.
Odin, Thor, Loki and the giants fill these tales, told clearly and often with humour. But Snorri also explores how poetry works: why old verse refers so often to gods, and how its riddling phrases carry meaning. This is not a single unfolding plot, but a meeting of myth, questions and the poet's craft.
What you’ll discover
- A king seeks answers Follow Gylfi through Gylfaginning, a dialogue that explores the gods and their world's beginnings.
- Gods with vivid lives Meet Odin with his two ravens, alongside Thor, Loki and the giants of Norse tradition.
- The riddles of poetry Explore Skaldskaparmal through a conversation between Aegir, the sea giant, and Bragi, poetry's god.
- Verse in many shapes Discover Hattatal, Snorri's showpiece poem, and its varied verse forms praising a king and earl.
- Old stories preserved Read a Christian author's guide to pagan stories, framed by a prologue and a practical purpose.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy Norse myths and heroic tales will love this collection, as will those curious about Thor, Odin and Loke, the old poets of Iceland, and the roots of fantasy worlds.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A king asks the gods questions
- The gods begin as human leaders
- Life rises between ice and fire
- The world needs constant tending
- The gods cannot make themselves safe
- Thor faces opponents strength cannot defeat
- One overlooked threat puts Balder at risk
- Poetic names carry hidden stories
- Questions connect the myths and poetry
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook opens when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
The Younger Edda in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
The Younger Edda
by Snorri Sturluson · 1220
A disguised king climbs to Asgard and questions three enthroned gods about the making and the ending of the world.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeRenews every year · Cancel anytimeHow it works
- Read in full
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
“surpassing anything else that the Middle Ages have left us of historical literature”
In short
What if the gods you worship were once kings, and a wandering king could walk into their hall and question them about everything? A Swedish king named Gylfe disguises himself as an old man, climbs to Asgard, and asks three thrones of gods how the world began and how it will end.
The Younger Edda at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 20 min3 h 25 min fast, 5 h 5 min slow
- Length
- 61,400 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1220by Snorri Sturluson
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Snorri sets the gods inside Christian history
The book opens with a preface that starts from the Bible, not from Odin. Snorri tells how God made the world, how the flood came, and how Noah's descendants built a tower. As people turned away from God, they lost his name and could no longer tell their children of their Maker.
Then the preface turns to Troy, a great city with twelve kingdoms and one high king, Priam. A line of descendants from Priam's grandson Thor ends with Odin. Odin foresees that his name will be honored in the north and leads a large company out of Turkey.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer. Your place follows you, and you can make the type as big as you like.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1220
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Snorri Sturluson. The Younger Edda. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-younger-edda.
Snorri Sturluson. (2026). The Younger Edda. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-younger-edda (Original work published ca. 1220)
Snorri Sturluson. The Younger Edda. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-younger-edda.
@book{snorristurluson2026younger,
author = {Snorri Sturluson},
title = {The Younger Edda},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-younger-edda},
note = {First published ca. 1220}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every eBookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The Younger Edda
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Younger Edda about?
It tells the Norse myths in answer to a king's questions, from the creation of the world out of a giant's body to the gods' last battle. It also explains poetic phrases through stories of Thor, Odin, Loke and the hero Sigurd.
Who wrote the Prose Edda and why?
Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic chieftain and poet, wrote it in the early thirteenth century. His aim was to teach young poets the old myths and poetic diction, so they could understand and compose skaldic verse.
What is the difference between the Younger Edda and the Elder Edda?
The Younger Edda is Snorri's prose handbook with stories and explanations. The Elder Edda is a separate collection of anonymous poems. Snorri quotes some of those poems, so the two books support each other.
The author
Snorri Sturluson
1179–1241 · Icelandic historian and poet
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic chieftain, historian, and poet, best remembered for the Prose Edda — known as the Younger Edda — among the most important sources we have for Norse mythology and the tales of Odin, Thor, and Loki.
“You will not leave here safe unless you are wiser.”
More by Snorri Sturluson
See all their booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
