The derivation of the word " Edda " as the name of Snorri Sturluson ’ s treatise on poetry from the Latin " edo ", " I compose ( poetry )" by analogy with " kredda ", " superstition " from Latin " credo ", " creed " is now widely accepted.

Snorri ’ s own usage, however, seems to fit the looser sense: “ Snorri uses the term " kenning " to refer to a structural device, whereby a person or object is indicated by a periphrastic description containing two or more terms ( which can be a noun with one or more dependent genitives or a compound noun or a combination of these two structures )” ( Faulkes ( 1998 a ), p. xxxiv ).

The Meaning of Snorri ’ s Categories.

Simek says that Snorri ’ s description is further proven faithful by way of the ( above mentioned ) 10th century skaldic kenning “ Kvasir ’ s blood ” ( Old Norse Kvasis dreya ), and that strong parallels exist between the Old Norse tale of the theft of the Mead of Poetry by Odin ( in the form of an eagle ) and the Sanskrit tale of the theft of Soma — beverage of the gods — by the god Indra ( or an eagle ), and that these parallels point to a common Proto-Indo-European basis.

Eyrbyggja Saga details the transition of paganism to Christianity within Icelandic settlement under the direction of Snorri Goði, or “ Snorri the Priest .” The emphasis on justice and the conviction in their system of governance is reflected within the saga: “ They say we ’ ll suffer setbacks in court ; we must plead for support from powerful chieftains: but Arnkel will argue an eloquent case, he ’ ll sway judge and jury-I have faith in justice .” However, court decisions were often displaced by personal and violent acts of vengeance as a matter of duty and honor.

He slew the Dwarven King Gotrek ’ s son, Snorri Halfhand, and routed many dwarf armies.

Snorri Sturluson states in his Gylfaginning that "' s brothers are Býleistr and Helblindi ", and several Eddic texts use the Loki-kenning " brother of Býleistr " ( bróðir Býleists ) ( Völuspá, ; Hyndluljóð, ; Skáldskaparmál, ).

The word was adopted into English in the nineteenth century from medieval Icelandic treatises on poetics, in particular the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson, and derives ultimately from the Old Norse verb kenna “ know, recognise ; perceive, feel ; show ; teach ; etc .”, as used in the expression kenna við “ to name after ; to express thing in terms of ”, “ name after ; refer to in terms of ”, and kenna til “ qualify by, make into a kenning by adding ”.

However, Snorri Sturluson, writing in the 13th century, understood heiti in a broader sense that could include kennings.

Snorri termed simple words, poetic or otherwise, ókend heiti " unqualified terms ".

Snorri draws the line at mixed metaphor, which he terms nykrat “ made monstrous ” ( Snorri Sturluson: Háttatal 6 ), and his nephew called the practice löstr “ a fault ” ( Óláfr hvítaskáld: Third Grammatical Treatise 80 ).

Moreover, artistic license permitted such terms to be used for mortal women in Old Norse poetry, or to quote Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál on the various names used for women:

At a point in dialogue between the skaldic god Bragi and Ægir, Snorri himself begins speaking of the myths in euhemeristic terms and states that the historical equivalent of Víðarr was the Trojan hero Aeneas who survived the Trojan War and went on to achieve " great deeds ".

Later in Skáldskaparmál, Snorri includes Níðhöggr in a list of various terms and names for swords.

Snorri then gives examples from skaldic verse where these names are used as general terms for ' lord ' or ' ruler '.

Confusion arises from the introduction of the additional term svartálfar " black elves ", which at first appears synonymous to the " dark elves "; Snorri identifies with the dvergar and has them reside in Svartálfaheim.

Hlín appears in a poem in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in kennings found in skaldic poetry.

This personification appears in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.

" Snorri here does not identify Yngvi and Frey though Frey occasionally appears elsewhere as a son of Odin instead of a son of Njörd.

Snorri Sturluson based his work on an earlier Ynglingatal which is attributed to the Norwegian 9th century skald Þjóðólfr of Hvinir, and which also appears in Historia Norwegiae.

As opposed to valkyrja and norn, the term dís never appears in the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson.

The legend appears in Ragnarsdrápa, a 9th century Skaldic poem recorded in the 13th century Prose Edda, and in Ynglinga saga as recorded in Snorri Sturluson's 13th century Heimskringla.

The next source for Närke appears in Heimskringla by Snorri Sturluson, where we learn that Nerike had a king named Olof the Sharp-sighted whose granddaughter married king Ingjald ill-ruler, the king of Sweden.

A possible reference to a lost tradition on Finn appears in Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál.

Snorri talks of the animosity between Eadgils and Onela ( which also appears in Beowulf ), and writes that Aðils ( Eadgils ) was at war with a Norwegian king named Áli ( Onela ).

In various kennings Snorri also describes Heimdall, Bragi, Tyr and Höd as sons of Odin, information that appears nowhere else in the Edda.

The other tradition appears in chapter 20 of the Ynglinga Saga section of Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla.

In the part of Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál which is called the Kálfsvísa, the name Weohstan appears in its Old Norse form Vésteinn.

Logi appears by that name in Gylfaginning ( Prose Edda ) written by Snorri Sturluson in the tale of Thor and Loki's journey to the castle of the giant Útgarða-Loki in Jötunheimr where Loki was pitted against Logi in an eating contest.

By the time of Shamanslayer, Snorri has lost much of his vitality and appears to be suffering dementia, having forgotten much of his past, including the reason he became a Slayer ( one of the greatest blasphemies in Dwarven society ).

The sons of Bor then constructed Asgard ( to be identified with Troy, Snorri insists in section 9 ) as a home for the Æsir, who were divinities.

Snorri quips: " There is a huge crowd there, and there will be many more still ...." ( Section 39 ).

Snorri quotes his own source saying: " The sun will go black, earth sink in the sea, heaven be stripped of its bright stars ;...." ( Section 56 ).

By the time of the Ynglinga Saga, Snorri had developed his concept of Asgard further, although the differences might be accounted for by his sources.

It can be argued that Snorri used this narrative device as a means of being able to safely document a vanishing and largely oral tradition within a Christian context.

Snorri quotes older sources on the subject, and could be preserving valuable details.

Rudolf Simek says that the etymology that Snorri presents in Gylfaginning for the name Gná may not be correct, yet it is unclear what the name may otherwise mean, though Gná has also been etymologically theorized as a " goddess of fullness.

Simek states that Hlín is likely simply another name for Frigg, and that Snorri " misunderstood her to be a goddess in her own right in his reading of the Völuspá stanza.

Orchard theorizes that, otherwise, Snorri may have had access to a lost source, and that the little information Snorri presents may be derived from the meaning of her name.

As such it might be identical to the Svartálfheim mentioned in the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson ; as svartálfar ( black-elves ) are generally thought by scholars to be a synonym used only by Snorri for dvergar ( dwarves ).

Although he has his own saga in Heimskringla, it lacks any skaldic verse, which is normally used by Snorri as supporting evidence and this, combined with its rather legendary character, leads historians to be wary of seeing much veracity in it.

In the pseudo-historical genealogy of Odin's ancestors in the introduction to Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, a certain Athra is said to be he " whom we call Annar ".

It can already be found in the form Eikundarsund in the Norse saga of Olav the Holy, written by Icelandic author Snorri Sturlasson in the 13th century.

But rather oddly Snorri immediately follows this with information on what should be four other personages who were not sons of Halfdan but who also fathered dynasties and names the first of these as " Yngvi, from whom the Ynglings are descended ".

Other parts of the extensive work of Snorri Sturluson ( and other saga writers ) may however be considered valid references for finding elements of the ancient history of Scandinavian people and their religious customs and beliefs.

Snorri then immediately mentions what seem to be intended as four famous houses not descended from Halfdan the Old:

While in Vínland, the couple had a son who they named Snorri Thorfinnsson, who is the first European reported to be born in the Western Hemisphere.