The Edda, Volume 2

Faraday, L. Winifred, 1872-Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.7

Word count: 82K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Edda, Volume 2 by L. Winifred FaradayAuthor: Faraday, L. Winifred, 1872-,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: Jul 23, 2004

Editor's review

This is the Project Gutenberg public-domain electronic edition of Faraday's translation of the Edda, Volume 2, part of the same translation system as Volume 1. For Chinese readers, its main value lies in completing the texts beyond Volume 1, making it easier to observe the translator's consistency in handling different poems and to compare editions. Since the material does not detail the specific contents, readers should first check the table of contents to confirm the scope of this volume before deciding how to connect it with Volume 1. This book is better suited to "research-oriented browsing" than to reading straight through: it can be used as a sample for examining early English translations, with attention to proper-name rendering, poetic form, and choices about annotation. Used alongside modern translations and introductions to mythology, it gives a clearer view of how the Edda's texts have changed in the history of translation. One caveat: public-domain e-books lack the introductions and uniform conventions of modern publications, so readers must build their own reading framework; those who simply want the stories may find it too scholarly in feel.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have finished Volume 1 and want to complete the remaining poems of the same translation
Literature students studying early English translations of the Edda and edition differences
Teachers who need a public-domain electronic text for classroom excerpts or translation practice
Enthusiasts with basic knowledge of Norse mythology willing to organize their own reading framework

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners with no exposure to Norse mythology who need a detailed guided introduction
Readers expecting fluent modern Chinese translation and full scholarly annotation
Readers who only want a quick grasp of the plot and are unwilling to check the table of contents and edition information

Reading tips

First read the table of contents and the translator's note to confirm this volume's contents, then compare with Volume 1's table of contents and set a reading order.
Copy proper names and god names into a separate table, adding to it as you read, to reduce confusion.
After each poem, compare key passages with a modern translation and note differences in wording and poetic form in the early translation.
If time is limited, prioritize poems closely connected to Volume 1 rather than insisting on reading the whole volume.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can Volume 2 be read on its own?

It can be read on its own, but the two volumes belong to the same translation system, and their contents and conventions may be interrelated. It is advisable to at least skim Volume 1's translator's note and table of contents to understand the translator's approach before starting Volume 2; understanding will be more coherent.

Does this book have modern Chinese annotations?

The material indicates this is an English public-domain e-book from Project Gutenberg and does not mention Chinese annotations. The main text and notes are in English, and the form of annotation depends on the Gutenberg text version; readers who need Chinese annotations should look for a modern Chinese translation.

Is it suitable for citation in academic writing?

It can be cited as edition material for an early translation, but the Project Gutenberg electronic edition and specific download information must be noted. Since public-domain e-books may lack page numbers and place of publication, check the original text and academic citation requirements before formal citation.

What if I find it dull?

Change your goal from "finishing it" to "consulting it": start with poems about mythological figures you already know, and read alongside a modern translation and an introductory guide. If you are still uninterested, the book is more oriented toward textual research, and there is no need to force yourself through it.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Faraday, L. Winifred, 1872- Author · British · 1872

L. Winifred Faraday (born 1872) was a British scholar and writer known for her work on Norse mythology and Irish epic. Her representative work is the two-volume The Edda (Volume 1 and Volume 2), which presents and discusses Old Norse poetry and mythological tradition, forming part of the early English-language introduction to and study of Eddaic material. By considering Norse mythology alongside Irish epic, she shows a comparative perspective on the narrative literature of medieval northern Europe and the North Atlantic islands. Because public information is limited, details of her life, education, and academic positions cannot be reliably established; what can be confirmed is that she is recorded in library catalogues through these two volumes on the Edda, which are still consulted by readers and researchers interested in Norse mythology and early epic.