Exploring the (Poetic) Edda: Vǫluspá

**Introduction**

Have you ever wondered about the beliefs, worldview, or ethics of pre-Christian Northern Europe? Have you thought about how the Vikings interacted with their world, and with one another? Are you interested in discovering what, if any, wisdom from ancient Germanic folk religion might be applicable to life in a modern-day city?

If so, you are welcome to join me in studying the *Edda*, a collection of Old Norse poems which sew a rich tapestry of ancient Nordic gods and heroes whose trials and tribulations, while superficially alien to our modern sensibilities, nevertheless open themselves to useful interpretation and interesting discussion. These poems were first written down in Iceland around the year 1000, but were taken from an oral tradition centuries older, and have been preserved by scholars every bit as assiduously as the texts of other major religious traditions.

**Meeting Structure**

Each meeting, we will informally discuss an individual poem from the *Edda.* To prepare, please read the corresponding poem from whichever source is most amenable, and consider any questions or topics you may wish to bring to the discussion.

I will be working from Jackson Crawford's [translation](https://grimfrost.de/products/the-poetic-edda?country=DE) of the so-called "poetic" *Edda*, which I highly recommend, but any and all versions and editions are welcome. (Note that Crawford is coming out with a revised 2nd Edition in the Spring of 2026, so you might want to hold off until then to get your hands on a physical copy if you don't have one already.)

If you have no ready access to the *Edda*, [here](https://www.voluspa.org/poeticedda.htm) is a decent online source for your perusal. I will also link to the individual poem under consideration in the following section.

**This Meeting's Poem**

The [first poem](https://www.voluspa.org/voluspa.htm) we shall discuss is the first poem in the *Edda*, called *Vǫluspá* by the men who wrote it down and spelled *Völuspá* by their descendants.

The *Vǫluspá* details the Old Norse creation myth, but perhaps more importantly the prophecy of *Ragnarök*, which is perhaps the most widely-known (and therefore most misunderstood) aspect of the pagan Norse worldview. Along the way, we are introduced to many of the gods and a panoply of other mythical creatures and realms from Norse cosmology, and thus receive a grounding in the mythology which helps to situate each subsequent poem.

**Meeting Location**

Weather permitting, we shall meet up in the wooded field of Park Gleisdreieck, between the old railroad tracks and the trees close to the map pin. Weather not permitting, we will take over a corner of the nearby TorEins café.

**A Last Note**

The main aim of these discussions is "secular" -- literary, cultural, and philosophical. People and perspectives of all faiths and none are welcome, yet this series of meetings is neither a place for direct Norse/Germanic Pagan practice nor for spiritual "debate" in the form of proselytising or ridiculing any particular religion.