Anonymous, Lokasenna

Terry Gunnell (University of Iceland)

Ed. by Ármann Jakobsson, University of Iceland
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.4: Icelandic Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland), Kjerstin Moody (Gustavus Adolphus College), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1270

Places

Iceland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poem

Resources

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Lokasenna is an Eddic poem preserved solely in the Codex Regius manuscript (GKS 2365 4to) of the Eddic poems from c. 1270, although a variation of st. 29 can also be found in Gylfaginning, in Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda (Snorri Sturluson 2005: 21 [ch. 2]). In its extant form, the poem, 65 stanzas in length, is composed in the ljóðaháttr metre, and like other Eddic poems that use this metre, takes the form of sole direct speech. In addition to seven separate lines in prose found in the main text which describe various actions, the extant work is accompanied by a prose introduction and conclusion that appear to have a different origin to the poem (the conclusion closely echoing the wording of a section of Gylfaginning: see Gunnell 1995: 225-229, and van Hamel 1929; and Snorri…

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1293 words

Citation: Gunnell, Terry. "Lokasenna". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 August 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40794, accessed 11 May 2024.]

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