List og tvísæi í Snorra Eddu

Abstract

Scholars have long debated about the correct understanding of Snorra Edda, and what the original text was like. Some of the discussion has concerned the inner consistency of the ideas in the text, and it has often been claimed that there are various inconsistencies between the ideas in the Prologue and those of Gylfaginning which make it unlikely that the Prologue was composed by Snorri. It has also been claimed that some passages in Gylfaginning or Skáldskaparmál contradict the main part of the text and are thus likely to be additions to Snorri's text. This article deals briefly with Snorri and his world views, considering how his social background and education might have motivated him for writing his Edda. The main purpose of the article is to point out that not all parts of Snorra Edda are subject to the same rules, that they are not all in the same literary mode, and that this fact can explain some apparent inconsistencies. Snorri's primary aim was to educate, and for this reason both the Prologue and various passages in the main parts of the work itself are in a didactic mode. In these main parts we also find two kinds of narrative that serve the didactic purpose but are written in different modes. The frame surrounding Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál is Snorri's fiction written in a fantastic mode, and there are reasons to believe that this was meant to be obvious, at least to well-informed readers. Within this frame we find traditional lore: poetry, tales, and information about the mythical universe. This old lore is of course not truth, and yet it is important because it illustrates the world view of the forefathers, who believed in it, and provides a key to their poetry. The article also discusses the role of irony in the work and points to some examples, for instance in ch. 3 of Gylfaginning, the so called 'Odin-theology', which is a part of the invented fantastic tale and mediates between the ideas of the Prologue and the fictional framework of Gylfaginning. We tend to overestimate Snorri's learning and the consistency of his ideas about religion, but at the same time we do not fully appreciate his sense of humor and his passionate interest in the neverending story about the struggle for power in this world. His work is not to be read as an artistic composition where all parts fall into place. The artistic is subordinated to the didactic. But the work cannot be properly understood or evaluated unless we pay full attention to the use Snorri makes of his narrative genius.