Orality, literacy, and the making of 13th century Eddic Poetry

Abstract

The Codex Regius of the Elder Edda (GKS 2365 4to), a medieval manuscript wrought with speculation, who created it and for what purpose? It has long been assumed that eddic poetry was oral poetry and yet this unique codex of mythological and heroic eddic poems seems to betray every arguable sign of literary workings. This thesis on orality, literacy, and the making of 13th century eddic poetry attempts to discuss the process by which oral poetry became literary poetry. It aims to 1) elucidate the debate on defining the terms with which to best analyse the sociolinguistic environment of medieval Scandinavia, 2) discuss eddic poetry as oral poetry, 3) explore the study of grammatica and the subsequent development of secular literature in Iceland, and finally 4) argue the Codex Regius (R) with regard to Snorra Edda and the tradition of vernacular grammatical handbooks.