Be this as it may, the Prose Edda, in
its present form, dates from the thirteenth century, and consists
of--1. _Formali_ (Fore discourse); or the prologue. 2. _Gylfa-ginning_
(The deluding of Gylfi). 3. _Braga-roedur_ (Conversations of Bragi).
4. _Eptirmali_ (After discourse); or Epilogue. The Prologue and
Epilogue were probably written by Snorre himself, and are nothing more
than an absurd syncretism of Hebrew, Greek, Roman, and Scandinavian
myths and legends, in which Noah, Priam, Odin, Hector, Thor, AEneas,
&c, are jumbled together much in the same manner as in the romances of
the Middle Ages. These dissertations, utterly worthless in themselves,
have obviously nothing in common with the so-called "Prose Edda," the
first part of which, containing fifty-three chapters, forms a complete
synopsis of Scandinavian mythology, derived principally from the
Poetical Edda.
THE TRANSLATOR.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1: The following, the first among many, may serve as a
specimen.
Saemund was residing, in the south of Europe, with a famous Master, by
whom he was instructed in every kind of lore; while, on the other
hand, he forgot (apparently through intense study) all that he had
previously learned, even to his own name; so that when the holy man
John Ogmundson came to his abode, he told him that his name was Koll;
but on John insisting that he was no other than Saemund Sigfusson, born
at Oddi in Iceland, and relating to him many particulars regarding
himself, he at length became conscious of his own identity, and
resolved to flee from the place with his kinsman.
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