rk is called the _Younger_ or _Prose Edda_, and
sometimes the _Snorro Edda_. The _Younger Edda_ is, however, partly
original. Pt. i. is the old _Edda_ reduced to prose, but pt. ii. is
Sturleson's own collection. This part contains "The Discourse of Bragi"
(the scald of the gods) on the origin of poetry; and here, too, we find
the famous story called by the Germans the _Nibelungen Lied_.

=Sagas.= Besides the sagas contained in the _Eddas_, there are numerous
others. Indeed, the whole saga literature extends over 200 volumes.

I. THE EDDA SAGAS. The _Edda_ is divided into two parts and twenty-eight
lays or poetical sagas. The first part relates to the gods and heroes of
Scandinavia, creation, and the early history of Norway. The Scandinavian
"Books of Genesis" are the "Voluspa Saga," or "prophecy of Vola" (about
230 verses), "Vafthrudner's Saga," and "Grimner's Saga." These three
resemble the Sibylline books of ancient Rome, and give a description of
chaos, the formation of the world, the creation of all animals
(including dwarfs, giants and fairies), the general conflagration, and
the renewal of the world, when, like the new Jerusalem, it will appear
all glorious, and there shall in no wise enter therein "anything that
defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie."

The "Book of Proverbs" in the _Edda_ is called the "H[^a]vam[^a]l Saga,"
and sometimes "The High Song of Odin."

The "V[:o]lsunga Saga" is a collection of lays about the early Teutonic
heroes.

The "Saga of St. Olaf" is the history of this Norwegian king. He was a
savage tyrant, hated by his subjects, but because he aided the priests
in forcing Christianity on his subjects, he was canonized.

The other sagas in the _Edda_ are "The Song of Lodbrok" or "Lodbrog,"
"Hervara Saga," the "Vilkina Saga," the "Blomsturvalla Saga," the
"Ynglinga Saga" (all relating to Norway), the "Jomsvikingia Saga," and
the "Knytlinga Saga" (which pertain to Denmark), the "Sturlunga Saga,"
and the "Eryrbiggia Saga" (which pertain to Iceland). All the above were
compiled and edited by Saemund Sigfusson, and are in verse; but Snorro
Sturleson reduced them to prose in his prose version of the old _Edda_.

II. SAGAS NOT IN THE EDDA. Snorro Sturleson, at the close of the twelfth
century, made the second great collection of chronicles in verse, called
the _Heimskringla Saga_, or the book of the kings of Norway, from the
remotest period to the year 1177. This i