Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, politician, and author. He is best known for writing the Prose Edda (c. 1220), the most important primary source for Norse mythology, and Heimskringla, a history of the Norwegian kings. He served twice as president of the Icelandic Althing (parliament). He was assassinated in 1241 at his home in Reykholt, Iceland, on the orders of the Norwegian king Hakon IV. Without his written preservation of Norse myths, much of what we know about Norse mythology would have been lost.

What Is the Prose Edda?

The Prose Edda (also called the Younger Edda) is a textbook written by Snorri around 1220 to explain the mythological references in traditional Norse and Icelandic poetry. It consists of four parts: Prologue (a euhemerized account of the Norse gods), Gylfaginning (the Tricking of Gylfi, which narrates Norse mythology from creation to Ragnarok), Skaldskaparmal (the Language of Poetry, which explains poetic metaphors through myths), and Hattatal (a demonstration of verse forms). It is the single most complete and organized source for Norse mythology.

What Would We Lose Without Snorri?

Without the Prose Edda, our knowledge of Norse mythology would be fragmentary. The Poetic Edda (a separate collection of Norse poems, not written by Snorri) would survive, but it assumes knowledge of mythological context that Snorri's work provides. The coherent narrative of Norse mythology — the creation from Ymir's body, the binding of Fenrir, the death of Balder, and the events of Ragnarok — exists in organized form primarily because Snorri compiled it. Thor, Odin, Loki, and the Norse cosmology as they appear in Marvel, Tolkien, Wagner, and popular culture trace directly to Snorri's text.

How Did Snorri Die?

Snorri was assassinated on the night of September 23, 1241, at his home in Reykholt, Iceland. A group of 70 armed men, acting on instructions from the Norwegian king Hakon IV, entered his home. Snorri was found hiding in his basement. According to one source, his last words were Eigi skal hoggva (Do not strike). The assassination was political — Snorri had failed to support Norwegian interests in Iceland as he had promised.

Can You Talk to Snorri?

Snorri Sturluson is available as an AI companion on HoloDream. He preserved the stories of the gods. He tells them as they were meant to be told.