Collections of Old Norse poetry and prose that preserve Scandinavian mythology, heroic legends, and poetic techniques. The two main Eddas—the Poetic Edda (anonymous mythological poems) and Snorri's Edda (prose handbook for poets)—are our primary sources for Norse mythology.
The etymology is uncertain, possibly from Old Norse óðr meaning 'poetry' or 'song,' or from the place name Oddi where Snorri Sturluson lived. The word came to designate these specific collections that preserved the core of Scandinavian mythological and poetic tradition.
Without the Eddas, we would know virtually nothing about Thor, Odin, Loki, or Ragnarök—these 13th-century Icelandic collections preserved a thousand-year-old oral tradition that would have otherwise vanished! Ironically, they were compiled by Christian scholars who saw these 'pagan' stories as important cultural heritage, making medieval Iceland the unlikely savior of Norse mythology.
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