"Edda" is the general name of ancient Icelandic myths and legends, which can be divided into Old Edda and Little Edda. The old Edda is also called the "Song Edda" or simply the "Edda". In terms of genre, the Old Edda includes prophetic poems, instructional poems, mythological story poems and pure narrative poems, including 14 mythological ballads and 21 heroic ballads. The "Little Edda" is the work of the Icelandic poet and chronicler Snorri Sturluson, also known as the "Snorri Edda". Written between 1222 and 1225, it consists of three parts and a preface. In terms of its content, it is very much like a poetry textbook. .
Brinio, the Bishop of Iceland, discovered a manuscript written in the second half of the 13th century, and thought it was compiled by the Icelandic scholar Szemund, so he called it the "Szemond Edda". In fact, it was The origin of folk songs that have been passed down orally for a long time cannot be traced.
In terms of genre, the Old Edda includes prophetic poems, instructional poems, mythological story poems and pure narrative poems, including 14 mythological ballads and 21 heroic ballads.
The contents of the myths and songs are pre-Christian polytheistic stories, the most important of which is "The Prophecy of the Female Mage", which reflects the life at the end of the clan society. Most of the heroic ballads are based on South Germanic legends, reflecting historical events from the 4th to 6th centuries. The Edda is older than other Germanic narratives, contains elements of the saga, and is the source of the German epics Nibelungenlied and Gudrun.
The "Little Edda" is the work of the Icelandic poet and chronicler Snorri Sturluson, also known as the "Snorri Edda". Written between 1222 and 1225, it consists of three parts and a preface. In terms of its content, it is very much like a poetry textbook.
Part 1, "The Visions of Culvi", includes a summary of ancient pagan myths, some of which have been found in the Old Edda. Part 2, "The Language of Poetry," is more like a theory of poetry, but it cites many myths and heroic legends. Part 3, "Metric List", is a long poem written by Snorri himself, which is about praising the kings of Norway.
"The Story of Lenard Fox" is a long medieval French folk story poem.
From the mid-12th century to the end of the 13th century, narrative poems with animals as "characters" were very popular in Europe, especially in France. These poems are different from fables. The animals in them are not only highly individualized and personified, but also endowed with human social attributes, just like people belonging to a certain class in real society. These poems pretend to be stories about the animal world, but actually reflect the social reality at that time. Among them, the one with the highest achievement and greatest influence is "The Story of Lena Fox".