The Elder Edda

“The Poetic Edda” is a great Scandinavian epic, standing alongside “Iliad,” “Odyssey,” and “Mahabharata.” Until recently, it had no modern retelling and was unknown to the general public. However, its constituent “Songs of the Gods” and “Songs of the Heroes” are recognized as the source of all Western European fantasy and fiction. “The Poetic Edda” also had a notable influence on J. R. R. Tolkien, which is why “The Lord of the Rings” was created, and such ancient Icelandic creatures as gnomes, trolls, orcs, and elves became popular—along with, of course, the gods of Asgard, currently adorning posters for world-famous Marvel films. One of these gods voices “The Poetic Edda.” Yes, yes—because it is read by Alexander Gavrilin, the official voice of Loki in Russia!

“ The Poetic Edda” as interpreted by Ilya Boyashov is the first—and at the moment the only—prose retelling of the fundamental Scandinavian epic.