A Little Bit of Lokrur: A Portion of an Old Icelandic Mythological Poem and a New English Translation

Abstract

The rímur known as Lokrur is preserved in a single manuscript, AM 604G 4to, and has been transcribed by such prominent scholars as Jón Þorklesson, Finnur Jónsson, and Sverrir Tómasson. Lokrur follows the tale of Þór and Útgarðaloki, as found in Snorra Edda, and weaves for us a more intricate tapestry of images, details, and events than we erstwhile get from Snorri. And while the popularity of the Eddas endures, within academia and without, variations on these popular tales remain fairly inaccessible to the general public. In this exercise I have rendered the first two sections of the poem in English, and provided analyses and references which expand upon the kennings and heiti found therein, in an effort to make Lokrur as accessible to an audience outside of academia as its eddaic counterpart. I have worked to provide a translation of scholarly quality, and a fairly normalized transcription, that can both contribute to the modern study of Icelandic poetry and invite the eye of any interested party outside of academia.