"Great-grandmother" or "ancestress" (poetic term for goddess or mythical female figure)
Origin:
The etymology of "Edda" is uncertain, but there are several proposed theories:
From the Old Norse term "edda": Meaning "great-grandmother" or "ancestress." This suggests that the term originally referred to a collection of stories or myths passed down through generations of women.
From the Latin term "edera": Meaning "ivy." This theory suggests that the term was first used to refer to poems that were inscribed on or carved into ivy-covered walls.
From the Celtic term "edd": Meaning "poetry." This theory suggests that the term was adopted from a Celtic language and used to refer to a collection of poems.
Historical Usage:
Prose Edda (also known as Snorra Edda): A 13th-century Icelandic manuscript written by Snorri Sturluson. It contains a collection of myths and legends from Norse mythology, as well as a treatise on the art of poetry.
Poetic Edda (also known as Elder Edda): A collection of Old Norse poems from the 9th to 13th centuries. It contains a variety of poems, including heroic tales, mythological stories, and riddles.
Edda in the broader sense: Any collection of literary works, particularly those related to mythology or folklore.
