"But the king's heart swells, bulging with courage in battle, where heroes sink down..." Over a period of twenty years Snorri Sturluson, scholar, courtier and poet, compiled the prose Edda as a textbook for young poets who wished to praise kings. His work surveys the content, style and metres of traditional Viking poetry and includes a lengthy poem of Snorrie's own, honoring the king of Norway. Ironically, Snorri was killed in...