Pafnutius and Skírnir's journey : a discussion of two medieval plays

The purpose of this book is straightforward. It aims at comparing two texts, the Eddic poem Skírnismál—‘Skírnir’s speech’ or For Skírnis—‘Skírnir’s Journey’ and two scenes from the Latin play Pafnutius. The latter is a 10th century work by the Saxon dramatist Hrotsvit. The Eddic text is preserved in two manuscripts, one from the 14th and one from the 15th century. Its date of composition is difficult to establish, but arguably, it originates in the 10th century. Most researchers consider For Skírnis to be a poem. Some read it as ritual drama, a few as a dramatic dialogue. The comparison suggests that ‘Skírnir’s Journey’ entertained the wedding guests in a Viking Age hall.