Snorri Sturluson (1179–1241 C.E.) was an Icelandic chieftain, landowner, historian, politician, and poet. Brought up in a family steeped in Icelandic traditions and lore, he became an expert on ancient poetry, known as skaldic verse (skalds were bards, the filidh of the north), and on Norse myths. This expertise is fully revealed in his masterful work, the Prose Edda, based on an older work, the Poetic Edda. Snorri’s goal was to encourage Icelandic poets to remember the myths and poetic methods of skaldic poetry.