The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson
14. Time 'tis of the dwarfs in Dvalin's band, to the sons of men, to
Lofar up to reckon, those who came forth from the world's rock,
earth's foundation, to Iora's plains.
15. There were Draupnir, and Dôlgthrasir, Hâr, Haugspori, Hlævang,
Glôi, Skirvir, Virvir, Skafid, Ai, Alf and Yngvi, Eikinskialdi,
16. Fialar and Frosti, Finn and Ginnar, Heri, Höggstari, Hliôdôlf,
Moin: that above shall, while mortals live, the progeny of Lofar,
accounted be.
17. Until there came three mighty and benevolent Æsir to the world
from their assembly. They found on earth, nearly powerless, Ask and
Embla, void of destiny.
18. Spirit they possessed not, sense they had not, blood nor motive
powers, nor goodly colour. Spirit gave Odin, sense gave Hoenir, blood
gave Lodur, and goodly colour.
19. I know an ash standing Yggdrasil hight, a lofty tree, laved with
limpid water: thence come the dews into the dales that fall; ever
stands it green over Urd's fountain.
20. Thence come maidens, much knowing, three from the hall, which
under that tree stands; Urd hight the one, the second Verdandi,--on a
tablet they graved--Skuld the third. Laws they established, life
allotted to the sons of men; destinies pronounced.
21. Alone she[7] sat without, when came that ancient dread Æsir's
prince; and in his eye she gazed.
22. "Of what wouldst thou ask me? Why temptest thou me? Odin! I know
all, where thou thine eye didst sink in the pure well of Mim." Mim
drinks mead each morn from Valfather's pledge.[8] Understand ye yet,
or what?
23. The chief of hosts gave her rings and necklace, useful
discourse, and a divining spirit: wide and far she saw o'er every
world.
24. She the Valkyriur saw from afar coming, ready to ride to the
god's people: Skuld held a shield, Skögul was second, then Gunn, Hild
Göndul, and Geirskögul. Now are enumerated Herian's maidens, the
Valkyriur, ready over the earth to ride.
25. She that war remembers, the first on earth, when Gullveig[9]
they with lances pierced, and in the high one's[10] hall her burnt,
thrice burnt, thrice brought her forth, oft not seldom; yet she still
lives.
26. Heidi they called her, whithersoe'r she came, the
well-foreseeing Vala: wolves she tamed, magic arts she knew, magic
arts practised; ever was she the joy of evil people.
27. Then went the powers all to their judgment-seats, the all-holy
gods, and thereon held council, whether the Æsir should avenge the
crime,[11] or all the gods receive atonement.
28. Broken was the outer wall of the Æsir's burgh. The Vanir,
foreseeing conflict, tramp o'er the plains. Odin cast [his spear], and
mid the people hurled it: that was the first warfare in the world.
29. Then went the powers all to their judgment-seats, the all-holy
gods, and thereon held council: who had all the air with evil mingled?
or to the Jötun race Od's maid had given?
30. There alone was Thor with anger swollen. He seldom sits, when
of the like he hears. Oaths are not held sacred; nor words, nor
swearing, nor binding compacts reciprocally made.
31. She knows that Heimdall's horn is hidden under the heaven-bright
holy tree. A river she sees flow, with foamy fall, from Valfather's
pledge. Understand ye yet, or what?
32. East sat the crone, in Iârnvidir, and there reared up Fenrir's
progeny: of all shall be one especially the moon's devourer, in a
troll's semblance.
33. He is sated with the last breath of dying men; the god's seat he
with red gore defiles: swart is the sunshine then for summers after;
all weather turns to storm. Understand ye yet, or what?
34. There on a height sat, striking a harp, the giantess's watch,
the joyous Egdir; by him crowed, in the bird-wood, the bright red
cock, which Fialar hight.
35. Crowed o'er the Æsir Gullinkambi, which wakens heroes with the
sire of hosts; but another crows beneath the earth, a soot-red cock,
in the halls of Hel.
36. I saw of Baldr, the blood-stained god, Odin's son, the hidden
fate. There stood grown up, high on the plain, slender and passing
fair, the mistletoe.
37. From that shrub was made, as to me it seemed, a deadly, noxious
dart. Hödr shot it forth; but Frigg bewailed, in Fensalir, Valhall's
calamity. Understand ye yet, or what?
38. Bound she saw lying, under Hveralund, a monstrous form, to Loki
like. There sits Sigyn, for her consort's sake, not right glad.
Understand ye yet, or what?
39. Then the Vala knew the fatal bonds were twisting, most rigid,
bonds from entrails made.
40. From the east a river falls, through venom dales, with mire and
clods, Slîd is its name.
41. On the north there stood, on Nida-fells, a hall of gold, for
Sindri's race; and another stood in Okôlnir, the Jötuns beer-hall
which Brîmir hight.
42. She saw a hall standing, far from the sun, in Nâströnd; its
doors are northward turned, venom-drops fall in through its apertures:
entwined is that hall with serpents' backs.
43. She there saw wading the sluggish streams bloodthirsty men and
perjurers, and him who the ear beguiles of another's wife. There
Nidhögg sucks the corpses of the dead; the wolf tears men. Understand
ye yet, or what?
44. Further forward I see, much can I say of Ragnarök and the gods'
conflict.
45. Brothers shall fight, and slay each other; cousins shall kinship
violate. The earth resounds, the giantesses flee; no man will another
spare.
46. Hard is it in the world, great whoredom, an axe age, a sword
age, shields shall be cloven, a wind age, a wolf age, ere the world
sinks.
47. Mim's sons dance, but the central tree takes fire at the
resounding Giallar-horn. Loud blows Heimdall, his horn is raised; Odin
speaks with Mim's head.
48. Trembles Yggdrasil's ash yet standing; groans that aged tree,
and the jötun is loosed. Loud bays Garm before the Gnupa-cave, his
bonds he rends asunder; and the wolf runs.
49. Hrym steers from the east, the waters rise, the mundane snake is
coiled in jötun-rage. The worm beats the water, and the eagle screams:
the pale of beak tears carcases; Naglfar is loosed.
50. That ship fares from the east: come will Muspell's people o'er
the sea, and Loki steers. The monster's kin goes all with the wolf;
with them the brother is of Byleist on their course.
51. Surt from the south comes with flickering flame; shines from his
sword the Val-gods' sun. The stony hills are dashed together, the
giantesses totter; men tread the path of Hel, and heaven is cloven.
52. How is it with the Æsir? How with the Alfar? All Jötunheim
resounds; the Æsir are in council. The dwarfs groan before their stony
doors, the sages of the rocky walls. Understand ye yet, or what?
53. Then arises Hlîn's second grief, when Odin goes with the wolf to
fight, and the bright slayer of Beli with Surt. Then will Frigg's
beloved fall.
54. Then comes the great victor-sire's son, Vidar, to fight with the
deadly beast. He with his hands will make his sword pierce to the
heart of the giant's son: then avenges he his father.
55. Then comes the mighty son of Hlôdyn: (Odin's son goes with the
monster to fight); Midgârd's Veor in his rage will slay the worm. Nine
feet will go Fiörgyn's son, bowed by the serpent, who feared no foe.
All men will their homes forsake.
56. The sun darkens, earth in ocean sinks, fall from heaven the
bright stars, fire's breath assails the all-nourishing tree, towering
fire plays against heaven itself.
57. She sees arise, a second time, earth from ocean, beauteously
green, waterfalls descending; the eagle flying over, which in the fell
captures fish.
58. The Æsir meet on Ida's plain, and of the mighty earth-encircler
speak, and there to memory call their mighty deeds, and the supreme
god's ancient lore.
59. There shall again the wondrous golden tables in the grass be
found, which in days of old had possessed the ruler of the gods, and
Fiölnir's race.
60. Unsown shall the fields bring forth, all evil be amended; Baldr
shall come; Hödr and Baldr, the heavenly gods, Hropt's glorious
dwellings shall inhabit. Understand ye yet, or what?
61. Then can Hoenir choose his lot, and the two brothers' sons
inhabit the spacious Vindheim. Understand ye yet, or what?
62. She a hall standing than the sun brighter, with gold bedecked,
in Gimill: there shall be righteous people dwell, and for evermore
happiness enjoy.
64. Then comes the mighty one to the great judgment, the powerful
from above, who rules o'er all. He shall dooms pronounce, and strifes
allay, holy peace establish, which shall ever be.
65. There comes the dark dragon flying from beneath the glistening
serpent, from Nida-fels. On his wings bears Nidhögg, flying o'er the
plain, a corpse. Now she will descend.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 5: In the Rigsmal we are informed how Heimdall, under the
name of Rig, became the progenitor of the three orders of mankind.]
[Footnote 6: In the Germanic tongues, as in the Semitic, the sun is
fem., the moon masc.]
[Footnote 7: The Vala here speaks of herself in the third person.]
[Footnote 8: His eye here understood to signify the sun.]
[Footnote 9: A personification of gold. With the introduction of gold
was the end of the golden age.]
[Footnote 10: _i.e._, Odin's: his hall is the world.]
[Footnote 11: Of introducing the use of gold.]
THE LAY OF VAFTHRUDNIR.
Odin visits the Giant (Jötun) Vafthrûdnir, for the purpose of proving
his knowledge. They propose questions relative to the Cosmogony of the
Northern creed, on the conditions that the baffled party forfeit his
head. The Jötun incurs the penalty.
_Odin_.
1. Counsel thou me now, Frigg! as I long to go Vafthrûdnir to visit;
great desire, I say, I have, in ancient lore with that all-wise Jötun
to contend.
_Frigg_.
2. At home to bide Hærfather I would counsel, in the gods'
dwellings; because no Jötun is, I believe, so mighty as is
Vafthrûdnir.
_Odin_.
3. Much have I journeyed, much experienced, mighty ones many proved;
but this I fain would know, how in Vafthrûdnir's halls it is.
_Frigg_.
4. In safety mayest thou go, in safety return; in safety on thy
journeyings be; may thy wit avail thee, when thou, father of men!
shalt hold converse with the Jötun.
5. Then went Odin the lore to prove of that all-wise Jötun. To the
hall he came which Im's father owned. Ygg went forthwith in.
_Odin._
6. Hail to thee, Vafthrûdnir! to thy hall I am now come, thyself to
see; for I fain would know, whether thou art a cunning and all-wise
Jötun.
_Vafthrûdnir._
7. What man is this, that in my habitation by word addresses me? Out
thou goest not from our halls, if thou art not the wiser.
_Odin._
8. Gagnrâd is my name, from my journey I am come thirsty to thy
halls, needing hospitality,--for I long have journeyed--and kind
reception from thee, Jötun!
_Vafthrûdnir._
9. Why then, Gagnrâd! speakest thou from the floor? Take in the hall
a seat; then shall be proved which knows most, the guest or the
ancient talker.
_Gagnrâd._
10. A poor man should, who to a rich man comes, speak usefully or
hold his tongue: over-much talk brings him, I ween, no good, who
visits an austere man.
_Vafthrûdnir._
11. Tell me, Gagnrâd! since on the floor thou wilt prove thy
proficiency, how the horse is called that draws each day forth over
human kind?
_Gagnrâd._
12. Skinfaxi he is named, that the bright day draws forth over human
kind. Of coursers he is best accounted among the Reid-goths. Ever
sheds light that horse's mane.
_Vafthrûdnir._
13. Tell me now, Gagnrâd! since on the floor thou wilt prove thy
proficiency, how that steed is called, which from the east draws night
o'er the beneficent powers?
_Gagnrâd._
14. Hrimfaxi he is called, that each night draws forth over the
beneficent powers. He from his bit lets fall drops every morn, whence