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The Younger Edda; Also called Snorre's Edda, or The Prose Edda

Snorri Sturluson

“When I keep it until then, I shall have ground food enough to last many years,” thought he. Of course the mill got no chance to grow rusty during the next six months, and when harvest-time came, the rich brother got it; but the other man had taken good care not to show him how to regulate it. It was in the evening that the rich man brought the mill home, and in the morning he bade his wife go and spread the hay after the mowers,--he would get dinner ready, he said. Toward dinner he put the mill on the table. “Grind fish and gruel: Grind both well and fast!” said the man, and the mill began to grind fish and gruel. It first filled all the dishes and tubs full, and after that it covered the whole floor with fish and gruel. The man kept puttering and tinkering, and tried to get the mill to stop; but no matter how he turned it and fingered at it, the mill kept on, and before long the gruel got so deep in the room that the man was on the point of drowning. Then he opened the door to the sitting-room, but before long that room was filled too, and the man had all he could do to get hold of the door-latch down in this flood of gruel. When he got the door open he did not remain long in the room. He ran out as fast as he could, and there was a perfect flood of fish gruel behind, deluging the yard and his fields. The wife, who was in the meadow making hay, began to think that it took a long time to get dinner ready. “Even if husband does not call us, we will have to go anyway. I suppose he does not know much about making gruel; I will have to go and help him,” said the woman to the mowers. They went homeward, but on coming up the hill they met the flood of fish and gruel and bread, the one mixed up with the other, and the man came running ahead of the flood. “Would that each one of you had an hundred stomachs, but have a care that you do not drown in the gruel flood,” cried the husband. He ran by them as though the devil had been after him, and hastened down to his brother. He begged him in the name of everything sacred to come and take the mill away immediately. “If it grinds another hour the whole settlement will perish in fish and gruel,” said he. But the brother would not take it unless he got three hundred dollars, and this money had to be paid to him. Now the poor brother had both money and the mill, and so it did not take long before he got himself a farm, and a much nicer one than his brother’s. With his mill he ground out so much gold that he covered his house all over with sheets of gold. The house stood down by the sea-shore, and it glistened far out upon the sea. All who sailed past had to go ashore and visit the rich man in the golden house, and all wanted to see the wonderful mill, for its fame spread far and wide, and there was none who had not heard speak of it. After a long time there came a sea-captain who wished to see the mill. He asked whether it could grind salt. “Yes, it can grind salt,” said he who owned the mill; and when the captain heard this, he was bound to have it, let it cost what it will. For if he had that, thought he, he would not have to sail far off over dangerous waters after cargoes of salt. At first the man did not wish to sell it, but the captain teased and begged and finally the man sold it, and got many thousand dollars for it. When the captain had gotten the mill on his back, he did not stay there long, for he was afraid the man might reconsider the bargain and back out again. He had no time to ask how to regulate it; he went to his ship as fast as he could, and when he had gotten some distance out upon the sea, he got his mill out. “Grind salt both fast and well,” said the captain. The mill began to grind salt, and that with all its might. When the captain had gotten the ship full he wanted to stop the mill; but no matter how he worked, and no matter how he handled it, the mill kept grinding as fast as ever, and the heap of salt kept growing larger and larger, and at last the ship sank. The mill stands on the bottom of the sea grinding this very day, and so it comes that the sea is salt. VOCABULARY. ADILS. A king who reigned in Upsala. AE. A dwarf. ÆGER. The god presiding over the stormy sea. ALF. A dwarf. ALFATHER. A name of Odin. ALFHEIM. The home of the elves. ALFRIG. A dwarf. ALSVID. One of the horses of the sun. ALTHJOF. A dwarf. ALVIS. A dwarf. AMSVARTNER. The name of the lake in which the island was situated where the wolf Fenrer was chained. ANDHRIMNER. The cook in Valhal. ANDLANG. The second heaven. ANDVARE. A dwarf. ANDVARE-NAUT. The ring in the Niblung story. ANGERBODA. A giantess; mother of the Fenris-wolf. ANNAR. Husband of Night and father of Jord. ARVAK. The name of one of the horses of the sun. ASAHEIM. The home of the asas. ASALAND. The land of the asas. ASAS. The Teutonic gods. ASA-THOR. A common name for Thor. ASGARD. The residence of the gods. ASK. The name of the first man created by Odin, Honer and Loder. ASLAUG. Daughter of Sigurd and Brynhild. ASMUND. A man visited by Odin. ASYNJES. The Teutonic goddesses. ATLE. Gudrun’s husband after the death of Sigurd. ATRID. A name of Odin. AUD. The son of Night and Naglfare. AUDHUMBLA. The cow that nourished the giant Ymer. AUDUN. A name derived from Odin. AURGELMER. A giant; grandfather of Bergelmer; the same as Ymer. AURVANG. A dwarf. AUSTRE. A dwarf. BAFUR. A dwarf. BALDER. Son of Odin and Frigg, slain by Hoder. BALEYG. A name of Odin. BAR-ISLE. A cool grove in which Gerd agreed with Skirner to meet Frey. BAUGE. A brother of Suttung. Odin worked for him one summer, in order to get his help in obtaining Suttung’s mead of poetry. BEIGUD. One of Rolf Krake’s berserks. BELE. A giant, brother of Gerd, slain by Frey. BERGELMER. A giant; son of Thrudgelmer and grandson of Aurgelmer. BERLING. A dwarf. BESTLA. Wife of Bure and mother of Odin. BIFLIDE. A name of Odin. BIFLINDE. A name of Odin. BIFROST. The rainbow. BIFUR. A dwarf. BIKKE. A minister of Jormunrek; causes Randver to be hanged, and Svanhild trodden to death by horses. BIL. One of the children that accompany Moon. BILEYG. A name of Odin. BILSKIRNER. Thor’s abode. BLAIN. A dwarf. BLODUGHOFDE. Frey’s horse. BODN. One of the three jars in which the poetic mead is kept. BODVAR BJARKE. One of Rolf Krake’s berserks. BOL. One of the rivers flowing out of Hvergelmer. BOLTHORN. A giant; father of Bestla, mother of Odin. BOLVERK. A name of Odin. BOMBUR. A dwarf. BOR. Son of Bure; father of Odin. BRAGE. A son of Odin; the best of skalds. BREIDABLIK. The abode of Balder. BRIMER. One of the heavenly halls after Ragnarok. BRISING. Freyja’s necklace. BROK. A dwarf. BRYNHILD. One of the chief heroines in the Niblung story. BUDLE. Father of Atle and Brynhild. BUE. A son of Vesete, who settled in Borgundarholm. BURE. Grandfather of Odin. BYLEIST. A brother of Loke. BYRGER. A well from which Bil and Hjuke were going when they were taken by Moon. DAIN. A dwarf. DAIN. One of the stags that bite the leaves of Ygdrasil. DAINSLEIF. Hogne’s sword. DAY. Son of Delling. DAYBREAK. The father of Day. DELLING. Daybreak. DOLGTHVARE. A dwarf. DORE. A dwarf. DRAUPNER. Odin’s ring. DROME. One of the fetters with which the Fenris-wolf was chained. DUF. A dwarf. DUNEY. One of the stags that bite the leaves of Ygdrasil. DURATHRO. One of the stags that bite the leaves of Ygdrasil. DURIN. A dwarf. DVALIN. One of the stags that bite the leaves of Ygdrasil. DVALIN. A dwarf. EIKINSKJALDE. A dwarf. EIKTHYRNER. A hart that stands over Odin’s hall. EILIF. Son of Gudrun; a skald. EIMYRJA. One of the daughters of Haloge and Glod. EINDRIDE. A name of Thor. EIR. An attendant of Menglod, and the best of all in the healing art. EKIN. One of the rivers flowing from Hvergelmer. ELDER. A servant of Æger. ELDHRIMNER. The kettle in which the boar Sahrimner is cooked in Valhal. ELIVOGS. The ice-cold streams that flow out of Niflheim. ELJUDNER. Hel’s hall. ELLE. An old woman (old age) with whom Thor wrestled in Jotunheim. EMBLA. The first woman created by Odin, Honer and Loder. ENDIL. The name of a giant. ERP. A son of Jonaker, murdered by Sorle and Hamder. EYLIME. The father of Hjordis, mother of Volsung. EYSA. One of the daughters of Haloge and Glod. FAFNER. Son of Hreidmar, killed by Sigurd. FAL. A dwarf. FALHOFNER. One of the horses of the gods. FARBAUTE. The father of Loke. FARMAGOD. One of the names of Odin. FARMATYR. One of the names of Odin. FENJA. A female slave who ground at Frode’s mill. FENRIS-WOLF. The monster wolf, son of Loke. FENSALER. The abode of Frigg. FID. A dwarf. FILE. A dwarf. FIMAFENG. Æger’s servant. FIMBUL. One of the streams flowing from Hvergelmer. FIMBULTHUL. One of the streams flowing from Hvergelmer. FIMBUL-TYR. The unknown god. FIMBUL-WINTER. The great and awful winter of three years duration preceding Ragnarok. FINNSLEIF. A byrnie belonging to King Adils, of Upsala. FJALAR. A dwarf. FJOLNER. A name of Odin. FJOLSVID. A name of Odin. FJORGVIN. The mother of Frigg and of Thor. FJORM. One of the streams flowing from Hvergelmer. FOLKVANG. Freyja’s abode. FORM. One of the streams flowing from Hvergelmer. FORNJOT. The ancient giant; the father of Æger. FORSETE. The peace-maker; son of Balder and Nanna. FRANANGER FORCE. The waterfall into which Loke cast himself in the likeness of a salmon. FREKE. One of Odin’s wolves. FREY. Son of Njord and husband of Skade. FREYJA. The daughter of Njord and sister of Frey. FRIDLEIF. A son of Skjold. FRIGG. Wife of Odin and mother of the gods. FRODE. Grandson of Skjold. FROSTE. A dwarf. FULLA. Frigg’s attendant. FUNDIN. A dwarf. FYRE. A river in Sweden. GAGNRAD. A name of Odin. GALAR. A dwarf. GANDOLF. A dwarf. GANG. A giant. GANGLARE. A name of Odin. GANGLATE. Hel’s man-servant. GANGLERE. A name of Odin. GANGLOT. Hel’s maid-servant. GANGRAD. A name of Odin. GARDROFA. A horse. GARM. A dog that barks at Ragnarok. GAUT. A name of Odin. GEFJUN. A goddess; she is present at Æger’s feast. GEFN. One of the names of Freyja. GEIRAHOD. A valkyrie. GEIRROD. A giant visited by Thor. GEIR SKOGUL. A valkyrie. GEIRVIMUL. One of the streams flowing from Hvergelmer. GELGJA. The fetter with which the Fenris-wolf was chained. GERD. A beautiful giantess, daughter of Gymer. GERE. One of Odin’s wolves. GERSAME. One of the daughters of Freyja. GILLING. Father of Suttung, who possessed the poetic mead. GIMLE. The abode of the righteous after Ragnarok. GINNAR. A dwarf. GINUNGAGAP. The premundane abyss. GIPUL. One of the streams flowing from Hvergelmer. GISL. One of the horses of the gods. GJALLAR-BRIDGE. The bridge across the river Gjol, near Helheim. GJALLAR-HORN. Heimdal’s horn. GJALLAR-RIVER. The river near Helheim. GJALP. One of the daughters of Geirrod. GJUKE. A king in Germany, visited by Sigurd. GLADSHEIM. Odin’s dwelling. GLAM. The name of a giant. GLAPSVID. A name of Odin. GLASER. A grove in Asgard. GLEIPNER. The last fetter with which the wolf Fenrer was bound. GLENER. The husband of Sol (sun). GLER. One of the horses of the gods. GLITNER. Forsete’s hall. GLOIN. A dwarf. GNA. Frigg’s messenger. GNIPA-CAVE. The cave before which the dog Garm barks. GNITA-HEATH. Fafner’s abode, where he kept the treasure of the Niblungs. GOIN. A serpent under Ygdrasil. GOL. A valkyrie. GOLDFAX. The giant Hrungner’s horse. GOMUL. One of the streams flowing from Hvergelmer. GONDLER. One of the names of Odin. GONDUL. A valkyrie. GOPUL. One of the streams flowing from Hvergelmer. GOT. A name of Odin. GOTE. Gunnar’s horse. GOTHORM. A son of Gjuke; murders Sigurd, and is slain by him. GRABAK. One of the serpents under Ygdrasil. GRAD. One of the streams flowing from Hvergelmer. GRAFVITNER. A serpent under Ygdrasil.