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Völuspá (Prophecy of the Volva, Prophecy of the
Seeress) is the first and
best known poem of the Poetic Edda. It tells
the
story of the creation of the world and its coming end related
by a völva or seeress addressing Odin. It is one of the most important
primary sources for the study of Norse mythology. The poem is
preserved whole in the Codex Regius and Hauksbók manuscripts while parts
of it are quoted in the Prose Edda. This is W.H. Auden
& P.B. Taylor's English translation.
Heidi men call me when their homes I
visit, A far seeing Volva, wise in talismans. Caster of
spells, cunning in magic. To wicked women welcome
always.
Arm rings and necklaces, Odhinn you gave
me To learn my lore, to learn my magic: Wider and wider
through all worlds I see.
Outside I sat by myself when you
came, Terror of the gods, and gazed in my eyes. What do you
ask of me? Why tempt me? Odhinn, I know where your eye is
concealed, Hidden away in the well of Mimir: Mimir each
morning his mead drinks From Valfather's pledge. Well would you
know more?
Of Heimdal too and his horn I know. Hidden
under the holy tree Down on it pours a precious stream from
Valfather's pledge Well would you know more?
Silence I ask of the sacred folk, Silence of
the kith and kin of Heimdal: At your will Valfather, I shall well
relate The old songs of men I remember best.
I tell of giants from times forgotten. Those
who fed me in former days: Nine worlds I can reckon, nine roots
of the tree. The wonderful ash, way under the
ground
When Ymir lived long ago Was no sand or sea,
no surging waves. Nowhere was there earth nor heaven
above. Bur a grinning gap and grass nowhere.
The sons of Bur then built up the
lands. Moulded in magnificence middle-Earth: Sun stared from
the south on the stones of their hall, From the ground there
sprouted green leeks.
Sun turned from the south, sister of
Moon, Her right arm rested on the rim of Heaven; She had no
inkling where her hall was, Nor Moon a notion of what might he
had, The planets knew not where their places
were.
The high gods gathered in council In their
hall of judgement. all the rulers: To Night and to Nightfall
their names gave, The Morning they named and the
Mid-Day, Mid-Winter, Mid-Summer, for the assigning of
years.
At Ida's Field the Aesir met: Temple and
altar they timbered and raised, Set up a forge to smithy
treasures, Tongs they fashioned and tools
wrought;
Played chess in the court and cheerful
were; Gold they lacked not, the gleaming metal Then came
three, the Thurs maidens, Rejoicing in their strength, from
Giant-home.
The high Gods gathered in council. In their
hall of judgement: Who of the dwarves Should mould man by master
craft From Brimir's blood and Blain' s limbs?
Motsognir was their mighty ruler, Greatest
of dwarves, and Durin after him : The dwarves did as Durin
directed, Many man forms made from the earth.
Nyi and Nidi, Nordri, Sudri, Austri and Vestri,
Althjof, Dvalin, Bivor, Bavor Bombur, Nori, An and Anar, Ai,
Mjodvitnir, Veignr and Gandalf, Vindalf, Thorin, Thror and
Thrain, Thekkur, Litur, Vitur, Nar and Nyradur, Fili, Kili,
Fundin, Nali Hefti, Vili, Hanar, Sviur, Billing, Bruni,
Bildur, and Buri, Frar, Hornbori Fraegur, Loni, Aurvangur, Jari,
Eikinskjaldi: (All Durin's folk I have duly
named,)
I must tell of the dwarves in Dvalin' s
host; Like lions they were in Lofar's time: In Juravale's
marsh they made their dwelling, From their Stone hall set out on
journeys,
There was Draupnir and Dolgthrasir, Har,
Haugspori, Hlevangur, Gloi, Dori, Ori, Dufur, Andvari, Skirvir,
Virvir Skafidur, Ai, Alf and Yngvi, Eikinskjaldi, Fjalar and
Frosti, Finn and Ginnar: Men will remember while men live The
long line of Lofar's forbears.
Then from the host three came, Great,
merciful, from the God's home: Ash and Elm on earth they
found, Faint, feeble, with no fate assigned
them
Breath they had not, nor blood nor
senses, Nor language possessed, nor life-hue: Odhinn gave them
breath, Haenir senses, Blood and life hue Lothur
gave.
I know an ash tree, named
Yggdrasil: Sparkling showers are shed on its leaves That drip
dew, into the dales below, By Urd's well it waves
evergreen, Stands over that still pool, Near it a bower whence
now there come The Fate Maidens, first Urd, Then Verdandi, the
second Skuld ,third of the Norns: scorer of runes, The laws
that determine the lives of men They fixed forever and their fate
sealed.
The first war in the world I well
remember, When Gullveig was spitted on spear-points And burned
in the hall of. the high god: Thrice burned, thrice
reborn, Often laid low, she lives yet,
The gods hastened to their hall of
judgement, Sat in council to discover who Had tainted all the
air with corruption And Odhinn's maid offered to the
giants,
At the host Odhinn hurled his spear In the
first world-battle; broken was the plankwall Of the gods
fortress: the fierce Vanes Caused war to occur in the
fields.
The gods hastened to their hall of
judgement, Sat in council to discover who Had tainted all the
air with corruption And Odhinn's maid offered to the
giants.
One Thorr felled in his fierce rage; Seldom
he sits when of such he hears: Oaths were broken, binding
vows, Solemn agreements sworn between them.
Valkyries I saw, coming from afar, Eagerly
riding to aid the Goths; Skuld bore one shield, Skogul
another Gunn, Hild, Gondul and Spearskogul: Duly have I named
the daughters of Odhinn, The valiant riders the
Valkyries.
Baldur I saw the bleeding God, His fate
still hidden, Odhinn's Son: Tall on the plain a plant grew, A
slender marvel, the mistletoe.
From that fair shrub, shot by Hodur, Flew
the fatal dart that felled the god, . But Baldur' s brother was
born soon after: Though one night old, Odhinn's Son Took a vow
to avenge that death.
His hands he washed not nor his hair combed
. Till Baldur's bane was borne to the pyre:, Deadly the bow
drawn by Vali, The strong string of stretched gut, But Frigga
wept in Fensalir For the woe of Valhalla. Well, would you know
more?
I see one in bonds by the boiling
springs; Like Loki he looks, loathsome to view: There Sigyn
sits, sad by her husband, In woe by her man. Well would you know
more?
From the east through Venom Valley runs Over
jagged rocks the River Gruesome.
North, in Darkdale, stands the dwelling
place Of Sindri's kin, covered with gold; A hall also in
Everfrost, The banquet hall of Brimir the
giant.
A third I see, that no sunlight reaches, On
Dead Man's Shore: the doors face northward, Through its smoke
vent venom drips, Serpent skins enskein that
hall.
Men wade there tormented by the stream, Vile
murderers, men forsworn And artful seducers of other mens
wives: Nidhogg sucks blood from the bodies of the dead The
wolf rends them. Well, would you know more?
In the east dwells a crone, in Ironwood: The
brood of Fenris are bred there Wolf-monsters, one of
whom Eventually shall devour the sun.
The giants watchman, joyful Eggthur Sits on
his howe and harps well: The red cock, called
All-Knower Boldly crows from Birdwood.
Goldencomb to the gods crows Who wakes the
warriors in Valhalla: A soot red hen also calls From Hel's
hall, deep under the ground.
Loud howls Garm before Gnipahellir, Bursting
his fetters, Fenris runs: Further in the future afar I
behold The twilight of the gods who gave
victory.
Brother shall strike brother and both
fall, Sisters' sons defiled with incest; Evil be on earth, an
age of. whoredom, Of sharp sword-play and shields clashing, A
wind-age, a wolf-age till the world ruins: No man to another
shall mercy show.
The waters are troubled, the waves surge
up: Announcing now the knell of Fate, Heimdal winds his horn
aloft, On Hel's road all men tremble
Yggdrasil trembles, the towering ash Groans
in woe; the wolf is loose: Odhinn speaks with the head of
Mimir Before he is swallowed by Surt's kin.
From the east drives Hrym, lifts up his
shield The squamous serpent squirms with rage The great worm
with the waves contending The pale-beaked eagle pecks at the
dead, Shouting for joy: the ship Naglfar
Sails out from the east, at its helm
Loki With the children of darkness, the
doom-bringers Offspring of monsters, allies of the wolf, All
who Byleists's brother follow.
What of the gods? What of the
elves? Gianthome groans the gods are in council The dwarves
grieve before their door of stone, Masters of walls. Well, would
you know more?
Surt with the bane of branches comes From
the south, on his sword the sun of the Valgods, Crags topple, the
crone falls headlong, Men tread Hel's road, the Heavens split
open.
A further woe falls upon Hlin As Odhinn
comes forth to fight the wolf; The killer of Beli battles with
Surt: Now shall fall Frigga's beloved.
Now valiant comes Valfather's son, Vidar, to
vie with Valdyr in battle, Plunges his sword into he son of
Hvedrung, Avenging his father with a fell
thrust.
Now the son of Hlodyn and Odhinn comes To
fight with Fenris; fiercest of warriors He mauls in his rage all
Middle-Earth; Men in fear all flee their homesteads; Nine
paces back steps Bur's son Retreats from the worm of taunts
unafraid.
Now death is the portion of doomed men, Red
with blood the buildings of gods, The sun turns black in the
summer after, Winds whine. Well, would know
more?
Earth sinks in the sea, the sun turns
black, Cast down from Heaven are the hot stars, Fumes reek,
into flames burst, The sky itself is scorched with
fire.
I see Earth rising a second time Out of the
foam, fair and green; Down from the fells fish to
capture, Wings the eagle; waters flow.
At lda's Field the Aesir meet: They remember
the worm of Middle-Earth, Ponder again the great twilight And
the ancient runes of the high god
Boards shall be found of a beauty to wonder
at, Boards of gold in the grass long after, The chess boards
they owned in the olden days,
Unsown acres shall harvests bear, Evil be
abolished, Baldur return And Hropt's hall with Hod
rebuild, Wise gods. Well, would you know more?
Haenir shall wield the wand of prophecy, The
sons two brothers set up their dwelling In wide Windhome. Well,
would you know more?
Fairer than sunlight, I see a hall A hall
thatched with gold in Gimle: Kind Lords shall live there in
delight for ever.
Now rides the Strong One to Rainbow
Door, Powerful from heaven, the All-Ruler: From the depths
below a drake comes flying The dark dragon from
Darkfell, Bears on his pinions the bodies of men, Soars
overhead I sink now.
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