(Back to the main Voluspa
page)
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 H.A. Bellows' English
translation, with his notes included.
1. Hearing I ask | from the holy races, From
Heimdall's sons, | both high and low; Thou wilt, Valfather, |
that well I relate Old tales I remember | of men long
ago.
1. A few editors, following Bugge, in an
effort to clarify the poem, place stanzas 22, 28 and 30 before
stanzas 1-20, but the arrangement in both manuscripts, followed
here, seems logical. In stanza I the Volva, or wise-woman, called
upon by Othin, answers him and demands a hearing. Evidently she be
longs to the race of the giants (cf. stanza 2), and thus speaks to
Othin unwillingly, being compelled to do so by his magic power.
Holy: omitted in Regius; the phrase "holy races" probably means
little more than mankind in general. Heimdall: the watchman of the
gods; cf. stanza 46 and note. Why mankind should be referred to as
Heimdall's sons is uncertain, and the phrase has caused much
perplexity. Heimdall seems to have had various at tributes, and in
the Rigsthula, wherein a certain Rig appears as the ancestor of
the three great classes of men, a fourteenth century annotator
identifies Rig with Heimdall, on what authority we do not know,
for the Rig of the poem seems much more like Othin (cf. Rigsthula,
introductory prose and note). Valfather ("Father of the Slain"):
Othin, chief of the gods, so called because the slain warriors
were brought to him at Valhall ("Hall of the Slain") by the
Valkyries ("Choosers of the
Slain").
2. I remember yet | the giants of yore, Who
gave me bread | in the days gone by; Nine worlds I knew, | the
nine in the tree With mighty roots | beneath the
mold.
2. Nine worlds: the worlds of the gods
(Asgarth), of the Wanes (Vanaheim, cf. stanza 21 and note), of the
elves (Alfheim), of men (Mithgarth), of the giants (Jotunheim), of
fire (Muspellsheim, cf. stanza 47 and note), of the dark elves
(Svartalfaheim), of the dead (Niflheim), and presumably of the
dwarfs (perhaps Nithavellir, cf. stanza 37 and note, but the ninth
world is uncertain). The tree: the world-ash Yggdrasil, {footnote
p. 4} symbolizing the universe; cf. Grimnismol, 29-35 and notes,
wherein Yggdrasil is described at
length.
3. Of old was the age | when Ymir lived; Sea
nor cool waves | nor sand there were; Earth had not been, | nor
heaven above, But a yawning gap, | and grass
nowhere.
3. Ymir: the giant out of whose body the
gods made the world; cf. Vafthruthnismol, 21. in this stanza as
quoted in Snorri's Edda the first line runs: "Of old was the age
ere aught there was." Yawning gap: this phrase, "Ginnunga-gap," is
sometimes used as a proper name.
4. Then Bur's sons lifted | the level
land, Mithgarth the mighty | there they made; The sun from the
south | warmed the stones of earth, And green was the ground |
with growing leeks.
4. Bur's sons: Othin, Vili, and Ve. Of Bur
we know only that his wife was Bestla, daughter of Bolthorn; cf.
Hovamol, 141. Vili and Ve are mentioned by name in the Eddic poems
only in Lokasenna, 26. Mithgarth ("Middle Dwelling"): the world of
men. Leeks: the leek was often used as the symbol of fine growth
(cf. Guthrunarkvitha I, 17), and it was also supposed to have
magic power (cf. Sigrdrifumol,
7).
5. The sun, the sister | of the moon, from the
south Her right hand cast | over heaven's rim; No knowledge
she had | where her home should be, The moon knew not | what
might was his, The stars knew not | where their stations
were.
5. Various editors have regarded this
stanza as interpolated; Hoffory thinks it describes the northern
summer night in which the sun does not set. Lines 3-5 are quoted
by Snorri. In the manuscripts line 4 follows line 5. Regarding the
sun and moon {footnote p. 5} as daughter and son of Mundilferi,
cf. Vafthruthnismol, 23 and note, and Grimnismol, 37 and
note.
6. Then sought the gods | their
assembly-seats, The holy ones, | and council held; Names then
gave they | to noon and twilight, Morning they named, | and the
waning moon, Night and evening, | the years to
number.
6. Possibly an interpolation, but there
seems no strong reason for assuming this. Lines 1-2 are identical
with lines 1-2 of stanza 9, and line 2 may have been inserted here
from that later stanza.
7. At Ithavoll met | the mighty gods, Shrines
and temples | they timbered high; Forges they set, and | they
smithied ore, Tongs they wrought, | and tools they
fashioned.
7. Ithavoll ("Field of Deeds"?): mentioned
only here and in stanza 60 as the meeting-place of the gods; it
appears in no other connection.
8. In their dwellings at peace | they played at
tables, Of gold no lack | did the gods then know,-- Till
thither came | up giant-maids three, Huge of might, | out of
Jotunheim.
8. Tables: the exact nature of this game,
and whether it more closely resembled chess or checkers, has been
made the subject of a 400-page treatise, Willard Fiske's "Chess in
Iceland." Giant-maids: perhaps the three great Norns,
corresponding to the three fates; cf. stanza 20, and note.
Possibly, however, something has been lost after this stanza, and
the missing passage, replaced by the catalogue of the dwarfs
(stanzas 9-16), may have explained the "giant-maids" otherwise
than as Norns. In Vafthruthnismol, 49, the Norms (this time "three
throngs" in stead of simply "three") are spoken of as
giant-maidens; {footnote p. 6} Fafnismol, 13, indicates the
existence of many lesser Norns, belonging to various races.
Jotunheim: the world of the
giants.
9. Then sought the gods | their
assembly-seats, The holy ones, | and council held, To find who
should raise | the race of dwarfs Out of Brimir's blood | and the
legs of Blain.
9. Here apparently begins the interpolated
catalogue of the dwarfs, running through stanza 16; possibly,
however, the interpolated section does not begin before stanza 11.
Snorri quotes practically the entire section, the names appearing
in a some what changed order. Brimir and Blain: nothing is known
of these two giants, and it has been suggested that both are names
for Ymir (cf. stanza 3). Brimir, however, appears in stanza 37 in
connection with the home of the dwarfs. Some editors treat the
words as common rather than proper nouns, Brimir meaning "the
bloody moisture" and Blain being of uncertain
significance.
10. There was Motsognir | the mightiest
made Of all the dwarfs, | and Durin next; Many a likeness | of
men they made, The dwarfs in the earth, | as Durin
said.
10. Very few of the dwarfs named in this
and the following stanzas are mentioned elsewhere {~ except in the
works of J.R.R. Tolkien, where a great many of them were used
verbatim for names of Dwarf and Hobbit characters.--jbh}. It is
not clear why Durin should have been singled out as authority for
the list. The occasional repetitions suggest that not all the
stanzas of the catalogue came from the same source. Most of the
names presumably had some definite significance, as Northri,
Suthri, Austri, and Vestri ("North," "South", "East," and "West"),
{footnote p. 7} Althjof ("Mighty Thief'), Mjothvitnir
("Mead-Wolf"), Gandalf ("Magic Elf'), Vindalf ("Wind Elf'),
Rathwith ("Swift in Counsel"), Eikinskjaldi ("Oak Shield"), etc.,
but in many cases the interpretations are sheer
guesswork.
11. Nyi and Nithi, | Northri and
Suthri, Austri and Vestri, | Althjof, Dvalin, Nar and Nain, |
Niping, Dain, Bifur, Bofur, | Bombur, Nori, An and Onar, | Ai,
Mjothvitnir.
12. Vigg and Gandalf) | Vindalf,
Thrain, Thekk and Thorin, | Thror, Vit and Lit, Nyr and
Nyrath,-- | now have I told-- Regin and Rathsvith-- | the list
aright.
12. The order of the lines in this and the
succeeding four stanzas varies greatly in the manuscripts and
editions, and the names likewise appear in many forms. Regin:
probably not identical with Regin the son of Hreithmar, who plays
an important part in the Reginsmol and Fafnismol, but cf. note on
Reginsmol, introductory prose.
13. Fili, Kili, | Fundin, Nali, Heptifili, |
Hannar, Sviur, Frar, Hornbori, | Fræg and Loni, Aurvang, Jari,
| Eikinskjaldi.
14. The race of the dwarfs | in Dvalin's
throng Down to Lofar | the list must I tell; The rocks they
left, | and through wet lands They sought a home | in the fields
of sand.
14. Dvalin: in Hovamol, 144, Dvalin seems
to have given magic runes to the dwarfs, probably accounting for
their skill in craftsmanship, while in Fafnismol, 13, he is
mentioned as the father of some of the lesser Norns. The story
that some of the dwarfs left the rocks and mountains to find a new
home on the sands is mentioned, but unexplained, in Snorri's Edda;
of Lofar we know only that he was descended from these
wanderers.
15. There were Draupnir | and
Dolgthrasir, Hor, Haugspori, | Hlevang, Gloin, Dori, Ori, |
Duf, Andvari, Skirfir, Virfir, | Skafith, Ai.
15. Andvari: this dwarf appears
prominently in the Reginsmol, which tells how the god Loki
treacherously robbed him of his wealth; the curse which he laid on
his treasure brought about the deaths of Sigurth, Gunnar, Atli,
and many others.
16. Alf and Yngvi, | Eikinskjaldi, Fjalar and
Frosti, | Fith and Ginnar; So for all time | shall the tale be
known, The list of all | the forbears of Lofar.
17. Then from the throng | did three come
forth, From the home of the gods, | the mighty and
gracious; Two without fate | on the land they found, Ask and
Embla, | empty of might.
17. Here the poem resumes its course after
the interpolated section. Probably, however, something has been
lost, for there is no apparent connection between the three
giant-maids of stanza 8 and the three gods, Othin, Hönir and
Lothur, who in stanza 17 go forth to create man and woman. The
word "three" in stanzas 9 and 17 very likely confused some early
reciter, or perhaps the compiler himself. Ask and Embla: ash and
elm; Snorri gives them simply as the names of the first man and
woman, but says that the gods made this pair out of
trees.
18. Soul they had not, | sense they had
not, Heat nor motion, | nor goodly hue; Soul gave Othin, |
sense gave Hönir, Heat gave Lothur | and goodly
hue.
18. Hönir: little is known of this god,
save that he occasion ally appears in the poems in company with
Othin and Loki, and {footnote p. 9} that he survives the
destruction, assuming in the new age the gift of prophesy (cf.
stanza 63). He was given by the gods as a hostage to the Wanes
after their war, in exchange for Njorth (cf. stanza 21 and note).
Lothur: apparently an older name for Loki, the treacherous but
ingenious son of Laufey, whose divinity Snorri regards as somewhat
doubtful. He was adopted by Othin, who subsequently had good
reason to regret it. Loki probably represents the blending of two
originally distinct figures, one of them an old fire-god, hence
his gift of heat to the newly created
pair.
19. An ash I know, | Yggdrasil its name, With
water white | is the great tree wet; Thence come the dews | that
fall in the dales, Green by Urth's well | does it ever
grow.
19. Yggdrasil: cf. stanza 2 and note, and
Grimnismol, 29-35 and notes. Urth ("The Past"): one of the three
great Norns. The world-ash is kept green by being sprinkled with
the marvelous healing water from her
well.
20. Thence come the maidens | mighty in
wisdom, Three from the dwelling | down 'neath the tree; Urth
is one named, | Verthandi the next,-- On the wood they scored,--
| and Skuld the third. Laws they made there, and life
allotted To the sons of men, and set their
fates.
20. The maidens: the three Norns; possibly
this stanza should follow stanza 8. Dwelling: Regius has "sæ"
(sea) instead of "sal" (hall, home), and many editors have
followed this reading, although Snorri's prose paraphrase
indicates "sal." Urth, Verthandi and Skuld: "Past," "Present" and
"Future." Wood, etc.: the magic signs (runes) controlling the
destinies of men were cut on pieces of wood. Lines 3-4 are
probably interpolations from some other account of the
Norns.
21. The war I remember, | the first in the
world, When the gods with spears | had smitten Gollveig, And
in the hall | of Hor had burned her, Three times burned, | and
three times born, Oft and again, | yet ever she
lives.
21. This follows stanza 20 in Regius; in
the Hauksbok version stanzas 25, 26, 27, 40, and 41 come between
stanzas 20 and 21. Editors have attempted all sorts of
rearrangements. The war: the first war was that between the gods
and the Wanes. The cult of the Wanes (Vanir) seems to have
originated among the seafaring folk of the Baltic and the southern
shores of the North Sea, and to have spread thence into Norway in
opposition to the worship of the older gods; hence the "war."
Finally the two types of divinities were worshipped in common;
hence the treaty which ended the war with the exchange of
hostages. Chief among the Wanes were Njorth and his children,
Freyr and Freyja, all of whom became conspicuous among the gods.
Beyond this we know little of the Wanes, who seem originally to
have been water-deities. I remember: the manuscripts have "she
remembers," but the Volva is apparently still speaking of her own
memories, as in stanza 2. Gollveig ("Gold-Might"): apparently the
first of the Wanes to come among the gods, her ill treatment being
the immediate cause of the war. Müllenhoff maintains that Gollveig
is another name for Freyja. Lines 5-6, one or both of them
probably interpolated, seem to symbolize the refining of gold by
fire. Hor ("The High One"):
Othin.
22. Heith they named her | who sought their
home, The wide-seeing witch, | in magic wise; Minds she
bewitched | that were moved by her magic, To evil women | a joy
she was.
22. Heith ("Shining One"?): a name often
applied to wise women and prophetesses. The application of this
stanza to Gollveig is far from clear, though the reference may be
to the {footnote p. 11} magic and destructive power of gold. It is
also possible that the stanza is an interpolation. Bugge maintains
that it applies to the Volva who is reciting the poem, and makes
it the opening stanza, following it with stanzas 28 and 30, and
then going on with stanzas I ff. The text of line 2 is obscure,
and has been variously emended.
23. On the host his spear | did Othin
hurl, Then in the world | did war first come; The wall that
girdled | the gods was broken, And the field by the warlike |
Wanes was trodden.
23. This stanza and stanza 24 have been
transposed from the order in the manuscripts, for the former
describes the battle and the victory of the Wanes, after which the
gods took council, debating whether to pay tribute to the victors,
or to admit them, as was finally done, to equal rights of
worship.
24. Then sought the gods | their
assembly-seats, The holy ones, | and council held, Whether the
gods | should tribute give, Or to all alike | should worship
belong.
25. Then sought the gods | their
assembly-seats, The holy ones, | and council held, To find who
with venom | the air had filled, Or had given Oth's bride | to
the giants' brood.
25. Possibly, as Finn Magnusen long ago
suggested, there is something lost after stanza 24, but it was not
the custom of the Eddic poets to supply transitions which their
hearers could generally be counted on to understand. The story
referred to in stanzas 25-26 (both quoted by Snorri) is that of
the rebuilding of Asgarth after its destruction by the Wanes. The
gods employed a giant as builder, who demanded as his reward the
sun and moon, and the goddess Freyja for his wife. The gods,
terrified by the rapid progress of the work, forced Loki, who had
advised the bargain, to delay the giant by a trick, so that the
{footnote p. 12} work was not finished in the stipulated time (cf.
Grimnismol, 44, note). The enraged giant then threatened the gods,
whereupon Thor slew him. Oth's bride: Freyja; of Oth little is
known beyond the fact that Snorri refers to him as a man who "went
away on long journeys."
26. In swelling rage | then rose up
Thor,-- Seldom he sits | when he such things hears,-- And the
oaths were broken, | the words and bonds, The mighty pledges |
between them made.
26. Thor: the thunder-god, son of Othin
and Jorth (Earth) cf. particularly Harbarthsljoth and
Thrymskvitha, passim. Oaths, etc.: the gods, by violating their
oaths to the giant who rebuilt Asgarth, aroused the undying hatred
of the giants' race, and thus the giants were among their enemies
in the final battle.
27. I know of the horn | of Heimdall,
hidden Under the high-reaching | holy tree; On it there pours
| from Valfather's pledge A mighty stream: | would you know yet
more?
27. Here the Volva turns from her memories
of the past to a statement of some of Othin's own secrets in his
eternal search for knowledge (stanzas 27-29). Bugge puts this
stanza after stanza 29. The horn of Heimdall: the Gjallarhorn
("Shrieking Horn"), with which Heimdall, watchman of the gods,
will summon them to the last battle. Till that time the horn is
buried under Yggdrasil. Valfather's pledge: Othin's eye (the
sun?), which he gave to the water-spirit Mimir (or Mim) in
exchange for the latter's wisdom. It appears here and in stanza 29
as a drinking-vessel, from which Mimir drinks the magic mead, and
from which he pours water on the ash Yggdrasil. Othin's sacrifice
of his eye in order to gain knowledge of his final doom is one of
the series of disasters leading up to the destruction of the gods.
There were several differing versions of the story of Othin's
relations with Mimir; another one, quite incompatible with this,
appears in stanza 47. In the manuscripts I know and I see appear
as "she knows" and "she sees" (cf. note on
21).
28. Alone I sat | when the Old One sought
me, The terror of gods, | and gazed in mine eyes: "What hast
thou to ask? | why comest thou hither? Othin, I know | where
thine eye is hidden."
28. The Hauksbok version omits all of
stanzas 28-34, stanza 27 being there followed by stanzas 40 and
41. Regius indicates stanzas 28 and 29 as a single stanza. Bugge
puts stanza 28 after stanza 22, as the second stanza of his
reconstructed poem. The Volva here addresses Othin directly,
intimating that, although he has not told her, she knows why he
has come to her, and what he has already suffered in his search
for knowledge regarding his doom. Her reiterated "would you know
yet more?" seems to mean: "I have proved my wisdom by telling of
the past and of your own secrets; is it your will that I tell
likewise of the fate in store for you?" The Old One:
Othin.
29. I know where Othin's | eye is
hidden, Deep in the wide-famed | well of Mimir; Mead from the
pledge | of Othin each mom Does Mimir drink: | would you know yet
more?
29. The first line, not in either
manuscript, is a conjectural emendation based on Snorri's
paraphrase. Bugge puts this stanza after stanza
20.
30. Necklaces had I | and rings from
Heerfather, Wise was my speech | and my magic
wisdom; . .
. .
. .
. . .
. Widely I saw | over all the worlds.
30. This is apparently the transitional
stanza, in which the Volva, rewarded by Othin for her knowledge of
the past (stanzas 1-29), is induced to proceed with her real
prophecy (stanzas 31-66). Some editors turn the stanza into the
third person, making it a narrative link. Bugge, on the other
hand, puts it {footnote p. 14} after stanza 28 as the third stanza
of the poem. No lacuna is indicated in the manuscripts, and
editors have attempted various emendations. Heerfather ("Father of
the Host"): Othin.
31. On all sides saw I | Valkyries
assemble, Ready to ride | to the ranks of the gods; Skuld bore
the shield, | and Skogul rode next, Guth, Hild, Gondul, | and
Geirskogul. Of Herjan's maidens | the list have ye
heard, Valkyries ready | to ride o'er the
earth.
31. Valkyries: these "Choosers of the
Slain" (cf. stanza I, note) bring the bravest warriors killed in
battle to Valhall, in order to re-enforce the gods for their final
struggle. They are also called "Wish-Maidens," as the fulfillers
of Othin's wishes. The conception of the supernatural
warrior-maiden was presumably brought to Scandinavia in very early
times from the South-Germanic races, and later it was interwoven
with the likewise South-Germanic tradition of the swan-maiden. A
third complication developed when the originally quite human women
of the hero-legends were endowed with the qualities of both
Valkyries and swan-maidens, as in the cases of Brynhild (cf.
Gripisspo, introductory note), Svava (cf. Helgakvitha
Hjorvarthssonar, prose after stanza 5 and note) and Sigrun (cf.
Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 17 and note). The list of names here
given may be an interpolation; a quite different list is given in
Grimnismol, 36. Ranks of the gods: some editors regard the word
thus translated as a specific place name. Herjan ("Leader of
Hosts"): Othin. It is worth noting that the name Hild ("Warrior")
is the basis of Bryn-hild ("Warrior in Mail
Coat").
32. I saw for Baldr, | the bleeding god, The
son of Othin, | his destiny set: Famous and fair | in the lofty
fields, Full grown in strength | the mistletoe
stood.
32. Baldr: The death of Baldr, the son of
Othin and Frigg, was the first of the great disasters to the gods.
The story is fully told by Snorri. Frigg had demanded of all
created things, saving only the mistletoe, which she thought too
weak to be worth troubling {footnote p. 15} about, an oath that
they would not harm Baldr. Thus it came to he a sport for the gods
to hurl weapons at Baldr, who, of course, was totally unharmed
thereby. Loki, the trouble-maker, brought the mistletoe to Baldr's
blind brother, Hoth, and guided his hand in hurling the twig.
Baldr was slain, and grief came upon all the gods. Cf. Baldrs
Draumar.
33. From the branch which seemed | so slender
and fair Came a harmful shaft | that Hoth should hurl; But the
brother of Baldr | was born ere long, And one night old | fought
Othin's son.
33. The lines in this and the following
stanza have been combined in various ways by editors, lacunae
having been freely conjectured, but the manuscript version seems
clear enough. The brother of Baldr: Vali, whom Othin begot
expressly to avenge Baldr's death. The day after his birth he
fought and slew Hoth.
34. His hands he washed not, | his hair he
combed not, Till he bore to the bale-blaze | Baldr's foe. But
in Fensalir | did Frigg weep sore For Valhall's need: | would you
know yet more?
34. Frigg: Othin's wife. Some scholars
have regarded her as a solar myth, calling her the sun-goddess,
and pointing out that her home in Fensalir ("the sea-halls")
symbolizes the daily setting of the sun beneath the ocean
horizon.
35. One did I see | in the wet woods bound, A
lover of ill, | and to Loki like; By his side does Sigyn | sit,
nor is glad To see her mate: | would you know yet
more?
35. The translation here follows the
Regius version. The Hauksbok has the same final two lines, but in
place of the first {footnote p. 16} pair has, "I know that Vali |
his brother gnawed, / With his bowels then | was Loki bound." Many
editors have followed this version of the whole stanza or have
included these two lines, often marking them as doubtful, with the
four from Regius. After the murder of Baldr, the gods took Loki
and bound him to a rock with the bowels of his son Narfi, who had
just been torn to pieces by Loki's other son, Vali. A serpent was
fastened above Loki's head, and the venom fell upon his face.
Loki's wife, Sigyn, sat by him with a basin to catch the venom,
but whenever the basin was full, and she went away to empty it,
then the venom fell on Loki again, till the earth shook with his
struggles. "And there he lies bound till the end." Cf. Lokasenna,
concluding prose.
36. From the east there pours | through poisoned
vales With swords and daggers | the river
Slith. . .
. .
. .
. . .
. . . .
. .
. . .
. .
36. Stanzas 36-39 describe the homes of
the enemies of the gods: the giants (36), the dwarfs (37), and the
dead in the land of the goddess Hel (38-39). The Hauksbok version
omits stanzas 36 and 37. Regius unites 36 with 37, but most
editors have assumed a lacuna. Slith ("the Fearful"): a river in
the giants' home. The "swords and daggers" may represent the icy
cold.
37. Northward a hall | in Nithavellir Of gold
there rose | for Sindri's race; And in Okolnir | another
stood, Where the giant Brimir | his beer-hall
had.
37. Nithavellir ("the Dark Fields"): a
home of the dwarfs. Perhaps the word should be "Nithafjoll" ("the
Dark Crags"). Sindri: the great worker in gold among the dwarfs.
Okolnir {footnote p. 17} ("the Not Cold"): possibly a volcano.
Brimir: the giant (possibly Ymir) out of whose blood, according to
stanza 9, the dwarfs were made; the name here appears to mean
simply the leader of the dwarfs.
38. A hall I saw, | far from the sun, On
Nastrond it stands, | and the doors face north, Venom drops |
through the smoke-vent down, For around the walls | do serpents
wind.
38. Stanzas 38 and 39 follow stanza 43 in
the Hauksbok version. Snorri quotes stanzas 39, 39, 40 and 41,
though not consecutively. Nastrond ("Corpse-Strand"): the land of
the dead, ruled by the goddess Hel. Here the wicked undergo
tortures. Smoke vent: the phrase gives a picture of the Icelandic
house, with its opening in the roof serving instead of a
chimney.
39. I saw there wading | through rivers
wild Treacherous men | and murderers too, And workers of ill |
with the wives of men; There Nithhogg sucked | the blood of the
slain, And the wolf tore men; | would you know yet
more?
39. The stanza is almost certainly in
corrupt form. The third line is presumably an interpolation, and
is lacking in most of the late, paper manuscripts. Some editors,
however, have called lines 1-3 the remains of a full. stanza, with
the fourth line lacking, and lines 4-5 the remains of another. The
stanza depicts the torments of the two worst classes of criminals
known to Old Norse morality--oath-breakers and murderers. Nithhogg
("the Dread Biter"): the dragon that lies beneath the ash
Yggdrasil and gnaws at its roots, thus symbolizing the destructive
elements in the universe; cf. Grimnismol, 32, 35. The wolf:
presumably the wolf Fenrir, one of the children of Loki and the
giantess Angrbotha (the others being Mithgarthsorm and the goddess
Hel), who was chained by the gods with the marvelous chain
Gleipnir, fashioned by a dwarf "out of six things: the {footnote
p. 18} noise of a cat's step, the beards of women, the roots of
mountains, the nerves of bears, the breath of fishes, and the
spittle of birds." The chaining of Fenrir cost the god Tyr his
right hand; cf. stanza 44.
40. The giantess old | in Ironwood sat, In
the east, and bore | the brood of Fenrir; Among these one | in
monster's guise Was soon to steal | the sun from the
sky.
40. The Hauksbok version inserts after
stanza 39 the refrain stanza (44), and puts stanzas 40 and 41
between 27 and 21. With this stanza begins the account of the
final struggle itself. The giantess: her name is nowhere stated,
and the only other reference to Ironwood is in Grimnismol, 39, in
this same connection. The children of this giantess and the wolf
Fenrir are the wolves Skoll and Hati, the first of whom steals the
sun, the second the moon. Some scholars naturally see here an
eclipse myth.
41. There feeds he full | on the flesh of the
dead, And the home of the gods | he reddens with gore; Dark
grows the sun, | and in summer soon Come mighty storms: | would
you know yet more?
41. In the third line many editors omit
the comma after "sun," and put one after "soon," making the two
lines run: "Dark grows the sun | in summer soon, / Mighty
storms--" etc. Either phenomenon in summer would be sufficiently
striking.
42. On a hill there sat, | and smote on his
harp, Eggther the joyous, | the giants' warder; Above him the
cock | in the bird-wood crowed, Fair and red | did Fjalar
stand.
42. In the Hauksbok version stanzas 42 and
43 stand between stanzas 44 and 38. Eggther: this giant, who seems
to be the watchman of the giants, as Heimdall is that of the gods
and Surt of the dwellers in the fire-world, is not mentioned
elsewhere in {footnote p. 19} the poems. Fjalar, the cock whose
crowing wakes the giants for the final
struggle.
43. Then to the gods | crowed Gollinkambi, He
wakes the heroes | in Othin's hall; And beneath the earth | does
another crow, The rust-red bird | at the bars of
Hel.
43. Gollinkambi ("Gold-Comb"): the cock
who wakes the gods and heroes, as Fjalar does the giants. The
rust-red bird: the name of this bird, who wakes the people of
Hel's domain, is nowhere stated.
44. Now Garm howls loud | before
Gnipahellir, The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run
free; Much do I know, | and more can see Of the fate of the
gods, | the mighty in fight.
44. This is a refrain-stanza. In Regius it
appears in full only at this point, but is repeated in abbreviated
form before stanzas 50 and 59. In the Hauksbok version the full
stanza comes first between stanzas 35 and 42, then, in abbreviated
form, it occurs four times: before stanzas 45, 50, 55, and 59. In
the Hauksbok line 3 runs: "Farther I see and more can say." Garm:
the dog who guards the gates of Hel's kingdom; cf. Baldrs Draumar,
2 ff., and Grimnismol, 44. Gniparhellir ("the Cliff-Cave"): the
entrance to the world of the dead. The wolf: Fenrir; cf. stanza 39
and note.
45. Brothers shall fight | and fell each
other, And sisters' sons | shall kinship stain; Hard is it on
earth, | with mighty whoredom; Axe-time, sword-time, | shields
are sundered, Wind-time, wolf-time, | ere the world falls; Nor
ever shall men | each other spare.
45. From this point on through stanza 57
the poem is quoted by Snorri, stanza 49 alone being omitted. There
has been much discussion as to the status of stanza 45. Lines 4
and 5 look like an interpolation. After line 5 the Hauksbok has a
line running: "The world resounds, the witch is flying." Editors
have arranged these seven lines in various ways, with lacunae
freely indicated. Sisters' sons: in all Germanic countries the
relations between uncle and nephew were felt to be particularly
close.
46. Fast move the sons | of Mim, and fate Is
heard in the note | of the Gjallarhorn; Loud blows Heimdall, |
the horn is aloft, In fear quake all | who on Hel-roads
are.
46. Regius combines the first three lines
of this stanza with lines 3, 2, and I of stanza 47 as a single
stanza. Line 4, not found in Regius, is introduced from the
Hauksbok version, where it follows line 2 of stanza 47. The sons
of Mim: the spirits of the water. On Mini (or Mimir) cf. stanza 27
and note. Gjallarhorn: the "Shrieking Horn" with which Heimdall,
the watchman of the gods, calls them to the last
battle.
47. Yggdrasil shakes, | and shiver on
high The ancient limbs, | and the giant is loose; To the head
of Mim | does Othin give heed, But the kinsman of Surt | shall
slay him soon.
47. In Regius lines 3, 2, and I, in that
order, follow stanza 46 without separation. Line 4 is not found in
Regius, but is introduced from the Hauksbok version. Yggdrasil:
cf. stanza 19 and note, and Grimnismol, 29-35. The giant: Fenrir.
The head of Mim: various myths were current about Mimir. This
stanza refers to the story that he was sent by the gods with Hönir
as a hostage to the Wanes after their war (cf. stanza 21 and
note), and that the Wanes cut off his head and returned it to the
gods. Othin embalmed the head, and by magic gave it the power of
speech, thus making Mimir's noted wisdom always available. of
course this story does not fit with that underlying the references
to Mimir in stanzas 27 and 29. The kinsman of Surt: the wolf
{footnote p. 21} Fenrir, who slays Othin in the final struggle;
cf. stanza 53. Surt is the giant who rules the fire-world,
Muspellsheim; cf. stanza 52.
48. How fare the gods? | how fare the
elves? All Jotunheim groans, | the gods are at council; Loud
roar the dwarfs | by the doors of stone, The masters of the
rocks: | would you know yet more?
48. This stanza in Regius follows stanza
51; in the Hauksbok it stands, as here, after 47. Jotunheim: the
land of the giants.
49. Now Garm howls loud | before
Gnipahellir, The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run
free Much do I know, | and more can see Of the fate of the
gods, | the mighty in fight.
49. Identical with stanza 44. In the
manuscripts it is here
abbreviated.
50. From the east comes Hrym | with shield held
high; In giant-wrath | does the serpent writhe; O'er the waves
he twists, | and the tawny eagle Gnaws corpses screaming; |
Naglfar is loose.
50. Hrym: the leader of the giants, who
comes as the helmsman of the ship Naglfar (line 4). The serpent:
Mithgarthsorm, one of the children of Loki and Angrbotha (cf.
stanza 39, note). The serpent was cast into the sea, where he
completely encircles the land; cf. especially Hymiskvitha, passim.
The eagle: the giant Hræsvelg, who sits at the edge of heaven in
the form of an eagle, and makes the winds with his wings; cf.
Vafthruthnismol, 37, and Skirnismol, 27. Naglfar: the ship which
was made out of dead men's nails to carry the giants to
battle.
51. O'er the sea from the north | there sails a
ship With the people of Hel, | at the helm stands Loki; After
the wolf | do wild men follow, And with them the brother | of
Byleist goes.
51. North: a guess; the manuscripts have
"east," but there seems to be a confusion with stanza 50, line 1.
People of Hel: the manuscripts have "people of Muspell," but these
came over the bridge Bifrost (the rainbow), which broke beneath
them, whereas the people of Hel came in a ship steered by Loki.
The wolf: Fenrir. The brother of Byleist: Loki. Of Byleist (or
Byleipt) no more is known.
52. Surt fares from the south | with the scourge
of branches, The sun of the battle-gods | shone from his
sword; The crags are sundered, | the giant-women sink, The
dead throng Hel-way, | and heaven is cloven.
52. Surt: the ruler of the fire-world. The
scourge of branches: fire. This is one of the relatively rare
instances in the Eddic poems of the type of poetic diction which
characterizes the skaldic verse.
53. Now comes to Hlin | yet another
hurt, When Othin fares | to fight with the wolf, And Beli's
fair slayer | seeks out Surt, For there must fall | the joy of
Frigg.
53. Hlin: apparently another name for
Frigg, Othin's wife. After losing her son Baldr, she is fated now
to see Othin slain by the wolf Fenrir. Beli's slayer: the god
Freyr, who killed the giant Beli with his fist; cf. Skirnismol, 16
and note. On Freyr, who belonged to the race of the Wanes, and was
the brother of Freyja, see especially Skirnismol, passim. The Joy
of Frigg: Othin.
54. Then comes Sigfather's | mighty
son, Vithar, to fight | with the foaming wolf; In the giant's
son | does he thrust his sword Full to the heart: | his father is
avenged.
54. As quoted by Snorri the first line of
this stanza runs: "Fares Othin's son | to fight with the wolf."
Sigfather ("Father of Victory"): Othin. His son, Vithar, is the
silent god, famed chiefly for his great shield, and his strength,
which is little less than Thor's. He survives the destruction. The
giant's son: Fenrir.
55. Hither there comes | the son of
Hlothyn, The bright snake gapes | to heaven
above; . .
. .
. .
. . .
. Against the serpent | goes Othin's son.
55. This and the following stanza are
clearly in bad shape. In Regius only lines I and 4 are found,
combined with stanza 56 as a single stanza. Line I does not appear
in the Hauksbok version, the stanza there beginning with line 2.
Snorri, in quoting these two stanzas, omits 55, 2-4, and 56, 3,
making a single stanza out of 55, I, and 56, 4, 2, I, in that
order. Moreover, the Hauksbok manuscript at this point is
practically illegible. The lacuna (line 3) is, of course, purely
conjectural, and all sorts of arrangements of the lines have been
attempted by editors, Hlothyn: another name for Jorth ("Earth"),
Thor's mother; his father was Othin. The snake: Mithgarthsorm; cf.
stanza 5c and note. Othin's son: Thor. The fourth line in Regius
reads "against the wolf," but if this line refers to Thor at all,
and not to Vithar, the Hauksbok reading, "serpent," is
correct.
56. In anger smites | the warder of
earth,-- Forth from their homes | must all men flee;- Nine
paces fares | the son of Fjorgyn, And, slain by the serpent, |
fearless he sinks.
56. The warder of earth: Thor. The son of
Fjorgyn: again {footnote p. 24} Thor, who, after slaying the
serpent, is overcome by his venomous breath, and dies. Fjorgyn
appears in both a masculine and a feminine form. in the masculine
1t is a name for Othin; in the feminine, as here and in
Harbarthsljoth, 56, it apparently refers to
Jorth.
57. The sun turns black, | earth sinks in the
sea, The hot stars down | from heaven are whirled; Fierce
grows the steam | and the life-feeding flame, Till fire leaps
high | about heaven itself.
57. With this stanza ends the account of
the destruction.
58. Now Garm howls loud | before
Gnipahellir, The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run
free; Much do I know, | and more can see Of the fate of the
gods, | the mighty in fight.
58. Again the refrain-stanza (cf. stanza
44 and note), abbreviated in both manuscripts, as in the case of
stanza 49. It is probably misplaced
here.
59. Now do I see | the earth anew Rise all
green | from the waves again; The cataracts fall, | and the eagle
flies, And fish he catches | beneath the
cliffs.
59. Here begins the description of the new
world which is to rise out of the wreck of the old one. It is on
this passage that a few critics have sought to base their argument
that the poem is later than the introduction of Christianity
(circa 1000), but this theory has never seemed convincing (cf.
introductory note).
60. The gods in Ithavoll | meet together, Of
the terrible girdler | of earth they talk, And the mighty past |
they call to mind, And the ancient runes | of the Ruler of
Gods.
60. The third line of this stanza is not
found in Regius. Ithavoll: cf. stanza 7 and note. The girdler of
earth: Mithgarthsorm: {footnote p. 25}, who, lying in the sea,
surrounded the land. The Ruler of Gods: Othin. The runes were both
magic signs, generally carved on wood, and sung or spoken
charms.
61. In wondrous beauty | once again Shall the
golden tables | stand mid the grass, Which the gods had owned |
in the days of old, . .
. .
. .
. . .
.
61. The Hauksbok version of the first two
lines runs:
"The gods shall find there, | wondrous
fair, The golden tables | amid the
grass."
No lacuna (line 4) is indicated in the
manuscripts. Golden tables: cf. stanza 8 and
note.
62. Then fields unsowed | bear ripened
fruit, All ills grow better, | and Baldr comes back; Baldr and
Hoth dwell | in Hropt's battle-hall, And the mighty gods: | would
you know yet more?
62. Baldr: cf. stanza 32 and note. Baldr
and his brother, Hoth, who unwittingly slew him at Loki's
instigation, return together, their union being a symbol of the
new age of peace. Hropt: another name for Othin. His "battle-hall"
is Valhall.
63. Then Hönir wins | the prophetic
wand, . . .
. .
. . .
. . And the sons of the brothers | of Tveggi
abide In Vindheim now: | would you know yet
more?
63. No lacuna (line 2) indicated in the
manuscripts. Hönir: cf. stanza 18 and note. In this new age he has
the gift of foretelling the future. Tveggi ("The Twofold"):
another name for {footnote p. 26} Othin. His brothers are Vili and
Ve (cf. Lokasenna, 26, and note). Little is known of them, and
nothing, beyond this reference, of their sons. Vindheim ("Home of
the Wind"): heaven.
64. More fair than the sun, | a hall I
see, Roofed with gold, | on Gimle it stands; There shall the
righteous | rulers dwell, And happiness ever | there shall they
have.
64. This stanza is quoted by Snorri.
Gimle: Snorri makes this the name of the hall itself, while here
it appears to refer to a mountain on which the hall stands. It is
the home of the happy, as opposed to another hall, not here
mentioned, for the dead. Snorri's description of this second hall
is based on Voluspo, 38, which he quotes, and perhaps that stanza
properly belongs after 64.
65. There comes on high, | all power to
hold, A mighty lord, | all lands he rules. .
. . .
. .
. . .
. . . .
. .
. . .
. .
65. This stanza is not found in Regius,
and is probably spurious. No lacuna is indicated in the Hauksbok
version, but late paper manuscripts add two lines,
running:
"Rule he orders, | and rights he fixes, Laws he ordains | that ever shall
live."
The name of this new ruler is nowhere
given, and of course the suggestion of Christianity is
unavoidable. It is not certain, how ever, that even this stanza
refers to Christianity, and if it does, it may have been
interpolated long after the rest of the poem was
composed.
66. From below the dragon | dark comes
forth, Nithhogg flying | from Nithafjoll; The bodies of men on
| his wings he bears, The serpent bright: | but now must I
sink.
66. This stanza, which fits so badly with
the preceding ones, {footnote p. 27} may well have been
interpolated. It has been suggested that the dragon, making a last
attempt to rise, is destroyed, this event marking the end of evil
in the world. But in both manuscripts the final half-line does not
refer to the dragon, but, as the gender shows, to the Volva
herself, who sinks into the earth; a sort of conclusion to the
entire prophecy. Presumably the stanza (barring the last
half-line, which was probably intended as the conclusion of the
poem) belongs somewhere in the description of the great struggle.
Nithhogg: the dragon at the roots of Yggdrasil; cf. stanza 39 and
note. Nithafjoll ("the Dark Crags"); nowhere else mentioned. Must
I: the manuscripts have "must
she."
(Back to the main Voluspa
page)
|