Skáldskaparmál

221

     Down ward the Fells of Fullness
     Fall on the Bear of Tackle:
     Now forward Winterling stirreth,
     The ship, on Glammi's sea-path.

Comber, (1) as here:

     The Comber fell headlong o'er me;
     The Main called me home unto it:
     I accepted not the Sea's bidding.

Breaker, as Óttarr sang:

     In burst the ship-sides thin;
     Rushed the Breaker downward; flushed
     Stood the wind, bane of the wood;
     Men endured wild tempest then.

Wave, as Bragi sang:

     The Giver of the Wave's Coals,
     Who cut Thor's slender tackle,
     The Line of the Land of Sea-Mews,
     Loved not to fight the wroth sea.

Sound, as Einarr sang:

     I sheared the Sound
     From Hrund south-bound;
     My hand was gold-wound
     When the Giver I found.

1. So Cl.-Vig. Literally, the word means ominous, foreboder.


222

Fjord, as Einarr sang:

     Next I see a serpent
     Carved well on the splendid ale-horn:
     Let the Fjord-Fire's Dispenser
     Learn how for that I pay him.

Wetness, as Markús sang:

     I'll not lampoon the Chatterer,
     Lord of the fearful sword-blade,
     Who squanders the Sun of Wetness:
     Ill is he who spoileth verses.

LXI. "What are the names of fire? Even as is written here:

     Not seldom does the fire blaze
     Which Magnús sets: the stalwart
     Ruler burns habitations:
     Houses blow reek before him.

Glow, as Valgardr sang:

     Fierce Glow, with red-hot embers,
     Swiftly from the soot flared;
     Straight o'er the tottering dwellings
     Stood up the dense smoke-columns.

Bale, as here:

     Haki was burned on Bale,
     Where the sea's broad wake weltered.


223

Gledes, as Grani sang:

     I think the Gledes diminished . . .
     Glammi's tracks; thus the king kindled.

Embers, as Atli sang:

     With blood the axe is reddened,
     Embers wax, burn many houses,
     Halls stand aglow; now rages
     The Gem; good men are falling.

Here fire is called Gem also.
Vapor, as here:

     Half-built, by the Nid's side
     Burn the All-Ruler's dwellings;
     I think fire razed the hall's pride:
     Vapor shot rime on the people.

Hot Ashes, as Arnárr sang:

     The Isle-Danes' wrathful Harmer
     With the Raumar spared not hard counsel:
     Hot Ashes made them calmer;
     The Heinir's threatening words hushed.

Flames, as Einarr sang:

     Flame soon was alight,
     And swiftly took flight
     All Hising's host:
     The light they lost.


224

Flare, as Valgardr sang:

     'The sturdy king's bright Flare soared
     Above the castle's bulwark;
     The vikings burst in grimly:
     Grief on the maid descended.

Lowe, as Haldórr sang:

     There did ye share their jewels,
     While o'er the host the Shield's Lowe,
     The sword, shrieked fiercely: never
     Wert thou spoiled of conquest.

LXII. "These are time- names : Cycle, Days of Yore, Generation, Lang-Syne,
Year, Season ,Winter, Summer, Spring, Autumn, Month, Week, Day, Night, Morning,
Eve, Twilight, Early, Soon, Late, Betimes, Day before Yesterday, Yester Eve,
Yesterday, To-morrow, Hour, Moment. These are more names of Night in
Alsvinnsmál:

     Night 't is called among men,
     And among the gods, Mist-Time;
     Hooded Hour the Holy Powers know it;
     Sorrowless the giants,
     And elves name it Sleep-Joy;
     The dwarves call it Dream-Weaver.

["It is autumn from the equinox till the time when the sun sets three hours and
a half after noon; then winter endures till the equinox; then it is spring till
the moving-days: (1) then

1. In May.


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