Northvegr - Easy Readings In Old Icelandic

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Easy Readings In Old Icelandic

Chapter 1

The Highest God

        Gangleri hóf svá mál sitt: "Hverr er œztr eða elztr allra goða?" Hár segir: "Sá heitir Allfáðr at váru máli, en í Ásgarði hinum forna átti hann tólf náfn." Þá spyrr Gangleri: "Hvar er sá guð? eða hvat má hann? eða hvat hefir hann unnit framaverka?" Hár segir: "Lifir hann of allar aldir, ok stjórnar öllu ríki sínu, ok ræðr öllum hlutum, stórum ok smám." Þá mælti Jafnhár: "Hann smíðaði himin ok jörð ok loptin ok all eign þeirra." Þá mælti Þriði: "Hitt er mest, er hann gørði manninn ok gaf honum önd þá, er lifa skal ok aldri týnask, þótt líkaminn fúni at moldu eða brenni at ösku; ok skulu allir menn lifa, þeir er rétt eru siðaðir, ok vera með honum sjálfum, þar sem heitir Gimli eða Vingólf. En vándir menn fara til Heljar, ok þaðan í Niflhel; þat er niðr í hinn níunda heim." Þá mælti Gangleri: "Hvat hafðisk hann áðr at, en himinn ok jörð væri gör?" Þá svarar Hár: "Þá var hann með Hrímþursum."
        The following words, occuring in the above passage, are of constant occurance in Icelandic, and should be carefully learned at the outset.
        at, at, in, to. eða, or. en, but; than. er, is. er, who, which, that. eru, are. hann, he. hinn, the, that. hvar, where. hvat, what. í, in, into. með, with. of, during. ok, and. sá, that (one), he. sem, as. skal, shall. svá, so, thus. til, to (with gen.). var, was. vera, to be, þá, then. þá, that (a. s. f.). þar, there. þat, that. þeir, they.

	áðr, before	elztr, oldest
	aldir, pl. of öld, f. age	fara, to go
	aldri, never	forn, old
	Allfáðr, m. 'All-father'	frama-verk, n. great deed
	allr, all	fúni, rot (fúna)
	Ásgarðr, m. the home of the Gods	gaf, gave (gefa)
	átti, had (eiga)	goð, n. (heathen) god
	brenni, burn (brenna)	Guð, m. God
	eign, f. possession	görr, made

	gørði, made (gørva)	rétt, rightly
	hafðisk, occupied himself	ríki, n. kingdom
	(hafa-sk)	ræðr, rules (ráða)
	hefir, has (hafa)	segir, says (segja)
	heimr, m. world	siðaðr, behaved
	heitir, is called (heita)	sinn, sín, sitt, one's own
	Hel, f. the goddess Death	sjálfr, self
	himinn, m. heaven	skal, pl. skulu, shall
	hlutr, m. thing	smár, small
	hóf, began (hefja)	smíðaði, made (smíða)
	Hrim þurs, m. frost giant	spyrr, asks (spyrja)
	hverr, who.	stjórna, to govern
	jörð, f. earth	stórr, great
	lifir, lives (lifa)	svarra, to answer
	líkami, m. body	tólf, twelve
	lopt, n. air	týnask, to perish
	má, is able (mega)	unnit, accomplished (vinna)
	mál, n. speech	vándr, bad, wicked
	mann, acc. s. of maðr, m. man	várr, vár, várt, our
	mold, f. mould	væri, were (vera)
	mælti, spoke (mæla)	þaðan, thence
	niðr, down	þótt (= þó at), although
	Nifl-hel, f. the lower hell	œztr, highest
	níundi, ninth	önd, f. spirit
	nöfn, pl. of nafn, n. name	ösku, d. s. of aska f. ashes

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