Poetic Edda - Cottle Trans.
This Ode describes a certain journey undertaken
by Odin, under the name of Ganrade, to
Vafthrundnis, a gigantic chief of the Jotunori
or Jotori. The object in view was to discover
which was the wisest.
THE SONG OF VAFTHRUDNIS
Valhalla's Queen! (1) I pray thee say
Which to Vafthrudnis' hall's the way:
For I with him intend to try
My skill in ancient mystery.
FRIGGA.
Do not leave thy native skies,
Source of Heroes! I advise:
For well I know no giant might,
Ever witness'd in the fight,
With his prowess can compare.
ODIN.
Mysteries divine and rare
I've often seen, I've often known,
And now am bent to make my own
All from mortals I can learn.
FRIGGA.
Safe may'st thou go, and safe return,
And, for each Goddess, may thy life
Be safe from ev'ry mortal strife.
Let prudence on thy steps attend,
And wisdom with her shield defend:
Thus doubly guarded, Chief! advance
Thro' fate's elaborate mystic dance.
With light'ning speed the hero fled,
Fearless of what the Goddess said,
His secret purpose to fulfil
Of finding out the giant's skill.
Strait to the spacious hall he press'd,
By great Vafthrudnis long possess'd.
There Ygger (2) sees the chief of men!
ODIN.
All hail Vafthrudnis! Odin then ---
Lo! to thy halls unknown I came,
To learn and spread thy wond'rous fame:
And first I pray thee, giant! tell,
If sacred wisdom with thee dwell?
VAFTHRUDNIS.
What mortal he who dares to come,
Unbidden, to my awful dome
To hold discourse? For never more
Shall he his homeward path explore;
Unless he haply should exceed,
What wisdom is to me decreed.
ODIN.
Ganrade, great Giant! is my name;
Late, thirsty, and fatigued, I came
To thy dread halls; and long have stray'd,
Seeking thy hospitable aid.
VAFTHRUDNIS.
Wherefore, Ganrade! do you seek
Here beneath Heaven's cope to speak?
Enter within my awful door,
And there unfold thy hidden lore:
For much in truth I wish to see,
Which is the wisest, thee or me.
GANRADE.
When to the presence of the great,
A man draws near of humble state;
Let him his tongue with wisdom guide,
Or ignorance in silence hide:
But, when an enemy is by,
The wife will shun loquacity.
VAFTHRUDNIS.
Mighty Ganrade! if you seek
Here beneath heaven's cope to speak,
And prove your wisdom by discourse;
What name distinguishes the horse
Who o'er mankind, thro' heaven's high way,
Drags the imperial car of day?
GANDRADE.
That horse who thro' the heaven's high way,
Drags the imperial car of day,
(3) Skinfaxi's call'd --- 'mong horses, he
Has justly gain'd supremacy:
Forever does his mane appear,
Floating resplendent thro' the air.
VAFTHRUDNIS.
Tell, mighty Ganrade! if you seek
Here beneath heaven's cope to speak,
What horse is that, who o'er the fight
Of Gods, drags on the veil of night?
GANRADE.
(4) Hrimfaxi o'er the fight
Of Gods, drags on the veil of night:
From his iron bits distil
Each morning dew on vale and hill.
VAFTHRUDNIS.
Tell, mighty Ganrade! if you seek
Here beneath heaven's cope to speak;
Among the sons of mortal birth
What river parts the Gods and Earth?
GANRADE.
Among the sons of mortal birth
The stream that parts the Gods and earth,
Is (5) Ifing call'd. Thro' regions wide
It ever rolls its ample tide:
Nor does the petrifying wind,
Its waves in icy fetters bind.
VAFTHRUDNIS.
Tell, mighty Ganrade! now the name,
Borne by that wide-extended plain;
Where, deck'd with many a shining car,
Gods and great (6) Surtur rush to war.
GANRADE.
The plain, o'erspread with many a car,
Where Gods and Surtur rush to war,
(7) Vigridi's call'd; and each way round
A hundred miles extends its bound ---
Such does it meet the trav'ler's eyes.
VAFTHRUDNIS.
Truly, O Ganrad! thou art wise.
Now to the giant's inmost seat
Approach, with not unworthy feet;
And there in colloquy sublime,
We'll spend the yet remaining time.
Stranger! in wisdom's arduous strife
Risk gloriously the loss of life.
GANRADE.
Vafthrudnis! tell, since thou art wise,
And sacred truth thy speech supplies;
(8) Whence, of old, the spacious earth,
And out-stretch'd heavens, had their birth?
VAFTHRUDNIS.
O Ganrade, hear! the spacious earth
From flesh of (9) Ymer took its birth:
The craggy rocks and scatter'd stones,
Had for their origin his bones:
The skies expanded from his brains,
And ocean issu'd from his veins.
GANRADE.
Vafthrudnis! say, since thou art wise,
And sacred truth thy speech supplies;
Whence shines the Moon with gilded horn?
And whence the sun illumes the morn?
VAFTHRUDNIS.
He from whom the Moon first sprung,
And Sun his annual course begun,
Is (10) Mundilförer --- these around
The balanc'd earth in depths profound,
Travel each day with silent pace,
And mark the seasons in their race.
GANRADE.
Vafthrudnis! say, since thou art wise,
And sacred truth thy speech supplies;
Whence day o'er men its glory spreads,
And night with shades involves their heads?
VAFTHRUDNIS.
(11) Dellinger o'er the trav'lers way,
Shines gentle harbinger of day;
But sullen Night with raven wing,
Did first from fatal (12) Nörver spring.
The Deities benign ordain
The silver Moon to wax and wane;
And shed her renovated light,
In monthly wheel, on human sight.
Notes:
1. "Valhalla's Queen." --- Frigga, the Wife of Odin. [Back]
2. Ygger, one of the names of Odin, signifying suspicious or careful. [Back]
3. Skinfaxi, Aurora, which the Greeks called fwsforoj and the Latin Lucifer, having a white horse easy to be mounted. This description does not differ much from that of Varro, "Jubar dicitur stella Lucifer, quæ in summo habet diffusum lumen, ut Leo in capite jubam." [Back]
4. Hrimfaxi, by which is understood Hesperus. [Back]
5. Ifing. This seems to be an allegorical river signifying discord and perpetual enmity, which separates bad men from the feats of the blest and the Gods. Its literal meaning is anger. [Back]
6. Surtur, the adversary of Odin, who dwells at the antartic pole. [Back]
7. Vigridi, a fabulous place, the theatre of contention between the Gods and their opposers. [Back]
8. "Whence of old" --- To understand this and the following verses, it is necessary to observe, that according to the Northern Mythology, Nifleil was created long before the earth; in the centre of which rose a fountain called Hvergelmer. Its effluvia produced many rivers near the boundaries of Hell, called in the Icelandic language, Suöl, Guntra, Fimbul, Thul, Slidr, Hridr, Ylgr, Sylgr, Wid, Leyptr, Giöll: which signify, according to the order in which they stand, Misery, Hope deferred, Habitation of Death, Swift perdition, Scabbard, Cruel storm, Whirlpool, Wailing and gnashing of teeth, and Widely flowing. The first world created in the southern regions was called Muspell --- it was bright and hot, and for that reason was intolerable to all strangers, and none but its native inhabitants could reside there. In the confines of this world dwelt Surtur. In these parts were certain rivers called Elivagi, which, when they had proceeded so far from their source, that the poison with which they were replete could harden, their waters were converted into ice, bearing all the fantastic forms of dross and ore in a refiner's furnace. Thence arose a poisonous exhalation which spread around like a hoar frost, and was continually increasing in the great void called Ginnungagap. This place looked toward the north, and appeared without like an immense structure of snow and ice; but within was filled with clouds and air. The southern part of this region was melted by sparks of fire which flew from Muspellsheim. For from Niflheim proceeded cold, and from Muspellsheim light and heat. Eternal serenity reigned in Ginnungagap. When warm gales approached this place, the ice began to flow with living drops. From these Ymer was created, whom the Hrimthussi called Aurgelmer. Ymer was not esteemed a God, because he and his whole posterity were evil. It is related of him, that sleeping, he emitted sweat from under his left wing, from whence Man and Woman were formed. Hence arose the race of the Hrimthussi, of whom Ymer was the first. From dissolved Ice was also formed the first Cow, called Andumbla. From her udder flowed four milky rivers, by which Ymer was nourished. But Odin, Vile, and Ve --- the sons of Böre, killed Ymer, and carried him into the middle of Ginnungagap. here from his flesh they created the earth; the sea and rivers from his blood; mountains from his bones; rocks and stones from his broken bones and teeth; herbs from his hair; heaven from his skull; the habitable earth from his eye-brows; and at last the clouds from his brains. In this account, confused and allegorical as it may seem, is contained the history of the creation; not so, however, but that many other things are interspersed which relate to after times. Thus the story of Bergelmer relates to the Deluge. What things were believed by the northern nations to have existed before the coming of Odin, may be summed up in a few articles. 1. Matter did not exist from eternity. 2.But because it once existed, it was necessary there should be some first cause. That was esteemed the most perfect of beings and creator of all things. 3. This wise Being first created Nifleim, the place of storms, or Chaos; whence originated matter. 4.This place being formed, he divided it into regions. The immense void contained within the sides separating it from the abyss, was called Ginnungagap: there the air was most pure, producing heat in one place and cold in another. 5.Then the Creator made the turbid waters of the Elivagi rivers to flow between the spaces of heat and cold. 6.From materials taken from this river, equally subject to the operation of heat and cold, he formed a mass and endued it with a living principle. This first formation was called Ymer, to whom was attributed a human appearance. He was supposed to be the microcosmon of those elements from which the world was formed. 7.From the same materials the world, man, and all living things were created; those particles being selected for each which were most particularly suited to its nature. ------ It may be observed that there seem to be three divine persons which exceed all others. And because it is difficult to conceive of an operative being without ascribing to him locality, shape, and name; these powers were called Odin, Vile and Ve; and to these was attributed the creation of all things. This seems to have been their origin --- In former days there had been heroes and great rulers, who were supposed to possess a divine principle for the many benefits they had conferred on their subjects; by them they were ranked among the inferior Gods. But in after times, sinceOmnia post obitum fingat majora vetustas, their origin became fabulous, and they were raised to a superior class of Gods. This therefore will account for our finding Odin sometimes called the father of Gods and Men: and creator of all things. And again, seeing him described as originating from matter, and about to be devoured by the wolf. Moshem has made the same observation concerning Jupiter, who is often called by Homer and Hesiod, ----Pathr andrwn te Qewg te And ---megijoj Qewn aeigenetawn. [Back]
9. Ymer, the ruler of the Elements. [Back]
10. Mundilförer, the axis of the earth remaining fixed while the sun and stars revolved round. Thus, Aratus, Oi men omwj poleej te cai alladij alloi eontej Ouranw elconda pant hmata sunecej aiei Autar og wd oligon metanissetai alla mal autwj Axon aien arhren. ecei d adalanton apanhMesshguj gaian. [Back]
11. Dellinger, the Father of Day or Twilight. [Back]
12. Nörver --- The Father of Night, like itself gloomy and black. Nott or Night married Dellinger, and had a son whose name was Dager or Day. Pantopathr took notice of Nott and Dager, and gave to each a horse and chariot. [Back]
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