Simple Hymir met a rhymer
Going to the Thing;
Says Simple Hymir to the Rhymer,
Let me hear you sing.

Says the Rhymer to Simple Hymir,
Strike up a tune on your fiddle.
Says Simple Hymir to the Rhymer,
Hey diddle-e-iddle-i-diddle.

Simple Hymir went a-hunting,
For to catch a boar;
But all the bacon that he caught,
Was the bacon from the store.

Simple Hymir went to look
If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,
Which made poor Hymir whistle.

He went for water in a sieve,
But soon it all fell through;
And now poor Simple Hymir
Bids you all adieu.

Who Killed Bright Balder?

Who killed Bright Balder?
I, said the jotun,
With my granite baton,
I killed Bright Balder.

Who saw him die?
I, said the Sky,
With my sunny eye,
I saw him die.

Who caught his blood?
I, said the Sword,
In my bright-red hoard,
I caught his blood.

Who'll build the pyre?
I, said the Fire,
With my ash and mire,
I'll build the pyre.

Who'll build his mound?
I, said grey Hel,
In my monster's dell,
I'll build his mound.

Who'll be the godhi?
I, said the Ice,
In my shimmering vice,
I'll be the godhi.

Who'll brew the mead?
I, said the Troll,
With my look so droll,
I'll brew the mead.

Who'll light the torch?
I, said King Surt,
Because I like to hurt,
I'll light the torch.

Who'll steer the ship?
I, said the Sea,
On my rocking knee,
I'll steer the ship.

Who'll strew the flowers?
I, said the Hoe,
Myself and mistletoe,
We'll strew the flowers.

Who'll read the runes?
I, said the Norn,
Before he can be born,
I'll read the runes.

Who'll lay the shield?
I, said the Ash,
When fates and armies clash,
I'll lay the shield.

Who'll turn the sod?
I, said the Alder,
For poor Bright Balder,
I'll turn the sod.

Who'll end the world?
I, said Ragnarok,
With my fatal shock,
I'll end the world.

All the things of the world,
And the ash and the alder,
All fell lamenting
For poor Bright Balder.

The Wise Old Erl of Smoke

Oh, the wise old erl of smoke,
He had ten thousand wings,
He flapped them up to the top of the world
And he flapped them down again.
And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only halfway up,
They were neither up nor down.



Huginn Put the Cauldron On

Huginn put the cauldron on,
Huginn put the cauldron on,
Huginn put the cauldron on,
We’ll all read runes.

Muninn took it off again,
Muninn took it off again,
Muninn took it off again,
It’s his destiny.

Bifrost Bridge is Falling Down

Bifrost Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
Bifrost Bridge is falling down,
My fair Friyja.

Build it up by trolls and dwarfs,
Trolls and dwarfs, trolls and dwarfs,
Build it up by trolls and dwarfs,
My fair Friyja.

Trolls and dwarfs will skulk away,
Skulk away, skulk away,
Trolls and dwarfs will skulk away,
My fair Friyja.

Build it up with runes and rhyme,
Runes and rhyme, runes and rhyme,
Build it up with runes and rhyme,
My fair Friyja.

Runes and rhyming will not stay,
Will not stay, will not stay,
Runes and rhyming will not stay,
My fair Friyja.

Build it up with jotun-steel,
Jotun-steel, jotun-steel,
Build it up with jotun-steel,
My fair Friyja.

Jotun-steel will bend and sway,
Bend and sway, bend and sway,
Jotun-steel will bend and sway,
My fair Friyja.

Build it up with fire and ice,
Fire and ice, fire and ice,
Build it up with fire and ice,
My fair Friyja.

Fire and ice will fight all day,
Fight all day, fight all day
Fire and ice will fight all day,
My fair Friyja.

Set Heimdall to watch all night,
Watch all night, watch all night,
Set Heimdall to watch all night,
My fair Friyja.

Suppose Heimdall should fall asleep,
Fall asleep, fall asleep,
Suppose Heimdall should fall asleep,
My fair Friyja.

Give him a lamp to light his way,
Light his way, light his way
Give him a lamp to light his way,
My fair Friyja.

Where is the oil to fill his lamp,
Fill his lamp, fill his lamp,
Where is the oil to fill his lamp,
My fair Friyja.

On the other side of Bifrost Bridge,
Bifrost Bridge, Bifrost Bridge
On the other side of Bifrost Bridge,
My fair Friyja.

BUT

(Take a deep breath, and all together now!)

Bifrost Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
Bifrost Bridge is falling down,
My fair Friyja.

Little Loki Flinders

Little Loki Flinders
Sat among the cinders,
Warming her long red nose;
Her mother came and caught her,
And spanked her little daughter
For spoiling her nice new clothes.

This Little Jotun

This little jotun went to market,
This little jotun stayed at home,
This little jotun had barley broth,
And this little jotun had none,
And this little jotun cried, Skree-eee-eee-eee-eee,
All the way home!

I Saw Long Ships Come Sailing By

I saw long ships come sailing by,
Come sailing by, come sailing by,
I saw long ships come sailing by,
And they were gone a-viking.

And what do you think was in them then,
Was in them then, was in them then,
And what do you think was in them then,
When they were gone a-viking?

Three lusty lads were in them then,
Were in them then, were in them then,
Three lusty lads were in them then,
When they were gone a-viking.

One could holler his battle-cry,
His battle-cry, his battle-cry,
One could holler his battle-cry,
When they were gone a-viking.

One could count heads with his axe,
With his axe, with his axe,
One could count heads with his axe,
When they were gone a-viking.

The third could keen a loud lament,
A loud lament, a loud lament,
The third could keen a loud lament,
When they were gone a-viking.

I heard three fetches wailing low
Wailing low, wailing low,
I heard three fetches wailing low
Who’ll go no more a-viking.

How Many Leagues to Utgardstrand?

How many leagues to Utgardstrand?
Three score leagues and ten.
Can I get there by rush-wick-light?
Yes, and back again.
If your smile is merry and bright,
You may get there by rush-wick-light.

Utgard-Loki’s Gone to Sea

Utgard-Loki’s gone to sea,
Silver bucklers at his knee;
He’ll come back and riddle me,
Riddling Utgard-Loki.

Utgard-loki hums a tune,
He knows the riddle of the rune
He knows the answer, he knows the score,
Utgard-Loki out the door!

Bragi Braggart

Bragi Braggart belched a burp of brindled balefire;
A burp of brindled balefire Bragi Braggart belched.
If Bragi Braggart belched a burp of brindled balefire,
Where’s the burp of brindled balefire that Bragi Braggart belched?