Northvegr - The Loki's Tale ballad

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The Loki's Tale ballad

Many thanks go to Kiyo at Kiyo's Repository of Mythos and Poesy for providing this translation and notes. Kiyo, if you see this page, drop us a line at info@northvegr.org, as we have lost your contact address.

Lokka táttur (kvædi)
(føroysk kvæd)

The Loki's Tale ballad
(a Faroese ballad)

{Modern Faroese (orthography)}

Lokka táttur
1.
Bóndin og risin leikaðu leik,
risin vann og bóndin veik.
Stevi:

Hvat skal mær harpan
undir míni hond,
vil ikki frægur fylgja mær
á onnur lond.

2.
"Eg havi lúkað treytir mín',
nú vil eg hava sonin tín.
3.
Eg vil hava sonin frá tær,
uttan tú goymir hann fyri mær."
4.
Bóndin heitir á sveinir tvá:
"Biðið Óðin fyri meg inngá.
5.
"Heitið á Óðin Asakong,
tá man goymslan gerðast long."
6.
"Eg vildi, mín Óðin veri til,
vita hvussu goymslan ganga vil."
7.
Áður enn teir høvdu hálvtalað orð,
tá var Óðin inn fyri borð.
8.
"Hoyr tú Óðin, eg tali til tín,
tú skalt goyma sonin mín."
9.
Óðin fór við sveini út,
brúður og bóndi bóru sút,
10.
Óðin biður vaksa brátt,
akurin upp eftir eini nátt.
11.
Óðin biður vera svein,
mitt í akri aksið eitt.
12.
Mitt í akri aksið eitt,
mitt í aksi, byggkorn eitt.
13.
"Ver har í við onga pínu,
tá ið eg kalli, kom til mín!
14.
Ver har í við onga sút,
tá ið eg kalli, kom her út.
15.
Risin hevur hjarta hart sum horn,
ripar nú fangið fult við korn.
16.
Ripar nú korn í fang á sær,
og bitran brand í hendi bar.
17.
Og bitran brand í hendi bar,
hann ætlar at høgga sveinin har.
18.
Tá var sveini komin til sút,
byggkorn kreyp úr neva út.
19.
Tá var sveini komin til pína,
Óðin kallar hann til sín.
20.
Óðin fór við sveini heim,
bóndi og brúður fagna teim.
21.
"Her er ungi alvi tín,
nú er uppi goymslan mín."
22.
Bóndin heitir á sveina tvá:
"biðið Hønir fyri meg inngá!"
23.
"Eg vildi, mín Hønir veri til,
vita, hvussu goymslan ganga vil."
24.
Áður enn teir høvdu hálvtalað orð,
tá var Hønir inn fyri borð.
25.
"Hoyr tú Hønir, eg talið til tín,
tú skalt goyma sonin mín!"
26.
Hønir fór við sveini út,
brúður og bóndi bóru sút.
27.
Hønir gongur á grønari grund,
svanir sjey teir flugu um sund.
28.
Fyri eystan flugu svanir tveir,
niður hjá Hønir settust teir.
29.
Hønir biður nú vera svein,
mitt í knokki fjøður ein.
30.
"Ver har í við onga pínu,
tá ið eg kalli, kom til mín!
31.
Ver har í við onga sút,
tá ið eg kalli, kom her út!"
32.
Skrímslið loypur á grønari grund,
svanir sjey teir flugu um sund.
33.
Risin fell tá á sítt knæ,
tann fremsta svanin fekk hann har.
34.
Tann fremsta svanin hann av beit
hálsin niður í herðar sleit.
35.
Tá var sveini komin til sút,
fjøður smeyg úr kjafti út.
36.
Tá var sveini komi til pína,
Hønir kallaði hann til sín.
37.
Hønir fór við sveini heim,
brúður og bóndi fagna teim.
38.
"Her er ungi alvi tín,
nú er uppi goymsla mín."
39.
Bóndin heitir á sveinar tvá:
"biði Lokka fyri meg inngá!"
40.
"Eg vildi mín Lokki veri til,
vita, hvussu goymslan ganga vil!"
41.
Áður enn teir høvdu hálvtalað orð,
tá var Lokki inn fyri borð.
42.
"Tú veitst einki av mínari neyð,
skrímslið ætlar mín sonar deyð.
43.
Hoyr tú Lokki, eg talið til tín,
tú skalt goyma sonin mín!
44.
Goym hann væl, so sum tú kann,
lat ikki skrímslið fáa hann!"
45.
"Skal eg goyma sonin tín,
tá mást tú lúka treytir mín'!
46.
Tú skalt lata neystið gera,
meðan eg man burtur vera.
47.
Víðan glugga sker tú á,
jarnkelvi legg tú har í hjá!"
48.
Lokki fór við sveini út,
brúður og bóndi bóru sút.
49.
Lokki gongur eftir sandi,
sum skútan fleyt fyri landi.
50.
Lokki rør á igsta (ytsta) klakk,
so er í fornum frøði sagt.
51.
Lokki hevur ei fleiri orð,
ongul og stein hann varpar fyri borð.
52.
Ongur og steinur við grunni vóð,
snarliga hyggin hann flundru dró.
53.
Dregur hann eina, dregur hann tvá,
hin triðja, hon var svørt at sjá.
54.
Lokki biður nú vera svein,
mitt í rogni kornið eitt.
55.
"Ver har í við onga pínu,
tá ið eg kalli, kom til mín!
56.
Ver har í við onga sút,
tá ið eg kalli, kom her út!"
57.
Lokki rør nú aftur at landi,
risin stendur fyri honum á sandi.
58.
Risin mælti so orðum brátt:
"Lokki, hvar hevur tú verið í nátt?"
59.
"Lítla man eg hava ró,
flakkað og farið um allan sjó."
60.
Risin oman sín jarnnakka skjýtur,
Lokki rópar, at illa brýtur.
61.
Lokki talar so fyri sær:
"risin, lat meg fylgja tær."
62.
Risin tók sær stýri í hand,
Lokki rør nú út frá land.
63.
Lokki rør við langa leið,
ikki vil jarnnakkin ganga úr stað.
64.
Lokki svør við sína trú,
"eg kann betur stýra enn tú."
65.
Risin setist til árar at ró,
jarnnakkin fleyg um allan sjó.
66.
Risin rør við langan favn,
næstum Lokka aftur í stavn.
67.
Risin rør nú á ytsta klakk,
so er í fornum frøði sagt.
68.
Risin hevur ei fleiri orð,
ongul og stein hann varpar fyri borð.
69.
Ongul og steinur við grunni veður,
snarliga hyggin hann flundru dregur.
70.
Dregur hann eina, dregur hann tvá,
hin triðja hon var svørt at sjá.
71.
Lokki svør á sína list:
"risin, gev mær henda fisk."
72.
Risin svaraði og segði nei:
"nei, mín Lokki, tú fært hann ei."
73.
Hann setti fisk millum kníja á sær,
taldi hvørt korn, í rogni var.
74.
Taldi hvørt korn, í rogni var,
hann ætlaði fanga sveinin har.
75.
Tá var sveini komin til sút,
kornið leyp úr neva út.
76.
Tá var sveini komin til pína,
Lokki kallar hann til sín.
77.
"Set teg niður fyri aftan meg,
lat ikki risan síggja teg!
78.
Tú mást leypa so lættur á land,
ikki merkja spor í sand!"
79.
Risin rør so aftur til land,
beint ímóti hvítan sand.
80.
Risin rør at landi tá,
Lokki snýr jarnnakka frá.
81.
Risin skjýtur afturstavn á land,
sveinur loypur so lættur á land.
82.
Risin sær seg upp á land,
sveinur stendur fyri honum á sand.
83.
Sveinur leyp so lættur á land,
ikki merkti spor í sand.
84.
Risin leyp so tungur á land,
upp til kníja, niður í sand.
85.
Sveinur leyp sum hann kundi best,
leyp ígjøgnum faðirs neyst.
86.
Hann leyp ígjøgnum faðirs neyst,
risin eftir við fullgott treyst.
87.
Risin stóð í glugga fastur,
jarnkelvið í heysi brast.
88.
Lokki var tá ikki seinur,
hjó av risanum annað beinið.
89.
Risin heldur at tí gaman,
sárið grøddi snart til saman.
90.
Lokki var tá ikki seinur,
hjó av risanum hitt annað beinið.
91.
Hjó av honum, hitt annað bein,
kastaði millum stokk og stein.
92.
Sveinur hyggur á við gaman,
hvussu risin leyp bæði sundur og saman.
93.
Lokki fór við sveini heim,
brúður og bóndi fagna teim.
94.
"Her er ungi alvi tín,
nú er uppi goymslan mín.
95.
Eg havi hildið trú fyri vist,
nú hevur risin lívið mist."

(V. U. Hammershaimb, Færøiske Kvæder,
edited for the Nordiske Litteratur- Samfund, Copenhagen, 1851.)

{Lyngbye's phonetic transcription}

Loka Thaattur
1.
Risin o Bondi lajgdi Làjg,
Risin vann o Bondin vajg.
Stevi:

Qveât skeâl meâr Harpan
undir munja Hand,
Viil ikkji freâvur filgja meâr
aa anna Land.

2.
Ee heâvi lûka Trajtin mujn,
Nû viil Ee fåa Sonin tujn.
3.
Ee viil heâvi Sonin fraa teâr,
Uttan tû gojmar han firi meâr.
4.
Bondin hajtur aa Svajnar tvaa:
Tiit bii Ouvan firi mee ingaa.
5.
Hajti aa Ouvin, Eâsa Kong,
Taa man Gojmslan gjerast long.
6.
Ee vildi mujn Ouvin vera tiil,
Vita, qvussi Gojmslan genga viil.
7.
Aarin tajr, höddu holv teâla Oor,
Taa veâr Ouvin inn firi Boor.
8.
Höjr tû, Ouvin, Ee teâli tiil tujn:
Tû skeâl gojma Sonin muja.
9.
Ouvin four vi Svajni ût,
Bruvur o Bondi bouru Sût.
10.
Ouvin bijur vaxa braat,
Agurin up aa ajnari Naat.
11.
Ouvin bijur nû vera Svajn,
Midt uj Agri Axi ajt.
12.
Midt uj Agri Axi ajt,
Midt uj Axi Bigkodn ajt.
13.
Veer heârnj vi aanga Pujnu,
Tåaji Ee kadli, koom tiil mujn.
14.
Veer heâruj vi aanga Sût,
Tåaji Ee kadli, koom heâr ût.
15.
Skrujmsli hevur Hjata, hart sum Hodn,
Ribar nû Fangji fudl vi Kodn.
16.
Ribar nû Kodn uj Fangji aa seâr,
O bitra Brand uj Hendi beâr.
17.
O bitra Brand uj Hendi beâr,
Han atlar eât högga Svajnia heâr.
18.
Taa veâr Svajnin komin tiil Sût,
Bigkodn krejp ûr Næva ût.
19.
Taa veâr Svajnin komin tiil Pujnu,
Ouvin kadlar han tiil sajn.
20.
Ouvin four vi Svajni hajm,
Bruvur o Bondi fagna tajm.
21.
Heâr eer hiin ungji Alfi tujn,
Nû eer uppi Gojmsla mujn.
22.
Bondin hajtur aa Svajnar tvaa:
Tiit bii Höner firi mee ingaa.
23.
Ee vildi mujn Höner vera tiil,
Vita, qvussi Gojmslan genga viil.
24.
Aarin tajr, höddu holv teâla Oor,
Taa veâr Höner inn firi Boor.
25.
Höjr tû Höner, Ee teâli tiil tujn:
Tû skeâl gojma Sonin mujn.
26.
Höner four vi Svajni ût,
Bruvur o Bondi bouru Sût.
27.
Höner gengur aa grönari Grund,
Sveânir sjej tajr fluvu um Sund.
28.
Firi Estan fluvu Sveânir tvajr,
Niur kjaa Höner settust tajr.
29.
Höner bijur nû vera Svajn,
Midt uj Knokkji Fjevur ajn.
30.
Veer heâruj vi aanga Pujnu,
Tåaji Ee kadli, koom tiil mujn.
31.
Veer heâruj vi aanga Sût,
Tåaji Ee kadli, koom heâr ût.
32.
Skrujmsli lejpur aa grönari Grund,
Sveânir sjej tajr fluvu um Sund.
33.
Risin fedl aa sujnari Kneâ,
Tan fremsta Sveânin fek han eâv tajm.
34.
Tan fremsta Sveânin han eâvbajt,
Holsin niur uj Herar slajt.
35.
Taa veâr Svajnin komin tiil Sût,
Fjerin smaj ûr kjafti ût.
36.
Taa veâr Svajnin komin tiil Pujnu,
Höner kadlaji han tiil sujn.
37.
Höner four vi Svajni hajm,
Bruvur o Bondi fagna tajm.
38.
Heâr eer hiin ungji Alfi tujn,
Nû eer uppi Gojmsla mujn.
39.
Bondin hajtur aa Svajnar tvaa:
Tiit bii Lokkji firi mee ingaa.
40.
Ee vildi, mujn Lokkji vera tiil,
Vita, qvussi Gojmslan genga viil.
41.
Aarin tajr, höddu holv teâla Oor,
Taa veâr Lokkji inn firi Boor.
42.
Tû vajt aankji eâv mujnari Nej,
Skrujmsli atlar mujn Sonar Dej.
43.
Höjr tû, Lokkji, Ee teâli tiil tujn:
Tû skeâl gojma Sonin mujn.
44.
Gojm han veâl, so sum tû kan,
Leât ikkji Skrujmsli fåa han.
45.
Skeâl Ee gojma Sonin tujn,
Taa manstû lûka Trajtir mujn.
46.
Tû skeâl leâti Nesti gjera,
Meni Ee man burtur vera.
47.
Vujan Gluggan skjer tû aa,
Jadnkjelvi tû leg heâr kjaa.
48.
Lokkji four vi Svajni ût,
Bruvur o Bondi bouru Sût.
49.
Lokkji gengur ettir Sandi,
Sum skûtan flejt for landi.
50.
Lokkji röör nû aa igsta Klak,
So eer uj fodnun Fröji sagt.
51.
Lokkji hevur aj flajri Oor,
Ongil o Stajn han varpar for Boor.
52.
Ongil o Stajn vi Grunni vou,
Snarlia higgjin han Flundru drou.
53.
Drevur han ajna, o drevur han tvaa,
Tan tria hoon veâr svert aa sjaa.
54.
Lokkji bijur nû vera Svajn,
Midt uj Rognakodni ajt.
55.
Veer heâruj vi aanga Pujna,
Tåaji Ee kadli, koom tiil mujn.
56.
Veer heâruj vi aanga Sût,
Tåaji Ee kadli, koom heâr ût.
57.
Lokkji röör nû attur tiil Land,
Risin staar for honun aa Sand.
58.
Risin meâlti so Orun Braat:
Lokkji, qveâr hevur tû veri uj Naat?
59.
Lujtla man Ee heâva Rou,
Flakka o feâra um adlan Sjou.
60.
Risin oman sujn Jadnnakka sjujtur,
Lokkji roupar eât han brujtur.
61.
Lokkji teâlar so firi seâr:
Risin, leât mee filgja teâr.
62.
Risin touk seâr Stujri uj Hand,
Lokkji röör nû ût fraa Land.
63.
Lokkji Röör vi langa Laj,
Ikkji viil Jadnnakkjin genga ûr Steâ.
64.
Lokkji svör vi sujna Trû,
Ee kan betur eât stujra inn tû.
65.
Risin sek tiil Aarur eât rou,
Jadnnakkjin flejt um adlan Sjou.
66.
Risin röör vi laangan Favn,
Nastum Lokka attur um Stavn.
67.
Risin röör nû aa igsta Klak,
So eer uj fodnun Fröji sagt.
68.
Risin hevur aj flajra Oor,
Ongil o Stajn han varpar for Boor.
69.
Ongil o Stajnur vi Grunni vevur,
Snarlia higgjin han Flundru drevur.
70.
Drevur han ajna, o drevur han tvaa,
Tan tria hoon veâr svert eât sjaa.
71.
Lokkji svör aa sujnari List:
Risin, gjev meâr henda Fisk.
72.
Risin sveâraji o seji: Naj;
Naj, mujn Lokkji, tû feârt han aj.
73.
Han setti tan Fisk midlun Knujggjar aa seâr,
Taldi qvört Kodn uj Rogni veâr.
74.
Taldi qvört Kodn, uj Rogni veâr,
Han atlaji eât fanga Svajnin heâr.
75.
Taa veâr Svajnin komin tiil Sût,
Kodni krejp ûr Næva ût.
76.
Taa veâr Svajnin komin tiil Pujnu,
Lokkji kadlar han tiil Sujn.
77.
Sedist niur firiattan mee,
Leât ikkji Risin sujggja tee.
78.
Tû manst lejpa so lattur aa Land, ikkji merka Spor uj Sand.
79.
Risin röör nû attur tiil Land,
Bajnt ujmouti qvujtan Sand.
80.
Risin röör tiil Landi taa,
Lokkji snûir Jadnnakka fraa.
81.
Risin sjûjtur Atturstavni aa Sand,
Svajnurin lejpur so lattur aa Land.
82.
Risin seârt see up aa Land,
Svajnin stendur firi honun aa Sand.
83.
Svajnin lejp so lattur aa Land,
Ikkji merkti Spor uj Sand.
84.
Risin lejp so tungur aa Land,
Up tiil Knujggjar niur uj Sand.
85.
Svajnin lejp, sum han kundi best,
Lejp ujgjögnum Feâirs Nest.
86.
Han lejp ujgjögnum Feâirs Nest,
Risin ettur vi fuldgod Trest.
87.
Risin stou uj Glugga fastur,
Jadnkjelvi uj Heisi brast.
88.
Lokkji veâr taa ikkji sajn,
Kjou eâv Risin teâ ajna bajn.
89.
Risin heldur eât tuj Geâman,
Saari gröddi snart tiilseâman.
90.
Lokkji veâr taa ikkji sejn,
Kjou eâv Risin teâ anna Bajn,
91.
Kjou eâv honun teâ aana Bajn,
kastaji midlun Stok o Stajn.
92.
Svajnin higgur aa vi Geâman,
Qvussi Risin lejp båaji sundur o seâman.
93.
Lokkji four vi Svajni hajm,
Bruvur o Bondi fagna tajm.
94.
Heer eer hiin ungji Alfi tujn,
Nû eer uppi Gojmslan mujn.
95.
Nû eer uppi Gojmslan mujn,
Ee heâvi lûka Trajtin tujn.
96.
Ee heâvi halda Trû firi vist,
Nû hevur Risin Lujvi mist.
(H. C. Lyngbye, Færoiske Qvæðer om Sjurð Fovnisbane og hans Æt,, 1822.)

{English Translation}

Loki's Tale
1.
A peasant (1) and a giant [held] a match,
The giant won and the peasant lost.
Refrain:

What avails me this harp (2)
That is by my hand,
Will no stalwart man follow me
To another land ?

2.
"I have fulfilled my [end of the] bargain,
Now I will have your son.
3.
I will have the son of yours
You'll not conceal him from me."
4.
The peasant said to his lad:
"Bid Odin (3) to step in for me."
5
"Summon now Odin the Asa-king (4),
Who can guard him, hid away for long.
6.
"I wish Odin wert right here,
And knew where to hide the boy!"
7.
Ere he hath said the word,
There stood Odin before the table.
8.
"Hark thou Odin, I bid to thee,
Thou shalt hide mine son for me!"
9.
Odin fared off with the boy,
The wife and the peasant were woebegone.
10.
Odin commanded a field of crop,
To grow tall after scarce one night,
11.
Odin commanded the boy become
A single ear among the crop.
12.
A single ear among all the crop,
A barley-grain amid one ear.
13.
"Lie in there, do not pain,
When I should hail, come to me!
14.
Lie in there, don't you fear
When I should hail, come hither out!"
15.
The giant has a heart as hard as horn,
He grasps a whole arm's-ful at the corn.
16.
He now grasps the corn in his sight,
Bearing a keen-biting sword in hand
17.
And bearing a keen-biting sword in hand
He sets out to mow the boy down.
18.
Then was the boy affrighted,
The barley-corn squirmed out of the fist.
19.
Then was the boy overcome with pain
Odin hailed unto him.
20.
Odin fared with the boy back home
The peasant and his wife gave them embrace.
21.
"Here I have the young son of yours,
Now I am done with hiding him."
22.
The peasant said to his boy:
"Bid Hønir (5) to step in for me!"
23.
"I wish Hønir wert right here,
And knew where to hide the boy!"
24.
Ere he had said the word,
There stood Hønir before the table.
25.
"Harken Hønir, I bid to thee
Thou shall hide mine son for me!"
26.
Hønir fared off with the boy,
The wife and the peasant were woebegone.
27.
Hønir gang over the green ground,
Seven swans flew across the sound.
28.
Eastward flew two swans
They alighted beside Hønir.
29.
Hønir commanded now the boy to become
A single feather in the head of the swan.
30.
"Lie in there, do not pain,
When I call you, come out to me!
31.
Lie in there, don't you fear,
When I call you, come hither out!
32.
The monster gang over the green ground,
Seven swans flew across the sound.
33.
The giant dropt down on his knees
And grabbed the swan which was at the forefront.
34.
He took a bite out of the forefront swan,
Gashing its throat down to the shoulder.
35.
Then was the boy turned affright,
A feather slipped out of the giant's clutches.
36.
Then was the boy overcome with pain,
Hønir hailed unto him.
37.
Hønir fared with the boy back homeward,
The wife and the peasant gave them embrace.
38.
"Here I have the young son of yours,
Now I am done hiding him.
39.
The peasant said to his lad:
"Bid Lokki step in for me!"
40.
"I wish Lokki wert right here,
And knew where to hide the boy!"
41.
Ere he said the word,
There stood Lokki before the table.
42.
"Thou canst but imagine my dire need,
The monster means to have my son dead.
43.
Harken, thou Lokki, I bid to thee,
Thou shall hide mine son for me!
44.
Hide him so good, as well as you can,
So the lad can never captured be!"
45.
"If I am to hide your son,
You must do my bidding!
46.
You shall build a boathouse,
While I am gone away.
47.
You shall cut out a window wide,
And bar it with an iron rod!
48.
Lokki fared off with the boy,
The wife and the peasant were woebegone.
49.
Lokki appears over the strand,
With a skiff ashore by the land.
50.
Lokki rows out to the remotest fishing banks
That was told in the lore of yore.
51.
Lokki utters not another word,
He casts the hook and sinker overboard.
52.
He casts the hook and sinker overboard
And anon hauls in a halibut (helliflounder). (6)
53.
He hauls in one, he hauls in two,
The third had a blackish hue.
54.
Lokki commands now the boy become,
An egg-grain in the halibut(helliflounder)'s roe.
55.
"Lie in there, do not pain,
When I call you, come out to me!
56.
Lie in there, don't you fear,
When I call you, come out hither!"
57.
Lokki now rows back towards land,
The giant awaiting in the sand.
58.
The giant asked him straightaway:
"Lokki, where have you been tonight?"
59.
"Little peace had I,
For I sailed and fared all over the sea."
60.
The giant rushes for the iron skiff,
Lokki shouts: "The waves are bad".
61
Lokki speaks, and here's what he said:
"Giant, let me tag along."
62.
The giant took the tiller by the hand
Lokki now rowed away from land.
63.
Lokki rows a good long ways,
But the iron skiff doesn't budge a bit,
64.
Lokki swears by the truth,
"I can steer one better than you."
65.
The giant then takes the oars,
The iron skiff sped over the sea.
66.
The giant rows a good long ways,
Nigh did Lokki to the sternpost stay.
67.
The giant rows out to the remotest fishing banks,
That was told in the lore of yore.
68.
The giant utters not another word,
He casts the hook and sinker overboard
69.
He casts the hook and sinker overboard
And anon did catch a halibut (helliflounder).
70.
He hauls in one, he hauls in two,
The third was of blackish hue.
71.
Lokki swears by his faith,
"Giant, let me have the fish"
72.
The giant replies and nay says he,
"No, my Lokki, you shan't have it."
73
He put the fish between his knees,
And counted each egg in the roe.
74.
He counted each egg in the roe.
He meant to catch the boy.
75.
Then was the boy turned affright,
And an egg leapt out of the hand.
76.
Then was the boy overcome with pain,
Lokki hailed unto him
77.
"Sit yourself behind me,
Let not the giant see you.
78.
You must leap lithely upon the land,
Do not leave a track in the sand!"
79.
The giant then rows back to land.
Straight into the white sand.
80.
The giant rows onto land,
Lokki turns 'round the iron skiff.
81.
The giant runs the sternpost aground on land,
The boy leaps lithely upon the land.
82.
The giant gave gaze to the land,
There stood the boy on the sand.
83.
The boy leapt so lithely on to land,
He left no track upon the sand.
84.
The giant leapt heftily on to shore,
Sinking knee-deep in the sand,
85.
The boy scurries away as best as he could,
Scurries right through his father's boathouse.
86.
He scurries right through his father's boathouse,
The giant, after him in hot pursuit.
87.
The giant gets himself stuck in the window,
Smashing his head on the iron bar. (7)
88.
Loki then did not bide,
He struck off one of the giant's shins.
89.
To giant was rather amused by this,
The wound mended back to whole again.
90.
Loki then did not bide,
He struck off giant's other shin.
91.
He struck off the giant's other shin.
And tossed in-between, a stick and stone. (8)
92.
To the boy was rather amused by this,
Watching the giant sundered to pieces altogether.
93.
Lokki fared with the boy back homeward,
The wife and the peasant gave them embrace.
94.
"Here I have the young son of yours,
Now I am done with hiding him.
95.
I've kept my words to you,
Now the giant has lost his life."

(translated using the Danish translation and Old Icelandic dictionary, and with the indispensible help of Anker Eli Petersen)

Origins:

* A Faroese Ballad. The Hammershaimb collection originally issued in 1846 or 1851[?] was the first Faroese edition to be published. This statement needs to be qualified. Serious collection of the ballads began around the late 18c. Jens Kristian Svabo collected some 52 during his visit to the islands in 1781-2, and though these were committed to writing, and entered the royal collection, they were never published. Others took up the cause of ballad-collecting. It was the collection of ballads gathered by Lyngbye (who was Danish pastor and an expert on marine algae) that was the first to be published in book form (1822). However, he did not know the Faroese language, and his transcription of them were often phonetic, often idiosyncratic. Corrections had to be made on them by Faroese learned men; thus the first collection of authority (transcribed in normalized orthography) was the Hammershaimb edition.
Footnotes:

1. peasant— Far. bónði is the same word as in Old Icelandic. I've used the word "peasant" here (to match H.A. Gureber's short story "Skrymsli and the Peasant's Child", which is essentially a retelling of this Loki's Tale ballad). Anker Eli Petersen uses "farmer" in his translation of the Skrímsla Ballad. The word is also variously translated as "bondsman", "franklin", or "husbandsman".
[BACK]
2. Refrain: what avails me..— Even though hvat skalliterally reads "what shall", it means "to what end," "for what use," or "why". [BACK]
3. Odin— In Faroese Óðin is pronunced "oh·vin", the phonetic representation Ouvin (gen. Ouvans, acc. Ouvan) is used by the early ballad-collector H.C. Lyngbye, and is also recorded by Grimm in his Teutonic Mythology. [BACK]
4. Asa-King,— i.e. the king of the Æsir deities. [BACK]
5. Hønir— or Hoenir is another name of Vili. Odin, Vili, and Ve were three brothers responsible for creating the first humans, Ask and Embla (a man and a woman, and their names meaning "ash" and "elm" respectively). I think the Icelandic form is Hœnir ("oe-ligature") even though Hænir ("ae-ligature") is used in most e-texts. The character is mentioned in Völuspá, str. 18. The trio of deities who are summoned in this ballad are also the tree who are travelling together when they slay Otr and are forced to pay the wergeld in the Volsunga saga. g [BACK]
6. halibut—Though the Faroese name of the fish is flundr, this translates to "halibut" (not "flounder"). (cf. Faroese Fisheries Laboratory's polyglot fish name list.) H. A. Guerber, wrote a short story "Skrymsli and the Peasant's Child" based almost entirely on this ballad, and in it he translates the fish as "flounder". Interestingly enough, the Japanese translation of Gureber's story calls the fish "hirame") (* which, as can be confirmed using the polyglot fish list hotlinked above, is a type of "fluke" in English, and called reyðsprøka in Faroese.).
There is also different retelling of the story(Loki's Trick), in which the fish is given as "haddock". [BACK]
7. iron bar — Far. jarnkelvi (OIc. járn- "iron" + kylfa "club"). It was most difficult for me to comprehending what was happening here, until Anker Eli Petersen sent me his rough translation. In str. 47, Loki dictates the farmer to make a window and set an "iron bar" in it. Since the boy is of much smaller stature, he can run through this barred window without problem. But the giant who comes running doesn't quite fit through, and bangs his head so hard that it is "brast" (or broken). It is revealed in the following stanzas that the monster has regenerative powers, and one might surmise that even a smashed head is hardly a lethal blow to it.
H. A. Guerber, in his story "Skrymsli and the Peasant's Child" based on this ballad, interpreted the iron implement to be a sharp spike:

"..Loki had cunningly placed a sharp spike in such a position that the great head of the giant ran full tilt [at full speed] against it,
and he sank to the ground with a groan."

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8. I have read (at the "Infinite Space" site below) that a similar charm is used in the Thidrekssaga to prevent a dwarf (or dwarves) from coming back to life. [BACK]

Recommended Links:
TJATSI (the Faroese Post Office page - English homepage).
This attractive site with unique folk-art decor has many ballads and are in the process of having accompanying English translations done by webmaster Anker Eli Petersen et al. He also contributed the Faroese and Danish translation to the Forn-sed site below.

Folklore and Folk Poetry (Folkesagn og folkediktning):
The "Ballad and Folk Poetry (Kvad og folkediktning)" page here has texts of the "Skrujmsli Rujma (the ballad of skrimsli the monster)", the "Lokka Táttur" ballad, and "Óðin í Ásgørðum" (Odin in Asgard). (in Faroese). This is where I originally obtained the present text.

OLD NORSENET LIST ARCHIVE
Poul Martin Jensen aka Morten Axboe (Loke.@po.ia.dk) has made a couple of postings, and in "Loka Thaattur..." he posted the Lyngbye transcription next to a Danish translation and a crude English translation.

H. A. Guerber's Myths of the Norsemen One of her stories is"Skrymsli and the Peasant's Child" (English)
The work was inspired from a triad of Faroese ballads, sometimes referred to as "the forbidden ballads" (their supernatural themes could be deemed to be witchery.)
Upon cursory scrutiny however, we find that practically the whole story is a retelling of the "Lokki's Tale" ballad featured on this page (and one of the triad of "forbidden ballads"). And even though Guerber entitled his work "Skrymsli and the Peasant's Child", which made it sound as if much of the material was taken from the Skrímsli Ríma (another of the triad), this was very misleading because the only aspects or details hat his short story has in common with the "Rime of Skrymsli" is the referring of the monster as "skrimsli" and the fact that a wagered "tafl" (chess) match was played by the monster and peasant. I am unfamiliar with the third ballad of this triad, Odin ur Asgørdum ("Odin in Asgard"), though the original text can be found in the links above.

Loki's Trick (English)
A variant of the tale. Here Loki goes fishing and catches a haddock rather than a flounder. (Administrator's Note: The web page this tale was originally on is no longer available. If anyone knows where we can get a copy of this tale, please contact us at: info@northvegr.org )

Tafl Chess (English)
The tafl chess is not mentioned in the Lokki ballad, but occurs in Guerber's adaption of it. This is a page on the the pre-chess boardgame played by Norsemen, put together by Ben Slade who also runs the http://www.heorot.dk/ site.

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