Prose Edda - Brodeur Trans.
Skáldskaparmál
The vile folk's DesolatorGold-Towerer, as is written here:
Dispenseth the Freight of Grani.
The Gold-Towerer in friendshipWoman is periphrased in metaphors of gold, being called Willow or Giver of Gold, as Hallarsteinn sang:
I got, and of the Warrior,
Son of the glowing War-Blade,
I make a song of praise.
He who casts the AmberHere the whale is called Boar of Vidblindi; this Vidblindi was a giant who drew whales out of the sea like fishes. The Drink of Whales is the sea; Amber of the Sea is gold; woman is the Willow, or Dealer, of that gold which she gives; and the willow is a tree. Therefore, as is already shown, woman is periphrased with all manner of feminine tree-names: she is also called User of that which she gives; and the word for 'user' also signifies a log, the tree which falls in the forest.
Of Vidblindi's Boar's cool, salt Drink,
Long will recall the Willow
Of the Reed-Snake's golden River.
Thus sang Gunnlaugr Serpent's-Tongue:
That dame was born to stir strife
Among the Sons of men-folk;
The War-Bush caused that; madly
I yearned to have the Wealth-Log.
178
Woman is called Forest; so sang Hallarsteinn:
With the well-trained Plane of Singing,Fagot, as Steinn sang:
The tongue, I have planed, my Lady,
Dame of the First Song's ale-vats,
Forest fair of Flagons.
Thou shalt, O fresh Sif-TenderProp, as Ormr Steinthórsson sang:
Of the Flood's gold Fire, like other
Fagots of Hjadnings' gravel,
Break with thy good fortune.
The Prop of Stone was clothedPost, as Steinarr sang:
In garments clean and seemly:
A new cloak did the hero
Cast o'er the Mead's bright Valkyr.
All my dreams of the gracious GoddessBirch, as Ormr sang:
Of the bracelet-girded soft arms
Have lied to me; the Stream-Moon's
Unsteadfast Prop beguiled me.
For a mark of the Birch
Of the bright hollow ring,
The palm-flame, I laid
On the dwarf-flagon, my song.
179
Oak, even as stands here:
The fair shaped Oak of RichesLinden, even as is written here:
Stands, our mirth forestalling.
O dreadful, towering Elm-TreeMan is periphrased in tree-metaphors, as we have written before; he is called Rowan, or Tester, of Weapons, or of Combats, of Expeditions and of Deeds, of Ships, and of all that which he wields and tests; thus sang Úlfr Uggason:
Of the dinning shower of weapons,
Our courage shall not lessen:
So bade the Linen's Linden.
But the flashing-eyed stiff Edge-RopeTree and Beam, as Kormákr sang:
Of the Earth stared past the gunwale
At the Rowan-Tree of the people
Of Stone, the Giant-Tester.
The Beam of the murdering Sword-TwigGrove, as sang Hallfredr Troublous-Skald:
Is taller than are many
In the Din of Darts; the sword wins
The land for dauntless Sigurdr.
The Mighty Grove and Faithful
Of the Shield-Murderer, budded
180
With hair, stands in the Eastlands Safe with Ullr's Ash-Warriors.
Here he is also called Ash.
Box, as Arnórr sang:
The Box of Ships bade the RygirAsh, as Refr sang:
Bring the shields together
At early dusk, through the spear-rain
Of strife-clouds held the autumn night.
The Strife-Lord, gracious Giver,Maple, as here:
Sought the Maid's bed gold-sprinkled;
The Ash of Odin's War-Sleet
Won the estate of manhood.
'Hail, Maple of the Ice-LumpsTree, as Refr sang:
Of the Hand!' So spake the Birnie.
Since I have appointedStaff, as Óttarr sang:
To proffer Odin's Breast-Sea,
The War-God's Verse, to Thorsteinn;
The Tree of Swords so wills it.
Thou, fierce War-Staff maintainedst
Maugre two kings, thy borders
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