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                                  Hyndlulioð

                              The Lay of Hyndla.

        Freyja rides with her favourite Ottar to Hyndla, a Vala, for the
purpose of obtaining information respecting Ottar´s geneology, such information
being required by him in a legal dispute with Angantyr. Having obtained this,
Freyja further requests Hyndla to give Ottar a portion (minnisöl) that will
enable him to remember all tha thas been told him. This she refuses, but is
forced to comply by Freyja having encircled her cave with flames. She gives him
the potion, but accompanied by a malediction, which is by Freyja turned to a
blessing.


Freyja
1. Wake, maid of maids!
Wake, my friend!
Hyndla! Sister!
who in the cavern dwellest.
Now there is a dark of darks;
we will both
to Valhall ride,
and to the holy fane.

2. Let us Heriafather pray
into our minds to enter,
he gives and grants
gold to the deserving.
He gave to Hermod
a helm and corslet,
and from him Sigmund
a sword received.

3. Victory to his sons he gives,
but to some riches;
eleoquence to the great,
and to men, wit;
fair wind he gives to traders,
but poesy to skallds;
valour he gives
to many a warrior.

4. She to Thor will offer,
she to him will pray,
that to thee he may
be well disposed;
although he bears ill will
to Jötun females.

5. Now of thy wolves take one
from out the stall;
let him run
with runic rein.

Hyndla
6. Sluggish is thy hog
the god's way to tread:

Freyja
7. I will my noble
palfrey saddle.

Hyndla
8. False art thou, Freyja!
who tempest me:
by thy eyes thou showest it,
so fixed upon us;
while thou thy man hast
on the dead_road,
the young Ottar,
Innstein's son.

Freyja
9. Dull art thou, Hyndla!
methinks thou dreamest,
since thou sayest that my man
is on the dead_road with me;
there where my hog sparkles
with its golden bristles,
hight Hildisvini,
which for me made
the two skilful dwarfs,
Dain and Nabbi.
From the saddle we will talk:
let us sit,
and of princely
families discourse,
of those chieftains
who from the gods descend.
They have contested
for the dead's gold,
Ottar the young
and Angantýr.

10. A duty 'tis to act
so that the young prince
his paternal heritage may have,
after his kindred.

11. An offer_stead to me he raised,
with stones constructed;
now is that stone
as glass become.
With the blood of oxen
he newly sprinkled it.
Ottar ever trusted
in the Asyniur.

12. Now let us reckon up
the ancient families,
and the races of
exalted men.
Who are the Skiöldings?
Who are the Skilfings?
Who the Ödlings?
Who the Ylfings?
Who the höld_born?
Who the hers_born?
The choicest race of men
under heaven?

Hyndla
13. Thou, Ottar! art
of Innstein born,
but Innstein was
from Alf the Old,
Alf was from Ulf.
Ulf from Sæfari,
but Sæfari
from Svan the Red.

14. Thy father had a mother,
for her necklaces famed,
she, I think, was named
Hledis the priestess;
Frodi her father was,
and her mother Friant:
all that stock is reckoned
among chieftains.
15. Ali was of old
of men the strongest,
Halfdan before him,
the highest of the Skiöldungs;
(Famed were the wars
by those chieftains led)
his deeds seemed to soar
to the skirts of heaven.

16. By Eimund aided,
chief of men,
he Sigtrygg slew
with the cold steel.
He Almveig had to wife,
first of women.
They begat and had
eighteen sons.

17. From them the Skiöldungs,
from them the Skilfings,
from them the Ödlings,
from them the Ynglings,
from them the höld_born,
from them the hers_born,
the choicest race of men
under heaven.
All that race is thine,
Ottar Heimski!

18. Hildegun
her mother was,
of Svafa born
and a sea_king.
All that race is thine,
Ottar Heimski!
Carest thou to know?
Wishest thou a longer narrative?

19. Dag wedded Thora,
mother of warriors;
of that race were born
the noble champions,
Fradmar, Gyrd,
and the Frekis both,
Am, Jösur, Mar,
Alf the Old.
Carest thou this to know?
Wishest thou a longer narrative?

20. Ketil their friend was named,
heir of Klyp;
he was maternal grandsire
of thy mother.
Then was Frodi
yet before Kari,
but the eldest born
was Alf.

21. Nanna was next,
Nökkvi´s daughter;
her son was
thy father's kinsman,
ancient is that kinship.
I knew both
Brodd and Hörfi.
All that race is thine,
Ottar Heimski!

22. Isolf, Asolf,
Ölmod´s sons
and Skurhild´s
Skekkil´s daugher;
thou shalt yet count
chieftains many.
All that race is thine,
Ottar Heimski!

23. Gunnar, Balk,
Grim, Ardskafi,
Jarnskiöld, Thorir,
Ulf, Ginandi,
Bui and Brami,
Barri and Reifnir,
Tind and Tyrfing,
the two Haddingis.
All that race is thine,
Ottar Heimski!

24. To toil and tumult
were the sons
of Arngrim born,
and of Eyfura:
ferocious berserkir,
calamity of every kind,
by land and sea,
like fire they carried.
All that race is thine,
Ottar Heimski!



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