Gylfaginning

49
ngly; and said that evil answers were to be expected of Freyr.
"But when he came to Freyr, straightway he asked why Freyr was so downcast, and
spake not with men. Then Freyr answered and said that he had seen a fair woman;
and for her sake he was so full of grief that he would not live long if he were
not to obtain her. 'And now thou shalt go and woo her on my behalf and have her
hither, whether her father will or no. I will reward thee well for it.' Then
Skírnir answered thus: he would go on his errand, but Freyr should give him his
own sword-which is so good that it fights of itself;- and Freyr did not refuse,
but gave him the sword. Then Skírnir went forth and wooed the woman for him,
and received her promise; and nine nights later she was to come to the place
called Barrey, and then go to the bridal with Freyr. But when Skírnir told
Freyr his answer, then he sang this lay:

     Long is one night, long is the second;
           How can I wait through three?
     Often a month to me seemed less
           Than this one night of waiting.

This was to blame for Freyr's being so weaponless, when he fought with Beli,
and slew him with the horn of a hart." Then said Gangleri: "'T is much to be
wondered at, that such a great chief as Freyr is would give away his sword, not
having another equally good. It was a great privation to him, when he fought
with him called Beli; by my faith, he must have rued that gift." Then answered
Hárr: "There was small matter in that, when he and Beli met; Freyr could have
killed him with his hand. It shall come to pass
50
that Freyr will think a worse thing has come upon him, when he misses his sword
on that day that the Sons of Múspell go a-harrying."
XXXVIII. Then said Gangleri: "Thou sayest that all those men who have fallen in
battle from the beginning of the world are now come to Odin in Valhall. What
has he to give them for food? I should think that a very great host must be
there." Then Hárr answered: "That which thou sayest is true: a very mighty
multitude is there, but many more shall be, notwithstanding which it will seem
all too small, in the time when the Wolf shall come. But never is so vast a
multitude in Valhall that the flesh of that boar shall fail, which is called
Sćhrímnir; he is boiled every day and is whole at evening. But this question
which thou askest now: I think it likelier that few may be so wise as to be
able to report truthfully concerning it. His name who roasts is Andhrímnir, and
the kettle is Eldhrímnir; so it is said here:

     Andhrímnir has in Eldhrímnir
           Sćhrímnir sodden,
     Best of hams; yet how few know
           With what food the champions are fed."

Then said Gangleri: "Has Odin the same fare as the champions?" Hárr answered:
"That food which stands on his board he gives to two wolves which he has,
called Geri (1) and Freki; (2) but no food does he need; wine is both food and
drink to him; so it says here:

1. Ravener. 2. Glutton, greedy.

51

     Geri and Freki the war-mighty glutteth,
           The glorious God of Hosts;
     But on wine alone the weapon-glorious
           Odin aye liveth.

The ravens sit on his shoulders and say into his ear all the tidings which they
see or hear; they are called thus: Hugin (1) and Muninn. (2) He sends them at
day-break to fly about all the world, and they come back at undern-meal; thus
he is acquainted with many tidings. Therefore men call him Raven-God, as is
said:

     Huginn and Muninn hover each day
           The wide earth over;
     I fear for Huginn lest he fare not back,-
           Yet watch I more for Muninn."

XXXIX. Then said Gangleri :"What have the champions to drink, that may suffice
them as abundantly as the food? Or is water drunk there?" Then said Hárr: "Now
thou askest strangely; as if Allfather would invite to him kings or earls or
other men of might and would give them water to drink! I know, by my faith!
that many a man comes to Valhall who would think he had bought his drink of
water dearly, if there were not better cheer to be had there, he who before had
suffered wounds and burning pain unto death. I can tell thee a different tale
of this. The she-goat, she who is called Heidrún, stands up in Valhall and
bites the needles from the limb of that tree which is very famous, and is
called Lćrádr; and from her udders mead runs so copiously, that she fills a tun
every day. That tun is so great

1. Thought. 2. Memory.

52
that all the champions become quite drunk from it." Then said Gangleri: "That
is a wondrous proper goat for them; it must be an exceeding good tree from
which she eats." Then spake Hárr: "Even more worthy of note is the hart
Eikthyrni, which stands in Valhall and bites from the limbs of the tree; and
from his horns distils such abundant exudation that it comes down into
Hvergelmir, and from thence fall those rivers called thus: Síd, Víd, Sřkin,
Eikin, Svöl, Gunnthrá, Fjörm, Fimbulthul, Gípul, Göpul, Gömul, Geirvimul. Those
fall about the abodes of the Ćsir; these also are recorded: Thyn, Vín, Thöll,
Höll, Grád, Gunnthráin, Nyt, Nöt, Nönn, Hrönn, Vína, Vegsvinn, Thjódnuma."
XL. Then said Gangleri: "These are marvellous tidings which thou now tellest, A
wondrous great house Valhall must be; it must often be exceeding crowded before
the doors." Then Hárr answered: "Why dost thou not ask how many doors there are
in the hall, or how great? If thou hearest that told, then thou wilt say that
it is strange indeed if whosoever will may not go out and in; but it may be
said truly that it is no more crowded to find place therein than to enter into
it; here thou mayest read in Grímnismál:

     Five hundred doors and forty more
           So I deem stand in Valhall;
     Eight hundred champions go out at each door
           When they fare to fight with the Wolf."

XLI. Then said Gangleri: "A very mighty multitude of men is in Valhall, so
that, by my faith, Odin is a very great
 



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