Skáldskaparmál

109

Thus sang Gamli:

     While the Lord of high Bilskirnir,
     Whose heart no falsehood fashioned,
     Swiftly strove to shatter
     The sea-fish with his hammer

Thus sang Thorbjörn Lady's-Skald:

     Bravely Thor fought for Ásgard
     And the followers of Odin.

Thus sang Bragi:

     And the vast misshapen circler
     Of the ship's sea-path, fierce-minded,
     Stared from below in anger
     At the Skull-Splitter of Hrungnir.

Again sang Bragi:

     Well hast Thou, Hewer-in-Sunder
     Of the nine heads of Thrívaldi,
     Kept thy goats (1) ...

Thus sang Eilífr:

     The Merciless Destroyer
     Of the people of the Giants
     Grasped with ready fore-arms
     At the heavy red-hot iron.

1. The remainder of this stanza cannot be made out.


110

Thus sang Úlfr Uggason:

     Faintly the stout-framed thickling
     A fearful peril called it,
     At the great draught wondrous heavy
     Drawn up by the Lord of he-goats.

Thus Úlfr sang further:

     The very mighty Slayer
     Of the Mountain-Man brought crashing
     His fist on Hymir's temple:
     That was a hurt full deadly.

Yet again sang Úlfr:

     Vimur's ford's Wide-Grappler
     'Gainst the waves Smote featly
     The glittering Serpent's head off.
     With old tales the hail was gleaming.

Here he is called Giant of Vimur's Ford. There is a river called Vimur, which
Thor waded when he journeyed to the garth of Geirrödr.
Thus sang Vetrlidi the skald:

     Thou didst break the leg of Leikn,
     Didst cause to stoop Starkadr,
     Didst bruise Thrívaldi,
     Didst stand on lifeless Gjálp.

Thus sang Thorbjörn Lady's-Skald:

     Thou didst smite the head of Keila,
     Smash Kjallandi altogether,



111


     Ere thou slewest Lutr and Leidi,
     Didst spill the blood of Búseyra;
     Didst hold back Hengjankjapta,-
     Hyrrokkin died before;
     Yet sooner in like fashion
     Svívör from life was taken.

V. "How should one periphrase Baldr? By calling him Son of Odin and Frigg,
Husband of Nanna, Father of Forseti, Possessor of Hringhorni and Draupnir,
Adversary of Hödr, Companion of Hel, God of Tears. Úlfr Uggason, following the
story of Baldr, has composed a long passage in the Húsdrápa; and examples are
recorded earlier to the effect that Baldr is so termed.

VI. "How should one periphrase Njördr? By calling him God of the Vanir, or
Kinsman of the Vanir, or Wane, Father of Freyr and Freyja, God of Wealth-
Bestowal.
So says Thórdr Sjáreksson:

     Gudrún's self by ill
     Her sons did kill;
     The wise God-bride
     At the Wane's side
     Grieved; men tell
     Odin tamed steeds well;
     'T was not the saying
     Hamdir spared sword-playing.

Here it is recorded that Skadi departed from Njördr, as has already been
written.


112

VII. "How should one periphrase Freyr? Thus: by calling him Son of Njördr,
Brother of Freyja, and also God of Vanir, and Kinsman of the Vanir, and Wane,
and God of the Fertile Season, and God of Wealth-Gifts. Thus sang Egill
Skallagrímsson:

     For that Grjótbjörn
     In goods and gear
     Freyr and Njördr
     Have fairly blessed.

Freyr is called Adversary of Beli, even as Eyvindr Spoiler of Skalds sang:

     When the Earl's foe
     Wished to inhabit
     The outer bounds
     Of Beli's hater.

He is the possessor of Skídbladnir and of that boar which is called Gold-
Bristle, even as it is told here:

     Ívaldi's offspring
     In ancient days
     Went to shape Skídbladnir,
     Foremost of ships,
     Fairly for Freyr,
     Choicely for Njördr's child.

Thus speaks Úlfr Uggason:

     The battle-bold Freyr rideth
     First on the golden-bristled



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