Northvegr - Prose Edda - Anderson Trans.

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Prose Edda - Anderson Trans.

Notes

THE FOOLING OF GYLFE
CHAPTER 1

        This story about the ploughing of Gylfe reminds us of the legend told in the first book of Virgil's Æneid, about the founding of Carthage by Dido, who bought from the Libyan king as much ground as she could cover with a bull's hide. Elsewhere it is related that she cut the bull's hide into narrow strips and encircled therewith all the ground upn which Carthage was afterward built. Thus Dido deceived the Libyan king nearly as effectually as Gefjun deluded King Gylfe. The story is also told by Snorre in Heimskringla, see p. 231.
        The passage in verse, which has given translators so much trouble in a transposed form, would read as follows: Gefjun glad drew that excellent land (djúprödul = the deep sun = gold; öðla = udal = property; djüprödul öðla = the golden property), Denmark's increase (Seeland), so that it reeked (steamed) from the running oxen. The oxen bore four heads and eight eyes, as they went before the wide piece of robbed land of the isle so rich in grass.
        Gefjun is usually interpreted as a goddess of agriculture, and her name is by some derived from gh and fjon, that is, terrœ separatio; others compare it with the Anglo-Saxon geofon = the sea. The etymology remains very uncertain.

CHAPTER 2

        It is to the delusion or eye-deceit mentioned in this chapter that Snorre Sturlasson refers in his Heimskringla, in Chapter VI of Ynglingla Saga.
        Thjodolf of Hvin was a celebrated skald at the court of Harald Fairhair.
        Thinking thatchers, etc. Literally transposed, this passage would read: Reflecting men let shields (literally Svafner's, that is Odin's roof-trees,) glisten on the back. They were smitten with stones. To let shields glisten on the back, is said of men who throw their shields on their backs to protect themselves against those who pursue the flying host.
        Har means the High One, Jafnhar the Equally High One, and Thride the Third One. By these three may be meant the three chief gods of the North: Odin, Thor and Frey; or they may be simply an expression of the Eddic trinity. This trinity is represented in a number of ways: by Odin, Vile and Ve in the creation of the world, and by Odin, Hœner and Loder in the creation of Ask and Embla, the first human pair. The number three figures extensively in all mythological systems. In the pre-chaotic state we have Muspelheim, Niflheim and Ginnungagap. Fornjot had three sons: Hler, Loge and Kare. There are three norns: Urd, Verdande and Skuld. There are three fountains: Hvergelmer, Urd's and Mimer's; etc. (See Norse Mythology, pp. 183, 195, 196.)
        Har being Odin, Har's Hall will be Valhal. You will not come out from this hall unless you are wiser. In the lay of vafthrudner, of the Elder Edda, we have a similar challenge, where Vafthrudner says to Odin:
                        Out will you not come
                        From our halls
                        Unless I find you to be wiser (than I am).

CHAPTER 3

        This chapter gives twelve names of Odin. In the Eddas and in the skaldic lays he has in all nearly two hundred names. His most common name is Odin (in Anglo-Saxon and in Old High German Wodan), and this is thought by many to be of the same origin as our word god. The other Old Norse word for god, tivi, is identical in root with Lat. divus; Sansk. dwas; Gr. Dioj (Zeuj); and this is again connected with Tyr, the Tivisco in the Germania of Tacitus. (See Max Müller's Lectures on the Science of Language, 2d series, p. 425). Paulus Diakonus states that Wodan, or Gwodan, was worshiped by all branches of the Teutons. Odin has also been sought and found in the Scythian Zalmoxis, in the Indian Buddha, in the Celtic Budd, and in the Mexican Votan. Zalmoxis, derived from the Gr. Zalmoj, helmet, reminds us of Odin as the helmet-bearer (Grimm, Gesch. der Deutschen Sprache). According to Humboldt, a race in Guatemala, Mexico, claim to be descended from Votan (Vues des Cordillères, 1817, I, 208). This suggests the question whether Odin's name may not have been brought to America by the Norse discoverers in the 10^th and 11^th centuries, and adopted by some of the native races. In the Lay of Grimner (Elder Edda) the following names of Odin are enumerated:
                Grim is my name
                And Ganglere,
                Herjan and Helmet-bearer,
                Thekk and Thride,
                Thud and Ud,
                Helblinde and Har,

                Sad and Svipal,
                And Sanngetal,
                Herteit and Hnikar,
                Bileyg and Baleyg,
                Bolverk, Fjolner,
                Grim and Grimner,
                Glapsvid and Fjolsvid,

                Sidhot, Sidskeg,
                Sigfather, Hnikud,
                Alfather, Valfather,
                Atrid and Farmatyr.
                With one name
                Was I never named
                When I fared 'mong the peoples.

                Grimner they called me
                Here at Geirrod's,
                But Jalk at Asmund's,
                And Kjalar the time
                When sleds (kjalka) I drew,
                And Thror at the Thing,
                Vidur on the battle-field,
                Oske and Ome,
                Jafnhar and Bilflinde,
                Gondler and Harbard 'mong the gods.

                Svidur and Svidre
                Hight I at Sokmimer's,
                And fooled the ancient giant
                When I alone Midvitne's,
                The mighty son's,
                Bane had become.

                Odin I now am called,
                Ygg was my name before,
                Before that I hight Thund,
                Vak and Skilfing,
                Vafud and Hroptatyr,
                Got and Jalk 'mong the gods,
                Ofner and Svafner.
                All these names, I trow,
                Have to me alone been given.

        What the etymology of all these names is, it is not easy to tell. The most of them are clearly Norse words, and express the various activities of their owner. It is worthy of notice that it is added when and where Odin bore this or that name (his name was Grim at Geirrod's, Jalk at Asmund's, etc.), and that the words sometimes indicate a progressive development, as Thund, then Ygg, and then Odin. First he was a mere sound in the air (Thund), then he took to thinking (Ygg), and at last he became the inspiring soul of the universe. Although we are unable to define all these names, they certainly each have a distinct meaning, and our ancestors certainly understood them perfectly. Har = the High One; Jafnhar = the Equally High One; Thride = the Third (Zeuj alloj and Tritoj); Alfather probably contracted from Aldafather = the Father of the Ages and the Creations; Veratyr = the Lord of Beings; Rögner = the Ruler (from regin); Got (Gautr, from gjota, to cast) = the Creator, Lat. Instillator; Mjotud = the Creator, the word being allied to Anglo-Saxon meotad, metod, Germ. Messer, and means originally cutter; but to cut and to make are synonymous. Such names as these have reference to Odin's divinity as creator, arranger and ruler of gods and men. Svid and Fjolsvid = the swift, the wise; Ganglere, Gangrad and Vegtam = the wanderer, the waywont; Vidrer = the weather-ruler, together with serpent-names like Ofner, Svafner, etc., refer to Odin's knowledge, his journeys, the various shapes he assumes. Permeating all nature, he appears in all its forms. Names like Sidhot = the slouchy hat; Sidskeg = the long beard; Baleyg = the burning-eye; Grimner = the masked; Jalk (Jack) = the youth, etc., express the various forms in which he was thought to appear, ---tohis slouchy hat, his long beard, or his age, etc. Such names as Sanngetal = the true investigator; Farmatyr = the cargo-god, etc., refer to his various occupations as inventor, discoverer of runes, protector of trade and commerce, etc.

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