Icelandic Poetry/Journey of Skirner

JOURNEY of SKIRNER.

F

REYER, the son of Niorder, as he sat on Hlidskialfa^[1], beholding the regions of the world; cast his eyes on the nation of the Jötunheimi, where he beheld a fair virgin as he passed through her father's house to a solitary apartment. He became suddenly very sad. Skirner was the servant of Freyer. Niorder called him and bid him enquire into the cause of his master’s grief. While Skada^[2] the wife of Niorder petulently said—

SKADA.
GO Skirner! speedily enquire,
Consum’d by what untam’d desire
Of hidden lore, my son retreats
Into his mansion’s inmost seats?
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For good that’s past, and ills to come.

Horror shall thy path attend,
Where’er thy lonely footsteps bend;
Daily where Hrimthursar^[3] reign,
Go progress mournful o’er the plain,
Opprest with soul tormenting care—
Prey of comfortless despair.
Thou art doom’d in tears to find
The only solace of thy mind:
The lengthen’d sorrow—ceaseless tear,
In thy destiny appear.

Three-headed monsters, standing round,
Shall ever with their yells confound:
At night around thy joyless bed,
No nuptial torch its rays shall shed:
Grief shall leave thee no repose,

At morning’s dawn—at even’s close:
Despair shall round thy soul be twin’d,
And drink the vigor of thy mind;
As round the oak rank ivy cleaves,
Steals all its sap, and blasts its leaves.

An unshorn mountain’s brow I sought,
Where never lonely woodman wrought;
There the magic wand I found,
And pluck’d it joyful from the ground.

Thy cruelty hath Odin spied;
Thundering Thor beheld thy pride;
E’en Freyer now has felt disdain—
But e’er, O Maiden! you obtain,
The veng’ance due from Gods on high,

Giants shall thy doom descry;
Hrimthursar shall thy wailings hear;
Suttungi sons shall freeze with fear;
And godlike heroes shudd’ring see,
The horrors of thy destiny.
Now the nuptial joy is marr’d!
Now the mother’s hope debarr’d!

Midst prisons of the ghastly dead,
Whence smiling hope is ever fled,
Himgrimner shall thy durance keep,
With watchful eyes that never sleep.
Squalid youths with ghastly grin,
In hollow bitter roots shall bring,
Urine of the unsav’ry goat,
To quell the parchings of thy throat.

Better cups shall never grace
The orgies of that direful place.
All thy prayers shall cease to move,
The soul of disappointed love.
Mark the giant! mark him well!
Hear me his attendants tell!
Can’st thou with the Fiends engage,
Madness, Impotence, and Rage?
Thus thy torments I describe:
The furies in my breast subside;
Peace her empire has begun;
The die is cast—the work is done.

GERDA.
Youth! some words of comfort say
Cease thy angry threats, I pray.
The massy flaggon deign to wield,
With generous cool metheglin fill’d.
Gods! and shall I never prove,
The sweets of honourable love?

SKIRNER.
Before my mission I complete,
Tell me what the happy seat!
Where thou to gentle Freyer’s arms,
Wilt yield possession of thy charms.

GIRDA.
In Barian groves the appointment keep,
Where winds on billowy verdure sleep:
And when nine nights their course have run,
I there will meet Niorder’s son.

Skirner returns home, and is met by Freyer, who immediately begins—

FREYER.
E’er thy foot the green swerd press,
Tell me, Skirner! what success?

SKIRNER.
In Barian groves the appointment keep,
Where winds on billowy verdure sleep.
There, when nine nights their course have run,
The maid will meet Niorder’s son.

FREYER.
One is long—yet longer twain—
But who a third night can sustain?
Whole months in swifter current move,
Than half one sleepless night of love.

1. Hlidskialfa, the throne in the palace of Valaskialf, not at Valhalla as some have said. This throne was so situated, that any one sitting upon it might behold all the regions of the world. It properly belonged to Odin and Frigga, and perhaps the passion of Freyer was a punishment inflicted on him for his presumption in sitting there.
2. Skada,—A giantess, wife of Niorder, and step-mother of Freyer.
3. Hrimthursar,—Were the fiercest of all the Giants.