Icelandic Poetry/Song of Vafthrudnis

Layout 2

ARGUMENT.

This Ode describes a certain journey undertaken by Odin, under the name of Ganrade, to Vafthrudnis, a gigantic chief of the Jotunori or Jotori. The object in view was to discover which was the wisest.

THE

SONG

OF

VAFTHRUDNIS

ODIN.
Valhalla’s Queen!^[1] I pray thee say
Which to Vafthrudnis’ hall’s the way:
For I with him intend to try
My skill in ancient mystery.

FRIGGA.
Do not leave thy native skies,
Source of Heroes! I advise:
For well I know no giant might,
Ever witness’d in the fight,
With his prowess can compare.

ODIN.
Mysteries divine and rare
I’ve often seen, I’ve often known,
And now am bent to make my own
All from mortals I can learn.

FRIGGA.
Safe may’st thou go, and safe return,
And, for each Goddess, may thy life
Be safe from ev’ry mortal strife.
Let prudence on thy steps attend,
And wisdom with her shield defend:
Thus doubly guarded, Chief! advance
Thro’ fate’s elaborate mystic dance.

With light’ning speed the hero fled,
Fearless of what the Goddess said,
His secret purpose to fulfil
Of finding out the giant’s skill.
Strait to the spacious hall he prefs’d,
By great Vafthrudnis long possess’d.
There Ygger^[2] fees the chief of men!

ODIN.
All hail Vafthrudnis! Odin then—
Lo! to thy halls unknown I came,
To learn and spread thy wond’rous fame:
And first I pray thee, giant! tell,
If sacred wisdom with thee dwell?

VAFTHRUDNIS.
What mortal he who dares to come,
Unbidden, to my awful dome
To hold discourse? For never more
Shall he his homeward path explore;
Unless he haply should exceed,
What wisdom is to me decreed.

ODIN.
Ganrade, great Giant! is my name;
Late, thirsty, and fatigued, I came
To thy dread halls; and long have stray’d,
Seeking thy hospitable aid.

VAFTHRUDNIS.
Wherefore, Ganrade! do you seek
Here beneath Heaven’s cope to speak?
Enter within my awful door,
And there unfold thy hidden lore:
For much in truth I wish to see,
Which is the wisest, thee or me.

GANRADE.
When to the presence of the great,
A man draws near of humble state;
Let him his tongue with wisdom guide,
Or ignorance in silence hide:
But, when an enemy is by,
The wise will shun loquacity.

VAFTHRUDNIS.
Mighty Ganrade! if you seek
Here beneath heaven’s cope to speak,
And prove your wisdom by discourse;
What name distinguishes that horse
Who o’er mankind, thro’ heaven’s high way,
Drags the imperial car of day?

GANRADE.
That horse who thro’ the heaven’s high way,
Drags the imperial car of day,
Skinfaxi’s^[3] call’d—’mong horses, he
Has justly gain’d supremacy:
Forever does his mane appear,
Floating resplendent thro’ the air.

VAFTHRUDNIS.
Tell, mighty Ganrade! if you seek
Here beneath heaven’s cope to speak,
What horse is that, who o’er the sight
Of Gods, drags on the veil of night?

GANRADE.
Hrimfaxi^[4] o’er the fight
Of Gods, drags on the veil of night:
From his iron bits distil
Each morning dew on vale and hill.

VAFTHRUDNIS.
Tell, mighty Ganrade! if you seek
Here beneath heaven’s cope to speak;
Among the sons of mortal birth
What river parts the Gods and Earth?

GANRADE.
Among the sons of mortal birth
The stream that parts the Gods and earth,
Is Ifing^[5] call’d. Thro’ regions wide
It ever rolls its ample tide:
Nor does the petrifying wind,
Its waves in icy fetters bind.

VAFTHRUDNIS.
Tell, mighty Ganrade! now the name,
Borne by that wide-extended plain;
Where, deck’d with many a shining car,
Gods and great Surtur^[6] rush to war.

GANRADE.
The plain, o’erspread with many a car,
Where Gods and Surtur rush to war,
Vigridi’s^[7] call’d; and each way round
A hundred miles extends its bound—
Such does it meet the trav’ler’s eyes.

VAFTHRUDNIS.
Truly, O Ganrad! thou art wise.
Now to the giant’s inmost seat
Approach, with not unworthy feet;
And there in colloquy sublime,
We’ll spend the yet remaining time.
Stranger! in wisdom’s arduous strife
Risk gloriously the loss of life.

GANRADE.
Vafthrudnis! tell, since thou art wise,
And sacred truth thy speech supplies;
Whence, of old^[8], the spacious earth,
And out-stretch’d heavens, had their birth?

VAFTHRUDNIS.
O Ganrade, hear! the spacious earth
From flesh of Ymer^[9] took its birth:

The craggy rocks and scatter’d stones,
Had for their origin his bones:
The skies expanded from his brains,
And ocean issu’d from his veins.

GANRADE.
Vafthrudnis! say, since thou art wise,
And sacred truth thy speech supplies;
Whence shines the Moon with gilded horn?
And whence the sun illumes the morn?

VAFTHRUDNIS.
He from whom the Moon first sprung,
And Sun his annual course begun,
Is Mundilförer^[10]—these around
The balanc’d earth in depths profound,
Travel each day with silent pace,
And mark the seasons in their race.

GANRADE.
Vafthrudnis! say, since thou art wise,
And sacred truth thy speech supplies;
Whence day o’er men its glory spreads,
And night with shades involves their heads?

VAFTHRUDNIS.
Dellinger^[11] o’er the trav’lers way,
Shines gentle harbinger of day;
But sullen Night with raven wing,
Did first from fatal Nörver^[12] spring.
The Deities benign ordain
The silver Moon to wax and wane;
And shed her renovated light,
In monthly wheel, on human fight.

GANRADE.
Vafthrudnis! tell, since thou art wife,
And sacred truth thy speech supplies;
Whence at the first came winter’s snow,
And whence the summer’s sultry glow;
Spreading their influence thro' the skies,
Over the sage divinities?

VAFTHRUDNIS.
Vindsualer^[13] first bade snow arise:
Suasuder^[14] fires the summer skies:
These two shall hold alternate reign,
Long as the Gods their faith maintain.

GANRADE.
This fifth thing tell, since thou art wise,
And sacred truth thy speech supplies;
Who, eldest in the Asori clime,
Issued at the birth of time?
And who ’mong Ymer’s progeny?

VAFTHRUDNIS.
When wintry storms o’erspread the sky,
E’er yet from ocean rose the earth,
Great Bergelmer^[15] had his birth:
Thrudgelmer^[16] was his father’s name—
He from great Aurgelmer^[17] came.

GANRADE.
This sixth thing tell, since thou art wise,
And sacred truth thy speech supplies;
Whence, number’d ’mongst the Jötni sons,
Of eldest birth Aurgelmer comes?

VAFTHRUDNIS.
From eastern Elivagi^[18] strands,
Black drops of venom dy’d the lands;
Strait from the widely moist’ned earth
A teeming giant took his birth.
But quickly^[19] sparks of fire flew
From southern climes—a wonder new—
And gave to winter's driving sleet
The animating power of heat.

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Ere the boy clim’d the fatal wood.

VAFTHRUDNIS.
None know since time its race hath run
What Odin whisper’d to his son.
The fate of Gods and mystic lore
With thee no longer I explore.
Thou, by the hand of knowledge led,
The fatal stroke of death hast fled:
And since thy wisdom I have try’d,
Hear Vafthrudnis thus decide—
In mysteries of every kind,
Thou art the wisest of mankind.

1. “Valhalla’s Queen.”—Frigga, the Wife of Odin.
2. Ygger, one of the names of Odin, signifying suspicious or careful.
3. Skinfaxi, Aurora, which the Greeks called φοσφορος and the Latins Lucifer, having a white horse easy to be mounted. This description does not differ much from that of Varro, “Jubar dicitur stella Lucifer, quæ in summo habet diffusum lumen, ut Leo in capite jubam.”
4. Hrimfaxi, by which is understood Hesperus.
5. Ifing. This seems to be an allegorical river signifying discord and perpetual enmity, which separates bad men from the seats of the blest and the Gods. Its literal meaning is anger.
6. Surtur, the adverfary of Odin, who dwells at the antartic pole.
7. Vigridi, a fabulous place, the theatre of contention between the Gods and their opposers.
8. “Whence of old”—To understand this and the following verses, it is necessary to observe, that according to the Northern Mythology, Nifleil was created long before the earth; in the centre of which rose a fountain called Hvergelmer. Its effluvia produced many rivers near the boundaries of Hell, called in the Icelandic language, Suöl, Guntra, Fimbul, Thul, Slidr, Hridr, Ylgr, Sylgr, Wid, Leyptr, Giöll: which signify, according to the order in which they stand, Misery, Hope deferred, Habitation of Death, Swift perdition, Scabbard, Cruel storm, Whirlpool, Wailing and gnashing of teeth, and Widely flowing. The first world created in the southern regions was called Muspell—it was bright and hot, and for that reason was intolerable to all strangers, and none but its native inhabitants could reside there. In the confines of this world dwelt Surtur. In these parts were certain rivers called Elivagi, which, when they had proceeded so far from their source, that the poison with which they were replete could harden, their waters were converted into ice, bearing all the fantastic forms of dross and ore in a refiner’s furnace. Thence arose a poisonous exhalation which spread around like a hoar frost, and was continually increasing in the great void called Ginnungagap. This place looked toward the north, and appeared without like an immense structure of snow and ice; but within was filled with clouds and air. The southern part of this region was melted by sparks of fire which flew from Muspellsheim. For from Niflheim proceeded cold, and from Muspellsheim light and heat. Eternal serenity reigned in Ginnungagap. When warm gales approached this place, the ice began to flow with living drops. From these Ymer was created, whom the Hrimthussi called Aurgelmer. Ymer was not esteemed a God, because he and his whole posterity were evil. It is related of him, that sleeping, he emitted sweat from under his left wing, from whence Man and Woman were formed. Hence arose the race of the Hrimthussi, of whom Ymer was the first. From dissolved Ice was also formed the first Cow, called Andumbla. From her udder flowed four milky rivers, by which Ymer was nourished. But Odin, Vile, and Ve—the sons of Böre, killed Ymer, and carried him into the middle of Ginnungagap. Here from his flesh they created the earth; the sea and rivers from his blood; mountains from his bones; rocks and stones from his broken bones and teeth; herbs from his hair; heaven from his skull; the habitable earth from his eye-brows; and at last the clouds from his brains. In this account, confused and allegorical as it may seem, is contained the history of the creation; not so, however, but that many other things are interspersed which relate to after times. Thus the story of Bergelmer relates to the Deluge. What things were believed by the northern nations to have existed before the coming of Odin, may be summed up in a few articles.

   1. Matter did not exist from eternity.

   2. But because it once existed, it was necessary there should be some first cause. That was esteemed the most perfect of beings and creator of all things.

   3. This wise Being first created Nifleim, the place of storms, or Chaos: whence originated matter.

   4. This place being formed, he divided it into regions. The immense void contained within the sides separating it from the abyss, was called Ginnungagap: there the air was most pure, producing heat in one place and cold in another.

   5. Then the Creator made the turbid waters of the Elivagi rivers to flow between the spaces of heat and cold.

   6. From materials taken from this river, equally subject to the operation of heat and cold, he formed a mass and endued it with a living principle. This first formation was called Ymer, to whom was attributed a human appearance. He was supposed to be the μικροκοσμον of those elements from which the world was formed.

   7. From the same materials the world, man, and all living things were created; those particles being selected for each which were most particularly suited to its nature.

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   It may be observed that there seem to be three divine persons which exceed all others. And because it is difficult to conceive of an operative being without ascribing to him locality, shape, and name: these powers were called Odin, Vile, and Ve; and to these was attributed the creation of all things. This seems to have been their origin—In former days there had been heroes and great rulers, who were supposed to possess a divine principle for the many benefits they had conferred on their subjects; by them they were ranked among the inferior Gods. But in after times, since

   Omnia post obitum fingat majora vetustas,
   
   

   their origin became fabulous, and they were raised to a superior class of Gods. This therefore will account for our finding Odin sometimes called the father of Gods and Men: and creator of all things. And again, seeing him described as originating from matter, and about to be devoured by the wolf. Moshem has made the same observation concerning Jupiter, who is often called by Homer and Hesiod,

   And —Πατηρ ανδρων τε Θεων τε
   And —μεγιςος Θεων αειγενεταων.
   
   
9. Ymer, the ruler of the Elements.
10. Mundilförer, the axis of the earth remaining fixed while the sun and stars revolved round. Thus, Aratus,
    (Greek characters)
    
    
11. Dellinger, the Father of Day or Twilight.
12. Nörver—The Father of Night, like itself gloomy and black. Nott or Night married Dellinger, and had a son whose name was Dager or Day. Παντοπατηρ took notice of Nott and Dager, and gave to each a horse and chariot.
13. Vindsualer—The Father of Winter.
14. Suasuder—The Father of Summer.
15. Bergelmer—Noah, from Berg, a mountain, and Gemler, an old man.
16. Thrudgelmer—Lamech.
17. Aurgelmer—Adam.
18. Elivagi.—The streams of the Volga are here supposed to be meant. In this and the following verses the poet explains in a confused manner, the Creation of Man. First, he hints at the materials of creation: then at the creation of man: and thirdly, at the antediluvian world, the wickedness of which occasioned the destruction of the Jötni by a deluge.
19. “But quickly.”—The writer of the Voluspa thus describes the phenomenon of creation—In the day-spring of ages, says he, there was neither sea nor shore, nor refreshing breezes. The whole was only one vast abyss, without herb and without seed. The Sun had then no palace: the Moon was ignorant of her power. Towards the south there was a luminous and burning world: from this world flowed out incessantly into the Abyss that laid towards the north torrents of sparkling fire; which, in proportion as they removed far away from their source, congealed as they fell into the Abyss, and so filled it with scum and ice. A warm breath coming from the south, melted the vapours arising from this chaos, and formed of them living drops; whence was born the giant Ymer or Aurgelmer. It is reported that whilst he slept, an extraordinary sweat under his arm-pits produced a male and female; whence sprung the race of the giants; a race evil and corrupt as well as their author.