Icelandic Poetry/Wisdom of Alviss

ARGUMENT.

This ode appears to be written to shew the excellence of the Icelandic language, in being able to furnish such a variety of names for every indivdual thing. These, the translator has been obliged to express, in most instances, by a periphrasis. The subject of it is a certain Dwarf, who calls himself Alviss, or All-Wise, that prides himself in having seen the nine worlds, and makes a pedantic display of his knowledge before Thor. He comes from Asgard, to demand the daughter of Thor in marriage. Thor acknowledges that his daughter had been promised to him, but refuses to give her up, on account of his absence when the agreement was entered into. He, however, leaves the dwarf some hope of obtaining her, by the display of his superior knowledge. This he did for the purpose of detaining the dwarf till next morning; for he was of that species of Genii who shun the light. At the conclusion of the discourse, the dwarf was forced to depart without his bride, and not without some danger of his life. By this artifice Thor seemed not to have violated the rights of hospitality, or to have broken his engagement; and the danger to which the dwarf was exposed, could be attributed to nothing but his own temerity.

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And call it length’ner of days.

THOR.
Alviss! I’ve never seen I vow,
A mortal half so wise as thou:
But still thy wisdom could not see,
The depth of my duplicity.
Haste, Dwarf! up eastern hills afar
Dellinger drives his glittering car.