The Poetic Edda Read online

  an age of the axe, an age of the sword,

  an age of storms, an age of wolves,

  shields will be cloven.

  Before the world sinks in the sea,

  there will be no man left

  who is true to another.

  [45] The giants are at play,

  and the gods’ fate is kindled

  at the blast

  of Gjallarhorn:

  Heimdall blows that horn hard,

  holds it high aloft,

  Odin speaks

  with Mimir’s head.

  [46] The old tree sighs

  when the giant shakes it—

  Yggdrasil still stands,

  but it trembles.

  [47] Fenrir howls terribly

  before the doors to Hel;

  the wolf will break its bonds

  and run.

  I know much wisdom,

  I see deep in the future,

  all the way to Ragnarok,

  a dark day for the gods.

  [48] Hrym advances from the east

  with a shield before him,

  and the Midgard-serpent

  is in a monstrous rage.

  {13} The serpent beats the waves,

  and the eagle screams eagerly,

  splitting corpses with its pale beak.

  Naglfar, the giants’ ship, is released.

  [49] That ship sails from the east,

  bearing giants

  over the sea,

  and Loki is its captain.

  The giants are coming

  together with Fenrir,

  and Loki too is with them

  on that voyage.

  [50] What news from the gods?

  What news from the elves?

  All Jotunheim is roaring,

  the Aesir are in counsel,

  and the dwarves,

  creatures of the mountains,

  tremble by their doors of stone.

  Have you learned enough yet, Allfather?

  [51] Surt comes from the south

  with a bright light in his hand,

  yes, the sun shines upon

  the sword in his grasp.

  The mountains collapse,

  the trolls fall,

  men walk the roads to Hel,

  and the skies divide above.

  [52] Then comes

  the second sorrow of Frigg,

  when Odin goes

  to fight the wolf,

  and Frey goes to fight

  the giant Surt.

  Then Odin, Frigg’s husband,

  will fall to Fenrir.

  {14} [53] Then comes the great

  son of Odin, Vithar,

  to fight, to avenge

  his father on the wolf.

  He shoves his sword

  into the mouth of Fenrir,

  all the way to the heart,

  and thus is Odin avenged.

  [54] Then Thor comes,

  Earth’s son,

  Odin’s son,

  to fight the Midgard-serpent—

  the protector of Midgard

  will kill that serpent in his rage.

  But all humankind

  will die out of the world

  when Thor falls

  after only nine steps,

  struck down by the venom

  of the honorless serpent.

  [55] The sun turns black,

  the earth sinks into the sea,

  the bright stars

  fall out of the sky.

  Flames scorch

  the leaves of Yggdrasil,

  a great bonfire

  reaches to the highest clouds.

  [56] Fenrir howls terribly

  before the doors to Hel;

  the wolf will break its bonds

  and run.

  I know much wisdom,

  I see deep in the future,

  all the way to Ragnarok,

  a dark day for the gods.

  {15} [57] I SEE THE EARTH

  rise a second time

  from out of the sea,

  green once more.

  Waterfalls flow,

  and eagles fly overhead,

  hunting for fish

  among the mountain peaks.

  [58] The Aesir meet

  on Ithavoll

  and regard

  the bones of the Midgard-serpent,

  and there they recall

  the great events of Ragnarok,

  and Odin’s

  old wisdom.

  [59] There they will find once more

  the wonderful

  golden game pieces

  in the grass,

  which they had once played with

  in the earliest days.

  [60] Fields will bear harvest

  without labor,

  all sickness will disappear,

  Balder will come back.

  Hoth and Balder

  will live in Odin’s hall,

  as well as other gods.

  Have you learned enough yet, Allfather?

  [61] Then Honir will speak

  forth his prophecies,

  and the two sons of Odin,

  the two brothers,

  will inhabit the heavens.

  Have you learned enough yet, Allfather?

  {16} [62] I see a hall standing there,

  more beautiful than sunlight,

  thatched with gold,

  at Gimle.

  There bold men

  will dwell

  and enjoy cheer

  throughout their lives.

  [63] Then the dark dragon

  will come flying

  down from the dark mountains,

  that glistening serpent.

  Nithhogg will bear corpses

  in his wings

  as he flies over that valley …

  now I must retire.

  {17} Havamal (The Counsel of Odin the One-Eyed)

  The text called Havamal (literally “Words of the One-Eyed,” or “Words of the High One,” either way a reference to Odin) appears to be sewn together from perhaps five or six earlier poems; the first, Gestathattr (“The Guest Part”), comprises roughly stanzas 1–81 and is the most famous part of the poem. This might be considered a Norse equivalent of the Book of Proverbs, containing as it does a series of disconnected stanzas encouraging wisdom and moderation in living one’s life. Gestathattr is followed by Domi Othins (“Odin’s Love Adventures”), which contains general advice about love, and two stories told from the perspective of the god as he tries (once succeeding, once failing) to secure the love of giant women (he fails to seduce Billing’s daughter, but he wins over Gunnloth, who gives him the mead of poetry). The poem then segues into Loddfafnismal (“Words for Loddfafnir”) another series of advice stanzas addressed to an unknown character named Loddfafnir. These sections are followed in turn by Runatal (“Tally of the Runes”), in which Odin speaks of the mysterious fashion in which he sacrificed himself to himself for the knowledge of the runic alphabet, and finally the Ljothatal (“Tally of Songs,” st. 146–63), a list of the eighteen magical spells that Odin claims to know. Most stanzas convey one single thought, but some (e.g. st. 75) comprise two or three seemingly unrelated proverbs. The order of stanzas 88 and 89 has been reversed in order to convey their meaning more clearly, but the original numbering is indicated.

  Havamal

  [1] AT EVERY DOORWAY

  before you enter,

  you should look around,

  you should take a good look around—

  for you never know where your enemies

  might be seated within.

  {18} [2] Hail to a good host!

  A guest has come inside, where should he sit?

  He is impatient,

  standing on the threshold,

  ready to try his luck.

  [3] He needs a fire,

  the one who has just come in,

  his knees are shivering.

  Food and dry cloth
es

  will do him well,

  after his journey over the mountains.

  [4] He needs water,

  the one who has just arrived,

  dry clothes, and a warm welcome

  from a friendly host—

  and if he can get it,

  a chance to listen and be listened to.

  [5] A man needs wisdom

  if he plans to wander widely;

  life is easier at home.

  He’ll be laughed at

  if he sits among the wise

  and has nothing to say.

  [6] A wise man

  is not showy about his wisdom;

  he guards it carefully.

  He is silent when he comes

  to a stranger’s home.

  The wise man seldom wanders into harm,

  for you can never have

  a more faithful friend

  than a good supply of wisdom.

  [7] The watchful guest,

  when he arrives for a meal,

  should keep his mouth shut,

  {19} listening with his ears

  and watching with his eyes—

  that’s how the wise get wiser.

  [8] A man is happy

  if he finds praise and friendship

  within himself.

  You can never be sure

  of where you stand

  in someone else’s heart.

  [9] A man is happy

  if he finds good advice

  within himself.

  Many men have received

  bad advice

  by trusting someone else.

  [10] A traveler cannot bring

  a better burden on the road

  than plenty of wisdom.

  It will prove better than money

  in an unfamiliar place—

  wisdom is the comfort of the poor.

  [11] A traveler cannot bring

  a better burden on the road

  than plenty of wisdom,

  and he can bring no worse a burden

  than too much alcohol.

  [12] There is not as much good

  as men claim there is

  in alcohol for one’s well-being.

  A man knows less

  as he drinks more,

  and loses more and more of his wisdom.

  [13] It’s as if a memory-stealing bird

  flies overhead while you drink,

  and steals your mind away.

  {20} I myself have been trapped

  in that bird’s feathers,

  when I drank at Gunnloth’s home.

  [14] I was drunk,

  I was too drunk,

  at Fjalar’s house.

  The best kind of feast

  is the one you go home from

  with all your wits about you.

  [15] A noble man should

  be silent, thoughtful,

  and bold in battle.

  But every man should also

  be cheerful and happy,

  till the inevitable day of death.

  [16] An unwise man

  thinks he’ll live forever

  if only he can avoid a fight,

  but old age

  will give him no peace,

  even if weapons do.

  [17] A foolish man

  misuses his mouth—

  he talks too much, or says nothing.

  As soon as

  he gets a drink,

  he’ll say anything he knows.

  [18] Only a man

  who is wide-traveled

  and has wandered far

  can know something

  about how other men think.

  Such a man is wise.

  [19] Don’t hold on to the mead-horn,

  but drink your fair share.

  Say something useful or stay quiet.

  {21} And no one else

  will judge you poorly

  if you go to sleep early.

  [20] A gluttonous man,

  unless he watches himself,

  will eat to his own detriment.

  Wise men will often

  ridicule a fool

  on account of his belly.

  [21] Even cows know

  when they should go home

  and leave behind the fields,

  but an unwise man

  does not know

  the measure of his own appetite.

  [22] A stupid man

  and an undisciplined one

  laughs at everything.

  He hasn’t learned

  a lesson that would do him good:

  he himself isn’t flawless.

  [23] A fool

  stays awake all night

  worrying about everything.

  He’s fatigued

  when the morning comes,

  and his problems remain unsolved.

  [24] An unwise man

  thinks anyone who laughs with him

  is his friend.

  He doesn’t understand

  that the wise are mocking him,

  even when he overhears them.

  [25] An unwise man

  thinks anyone who laughs with him

  is his friend,

  {22} but he won’t find these friends

  when he goes to court—

  no one will speak on his behalf.

  [26] A stupid man

  thinks he knows everything

  if he gets himself in a tough corner.

  But he doesn’t even know

  what he’ll answer,

  if men ask him questions.

  [27] It’s best for a fool

  to keep his mouth shut

  among other people.

  No one will know

  he knows nothing,

  if he says nothing.

  Ill-informed people

  are also the ones

  who don’t know when to stop talking.

  [28] You will seem wise

  if you know the answer,

  and know how to explain it.

  People are not able

  to keep a secret

  of what they hear about other people.

  [29] You will hurt yourself

  with all your talking

  if you never close your mouth.

  A hasty tongue,

  unless it’s disciplined,

  often earns its owner punishment.

  [30] No one should

  ridicule anyone else,

  even if he owes him money.

  Many a man seems wise

  if he is never questioned,

  but he may prove otherwise.

  {23} [31] A man may seem wise

  if he pokes fun at another

  when the other man is away.

  But the man who talks

  behind another man’s back

  is a fool, even if his listeners laugh.

  [32] Many men

  are kind,

  but can be driven to fight.

  There will always

  be conflict between men:

  where there’s more than one, there’s a fight.

  [33] You should eat

  your meals early,

  unless you’re visiting a friend.

  A hungry man

  sits and gets sluggish,

  and his wits are impaired.

  [34] It’s a long and crooked walk

  to a bad friend,

  even if he lives nearby.

  But it’s an easy road

  to a good friend,

  no matter how long the journey.

  [35] You should keep moving.

  You should never be a guest forever

  in any one place.

  Your welcome will wear out

  if you stay too long

  beneath another’s roof.

  [36] It’s better to have a home,

  even if it’s little—

  everyone should call somewhere “home.”

  Even if you own just tw
o goats

  beneath a faulty roof,

  that’s still better than begging.

  {24} [37] Better to have a home,

  even if it’s little—

  everyone should call somewhere “home.”

  Your heart will be wounded

  if you have to beg for every meal

  from somebody else.

  [38] Never go

  even a single step

  without a weapon at your side;

  you never know

  when you might find yourself

  in need of a spear.

  [39] I have never met a man so generous

  nor so hospitable

  that he would not welcome repayment,

  nor have I met a man

  so giving that he’d turn down

  a thing offered in return.

  [40] Do not be so sparing

  in using your money

  that you don’t use it for your own needs.

  Often what you save for your children

  will end up in the hands of your enemies—

  many things will go worse than you expect.

  [41] Friends should provide their friends

  with weapons and clothing;

  this kind of generosity shows.

  Generous mutual giving

  is the key

  to lifelong friendship.

  [42] Be a friend

  to your friend,

  and repay each gift with a gift.

  Repay laughter

  with laughter,

  repay treachery with treachery.

  {25} [43] Be a friend

  to your friend

  and also to his friend,

  but never be a friend

  to the enemy

  of your friend.

  [44] If you have a good friend,

  and really trust him,

  and want good to come of your friendship,

  you should speak your mind with him,

  exchange gifts,

  visit him often.

  [45] But if you have another friend,

  and you mistrust him

  but want to benefit from him, nonetheless—

  you should speak to him kindly,

  flatter him,

  and repay his treachery with your own.

  [46] This same friend,

  if you mistrust him,

  and suspect him to be false in his words:

  you should talk with him,

  laugh with him,

  but repay just what he gives you.

  [47] I was young once,

  I walked alone,

  and I became lost on my way.

  I felt like I was rich

  when I met another traveler—

  people’s joy is in other people.

  [48] Kind, brave people

  live best,

  they never nurture a grudge.

  It’s unwise

  to spend your life worrying,

  dreading your responsibilities.

  {26} [49] I gave my clothes

  to two scarecrows,

  once when I walked in a field.

  They thought they were human

  as soon as they had clothes on;

  a naked man feels ashamed.

  [50] A fir-tree decays,