The Poetic Edda Read online

  a real friend will disagree with you openly.

  [125] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  Don’t speak even three words

  with a man worse than you.

  Often the better man will lose

  when a worse man fights him.

  {40} [126] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  Don’t make shoes,

  and don’t make weapons,

  except for yourself;

  if there’s a flaw in the shoe,

  or the spearshaft is crooked,

  your name will be cursed.

  [127] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  When you are at war,

  call it war,

  and give your enemies no peace.

  [128] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  Never be glad

  to hear bad news,

  but be cheerful about good news.

  [129] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  You should never look up

  when you’re in a fight—

  men who do so

  may get turned to stone—

  beware, or someone may curse you.

  [130] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  {41} If you want to win a good woman,

  speak cheerfully with her,

  and enjoy it while you do,

  make promises to her,

  and keep your promises,

  you’ll never regret winning such a prize.

  [131] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  I advise you to be wary,

  though never fearful:

  be most wary about drinking,

  about other men’s women,

  and about a third thing:

  about men and their temptation to steal.

  [132] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  Never mock,

  never laugh at,

  a guest nor a wanderer.

  [133] Those inside the house

  rarely know anything

  about the stranger who knocks at their door,

  but there is no man so good

  that he has no flaw,

  nor a man so bad he’s good for nothing.

  [134] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  Never laugh

  at an old man.

  There is often wisdom in what old men say;

  wise words will often

  come from a gray-bearded mouth.

  {42} From those who hang with dried skins,

  those who swing with dried skins,

  those who wave with dried skins.

  [135] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  Never spite a guest

  nor be stingy with your food—

  treat a poor wanderer well.

  [136] Otherwise it’s a bitter tree

  you’ll find yourself hanging from

  in the sight of all.

  Give a beggar something,

  or he will call

  a curse down on your every limb.

  [137] I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

  if you’ll take my advice,

  you’ll profit if you learn it,

  it’ll do you good if you remember it:

  When you drink beer,

  choose the might of the earth,

  for the earth is good against beer,

  and fire against sickness,

  oak against an irritable bowel,

  wheat against magic,

  an elder-tree against family quarrels,

  maggots against venomous bites,

  runes against distress,

  ground against water.

  Swear your hate beneath the moon.

  [138] I know that I hung

  on a wind-battered tree

  nine long nights,

  pierced by a spear

  and given to Odin,

  myself to myself,

  on that tree

  {43} whose roots grow in a place

  no one has ever seen.

  [139] No one gave me food,

  no one gave me drink.

  At the end I peered down,

  I took the runes—

  screaming, I took them—

  and then I fell.

  [140] I learned nine spells

  from the famous son of Bolthorn,

  the father of Bestla,

  and I won a drink

  of that precious mead,

  poured from Othrerir.

  [141] My imagination expanded,

  I became wise,

  I grew, and I thrived.

  One word chased another word

  flowing from my mouth,

  one deed chased another deed

  flowing from my hands.

  [142] You will find runes,

  runic letters to read,

  very great runes,

  very powerful runes,

  which Odin painted,

  and which the holy gods made,

  and which Odin carved.

  [143] Odin carved for the gods,

  and Dain for the elves,

  Dvalin for the dwarves,

  and Asvith for the giants;

  I carved some myself.

  [144] Do you know how to write them?

  Do you know how to read them?

  Do you know how to paint them?

  {44} Do you know how to test them?

  Do you know how to ask them?

  Do you know how to bless them?

  Do you know how to send them?

  Do you know how to offer them?

  [145] It is better not to pray at all

  than to pray for too much;

  nothing will be given that you won’t repay.

  It is better to sacrifice nothing

  than to offer too much.

  Odin carved this

  before the birth of humankind,

  when he rose up

  and returned again.

  [146] I know magic spells

  that no woman knows

  and no man, either.

  The first is called “Help,”

  and it will help you

  in lawsuits and sadness,

  and all kinds of worries.

  [147] I know a second spell

  which men need

  if they want to heal others.

  [148] I know a third spell;

  if I have a great need

  to thwart my enemies,

  I dull the edges

  of their weapons,

  and none of their blades will bite.

  [149] I know a fourth spell;

  if chains and locks are placed

  upon my limbs,

&nbs
p; I cast this spell

  so that I can escape.

  The chains burst from my hands,

  the locks burst from my feet.

  {45} [150] I know a fifth spell;

  if I see a spear cast

  into a crowd of battling foes,

  it cannot fly so fast

  that I can’t change its course,

  as long as I can see it.

  [151] I know a sixth spell;

  if a man carves a curse against me

  in runes on the root of a tree,

  I call this spell down

  upon that man,

  and his curse harms him instead of me.

  [152] I know a seventh spell;

  if I see a great flame

  consuming a hall full of people,

  it cannot burn so bright

  that I cannot save those inside;

  I know how to cast this spell.

  [153] I know an eighth spell;

  it would be useful

  for anyone to learn it.

  When hate arises

  between any two people,

  I can cool their tempers.

  [154] I know a ninth spell;

  if the need arises

  for me to save a ship upon the sea,

  I can calm the wind

  upon the waves

  and soothe the sea to sleep.

  [155] I know a tenth spell;

  if I see witches

  at play in the air,

  I can cast this spell

  so that they get lost,

  {46} so they can’t find their skins,

  so they can’t find their minds.

  [156] I know an eleventh spell;

  if I lead old friends

  into a battle,

  I enchant their shields

  so that they will have the victory;

  they will go to battle unharmed,

  and return from battle unharmed.

  They will come home without harm.

  [157] I know a twelfth spell;

  if I see, hanging from a tree,

  a dead man’s corpse,

  I carve some runes

  and paint them,

  and then that corpse will walk

  and speak with me.

  [158] I know a thirteenth spell;

  if I sprinkle water

  upon a new-born boy,

  he will never be killed

  even if he goes into battle;

  that man will not die from violence.

  [159] I know a fourteenth spell;

  it allows me to count

  all the gods for men.

  I know the names

  of all the gods and elves,

  and few who are fools can say that.

  [160] I know a fifteenth spell;

  the dwarf Thjothreyrir

  cast it upon Delling’s doors.

  He conjured power for the gods,

  and courage for the elves;

  they knew Odin.

  {47} [161] I know a sixteenth spell;

  if I want to win over a cunning woman

  and have her all to myself,

  I can change the mind

  of that lovely-armed beauty

  and win her favor for myself.

  [162] I know a seventeenth spell,

  to prevent a beautiful woman

  from shunning me.

  Loddfafnir,

  all these spells would be

  useful to you all your life.

  They would profit you if you learned them,

  they’d do you good if you remembered them,

  they’d suit your needs if you could use them.

  [163] I know an eighteenth spell

  which I will never teach

  to a girl or a woman,

  unless maybe to the one

  I call my wife,

  or my sister.

  It is much better

  that one alone should know this,

  which is the last of the spells.

  [164] Now the words of the One-Eyed

  are heard in Valhalla,

  for the benefit of humans,

  for the harm of giants;

  health to you who speak them,

  health to you who know them,

  joy to you who learn them,

  health to you who hear them.

  {48} Vafthruthnismal (Odin’s Contest with Riddle-Weaver)

  Vafthruthnismal involves the visit of Odin to the hall of a giant named Riddle-Weaver (Old Norse Vafthruthnir), who engages Odin in a contest of mythological knowledge. The poem provides not only an interesting portrait of Odin, but, in the stanzas exchanged by Odin and Riddle-Weaver, we also learn a great deal of random information on various myths which might otherwise be unknown. Vafthruthnismal appears in both the Codex Regius and in the manuscript AM 748 I 4to.

  Vafthruthnismal

  Odin said:

  [1] “ADVISE ME NOW, FRIGG;

  I want to travel

  and visit Riddle-Weaver.

  I want to have

  a contest about old lore

  with that wise giant.”

  Frigg said:

  [2] “I would advise you, Odin,

  father of battles, to stay here,

  in the homes of the gods.

  I don’t think there’s any giant

  who is as wise

  as Riddle-Weaver.”

  Odin said:

  [3] “I have traveled so much,

  I have tried much,

  and I have often tested the mighty.

  Now I want to know

  what kind of hospitality

  there is in Riddle-Weaver’s hall.”

  {49} Frigg said:

  [4] “Then travel safe,

  and come back in one piece—

  stay safe on your journeys, Odin!

  May your wits serve you well

  wherever you go,

  when you exchange words with the giant.”

  [5] Odin then went

  to test the wisdom

  of that wise giant.

  Odin came to the hall

  Riddle-Weaver owned,

  and he went straight inside.

  Odin said:

  [6] “Hail, Riddle-Weaver!

  I have come to your hall

  for the purpose of seeing you.

  The first thing I want to know

  is if you are wise—

  or perhaps even all-knowing.”

  Riddle-Weaver said:

  [7] “Who is this man

  who stands in my hall,

  who is this I’m speaking to?

  You won’t leave my hall

  unless you prove yourself

  to be even wiser than I am.”

  Odin said:

  [8] “My name is Good Advisor,

  and I come to your hall

  thirsty from a long journey.

  After my long trip,

  I have need of hospitality

  and a good welcome, giant.”

  {50} Riddle-Weaver said:

  [9] “Well then, ‘Good Advisor,’

  why are you still standing up?

  Take a seat in my hall!

  Then we’ll find out

  who knows more,

  the guest, or his wise old host.”

  Odin said:

  [10] “A poor man,

  if he visits a rich man,

  ought to be silent, or say only what he must.

  Too much talk

  will bring harm to the guest

  of a grudging host.”

  Riddle-Weaver said:

  [11] “Tell me, ‘Good Advisor,’

  if you want to test yourself,

  sitting in your seat in my hall:

  What is the name

  of the horse who pulls the sun

  over the humans below?”

  Odin said:

  [12] “That horse is named Skinfaxi;

  he pulls the bright sun

  over the huma
ns below.

  Everyone thinks he’s the best horse

  who lives in Midgard—

  the mane of that horse always shines.”

  Riddle-Weaver said:

  [13] “Tell me, ‘Good Advisor,’

  if you want to test yourself,

  sitting in your seat in my hall:

  What is the name of the horse

  who pulls the moon, east to west,

  at night over the mighty gods?”

  {51} Odin said:

  [14] “That horse is named Hrimfaxi

  who pulls the moon, east to west,

  every night over the mighty gods.

  The slobber from his mouth

  falls to the ground every morning,

  and that’s the reason for the dew.”

  Riddle-Weaver said:

  [15] “Tell me, ‘Good Advisor,’

  if you want to test yourself,

  sitting in your seat in my hall:

  What is the name

  of the river that separates

  the lands of the gods from the giants’?”

  Odin said:

  [16] “That river is named Ifing,

  which separates the lands

  of the gods from those of the giants.

  That river

  will run free forever;

  it will never freeze over.”

  Riddle-Weaver said:

  [17] “Tell me, ‘Good Advisor,’

  if you want to test yourself,

  sitting in your seat in my hall:

  What is the name

  of the valley where Surt

  will lead the final battle against the gods?”

  Odin said:

  [18] “That valley is named Vigrith,

  where Surt will lead

  the final battle against the gods.

  It is one hundred miles long

  on each side—

  that’s why this valley is chosen.”

  {52} Riddle-Weaver said:

  [19] “You are wise indeed, guest!

  Come sit at my bench,

  let’s talk together here.

  Let’s wager our heads

  on which of us two

  is wiser, here in my hall, guest.”

  Odin said:

  [20] “Tell me this first,

  if your wits serve you well,

  if you know it, Riddle-Weaver:

  How did the earth come to be,

  or heaven; which one was

  the first, giant?”

  Riddle-Weaver said:

  [21] “The earth was made

  from Ymir’s flesh;

  the rocks were made from his bones.

  The sky was made from the skull

  of that ice-cold giant,

  the sea was made from his blood.”

  Odin said:

  [22] “Tell me this second,

  if your wits serve you well,

  if you know it, Riddle-Weaver:

  How did the moon come to be,

  the one that floats over the earth,

  or what about the sun, giant?”

  Riddle-Weaver said:

  [23] “Mundilfari is the name

  of the father of the moon;

  he was also the sun’s father.

  They will float across the sky

  every day, to help the humans