Völuspá

Hearing I ask

from the holy races,

From Heimdall's sons,

both high and low;

Thou wilt, Valfather,

that well I relate

Old tales I remember

of men long ago.

I remember yet

the giants of yore,

Who gave me bread

in the days gone by;

Nine worlds I knew,

the nine in the tree

With mighty roots

beneath the mold.

Of old was the age

when Ymir lived;

Sea nor cool waves

nor sand there were;

Earth had not been,

nor heaven above,

But a yawning gap,

and grass nowhere.

Then Bur's sons lifted

the level land,

Mithgarth the mighty

there they made;

The sun from the south

warmed the stones of earth,

And green was the ground

with growing leeks.

The sun, the sister

of the moon, from the south

Her right hand cast

over heaven's rim;

No knowledge she had

where her home should be,

The moon knew not

what might was his,

The stars knew not

where their stations were.

Then sought the gods

their assembly-seats,

The holy ones,

and council held;

Names then gave they

to noon and twilight,

Morning they named,

and the waning moon,

Night and evening,

the years to number.

At Ithavoll met

the mighty gods,

Shrines and temples

they timbered high;

Forges they set, and

they smithied ore,

Tongs they wrought,

and tools they fashioned.

In their dwellings at peace

they played at tables,

Of gold no lack

did the gods then know,

Till thither came

up giant-maids three,

Huge of might,

out of Jotunheim.

Then sought the gods

their assembly-seats,

The holy ones,

and council held,

To find who should raise

the race of dwarfs

Out of Brimir's blood

and the legs of Blain.

There was Motsognir

the mightiest made

Of all the dwarfs,

and Durin next;

Many a likeness

of men they made,

The dwarfs in the earth,

as Durin said.

Nyi and Nithi,

Northri and Suthri,

Austri and Vestri,

Althjof, Dvalin,

Nar and Nain,

Niping, Dain,

Bifur, Bofur,

Bombur, Nori,

An and Onar,

Ai, Mjothvitnir.

Vigg and Gandalf

Vindalf, Thrain,

Thekk and Thorin,

Thror, Vit and Lit,

Nyr and Nyrath,

now have I told

Regin and Rathsvith

the list aright.

Fili, Kili,

Fundin, Nali,

Heptifili,

Hannar, Sviur,

Frar, Hornbori,

Fræg and Loni,

Aurvang, Jari,

Eikinskjaldi.

The race of the dwarfs

in Dvalin's throng

Down to Lofar

the list must I tell;

The rocks they left,

and through wet lands

They sought a home

in the fields of sand.

There were Draupnir

and Dolgthrasir,

Hor, Haugspori,

Hlevang, Gloin,

Dori, Ori,

Duf, Andvari,

Skirfir, Virfir,

Skafith, Ai.

Alf and Yngvi,

Eikinskjaldi,

Fjalar and Frosti,

Fith and Ginnar;

So for all time

shall the tale be known,

The list of all

the forbears of Lofar.

Then from the throng

did three come forth,

From the home of the gods,

the mighty and gracious;

Two without fate

on the land they found,

Ask and Embla,

empty of might.

Soul they had not,

sense they had not,

Heat nor motion,

nor goodly hue;

Soul gave Othin,

sense gave Hönir,

Heat gave Lothur

and goodly hue.

An ash I know,

Yggdrasil its name,

With water white

is the great tree wet;

Thence come the dews

that fall in the dales,

Green by Urth's well

does it ever grow.

Thence come the maidens

mighty in wisdom,

Three from the dwelling

down 'neath the tree;

Urth is one named,

Verthandi the next,

On the wood they scored,

and Skuld the third.

Laws they made there,

and life allotted

To the sons of men,

and set their fates.

The war I remember,

the first in the world,

When the gods with spears

had smitten Gollveig,

And in the hall

of Hor had burned her,

Three times burned,

and three times born,

Oft and again,

yet ever she lives.

Heith they named her

who sought their home,

The wide-seeing witch,

in magic wise;

Minds she bewitched

that were moved by her magic,

To evil women

a joy she was.

On the host his spear

did Othin hurl,

Then in the world

did war first come;

The wall that girdled

the gods was broken,

And the field by the warlike

Wanes was trodden.

Then sought the gods

their assembly-seats,

The holy ones,

and council held,

Whether the gods

should tribute give,

Or to all alike

should worship belong.

Then sought the gods

their assembly-seats,

The holy ones,

and council held,

To find who with venom

the air had filled,

Or had given Oth's bride

to the giants' brood.

In swelling rage

then rose up Thor,

Seldom he sits

when he such things hears,

And the oaths were broken,

the words and bonds,

The mighty pledges

between them made.

I know of the horn

of Heimdall, hidden

Under the high-reaching

holy tree;

On it there pours

from Valfather's pledge

A mighty stream:

would you know yet more?

Alone I sat

when the Old One sought me,

The terror of gods,

and gazed in mine eyes:

"What hast thou to ask?

why comest thou hither?

Othin, I know

where thine eye is hidden."

I know where Othin's

eye is hidden,

Deep in the wide-famed

well of Mimir;

Mead from the pledge

of Othin each mom

Does Mimir drink:

would you know yet more?

Necklaces had I

and rings from Heerfather,

Wise was my speech

and my magic wisdom;

*********

Widely I saw

over all the worlds.

On all sides saw I

Valkyries assemble,

Ready to ride

to the ranks of the gods;

Skuld bore the shield,

and Skogul rode next,

Guth, Hild, Gondul,

and Geirskogul.

Of Herjan's maidens

the list have ye heard,

Valkyries ready

to ride o'er the earth.

I saw for Baldr,

the bleeding god,

The son of Othin,

his destiny set:

Famous and fair

in the lofty fields,

Full grown in strength

the mistletoe stood.

From the branch which seemed

so slender and fair

Came a harmful shaft

that Hoth should hurl;

But the brother of Baldr

was born ere long,

And one night old

fought Othin's son.

His hands he washed not,

his hair he combed not,

Till he bore to the bale-blaze

Baldr's foe.

But in Fensalir

did Frigg weep sore

For Valhall's need:

would you know yet more?

Then did Váli slaughter bonds twist:

made farily grim were those fetters of guts.

One did I see

in the wet woods bound,

A lover of ill,

and to Loki like;

By his side does Sigyn

sit, nor is glad

To see her mate:

would you know yet more?

From the east there pours

through poisoned vales

With swords and daggers

the river Slith.

Northward a hall

in Nithavellir

Of gold there rose

for Sindri's race;

And in Okolnir

another stood,

Where the giant Brimir

his beer-hall had.

A hall I saw,

far from the sun,

On Nastrond it stands,

and the doors face north,

Venom drops

through the smoke-vent down,

For around the walls

do serpents wind.

I saw there wading

through rivers wild

Treacherous men

and murderers too,

And workers of ill

with the wives of men;

There Nithhogg sucked

the blood of the slain,

And the wolf tore men;

would you know yet more?

The giantess old

in Ironwood sat,

In the east, and bore

the brood of Fenrir;

Among these one

in monster's guise

Was soon to steal

the sun from the sky.

There feeds he full

on the flesh of the dead,

And the home of the gods

he reddens with gore;

Dark grows the sun,

and in summer soon

Come mighty storms:

would you know yet more?

On a hill there sat,

and smote on his harp,

Eggther the joyous,

the giants warder;

Above him the cock

in the bird-wood crowed,

Fair and red

did Fjalar stand.

Then to the gods

crowed Gollinkambi,

He wakes the heroes

in Othin's hall;

And beneath the earth

does another crow,

The rust-red bird

at the bars of Hel.

Now Garm howls loud

before Gnipahellir,

The fetters will burst,

and the wolf run free;

Much do I know,

and more can see

Of the fate of the gods,

the mighty in fight.

Brothers shall fight

and fell each other,

And sisters sons

shall kinship stain;

Hard is it on earth,

with mighty whoredom;

Axe-time, sword-time,

shields are sundered,

Wind-time, wolf-time,

ere the world falls;

Nor ever shall men

each other spare.

Fast move the sons

of Mim, and fate

Is heard in the note

of the Gjallarhorn;

Loud blows Heimdall,

the horn is aloft,

In fear quake all

who on Hel-roads are.

Yggdrasil shakes,

and shiver on high

The ancient limbs,

and the giant is loose;

To the head of Mim

does Othin give heed,

But the kinsman of Surt

shall slay him soon.

How fare the gods?

how fare the elves?

All Jotunheim groans,

the gods are at council;

Loud roar the dwarfs

by the doors of stone,

The masters of the rocks:

would you know yet more?

Now Garm howls loud

before Gnipahellir,

The fetters will burst,

and the wolf run free

Much do I know,

and more can see

Of the fate of the gods,

the mighty in fight.

From the east comes Hrym

with shield held high;

In giant-wrath

does the serpent writhe;

O'er the waves he twists,

and the tawny eagle

Gnaws corpses screaming;

Naglfar is loose.

O'er the sea from the east

there sails a ship

With the people of Muspell,

at the helm stands Loki;

After the wolf

do wild men follow,

And with them the brother

of Byleist goes.

Surt fares from the south

with the scourge of branches,

The sun of the battle-gods

shone from his sword;

The crags are sundered,

the giant-women sink,

The dead throng Hel-way,

and heaven is cloven.

Now comes to Hlin

yet another hurt,

When Othin fares

to fight with the wolf,

And Beli's fair slayer

seeks out Surt,

For there must fall

the joy of Frigg.

Then comes Sigfather's

mighty son,

Vithar, to fight

with the foaming wolf;

In the giant's son

does he thrust his sword

Full to the heart:

his father is avenged.

Hither there comes

the son of Hlothyn,

The bright snake gapes

to heaven above;

*********

Against the serpent

goes Othin's son.

In anger smites

the warder of earth,

Forth from their homes

must all men flee;

Nine paces fares

the son of Fjorgyn,

And, slain by the serpent,

fearless he sinks.

The sun turns black,

earth sinks in the sea,

The hot stars down

from heaven are whirled;

Fierce grows the steam

and the life-feeding flame,

Till fire leaps high

about heaven itself.

Now Garm howls loud

before Gnipahellir,

The fetters will burst,

and the wolf run free;

Much do I know,

and more can see

Of the fate of the gods,

the mighty in fight.

Now do I see

the earth anew

Rise all green

from the waves again;

The cataracts fall,

and the eagle flies,

And fish he catches

beneath the cliffs.

The gods in Ithavoll

meet together,

Of the terrible girdler

of earth they talk,

And the mighty past

they call to mind,

And the ancient runes

of the Ruler of Gods.

In wondrous beauty

once again

Shall the golden tables

stand mid the grass,

Which the gods had owned

in the days of old,

Then fields unsowed

bear ripened fruit,

All ills grow better,

and Baldr comes back;

Baldr and Hoth dwell

in Hropt's battle-hall,

And the mighty gods:

would you know yet more?

Then Hönir wins

the prophetic wand,

And the sons of the brothers

of Tveggi abide

In Vindheim now:

would you know yet more?

More fair than the sun,

a hall I see,

Roofed with gold,

on Gimle it stands;

There shall the righteous

rulers dwell,

And happiness ever

there shall they have.

There comes on high,

all power to hold,

A mighty lord,

all lands he rules.

From below the dragon

dark comes forth,

Nithhogg flying

from Nithafjoll;

The bodies of men on

his wings he bears,

The serpent bright:

but now must I sink.