The Poetic Edda

23. Stanzas 23 and 24 name the twelve Berserkers, the sons of Arngrim and Eyfura, the story of whom is told in the Hervararsaga and the Orvar-Oddssaga. Saxo Grammaticus tells of the battle between them and Hjalmar and Orvar-Odd. Line 1 does not appear in the manuscript, but is added from the list of names given in the sagas. The Berserkers were wild warriors, distinguished above all by the fits of frenzy to which they were subject in battle; during these fits they howled like wild beasts, foamed at the mouth, and gnawed the iron rims of their shields. At such times they were proof against steel or fire, but when the fever abated they were weak. The etymology of the word berserk is disputed; probably, however, it means “bear-shirt.”

Hjorvarth was the name of a king, who had four wives: one was called Alfhild, and their son was named Hethin; the second was called Særeith, and their son was named Humlung; the third was called Sinrjoth, and their son was named Hymling. King Hjorvarth had made a great vow to have as wife whatsoever woman he knew was fairest. He learned that King Svafnir had a daughter fairer than all others, whose name was Sigrlin. Ithmund was the name of one of his jarls; he had a son called Atli, who went to woo Sigrlin on behalf of the king. He dwelt the winter long with King Svafnir. There was a jarl called Franmar, Sigrlin’s foster-father; his daughter was named Alof. The jarl told him that the maiden’s hand was denied, and Atli went home. Atli, the jarl’s son, stood one day in a certain wood; a bird sat in the branches up over him, and it had heard that his men called Hjorvarth’s wives the fairest of women. The bird twittered, and Atli hearkened to what it spoke. It said:

22. “Be silent, Othin! | not justly thou settest The fate of the fight among men; Oft gavst thou to him | who deserved not the gift, To the baser, the battle’s prize.”

79. Certain is that | which is sought from runes, That the gods so great have made, And the Master-Poet painted; . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . of the race of gods: Silence is safest and best.

15. There is considerable confusion among the editors as to where this stanza begins and ends.

31. 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.

2. Norns: cf. Voluspo, 20 and note. Here it is the Norns who preside over Helgi’s early destiny, and not a Valkyrie, as in Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar.

49. “The halls of Dan | and Danp are noble, Greater their wealth | than thou hast gained; Good are they | at guiding the keel, Trying of weapons, and giving of wounds.”

18. Breaker of rings: generous prince, because the breaking of rings was the customary form of distributing gold.

23. Then Gollrond, daughter | of Gjuki, spake: “Speak not such words, | thou hated woman; Bane of the noble | thou e’er hast been, (Borne thou art | on an evil wave, Sorrow hast brought | to seven kings,) And many a woman | hast loveless made.”

29. “Harald Battle-tooth | of Auth was born, Hrörek the Ring-giver | her husband was; Auth the Deep-minded | was Ivar’s daughter, But Rathbarth the father | of Randver was: And all are thy kinsmen, | Ottar, thou fool!”

55. A measure of wisdom | each man shall have, But never too much let him know; For the wise man’s heart | is seldom happy, If wisdom too great he has won.

19. “Well did he prove, | when proud he rode To win me then | thy wife to be, How true the host-slayer | ever had held The oaths he had made | with the monarch young.

44. “Let the warriors here | in the hall come forth, Thine and mine, | for the need is mighty, If haply the queen | from death they may hold, Till her fearful thoughts | with time shall fade.”

11. Stanzas 11–15 are probably interpolated, and come from a poem similar to Vafthruthnismol. The headland: Fafnir is apparently quoting proverbs; this one seems to mean that disaster (“the fate of the Norns”) awaits when one rounds the first headland (i.e., at the beginning of life’s voyage, in youth). The third line is a commentary on obstinate rashness. The Volsungasaga paraphrases stanzas 11–15 throughout.

9. Easy is it to know | for him who to Othin Comes and beholds the hall; Its rafters are spears, | with shields is it roofed, On its benches are breastplates strewn.

15. No gap indicated in either manuscript. Bugge and Niedner have attempted emendations, while Hildebrand suggests that the last two lines of stanza 14 are spurious, 14, 1–2, and 15 thus forming a single stanza, which seems doubtful.

Līf′-thras-ir, father of the new race, 80.

55. One of the manuscripts omits stanzas 55 and 56.

26. “Fourth answer me well, | if wise thou art called, If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now: Whence did winter come, | or the summer warm, First with the gracious gods?”

54. The manuscripts and editions show many variations in these names. They may be approximately rendered thus: Helper, Help-Breather, Folk-Guardian, Shining, White, Blithe, Peaceful, Kindly (?), and Gold-Giver.