Voluspo: The Wise-Woman’s Prophecy

Hearing I ask | from the holy races,From Heimdall’s sons, | both high and low;Thou wilt, Valfather, | that well I relateOld 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 treeWith 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 southHer 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 dwarfsOut of Brimir’s blood | and the legs of Blain.

There was Motsognir | the mightiest madeOf 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.

Heptifili, | Hannar, Sviur,Frar, Hornbori, | Fræg and Loni,Aurvang, Jari, | Eikinskjaldi.

The race of the dwarfs | in Dvalin’s throngDown to Lofar | the list must I tell;The rocks they left, | and through wet landsThey sought a home | in the fields of sand.

There were Draupnir | and Dolgthrasir,Hor, Haugspori, | Hlevang, Gloin,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 allottedTo 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, hiddenUnder the high-reaching | holy tree;On it there pours | from Valfather’s pledgeA 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 mornDoes 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,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 fairCame 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 soreFor Valhall’s need: | would you know yet more?

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 gladTo see her mate: | would you know yet more?

Northward a hall | in NithavellirOf 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 wildTreacherous 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 guiseWas 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 soonCome 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 seeOf 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 fateIs 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 highThe 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 seeOf 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 eagleGnaws corpses screaming; | Naglfar is loose.

O’er the sea from the north | there sails a shipWith the people of Hel, | 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 swordFull 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 seeOf the fate of the gods, | the mighty in fight.

Now do I see | the earth anewRise 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 againShall 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 abideIn 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.

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.

54. As quoted by Snorri the first line of this stanza runs: “FaresOthin’s son | to fight with the wolf.” Sigfather (“Father ofVictory”): Othin. His son, Vithar, is the silent god, famed chiefly forhis great shield, and his strength, which is little less than Thor’s.He survives the destruction. The giant’s son: Fenrir.

“The gods shall find there, | wondrous fair,The golden tables | amid the grass.”

“Rule he orders, | and rights he fixes,Laws he ordains | that ever shall live.”