The Poetic Edda: A Study Guide
The Speech of the Masked One
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MS No. 2365 4to [R]
AM 748 I 4to [A]
Normalized Text:
Hetomc Grímnir,
hetomc Gangleri,
Herjann ok Hjálmberi,
Þekkr ok Þriði,
Þunðr ok Uðr,
Helblindi
ok Hár.
hætumz Ganglæri,
Herjann ok Hjálmberi,
Þekkr ok Þriði,
Þuðr ok Uðr,
Herblindi ok Hár.
hétumk Gangleri,
Herjann ok Hjálmberi,
Þekkr ok Þriði,
Þuðr ok Uðr,
Herblindi ok Hár.
Ganglari W, Gangari r,
heriann UW757,
in Icelandic Poetry
“The Song of Grimnir”
in Edda Sæmundar Hinns Frôða
“The Lay of Grimnir”
XLV.
When in the nations I am seen,
Mortals who to my fanes convene
Shall hail me with a thousand names,[1]
| [1] "Shall hail &c." --- The names of Odin are the following: Grimer, Gangler, Herian, Hialmber, Theccer, Thrid, Thud, Uder, Helblind, Harr, Sader, Snipal, Sann-getal, Herteiter, Hnicarr, Bileyger, Bal-eyger, Baulvercer, Fiolner, Grimar, Grimner, Glapsuid, Fiolsuid, Sithaviter, Sidsceggar, Sigfander, Henikuder, Alfander, Valfander, Atrid, Farmat, Jale, Rialer, Vider, Osci, Omi, Jafnhar, Biflinder, Gondler, Harbard, Suidur, Suidner, Ygger, Thunder, Vacer, Hropter, Gauten, Jalcer, Ofner, Suafner. |
46. I am called Grim,
I am called Gangleri,
Herian and Hjalmberi,
Thekk and Thridi,
Thund and Ud,
Helblindi and Har,
Dits de Grimnir
"Grimnir's Poem"
in Edda Saemundar
“The Sayings of Grimnir”
Aime-Troupe, et Porte-Casque,
Agréable, et Troisième, Corneur, et Ventant,
Ténébreux-comme-Hel, et Sublime;
One called me Masked (Grîmr) one called me Pedestrian (Gangraðr),
Likes-Troops (Herian), and Carries-Helmet (Hiâlmberi),
Pleasant (Þekkr), and Third (Þrîði), Trumpeteer (Þuðr) and Blowing (Uðr),
Dark-as-Hel (Helblindi), and Sublime (Hâr);
Helm-bearer, Lord of the Host,
Well-comer, Third Highest, Wave, and Slender,
High One, Dazzler of Hel.
in The Poetic Edda
“Grimnismol: The Ballad of Grimnir”
in The Poetic Edda
“The Lay of Grimnir”
Hergan and Hjalmberi,
Thekk and Thrithi, Thuth and Uth,
Helblind and Hor;
Thekk (72) and Thrithi,(73) Thuth and Uth, Helblindi and Har.(74)
68) Grim is short for Grimnir (see the Prose above). A number of the following names cannot be satisfactorily explained.
69) "The Way-Weary."
70) "War God" (?).
71) "Helm-Bearer."
72) "The Welcome One."
73) "The Third," (with Har, below, and Jafnhar in St. 50). This trinity seems to betray Christian influence.
74) "One-Eyed"; but, as evidenced by Jafnhar, "Equally High" (St. 50), the name was at an early time confused with the homonymous word meaning "high."
in The Elder Edda
“The Lay of Grimnir”
in the The Elder Edda
Herjan and Hjalmberi,
Thekk and Thridi, Thund and Ud,
Helblindi and Har.
My name is Grim, my name is Gangleri,
Herjan and Hjalmberi,
Thekk and Thridi, Thund and Ud,
Helblindi and Har.
in The Poetic Edda
“Grimnir’s Sayings”
in The Poetic Edda, Vol. III:
Mythological Poems
“The Lay of Grimnir”
Warrior and Helm-wearer,
Known and Third, Thund and Ud,
Hellblind and High;
*Odin reckons up a long list of names by which he is known. Some have meanings, others are obscure.
46. I was called Mask,
I was called Much-Travelled,
War Lord and Helm Wearer,
Well Informed and third Man,
Slender and Sword,
Hell Blind and Blind Eye,
The Elder Edda: A Book of Viking Lore
'The Lay of Grimnir"
in The Poetic Edda
“The Words of Odin in Disguise"
War-lord and Helm-bearer,
Knowing and Third,
Thund and Ud,
Hel-blind and High,
I have called myself Wanderer,
Warrior and Helm-Wearer,
Famed One and Third,
Thunder and Wave,
Hel-blind and One-eye
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Rasmus Anderson (1872) Endnotes to the Younger Edda:
"What the etymology of all these names is, it is not easy to tell. The most of them are clearly Norse words, and express the various activities of their owner. It is worthy of notice that it is added when and where Odin bore this or that name (his name was Grimnir at Geirrod's, Jalk at Asmund's, etc.), and that the words sometimes indicate a progressive development, as Thund, then Ygg, and then Odin. First he was a mere sound in the air (Thund), then he took to thinking (Ygg), and at last he became the inspiring soul of the universe.
Although we are unable to define all these names, they certainly each have a distinct meaning, and our ancestors certainly understood them perfectly. Har = the High One; Jafnhar = the Equally High One; Thridi = the Third; Alfather probably contracted from Alda-foðr = the Father of the Ages and the Creations; Veratyr = the Lord of Beings; Rognir = the Ruler (from regin); Goð (Gautr, from gjotu, to cast) = the Creator, Lat. Instillator; Mjotud = the Creator, the word being allied to Anglo-Saxon meotod, metod, Germ. Messe?; and means originally cutter; but to cut and to make are synonymous. Such names as these have reference to Odin's divinity as creator, arranger and ruler of gods and men.
Svid and Fjolsvid = the swift, the wise; Gangleri, Gangrad and Vegtam = the wanderer, the waywont; Vidrir = the weather-ruler, together with serpent-names like Ofnir, Svafnir, etc., refer to Odin's knowledge, his journeys, the various shapes he assumes. Permeating all nature, he appears in all its forms.
Names like Sidhott = the slouchy hat; Sidskegg = the long-beard; Baleygr = the burning-eye; Grimnir = the masked; Jalk (Jack) = the youth, etc., express the various forms in which he was thought to appear,— to his slouchy hat, his long beard, or his age, etc.
Such names as Sanngetal = the true investigator; Farmatyr = the cargo-god, etc., refer to his various occupations as inventor, discoverer of runes, protector of trade and commerce, etc.
Finally, all such names as Herfather = father of hosts; Herjan = the devastator; Sigfather = the father of victory; Sigtyr = god of victory; Skilfing = producing trembling; Hnikar = the breaker, etc., represent Odin as the god of war and victory. Oski = wish, is thus called because he gratifies our desires. "Jere Fleck, Odin's Self-Sacrifice Part II, 1971:
"We must understand that the text was not intended to provide a clear, concise first source of information-but rather, a poetic presentation based on well-known mythical 'fact'. The artistic effectiveness of such a text must depend to a large extent on replacing pedestrian directness with literary fancy. The discovery that one and the same person, place or thing is referred to under many different names should not be surprising. If our text were skaldic verse, we would accept such polyonymy simply as the poet's method of satisfying the strict metric demands of his chosen form. ...The religious decoding of the relevant textual corpus therefore depends largely on establishing the identities obscured by polyonymy. " —Jere Fleck, 1971.
"I am called..."
A line over the u in the Codex Regius manuscript makes the reading Þunðr possible.
Þunðr, m. gen. Þundar; [prob. akin to Engl. thunder?].
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