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Odin's Raven-Magic
  A STUDY GUIDE  
 
Den Ældre Edda
The Elder Edda
En samling af de nordiske folks ældste sagn og sange
A Collection of the Nordic People’s Oldest Stories and Songs
Translated and Explained by
Finnur Magnusson
1821

Odins Ravnes Sang eller Fortale-Digtet
Odin’s Raven Song or Preface-Poem 

  
 

Introduction

  
 

Anledningen til digtets tvende overskrifter er indhyllet i en synderlig dunkelhed. Vi maa formode, at et stykke af sangen, som handler om Odins ravne, nu er tabt for os. Ellers var disse ravne tanke og hukommelse (Hugin og Munin) der mentes at være udsendt fra himlens, luftens og aandens gud, fra hvem ogsaa menneskets aand udgik. Se Grimnersmaal str. 20 med anm. Hin titel kunne altsaa fortolkes simpelthen for Fantasiens Tryllesang eller Digterisk Indbildnings Sammenspind. Den anden benævnelse Fortale-Digtet, (poetisk prolog) sigter vel som Gunnar Paulsen vil, til det fölgende poem Vegtamskvide, der sandsynligvis er af samme forfatter og en fortsættelse af dette - samt muligen til en hel række af mytiske digte, der nu for længst er tabte. Gudmund Magnæus vil oversætte denne titel ved Forudsigelsens eller Spaadommens Sang og jeg tör heller ikke modsige denne hans forklaring ganske, skönt jeg mere hælder til den nysanförte.

The reason for the poem's twin titles is wrapped in a slight obscurity. We must assume that a piece of the song, which was about Odin's ravens, is now lost to us. Otherwise, these ravens Thought and Memory (Hugin and Munin) were believed to be sent from the god of heaven, air, and spirit, from whom also the human spirit emanated. See Grímnismál str 20. with note.  Its title could thus be interpreted simply as the Imagination’s  Magic-Song or the Poem of the Poetic Imagination.  The second title Introductory-Poem (Poetic Prologue) fits well as Gunnar Paulsen says, for the following poem Vegtamskviða, which is probably by the same author and a continuation of this — and possibly for a whole host of mythical poems, now long lost. Gudmund Magnæus will translate this title with Prediction or Prophecy Song and I dare not contradict his explanation more, though I'm more inclined to it being a new addition.  
  Jeg tvivler aldeles ikke om dette digts ægthed og ælde. Det viser först og fremmest dets ældgamle ord, samt tillige dets fragmentariske væsen, og især dets ægte mytiske aand samt den omstændighed, at det kun har saare faa hentydninger til de ellers af Eddaer eller sagaer bekendte fortællinger1 og synes endog, ved förste öjekast, at være visse af dem modstridende. Gudmund Magnæus har fremfört ubegrundede indvendinger mod dets autenticitet, f. eks. at det ikke fandtes i de magnæanske haandskrifter, da det dog er bekendt at deriblandt ikke fandtes nogen af de fuldstændigere Codices af Den ældre Edda, skönt samlingen besidder et herligt bidrag dertil i nogle pergamentslevninger af en ypperlig, men for resten ödelagt bog, som indeholder (blandt andet) det mærkværdige Vegtamskvide, der ellers maatte have mödt de selv samme indvendinger som de nysommeldte. Desuden er det vist, at det heromhandlede poem fandtes i mange haandskrifter som var ældre en Arne Magnusen, samlingens stifter. At Gudmund Magnæus kunne indbilde sig, at Sæmund Frode eller en anden enkelt skjald, havde - paa denne nær - digtet alle Den ældre Eddas sange, som dog er saa höjst forskellige i indhold, aand, sprog og stil, samt bære aabenbare den nöjagtige samlers eller opskrivers præg - det falder mig höjst ubegribeligt. Den af en saa ugrundet og uhjelmet forudsætning dragne indvending finder jeg derfor ingen videre besvarelse værdig, og forbigaar altsaa de övrige, som i grunden ikke er synderlig vægtigere.

 

1 Det sidste er derimod öjensynlig tilfældet med det apokryfiske digt Gunnar Slagr, forfattet i nyere tider, for at efterligne Eddasangene. Vistnok er det ogsaa hvad sproget angaar, et mesterstykke, men dog forekommer deri enkelte nyere ord, som ikke var de gamle bekendte, skönt det var forfattet af en af Islands lærdeste og skarpsindigste oldgranskere.  		 I do not doubt this poem’s authenticity and age at all. First and foremost, it displays its ancient vocabulary, and also its fragmentary nature, and especially its genuine mythic spirit and the fact that it only has very few allusions to the other familiar stories of the  Eddas and sagas1 and may even, at first glance,  seem to contradict some of them. Previously Gudmund Magnæus had unfounded objections to its authenticity, for example, that it did not exist in the Magnæanian manuscripts, when it is known, however, that among them is no complete Codices of the Elder Edda, though the collection makes a wonderful contribution to it in some vellum relics of an excellent, but otherwise destroyed, book that contains (among other things) the remarkable Vegtamskvida [Baldur’s Dreams] which might otherwise have faced the same objections.


Moreover, it has been shown that this poem was written in many manuscripts that are older than Arni Magnusson, the founder of the collection. That Gudmund Magnæus could imagine that Sæmund Fróði or another individual bard, close to him, had composed  all the poems of the Elder Edda, which are so very different in content, spirit, language and style, and obviously bear the actual collector’s or copier’s touch- it seems to me quite unbelievable. This objection drawn on such an unjust and unauthorized premise, therefore, I find unworthy of further discussion, and thus pass over the rest, which are basically not much weightier.  

 

 1 The latter is, however, evidently the case with the apocryphal poem Gunnarsslagr, written in modern times to imitate an Eddic song. No doubt as far as language is concerned, it is a masterpiece, but in it there seems to occur some newer words that are not the ancient forms, though it was written by one of Iceland's most learned and most astute antiquarians.		  
  Jeg er enig med den lærde og sindrige Gunnar Paulsen i den mening, at digtets begyndelse handler om asernes især Baldurs eller Nannas svære drömme i anledning af dennes forestaaende död og verdens deraf endeligen fölgende undergang. Aserne, som nu ikke, formedelst Urds, skæbnens ypperste gudindes beslutning, kunne udgrunde den skjulte fremtids löndomme, henvende sig til tvende væsener af en anden art, som det synes dværge. Deres forklaring giver vel betydelige oplysninger, men findes dog ikke tilfredsstillende. Nu fölger en vidtlöftig, men i henseende til oprindelsen meget dunkel episode om en Idunna, jeg tror den samme som Brages bekendte hustru. Hun siges at være af alfernes (sandsynlig især lysalfernes) æt. Nu er hun nedsunket til afgrunden, til bredden af Mimers dybe kilde under roden af Yggdrasils eller verdenstræets nordlige stamme. Om hun er ranet dertil af jætterne (eftersom det beskrives i Den yngre Edda og et andet bekendt hedensk digt) eller sendt dertil af guderne, er ikke klart af nærværende sang, men efter den sendte guderne hende nu en ulveham (som ofte sagdes at paatages af troldfolk) for deri ret at kunne udforske afgrundens hemmeligheder. Dernæst udsender Odin Heimdal, samt Brage og Loke, for at adspörge hende og bringe hendes svar troligen tilbage. De nedfarer gennem luften til underverdenens porte, men deres ærinde mislykkes ganske, da de forefinder Idunna i en tilstand, som synes fuldkommen at ligne den nu saakaldte magnetiske sövn, paa den omstændighed nær, at udsendingene ikke paa nogen maade kunne faa hende til at give mindste ord eller lyd fra sig, og de to af dem maatte derfor drage tilbage paa vindens vinger med uforrettet sag - men Brage blev tilbage for at bevogte nymfen eller stedet. Heimdal og Loke ankom til himmelslottet Vingolf hvor alle guderne var samlede til et gilde. Der forkyndte de efterretningen om det mislykkede tog, og fortiede ikke deres anelser om umuligheden af hensigtens opnaaelse fremdeles. Odin bad da, at alle guderne skulle, hver især, overtænke det vigtige anliggende den hele nat igennem, for om muligt at ophitte et godt raad. Her synes poemet at mangle et vigtigt stykke (med mindre digteren ikke har villet beskrive den tavse grublen i mindste maade) thi straks herpaa fölger en sindrig og mytisk rigtig beskrivelse over dagens frembrud, nattens flugt og solens opgang - hvormed sangen sluttes.  

                        		I agree with the learned and ingenious Gunnar Pálsson in the sense that the poem's beginning concerns the Æsir’s difficult dreams, especially Baldur’s and Nanna's, on the occasion of his impending death and the world’s final ruin following thereon, due to the chief goddess of fate, Urd's, decision, The gods, who cannot fathom the hidden future’s outcome, now inquire of two creatures of another kind, dwarfs, it seems. Their explanations certainly provide ample information, but they are not satisfactory. Now follows a detailed, but in respect to its origin, very dark episode about Idunna, I believe the same as Bragi's beloved wife. She is said to be of the elven clan (most probably the light-elves). Now she is mired in the abyss, the depths of Mimir's deep well below the root of Yggdrasil or the world tree's northern stem. Whether she is taken there by giants (as it is described in the Younger Edda [when Thjazi kidnaps Idunn] and another familiar pagan poem [Haustlöng] or was sent there by the gods, is not clear from this song, but now the gods send her a wolf-skin (which are often said to be worn by 'magic-folk'), so that she could explore the abyss' secrets. Then Odin sends Heimdall and Bragi and Loki, to address her and faithfully bring her response back. They descend through the air to the gates of the underworld, but their miswion is doomed fail simply because they find Idunna in a state that seems to resemble the so-called 'magnetic sleep,' in the circumstance at hand, so that the ambassadors  could  get her to utter the smallest word or sound, and the two of them had to be drawn back upon the wings of the wind empty-handed - but Bragi remained behind to guard the nymph or the site.* 

Heimdall and Loki arrived in the heavenly castle Vingolf where all the gods were gathered for a feast. There they presented the news of the failed mission, and did not keep their fears about the impossibility of obtaining a proper outcome of events. Odin then asked that all gods should, each,  think over the important issue the whole night through, if possible, to inspire good advice. This poem seems to be missing an important piece (unless the writer did not wish to describe the silent brooding in the slightest way) immediately thereafter follows an ingenious and very mythical description of the day's dawn, the night's flight and the sunrise - upon which the song ends.
* [Translator's note:] Finnur is being diplomatic here and embracing both camps of interpretation of this verse. Verse 16 says that "Bragi remains behind to guard the grund," a word most commonly rendered as "ground, earth." Still some scholars insist on the meaning "woman" here, as to refer to Idunn, named in v. 6, whom they also see in the "doorpost of Gjöll's Sunna" (i.e. 'woman') of v. 12. Annette Lassen (2011) explains, "16.8 Grund (f.) ‘ground’ is a half-kenning for ‘woman’, i.e. it is frequently found as the base word in kennings for woman such as ‘grund bauga’, ‘grund gulls’, and here the base word is used without a determinant."
      An alternative interpretation suggested by some scholars is to interpret the "woman" of the underworld, of whom the messengers expect a prophetic vision of the fate of the world in v. 12 as Urd, who is also named in v.2 as the protector of Odhrerir, 'the fount of wisdom'.  Of her, Odin, through his envoys,  inquires about "heaven’s, Hel’s, the world’s date of death, life, end." (v.11). Tears are her only response.		  
  Digtets mange obsolete ord og flere omstændigheder har gjort det hartad uforstaaeligt for de fleste fortolkere. Gudmund Magnæus beretter det sagn, at den ikke uberömte islandske digter Erik Hallsen (der levede omtrent 1650) har sögt at udgrunde Odins Ravnesang i hele ti aar, men, da de var forlöbne, havde kastet den bort, med den tilstaaelse, at han endda kun forstod lidet eller intet deraf. Havde denne lærde mand ikke været overbevist om digtets ægthed og höje alder, ville han vist ikke have gjort sig en saa uhört umage. Magnæus siger om sig selv, at han, uagtet han havde Gunnar Paulsens oversættelse og anmærkninger for sig, har anvendt hele fire maaneder til sin nye bearbejdelse. At disse forarbejder (især haandskrifternes jævnförelse og de afvigende læsemaaders optegnelse) har meget lettet min umage, erkender jeg gerne og taknemmelig, ligesom jeg og tilstaar, at jeg flere gange har overtænkt betydningen af de i denne sang forekommende ideer, med hensyn til rigtig anskuelse af de eddiske myter overhovedet. Dog vil jeg ikke fortie den sandhed at det samme digts egentlige oversættelse med anmærkninger, næppe har kostet mig et par dages tid i det hele. Det er ingenlunde for at anbringe nogen selvros at jeg anmærker dette (især da jeg dog ikke har formaaet at löse alle de her forekommende svære problemer), men kun for at göre mine læsere opmærksomme paa den lethed, hvormed saa mange af de vanskeligste Eddasteder kunne oplyses og forklares, naar man först har overskuet vore forfædres mytiske system fra det rigtige standpunkt. Dette held, som jeg tror at have opnaaet, vejledt af de mytologiske kundskabers senere betydelige fremskridt i eksegetisk henseende, var ikke blevet mine forgængere til del, skönt Gunnar Paulsens herlige genius ofte tilfældigvis har ledt ham til de sindrigeste og rigtigste forklaringer, hvilke den ellers lærde Gudmund Magnæus dog tit har sögt at bestride.

Jeg kender kun en særskilt oversættelse af dette digt, nemlig paa tysk af Gräter, forsynet med flere ypperlige anmærkninger, og indrykket i hans antikvariske tidsskrift Idunna und Hermode for 1816.

 

 The poem's many obsolete words, and many paraphrases have made it barely comprehensible to most interpreters. Gudmund Magnæus recounts the legend that the famous Icelandic poet Erik Hall (who lived about 1650) had endeavored to fathom Odin's Raven Song for a whole ten years, but when they had past, had thrown it away, with the confession that he even only understood little or nothing of it. Had this learned man not been convinced of the poem's authenticity and great age, he certainly would not have pushed himself to such great lengths. Magnæus says of himself that he, though he had Gunnar Paulsen's translation and annotations for himself, had taken a whole four months for his new compilation. That these processes (especially the comparison of manuscripts and the dissenting scholars' opinions) has made my efforts easier, I happily recognize and am grateful, likewise I confess that several times  I have thought over the significance of  the recurring ideas in  this song with reference to  as to a correct interpreatation of the  the eddic myths overall. And I will not conceal the truth that the same poem's actual translation with annotations, hardly cost me two days' time. It is by no means to invoke any self-praise that I note this (especially since I have not managed to solve all the difficult problems which arise), but only to make my readers aware of the ease with which so many of the most difficult Edda-passages can be disclosed and explained when one first views our ancestral mythical system from the right standpoint. This success, which I believe I have obtained, guided by the mythological knowledge of recent significant advances in exegetical terms, had not been my predecessors in part, though Gunnar Paulsen's glorious genius often happened to have led him to the most ingenious and most correct explanations, which others however, as Gudmund Magnæus learned, often endeavored to deny.

I only know a single translation of this poem, namely in German by Frederich David Gräter, with several excellent annotations and included in his antiquarian journal Idunna und Hermod for 1816.

  
 

Udsigt over indholdet af Odins Ravnesang

Overview of the Contents of Odin's Raven Song

  
  I. Digterens teosofisk-mystiske indledning (1). Aserne betages af sörgelige anelser; men över forgæves de sædvanlige spaadomskunster da Urd eller den strenge skæbne bevogtede visdommens kar (2). De raadspörger to dværge som drömmefortolkere (3). Deres svar udgör resten af denne afdeling - handlende om verdens undergang (4-5). I. The poet's theosophical-mystical introduction (1). The Aesir beset with fear of sorrows, but in vain they sought the usual prophetic arts while Urd or the strongest fate guarded the well of wisdom (2). They consulted two dwarves who interpreted dreams (3). Their response comprises the remainder of this section — treating the destruction of the world (4-5).  
 

II. Idunnas, Ivaldes datters nedfart fra Yggdrasil til dybet (6). Hendes sorg i dette fangenskab (7). Hun iföres en ulveham for at kunne udforske underverdenens löndomme (8). Odin udsender Heimdal, Brage og Loke for at indhente hendes orakelsvar (9). Deres nedfart til afgrunden. Odin lytter i Lidskjalf eller Zenith til den forventede samtale (10). 		II. Idunna's, Ivaldi's daughter's, fall from Yggdrasil into the depths (6). Her grief in this captivity (7). She wears a wolf skin in order to explore the underworld's mysteries (8). Odin sends Heimdall, Bragi and Loki to gather her prophectic responses (9). They descend into the abyss. Odin listens in Hlidskjalf or Zenith to the anticipated conversation (10).  
  III. Heimdals spörgsmaal til Idunna (11). Hun svarer kun med hyppige taarer (12). Lignelsesvis fölger her en mytisk episode om mörkets og sövnens fremkomst og fölger; tillige synes den at hentyde til misteltenen og dens virkninger (13-14). Alle udsendingenes forsög mislykkes (15). Heimdal og Loke vender tilbage, men Brage bevogter sin hendaanende ægtemage (16). III. Heimdal questions Idunna (11). She replies only with frequent tears (12). A similarly obscure mythic episode follows here about the origin and consequences of darkness and sleep, and seems to allude to the mistletoe and its effects (13-14). All attempts of the envoys fail (15). Heimdall and Loki return but Bragi guards his beloved life-mate (16).  
 

IV. Heimdal og Loke farer paa vindens vinger til Vingolf, hvor aser og asynjer er forsamlede til et gilde (17). De hilser Odin og guderne (18). Gæstebudets beskrivelse (19). Samtaler over bordet om rejsens udfald og de bedste midler til at naa de önskede spaadomssvar (20-21). Odin udsætter raadsforsamlingen til næste morgen, da enhver imidlertid kunne, i nattens stilhed, overveje sagen (22). Solens nedgang. Gildet hæves. Natten bryder frem (23).

IV. Heimdall and Loki fare on the wings of the wind to Vingolf, where the Aesir and goddesses are gathered for a feast (17). They greet Odin and the gods (18). The feast is described (19). Conversations over the table about the outcome of the journey and the best means to get the desired prophecy (20-21). Odin exposes raadsforsamlingen the next morning as any could, however, in the silence of the night, consider the case (22). The sun sets. The banquet concludes. Night breaks forth (23).  
  V. Digterisk skildring over dagens, morgenrödens og solens fremkomst (24). Mörkets aanders hastige flugt til afgrunden (25). Heltene rejser sig, natten forsvinder og Heimdal bestiger gudebroen (26). V. Poetic depiction of the day, the rosy dawn and the rise of the sun (24). The spirits of darkness escape into the abyss (25). The heroes wake, the night disappears and Heimdal climbs the bridge of the gods (26).  
  2011 Annette Lassen
Hrafnagaldur Óðins (Forspjallsljóð)
Viking Society for Northern Research, p. 11		  
  "Finnur Magnússon (1781-1847), argued in favor of Hrafnagaldur Óðins early date. Evidence for the poem's 'extremely ancient vocabulary as well as its fragmentary nature, and in particular its genuine mythical spirit plus the fact that it only has very few allusions to stories known otherwise from eddas or sagas.'"

"The first editor of the poem, Guðmundur Magnússon, thought in fact that the poem lacked both beginning and end, while Finnur Magnússon in his translation of the eddic poems (Den ældre Edda 1821-1823, II 209 and 213) thought that a part of the poem had been lost. In the missing stanzas it was imagined that an explanation of the poem's otherwise hardly intelligible main title might be found."   		 
   
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