Hrafnagaldur Óðins; Odin's Raven-Magic

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Odin's Raven-Magic

A STUDY GUIDE

1867

SOPHUS BUGGE's
Hrafna Gal|dur Oþins
Forspialls|Liod

with an English Translation

This is Sophus Bugge's text of the poem reproduced from Norrœn Fornkvæði 1867, alongside an excerpt from the 2011 English translation by Annette Lassen [into Danish and then translated into English by Anthony Faulkes]. The critical appartus and commentary have been omitted from both editions. I highly recommend Dr. Lassen's book for purchase. It contains a thorough analysis of the manuscripts and their relationships, as well as a full discussion of the evidence and argument concerning the age and interpretation of this poem. She writes:

"The latest manuscript is a copy of Bugge’s edition with an English translation. Here Hrafnagaldur is regarded as an inauthentic eddic poem, with a reference to Bugge’s arguments that it ought in the future to be omitted from collections of eddic poems."

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Hrafnagaldr Óðins

Hrafna Gal|dur Oþins
Forspialls|Liod


1 5	Alföþr orkar, álfar skilia, vanir vitu, vísa nornir, elr íviþia, aldir bera, þreyia þursar, þrá valkyrior.
2 5	Ætlun æsir illa gátu, verpir villtu vættar rúnom; Óþhrærir skyldi Urþr geyma, máttk at veria mestum þorra.
3 5	Hverfr því hugr hinna leitar, grunar guma grand, ef dvelr; þótti er Þráins þunga draumr, Dáins dulo draumr þótti.
4 5	Dugir meþ dvergum dvína, heimar niþr á Ginnungs niþi sauckva; opt Alsviþr ofan fellir, opt of föllnum aptr safnar.
5 5	Stendr æva strind né rauþull, lopti meþ lævi linnir ei straumi; mærum dylsc í Mímis brunni vissa vera; vitid enn eþa hvat?
6 5	Dvelr í daulom dís forvitin, Yggdrasils frá aski hnigin; álfa ættar Iþunni héto, Ívallds ellri ýngsta barna.
7 5	Eirdi illa ofankomo, hárbaþms undir halldin meiþi; kunni sízt at kundar Nörva, vön at væri vistom heima.
8 5	Siá sigtívar syrgia naunno Viggiar at veom, vargsbelg seldo; let í færaz, lyndi breytti, lek at lævísi, litom skipti.
9 5	Valdi Viþrir vaurþ Bifrastar giallar sunnu gátt at fretta, heims hvívetna hvert er vissi; Bragi og Loptr báro kviþo.
10 5	Galdr gólo, gaundom riþo Rögnir ok regin at ranni heimis; hlustar Óþinn Hliþskiálfo í, let braut vera lánga vego.
11 5	Frá enn vitri veiga selio banda burþa ok brauta sinna, hlýrnis, heliar, heims ef vissi ártíþ, æfi, aldrtila.
12 5	Ne mun mælti, ne mál knátti gívom greiþa, ne glaum hialdi; tár af týndoz taurgum hiarnar, eliun faldin, endrrióþa.
13 5	Eins kemr austan ór Elivágom þorn af acri þurs hrímkalda, hveim drepr dróttir Dáinn allar mæran of Miþgarþ, meþ nátt hver.
14 5	Dofna þá dáþir, detta hendr, svífr of svimi sverþ áss hvíta; rennir örvit rýgiar glyggvi, sefa sveiflom sókn giörvallri.
15 5	Iamt þótti Iórunn iólnom komin, sollin sútom, svars er ei gátu; sóttu því meir at syn var fyrir, mun þó miþr mælgi dugþi.
16 5	Fór frumqvauþull fregnar brauta hirþir at Herians horni Giallar; Nálar nepa nam til fylgis, greppr Grímnis grund varþveitti.
17 5	Vingólf tóko Viþars þegnar Fornióts sefum fluttir báþir; iþar gánga, æsi kvedia Yggiar þegar viþ aulteiti.
18 5	Heilan Hángatý, heppnaztan ása, virt öndvegis vallda bádo; sæla at sumbli sitia día, æ með Yggiungi yndi halda.
19 5	Beckiarsett at Baulverks ráþi siöt Sæhrímni saddiz rakna; Skaugul at skutlum skaptker Hnikars mat af miþi minnis hornum.
20 5	Margs of frágu máltíþ yfir Heimdall há goþ, haurgar Loka, spár eþa spakmál sprund ef kendi, undorn of fram, unz nam húma.
21 5	Illa letu ordit hafa eyrindisleysu, oflítilfræga; vant at væla verda myndi, svá af svanna svars of gæti.
22 5	Ansar Ómi, allir hlýddo: «Nótt skal nema nýræda til, hugsi til myrgins, hverr sem orkar rád til leggia rausnar ásom!»
23 5	Rann meþ raustum Rindar móþr fóþrlarþr Fenris valla; gengu frá gildi goþin, qvöddo Hropt ok Frigg, sem Hrímfaxa fór.
24 5	Dýrum settan Dellings maugr ió fram keyrdi iarknasteinom; mars of manheim maun af glóar, dró leik Dvalins drösull í reid.
25 5	Iormungrundar í iodyr nyrdra und rót yztu adalþollar gengu til reckio gýgiur ok þursar, náir, dvergar ok döckálfar.
26 5	Riso raknar, rann álfraudull, nordr at niflheim nióla sótti; upp nam ár Giöll Úlfrúnar nidr, hornþytvalldr Himinbiarga.

1. All-father exerts power, elves understand, Vanir know, norns show, Íviðja (a trollwife) strives, humans bear, giants endure, valkyries are distressed.

2. [But] the Æsir divined the whole plan, the unpredictable ones caused muddle with the god’s runes (or secrets) Óðhrærir had to look after Urður (fate), he could not protect [her] from the greater part [of the plan].

3. Therefore his courage fails, he looks for others, the people (dwarves?) suspect harm if he delays, Þráinn’s thought is [filled with] a weighty dream, Dáinn’s thought [with] a deceitful dream.

4. That’s enough of the dwarves. World’s dwindle away, they sink down to the darkness of Ginnungur. Alsviður (Óðinn?) often fells from above and often gathers up the fallen again.

5. Neither earth nor sun stand for ever, air with its poison does not cease [to flow] in a stream; the wise being hides itself in Mímir’s renowned spring; do you understand yet, or what?

6. The enquiring goddess, descended from dwarves, sunk down from the ash Yggdrasill, stays in the valleys. The elder ones of the children of Ívaldur called the youngest Iðunn.

7. Held beneath the hard tree’s branch, she was very unhappy with her coming down; accustomed to pleasanter lodging at home, she was least of all pleased at Nörvi’s son’s (night’s) dwelling.

8. The victory-gods (or battle-gods) see the lady grieve by the horse’s dwelling/sanctuuary (=Yggdrasill); they gave her a wolf’s hide, she let herself be clothed in, changed her nature, played with mischief, changed her shape.

9. Viðrir (Óðinn) chose Bifröst’s guardian (Heimdallur) to ask the doorpost of the sun of Gjöll (=woman) whether she knew anything at all about the world; Bragi and Loftur (Loki) were filled with apprehension.

10. Rögnir (Óðinn) and the gods chanted spells, rode on magic poles to the dwelling place (or roof) of the world; Óðinn listened in Hliðskjalf, he said the route was a long journey.

11. The wise one asked the server of drinks (woman) about the gods’ ancestry/offspring, and their own paths, if she knew heaven’s, Hel’s, the world’s date of death, life, end.

12. She spoke not her mind, she did not grant the greedy (?) ones words, she did not chat about merrymaking; tears dripped from her skull-shields (eyes), they make the energy-cloaks (eyelids) red again.

13. In the same way there comes from the east out of Elivogar a thorn from the rime-cold giant’s cornfield with which Dáinn pricks all people every night over all Miðgarður.

14. Then deeds become sluggish, hands fall idle, stupor hangs over the white god’s sword (over the head); insensibility flows into the trollwife’s wind (into the mind), these things calm in waves the whole parish.

15. Just so seemed Jórunn to the gods to be affected, swollen with sorrows, when they could not get a reply; they sought the more in that they were faced with refusal; a lot of talking, however, helped much less.

16. The originator of questioning, the keeper of Herjan’s (Óðinn’s) Gjallarhorn (Heimdallur), went on his way; he took as his companion Nal’s kinsmen (Loki); Grimir’s (Óðinn’s) poet (the god Bragi) looked after the woman.

16.8 Grund (f.) ‘ground’ is 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. Half-kennings are not all that uncommon, see SnE II, 51v 155/6 runna and note.

17. Viðar’s (Óðinn’s?) men, both conveyed by Forjót’s kinsmen (winds), reached Vingólf; they go in there, greet the Æsir straight away at Yggur’s (Óðinn’s) merry drinking feast.

18. They wished Hangatýr (Óðinn), the fortunate of gods, happiness as he ruled over the high seat ale, [they wished] the gods good luck as they sat at the feast, forever to enjoy pleasure with Yggungur (Óðinn).

19. The gods’ host, seated in accordance with Bölverkur’s orders, were replete with Sæhrímnir (meat from the boar Sæhrímnir); Skögul meted out Hnikar’s vat with mead onto trays in toast horns.

20. The high gods asked Heimdallur, the holy ones asked Loki many things over the meal on after mid-afternoon until it grew dark, about whether the woman had imparted any prophecy or wise sayings.

21. They said their fruitless errand had turned out badly, too little glorious; it would be hard to engineer it so that an answer would be got from the lady.

22. Ómi (Óðinn) replies, they all listened: ‘Night shall be used for new counsels, let him ponder until morning whoever labours to propose plans to the glory of the gods.’

23. The mother of Rind ran with long strides, [she and] the scarcely tired father of Fenrir (Loki) left the feast; the deities said farewell to Hroptur (Óðinn) and Frigg, who went with Hrímfaxi (night).

24. Dellingur’s son (Dagur, day) drove forward his steed, adorned with precious jewels; the horse’s mane shines from it across the world of men, his charger drew Dvalinn’s plaything (the sun) in a chariot.

25. Trollwives and giants, corpses, dwarves and dark-elves went to bed further north on the edge of the mighty earth under the outermost root of the foremost tree (Yggdrasill).

26. The gods rose up, Álfröðull (the sun) rose, Njóla (darkness, i.e. night) went north to Niflheimur, early Úlfrún’s son (Heimdallur), ruler of Himinbjörg, began the sound of the horn with Gjöll (Gjallarhorn).

Sophus Bugge's Introduction to Hrafnagaldur Óðins

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