Hrafnagaldur Óðins
eða Forspjallsljóð
HOME

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."

 
 

Forspjallsljóð
eða
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
 
   
HOME