# SVIPDAGSMOL

SVIPDAGSMOL

THE BALLAD OF SVIPDAG



I. GROUGALDR

GROA’S SPELL


Svipdag spake:


1.  “Wake thee, Groa!   |   wake, mother good!
      At the doors of the dead I call thee;
    Thy son, bethink thee,   |   thou badst to seek
      Thy help at the hill of death.”


Groa spake:


2.  “What evil vexes   |   mine only son,
      What baleful fate hast thou found,
    That thou callest thy mother,   |   who lies in the mould,
      And the world of the living has left?”


Svipdag spake:


3.  “The woman false   |   whom my father embraced
      Has brought me a baleful game;
    For she bade me go forth   |   where none may fare,
      And Mengloth the maid to seek.”


Groa spake:


4.  “Long is the way,   |   long must thou wander,
      But long is love as well;
    Thou mayst find, perchance,   |   what thou fain wouldst have,
      If the fates their favor will give.”


Svipdag spake:


5.  “Charms full good   |   then chant to me, mother,
      And seek thy son to guard;
    For death do I fear   |   on the way I shall fare,
      And in years am I young, methinks.”


Groa spake:


6.  “Then first I will chant thee   |   the charm oft-tried,
      That Rani taught to Rind;
    From the shoulder whate’er   |   mislikes thee shake,
      For helper thyself shalt thou have.

7.  “Then next I will chant thee,   |   if needs thou must travel,
      And wander a purposeless way:
    The bolts of Urth   |   shall on every side
      Be thy guards on the road thou goest.

8.  “Then third I will chant thee,   |   if threatening streams
      The danger of death shall bring:
    Yet to Hel shall turn   |   both Horn and Ruth,
      And before thee the waters shall fail.

9.  “Then fourth I will chant thee,   |   if come thy foes
      On the gallows-way against thee:
    Into thine hands   |   shall their hearts be given,
      And peace shall the warriors wish.

10. “Then fifth I will chant thee,   |   if fetters perchance
      Shall bind thy bending limbs:
    O’er thy thighs do I chant   |   a loosening-charm,
      And the lock is burst from the limbs,
      And the fetters fall from the feet.

11. “Then sixth I will chant thee,   |   if storms on the sea
      Have might unknown to man:
    Yet never shall wind   |   or wave do harm,
      And calm is the course of thy boat.

12. “Then seventh I chant thee,   |   if frost shall seek
      To kill thee on lofty crags:
    The fatal cold   |   shall not grip thy flesh,
      And whole thy body shall be.

13. “Then eighth will I chant thee,   |   if ever by night
      Thou shalt wander on murky ways:
    Yet never the curse   |   of a Christian woman
      From the dead shall do thee harm.

14. “Then ninth will I chant thee,   |   if needs thou must strive
      With a warlike giant in words:
    Thy heart good store   |   of wit shall have,
      And thy mouth of words full wise.

15. “Now fare on the way   |   where danger waits,
      Let evils not lessen thy love!
    I have stood at the door   |   of the earth-fixed stones,
      The while I chanted thee charms.

16. “Bear hence, my son,   |   what thy mother hath said,
      And let it live in thy breast;
    Thine ever shall be   |   the best of fortune,
      So long as my words shall last.”





II. FJOLSVINNSMOL

THE LAY OF FJOLSVITH


17. Before the house   |   he beheld one coming
      To the home of the giants high.


Svipdag spake:


    “What giant is here,   |   in front of the house,
      And around him fires are flaming?”


Fjolsvith spake:


18. “What seekest thou here?   |   for what is thy search?
      What, friendless one, fain wouldst thou know?
    By the ways so wet   |   must thou wander hence,
      For, weakling, no home hast thou here.”


Svipdag spake:


19. “What giant is here,   |   in front of the house,
      To the wayfarer welcome denying?”


Fjolsvith spake:


    “Greeting full fair   |   thou never shalt find,
      So hence shalt thou get thee home.

20. “Fjolsvith am I,   |   and wise am I found,
      But miserly am I with meat;
    Thou never shalt enter   |   within the house,—
      Go forth like a wolf on thy way!”


Svipdag spake:


21. “Few from the joy   |   of their eyes will go forth,
      When the sight of their loves they seek;
    Full bright are the gates   |   of the golden hall,
      And a home shall I here enjoy.”


Fjolsvith spake:


22. “Tell me now, fellow,   |   what father thou hast,
      And the kindred of whom thou camst.”


Svipdag spake:


    “Vindkald am I,   |   and Varkald’s son,
      And Fjolkald his father was.

23. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    Who is it that holds   |   and has for his own
      The rule of the hall so rich?”


Fjolsvith spake:


24. “Mengloth is she,   |   her mother bore her
      To the son of Svafrthorin;
    She is it that holds   |   and has for her own
      The rule of the hall so rich.”


Svipdag spake:


25. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What call they the gate?   |   for among the gods
      Ne’er saw man so grim a sight.”


Fjolsvith spake:


26. “Thrymgjol they call it;   |   ’twas made by the three,
      The sons of Solblindi;
    And fast as a fetter   |   the farer it holds,
      Whoever shall lift the latch.”


Svipdag spake:


27. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What call they the house?   |   for no man beheld
      ‘Mongst the gods so grim a sight.”


Fjolsvith spake:


28. “Gastropnir is it,   |   of old I made it
      From the limbs of Leirbrimir;
    I braced it so strongly   |   that fast it shall stand
      So long as the world shall last.”


Svipdag spake:


29. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What call they the tree   |   that casts abroad
      Its limbs o’er every land?”


Fjolsvith spake:


30. “Mimameith its name,   |   and no man knows
      What root beneath it runs;
    And few can guess   |   what shall fell the tree,
      For fire nor iron shall fell it.”


Svipdag spake:


31. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What grows from the seed   |   of the tree so great,
      That fire nor iron shall fell?”


Fjolsvith spake:


32. “Women, sick   |   with child, shall seek
      Its fruit to the flames to bear;
    Then out shall come   |   what within was hid,
      And so is it mighty with men.”


Svipdag spake:


33. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What cock is he   |   on the highest bough,
      That glitters all with gold?”


Fjolsvith spake:


34. “Vithofnir his name,   |   and now he shines
      Like lightning on Mimameith’s limbs;
    And great is the trouble   |   with which he grieves
      Both Surt and Sinmora.”


Svipdag spake:


35. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What call they the hounds,   |   that before the house
      So fierce and angry are?”


Fjolsvith spake:


36. “Gif call they one,   |   and Geri the other,
      If now the truth thou wouldst know;
    Great they are,   |   and their might will grow,
      Till the gods to death are doomed.”


Svipdag spake:


37. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    May no man hope   |   the house to enter,
      While the hungry hounds are sleeping?”


Fjolsvith spake:


38. “Together they sleep not,   |   for so was it fixed
      When the guard to them was given;
    One sleeps by night,   |   the next by day,
      So no man may enter ever.”


Svipdag spake:


39. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    Is there no meat   |   that men may give them,
     And leap within while they eat?”


Fjolsvith spake:


40. “Two wing-joints there be   |   in Vithofnir’s body,
      If now the truth thou wouldst know;
    That alone is the meat   |   that men may give them,
      And leap within while they eat.”


Svipdag spake:


41. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What weapon can send   |   Vithofnir to seek
      The house of Hel below?”


Fjolsvith spake:


42. “Lævatein is there,   |   that Lopt with runes
      Once made by the doors of death;
    In Lægjarn’s chest   |   by Sinmora lies it,
      And nine locks fasten it firm.”


Svipdag spake:


43. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    May a man come thence   |   who thither goes,
      And tries the sword to take?”


Fjolsvith spake:


44. “Thence may he come   |   who thither goes,
      And tries the sword to take,
    If with him he carries   |   what few can win,
      To give to the goddess of gold.”


Svipdag spake:


45. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What treasure is there   |   that men may take
      To rejoice the giantess pale?”


Fjolsvith spake:


46. “The sickle bright   |   in thy wallet bear,
      Mid Vithofnir’s feathers found;
    To Sinmora give it,   |   and then shall she grant
      That the weapon by thee be won.”


Svipdag spake:


47. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What call they the hall,   |   encompassed here
      With flickering magic flames?”


Fjolsvith spake:


48. “Lyr is it called,   |   and long it shall
      On the tip of a spear-point tremble;
    Of the noble house   |   mankind has heard,
      But more has it never known.”


Svipdag spake:


49. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What one of the gods   |   has made so great
      The hall I behold within?”


Fjolsvith spake:


50. “Uni and Iri,   |   Bari and Jari,
      Var and Vegdrasil,
    Dori and Ori,   |   Delling, and there
      Was Loki, the fear of the folk.”


Svipdag spake:


51. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What call they the mountain   |   on which the maid
      Is lying so lovely to see?”


Fjolsvith spake:


52. “Lyfjaberg is it,   |   and long shall it be
      A joy to the sick and the sore;
    For well shall grow   |   each woman who climbs it,
      Though sick full long she has lain.”


Svipdag spake:


53. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    What maidens are they   |   that at Mengloth’s knees
      Are sitting so gladly together?”


Fjolsvith spake:


54. “Hlif is one named,   |   Hlifthrasa another,
      Thjothvara call they the third;
    Bjort and Bleik,   |   Blith and Frith,
      Eir and Aurbotha.”


Svipdag spake:


55. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    Aid bring they to all   |   who offerings give,
      If need be found therefor?”


Fjolsvith spake:


56. “Soon aid they all   |   who offerings give
      On the holy altars high;
    And if danger they see   |   for the sons of men,
      Then each from ill do they guard.”


Svipdag spake:


57. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith,   |   the question I ask,
      For now the truth would I know:
    Lives there the man   |   who in Mengloth’s arms
      So fair may seek to sleep?”


Fjolsvith spake:


58. “No man there is   |   who in Mengloth’s arms
      So fair may seek to sleep,
    Save Svipdag alone,   |   for the sun-bright maid
      Is destined his bride to be.”


Svipdag spake:


59. “Fling back the gates!   |   make the gateway wide!
      Here mayst thou Svipdag see!
    Hence get thee to find   |   if gladness soon
      Mengloth to me will give.”


Fjolsvith spake:


60. “Hearken, Mengloth,   |   a man is come;
      Go thou the guest to see!
    The hounds are fawning,   |   the house bursts open,—
      Svipdag, methinks, is there.”


Mengloth spake:


61. “On the gallows high   |   shall hungry ravens
      Soon thine eyes pluck out,
    If thou liest in saying   |   that here at last
      The hero is come to my hall.

62. “Whence camest thou hither?   |   how camest thou here?
      What name do thy kinsmen call thee?
    Thy race and thy name   |   as a sign must I know,
      That thy bride I am destined to be.”


Svipdag spake:


63. “Svipdag am I,   |   and Solbjart’s son;
      Thence came I by wind-cold ways;
    With the words of Urth   |   shall no man war,
      Though unearned her gifts be given.”


Mengloth spake:


64. “Welcome thou art,   |   for long have I waited;
      The welcoming kiss shalt thou win!
    For two who love   |   is the longed-for meeting
      The greatest gladness of all.

65. “Long have I sat   |   on Lyfjaberg here,
      Awaiting thee day by day;
    And now I have   |   what I ever hoped,
      For here thou art come to my hall.

66. “Alike we yearned;   |   I longed for thee,
      And thou for my love hast longed;
    But now henceforth   |   together we know
      Our lives to the end we shall live.”






VOLUME II

LAYS OF THE HEROES