# VOLUSPO (THE WISE-WOMAN’S PROPHECY) 1\. Hearing I ask | from the holy races, From Heimdall’s sons, | both high and low; Thou wilt, Valfather, | that well I relate Old tales I remember | of men long ago. 2\. I remember yet | the giants of yore, Who gave me bread | in the days gone by; Nine worlds I knew, | the nine in the tree With mighty roots | beneath the mold. 3\. Of old was the age | when Ymir lived; Sea nor cool waves | nor sand there were; Earth had not been, | nor heaven above, But a yawning gap, | and grass nowhere. 4\. Then Bur’s sons lifted | the level land, Mithgarth the mighty | there they made; The sun from the south | warmed the stones of earth, And green was the ground | with growing leeks. 5\. The sun, the sister | of the moon, from the south Her right hand cast | over heaven’s rim; No knowledge she had | where her home should be, The moon knew not | what might was his, The stars knew not | where their stations were. 6\. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats, The holy ones, | and council held; Names then gave they | to noon and twilight, Morning they named, | and the waning moon, Night and evening, | the years to number. 7\. At Ithavoll met | the mighty gods, Shrines and temples | they timbered high; Forges they set, | and they smithied ore, Tongs they wrought, | and tools they fashioned. 8\. In their dwellings at peace | they played at tables, Of gold no lack | did the gods then know,— Till thither came up | giant-maids three, Huge of might, | out of Jotunheim. 9\. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats, The holy ones, | and council held, To find who should raise | the race of dwarfs Out of Brimir’s blood | and the legs of Blain. 10\. There was Motsognir | the mightiest made Of all the dwarfs, | and Durin next; Many a likeness | of men they made, The dwarfs in the earth, | as Durin said. 11\. Nyi and Nithi, | Northri and Suthri, Austri and Vestri, | Althjof, Dvalin, Nar and Nain, | Niping, Dain, Bifur, Bofur, | Bombur, Nori, An and Onar, | Ai, Mjothvitnir. 12\. Vigg and Gandalf, | Vindalf, Thrain, Thekk and Thorin, | Thror, Vit and Lit, Nyr and Nyrath,— | now have I told— Regin and Rathsvith— | the list aright. 13\. Fili, Kili, | Fundin, Nali, Heptifili, | Hannar, Sviur, Frar, Hornbori, | Fræg and Loni, Aurvang, Jari, | Eikinskjaldi. 14\. The race of the dwarfs | in Dvalin’s throng Down to Lofar | the list must I tell; The rocks they left, | and through wet lands They sought a home | in the fields of sand. 15\. There were Draupnir | and Dolgthrasir, Hor, Haugspori, | Hlevang, Gloin, Dori, Ori, | Duf, Andvari, Skirfir, Virfir, | Skafith, Ai. 16\. Alf and Yngvi, | Eikinskjaldi, Fjalar and Frosti, | Fith and Ginnar; So for all time | shall the tale be known, The list of all | the forbears of Lofar. 17\. Then from the throng | did three come forth, From the home of the gods, | the mighty and gracious; Two without fate | on the land they found, Ask and Embla, | empty of might. 18\. Soul they had not, | sense they had not, Heat nor motion, | nor goodly hue; Soul gave Othin, | sense gave Hönir, Heat gave Lothur | and goodly hue. 19\. An ash I know, | Yggdrasil its name, With water white | is the great tree wet; Thence come the dews | that fall in the dales, Green by Urth’s well | does it ever grow. 20\. Thence come the maidens | mighty in wisdom, Three from the dwelling | down ’neath the tree; Urth is one named, | Verthandi the next,— On the wood they scored,— | and Skuld the third. Laws they made there, | and life allotted To the sons of men, | and set their fates. 21\. The war I remember, | the first in the world, When the gods with spears | had smitten Gollveig, And in the hall | of Hor had burned her,— Three times burned, | and three times born, Oft and again, | yet ever she lives. 22\. Heith they named her | who sought their home, The wide-seeing witch, | in magic wise; Minds she bewitched | that were moved by her magic, To evil women | a joy she was. 23\. On the host his spear | did Othin hurl, Then in the world | did war first come; The wall that girdled | the gods was broken, And the field by the warlike | Wanes was trodden. 24\. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats, The holy ones, | and council held, Whether the gods | should tribute give, Or to all alike | should worship belong. 25\. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats, The holy ones, | and council held, To find who with venom | the air had filled, Or had given Oth’s bride | to the giants’ brood. 26\. In swelling rage | then rose up Thor,— Seldom he sits | when he such things hears,— And the oaths were broken, | the words and bonds, The mighty pledges | between them made. 27\. I know of the horn | of Heimdall, hidden Under the high-reaching | holy tree; On it there pours | from Valfather’s pledge A mighty stream: | would you know yet more? 28\. Alone I sat | when the Old One sought me, The terror of gods, | and gazed in mine eyes: “What hast thou to ask? | why comest thou hither? Othin, I know | where thine eye is hidden.” 29\. I know where Othin’s | eye is hidden, Deep in the wide-famed | well of Mimir; Mead from the pledge | of Othin each morn Does Mimir drink: | would you know yet more? 30\. Necklaces had I | and rings from Heerfather, Wise was my speech | and my magic wisdom; . . . . . . . . . . Widely I saw | over all the worlds. 31\. On all sides saw I | Valkyries assemble, Ready to ride | to the ranks of the gods; Skuld bore the shield, | and Skogul rode next, Guth, Hild, Gondul, | and Geirskogul. Of Herjan’s maidens | the list have ye heard, Valkyries ready | to ride o’er the earth. 32\. I saw for Baldr, | the bleeding god, The son of Othin, | his destiny set: Famous and fair | in the lofty fields, Full grown in strength | the mistletoe stood. 33\. From the branch which seemed | so slender and fair Came a harmful shaft | that Hoth should hurl; But the brother of Baldr | was born ere long, And one night old | fought Othin’s son. 34\. His hands he washed not, | his hair he combed not, Till he bore to the bale-blaze | Baldr’s foe. But in Fensalir | did Frigg weep sore For Valhall’s need: | would you know yet more? 35\. One did I see | in the wet woods bound, A lover of ill, | and to Loki like; By his side does Sigyn | sit, nor is glad To see her mate: | would you know yet more? 36\. From the east there pours | through poisoned vales With swords and daggers | the river Slith. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . 37\. Northward a hall | in Nithavellir Of gold there rose | for Sindri’s race; And in Okolnir | another stood, Where the giant Brimir | his beer-hall had. 38\. A hall I saw, | far from the sun, On Nastrond it stands, | and the doors face north; Venom drops | through the smoke-vent down, For around the walls | do serpents wind. 39\. I saw there wading | through rivers wild Treacherous men | and murderers too, And workers of ill | with the wives of men; There Nithhogg sucked | the blood of the slain, And the wolf tore men; | would you know yet more? 40\. The giantess old | in Ironwood sat, In the east, and bore | the brood of Fenrir; Among these one | in monster’s guise Was soon to steal | the sun from the sky. 41\. There feeds he full | on the flesh of the dead, And the home of the gods | he reddens with gore; Dark grows the sun, | and in summer soon Come mighty storms: | would you know yet more? 42\. On a hill there sat, | and smote on his harp, Eggther the joyous, | the giants’ warder; Above him the cock | in the bird-wood crowed, Fair and red | did Fjalar stand. 43\. Then to the gods | crowed Gollinkambi, He wakes the heroes | in Othin’s hall; And beneath the earth | does another crow, The rust-red bird | at the bars of Hel. 44\. Now Garm howls loud | before Gnipahellir, The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run free; Much do I know, | and more can see Of the fate of the gods, | the mighty in fight. 45\. Brothers shall fight | and fell each other, And sisters’ sons | shall kinship stain; Hard is it on earth, | with mighty whoredom; Axe-time, sword-time, | shields are sundered, Wind-time, wolf-time, | ere the world falls; Nor ever shall men | each other spare. 46\. Fast move the sons | of Mim, and fate Is heard in the note | of the Gjallarhorn; Loud blows Heimdall, | the horn is aloft, In fear quake all | who on Hel-roads are. 47\. Yggdrasil shakes, | and shiver on high The ancient limbs, | and the giant is loose; To the head of Mim | does Othin give heed, But the kinsman of Surt | shall slay him soon. 48\. How fare the gods? | how fare the elves? All Jotunheim groans, | the gods are at council; Loud roar the dwarfs | by the doors of stone, The masters of the rocks: | would you know yet more? 49\. Now Garm howls loud | before Gnipahellir, The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run free; Much do I know, | and more can see Of the fate of the gods, | the mighty in fight. 50\. From the east comes Hrym | with shield held high; In giant-wrath | does the serpent writhe; O’er the waves he twists, | and the tawny eagle Gnaws corpses screaming; | Naglfar is loose. 51\. O’er the sea from the north | there sails a ship With the people of Hel, | at the helm stands Loki; After the wolf | do wild men follow, And with them the brother | of Byleist goes. 52\. Surt fares from the south | with the scourge of branches, The sun of the battle-gods | shone from his sword; The crags are sundered, | the giant-women sink, The dead throng Hel-way, | and heaven is cloven. 53\. Now comes to Hlin | yet another hurt, When Othin fares | to fight with the wolf, And Beli’s fair slayer | seeks out Surt, For there must fall | the joy of Frigg. 54\. Then comes Sigfather’s | mighty son, Vithar, to fight | with the foaming wolf; In the giant’s son | does he thrust his sword Full to the heart: | his father is avenged. 55\. Hither there comes | the son of Hlothyn, The bright snake gapes | to heaven above; . . . . . . . . . . Against the serpent | goes Othin’s son. 56\. In anger smites | the warder of earth,— Forth from their homes | must all men flee;— Nine paces fares | the son of Fjorgyn, And, slain by the serpent, | fearless he sinks. 57\. The sun turns black, | earth sinks in the sea, The hot stars down | from heaven are whirled; Fierce grows the steam | and the life-feeding flame, Till fire leaps high | about heaven itself. 58\. Now Garm howls loud | before Gnipahellir, The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run free; Much do I know, | and more can see Of the fate of the gods, | the mighty in fight. 59\. Now do I see | the earth anew Rise all green | from the waves again; The cataracts fall, | and the eagle flies, And fish he catches | beneath the cliffs. 60\. The gods in Ithavoll | meet together, Of the terrible girdler | of earth they talk, And the mighty past | they call to mind, And the ancient runes | of the Ruler of Gods. 61\. In wondrous beauty | once again Shall the golden tables | stand mid the grass, Which the gods had owned | in the days of old, . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . 62\. Then fields unsowed | bear ripened fruit, All ills grow better, | and Baldr comes back; Baldr and Hoth dwell | in Hropt’s battle-hall, And the mighty gods: | would you know yet more? 63\. Then Hönir wins | the prophetic wand, . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . And the sons of the brothers | of Tveggi abide In Vindheim now: | would you know yet more? 64\. More fair than the sun, | a hall I see, Roofed with gold, | on Gimle it stands; There shall the righteous | rulers dwell, And happiness ever | there shall they have. 65\. There comes on high, | all power to hold, A mighty lord, | all lands he rules. . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . 66\. From below the dragon | dark comes forth, Nithhogg flying | from Nithafjoll; The bodies of men | on his wings he bears, The serpent bright: | but now must I sink.