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.