The Poetic Edda
Henry Adams Bellows (translator)
3,671 passages indexed from The Poetic Edda (Henry Adams Bellows (translator)) — Page 23 of 74
License: Public Domain
The Poetic Edda, passage 3055
24. In the hall was clamor, | the cups were shattered,
Men stood in blood | from the breasts of the Goths.
The Poetic Edda, passage 3483
Nith″-a-vel′-lir, home of the dwarfs, 3, 16.
The Poetic Edda, passage 513
46. Fenrir: there appears to be a confusion between the wolf Fenrir
(cf. Voluspo, 39 and note) and his son, the wolf Skoll, who steals the
sun (cf. Voluspo, 40 and note).
The Poetic Edda, passage 1962
39. “The form of Gunnar | and shape thou gettest,
But mind and voice | thine own remain;
The hand of the fosterling | noble of Heimir
Now dost thou win, | and none can prevent.”
The Poetic Edda, passage 2115
33. “There Regin lies, | and plans he lays
The youth to betray | who trusts him well;
Lying words | with wiles will he speak,
Till his brother the maker | of mischief avenges.”
The Poetic Edda, passage 3329
Helg′-i, Hjalmgunnar (?), 344, 345.
The Poetic Edda, passage 2298
2. To her the warriors | wise there came,
Longing her heavy | woe to lighten;
Grieving could not | Guthrun weep,
So sad her heart, | it seemed, would break.
The Poetic Edda, passage 1243
20. The manuscript omits line 2, supplied by analogy with stanza 6.
The Poetic Edda, passage 2960
75. The manuscript does not name the speaker.
The Poetic Edda, passage 1987
27. Brynhild (“Armed Warrior”): on her and her family see Introductory
Note and note to stanza 19.
The Poetic Edda, passage 2410
63. “Bikki’s word | her death shall be,
For dreadful the wrath | of Jormunrek;
So slain is all | of Sigurth’s race,
And greater the woe | of Guthrun grows.
The Poetic Edda, passage 2582
28. In stanzas 28–32 the dialogue, in alternate stanzas, is clearly
between Guthrun and her mother, Grimhild, though the manuscript does
not indicate the speakers.
The Poetic Edda, passage 173
55. This and the following stanza are clearly in bad shape. In Regius
only lines 1 and 4 are found, combined with stanza 56 as a single
stanza. Line 1 does not appear in the Hauksbok version, the stanza
there beginning with line 2. Snorri, in quoting these two stanzas,
omits 55, 2–4, and 56, 3, making a single stanza out of 55, 1, and 56,
4, 2, 1, in that order. Moreover, the Hauksbok manuscript at this point
is practically illegible. The lacuna (line 3) is, of course, purely
conjectural, and all sorts of arrangements of the lines have been
attempted by editors. Hlothyn: another name for Jorth (“Earth”), Thor’s
mother; his father was Othin. The snake: Mithgarthsorm; cf. stanza 5c
and note. Othin’s son: Thor. The fourth line in Regius reads “against
the wolf,” but if this line refers to Thor at all, and not to Vithar,
the Hauksbok reading, “serpent,” is correct.
The Poetic Edda, passage 2752
13. Myrkwood: cf. stanza 3 and note; the journey is here made by land,
whereas in the Atlamol it is made partly by boat; cf. Atlamol, 34 and
note. Whip-fearers: horses, but there is some uncertainty as to the
word.
The Poetic Edda, passage 1191
17. Rig knew well | wise words to speak,
Soon in the midst | of the room he sat,
And on either side | the others were.
The Poetic Edda, passage 350
156. A tenth I know, | what time I see
House-riders flying on high;
So can I work | that wildly they go,
Showing their true shapes,
Hence to their own homes.
The Poetic Edda, passage 783
3. From the fact that in Regius line 3 begins with a capital letter, it
is possible that lines 3–4 constitute the ferryman’s reply, with
something lost before stanza 4.
The Poetic Edda, passage 2844
56. “Do now as thou wilt, | for glad I await it,
Brave shalt thou find me, | I have faced worse before;
We held thee at bay | while whole we were fighting,
Now with wounds are we spent, | so thy will canst thou work.”
The Poetic Edda, passage 727
7. “Steer thou hither the boat; | the landing here shall I show
thee;
But whose the craft | that thou keepest on the shore?”
The Poetic Edda, passage 3636
Van′-a-heim, home of the Wanes, 3, 187.
The Poetic Edda, passage 648
10. “Dark is it without, | and I deem it time
To fare through the wild fells,
(To fare through the giants’ fastness;)
We shall both come back, | or us both together
The terrible giant will take.”
The Poetic Edda, passage 1331
11. Possibly two stanzas, or perhaps one with interpolations. The
manuscript omits the first half of line 4, here filled out from stanza
16, line 2. Skjoldungs: the descendants of Skjold, a mythical king who
was Othin’s son and the ancestor of the Danish kings; cf. Snorri’s
Edda, Skaldskaparmal, 43. Skilfings: mentioned by Snorri as descendants
of King Skelfir, a mythical ruler in “the East.” In Grimnismol, 54, the
name Skilfing appears as one of Othin’s many appellations. Othlings:
Snorri derives this race from Authi, the son of Halfdan the Old (cf.
stanza 14). Ylfings: some editors have changed this to “Ynglings,” as
in stanza 16, referring to the descendants of Yng or Yngvi, another son
of Halfdan, but the reference may be to the same mythical family to
which Helgi Hundingsbane belonged (cf. Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 5).
The Poetic Edda, passage 1337
19. Ketil: the semi-mythical Ketil Hortha-Kari, from whom various
Icelandic families traced their descent. Hoalf: probably King Half of
Horthaland, hero of the Halfssaga, and son of Hjorleif and Hild (cf.
stanza 12, note).
The Poetic Edda, passage 3234
Fjōsn′-ir, son of Thræll, 206.
The Poetic Edda, passage 2894
4. Runes: on the two versions of Guthrun’s warning, and also on the
name of the messenger (here Vingi), cf. Drap Niflunga and note.
Limafjord: probably the Limfjord of northern Jutland, an important
point in the wars of the eleventh century. The name was derived from
“Eylimafjǫrþ,” i.e., Eylimi’s fjord. The poet may really have thought
that the kingdom of the Burgundians was in Jutland, or he may simply
have taken a well-known name for the sake of vividness.
The Poetic Edda, passage 1425
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?”
The Poetic Edda, passage 1782
THE SECOND LAY OF HELGI HUNDINGSBANE
The Poetic Edda, passage 2129
Prose. The prose follows the concluding prose passage of the Reginsmol
without any interruption; the heading “Of Fafnir’s Death” is written in
the manuscript very faintly just before stanza 1. Gnitaheith: cf.
Gripisspo, 11 and note. Fafnir: Regin’s brother: cf. Reginsmol, prose
after stanza 14. Venom: in the Volsungasaga it was the blood, and not
the venom, that poured down on Sigurth’s head. Sigurth was much worried
about this danger, and before he dug the trench asked Regin what would
happen if the dragon’s blood overcame him. Regin thereupon taunted him
with cowardice (Sigurth refers to this taunt in stanza 30, but the
stanza embodying it has disappeared). After Sigurth had dug his trench,
an old man (Othin, of course) appeared and advised him to dig other
trenches to carry off the blood, which he did, thereby escaping harm.
The Poetic Edda, passage 2328
7. Lines 1 and 2 stand in reversed order in the manuscript; I have
followed Gering’s conjectural transposition.
The Poetic Edda, passage 1360
45. Cf. Voluspo, 65, where the possible reference to Christianity is
noted. With this stanza the fragmentary “short Voluspo” ends, and the
dialogue between Freyja and Hyndla continues.
The Poetic Edda, passage 1793
3. “The hero has | a doom full hard,
That barley now | he needs must grind;
Better befits | his hand to feel
The hilt of the sword | than the millstone’s handle.”
The Poetic Edda, passage 3499
Ol′-rūn, a swan-maiden, 254–257, 485.
The Poetic Edda, passage 1726
58. “Warrior, well | for thyself hast won
Red rings bright | and the noble bride;
Both now, warrior, | thine shall be,
Hogni’s daughter | and Hringstathir,
Wealth and triumph; | the battle wanes.”
The Poetic Edda, passage 2327
6. Herborg: neither she nor her sorrows are elsewhere mentioned, nor is
it clear what a “queen of the Huns” is doing in Gunnar’s home, but the
word “Hun” has little definiteness of meaning in the poems, and is
frequently applied to Sigurth himself (cf. note on stanza 24). Herborg
appears from stanza 11 to have been the foster-mother of Gollrond,
Guthrun’s sister. Lines 5–7 may be interpolations, or may form a
separate stanza.
The Poetic Edda, passage 2853
65. “Thou art joyous, Atli, | for of evil thou tellest,
But sorrow is thine | if thou mightest all see;
Thy heritage heavy | here can I tell thee,
Sorrow never thou losest | unless I shall die.”
The Poetic Edda, passage 3218
Eyr′-gjaf-a, mother of Heimdall, 229.
The Poetic Edda, passage 3545
Sig′-urth, son of Sigmund, 8, 226, 234, 260, 269, 270, 273, 277, 293,
295, 296, 303, 308, 333, 335–359, 361–380, 382–389, 391, 395, 396, 400,
402–407, 409–412, 414–433, 435, 437, 439–442, 445–448, 450–457, 460,
465, 469, 475, 476, 481, 484, 490, 493, 513, 518, 523, 532–534,
536–544, 546–548.
The Poetic Edda, passage 144
26. Thor: the thunder-god, son of Othin and Jorth (Earth); cf.
particularly Harbarthsljoth and Thrymskvitha, passim. Oaths, etc.: the
gods, by violating their oaths to the giant who rebuilt Asgarth,
aroused the undying hatred of the giants’ race, and thus the giants
were among their enemies in the final battle.
The Poetic Edda, passage 303
109. The day that followed, | the frost-giants came,
Some word of Hor to win,
(And into the hall of Hor;)
Of Bolverk they asked, | were he back midst the gods,
Or had Suttung slain him there?
The Poetic Edda, passage 509
41. The heroes: those brought to Valhall by the Valkyries. After the
day’s fighting they are healed of their wounds and all feast together.
The Poetic Edda, passage 81
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.
The Poetic Edda, passage 1401
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?”
The Poetic Edda, passage 1199
25. Daughters they had, | and their names are here:
Snot, Bruth, Svanni, | Svarri, Sprakki,
Fljoth, Sprund and Vif, | Feima, Ristil:
And thence has risen | the yeomen’s race.
The Poetic Edda, passage 468
38. “Tenth answer me now, | if thou knowest all
The fate that is fixed for the gods:
Whence came up Njorth | to the kin of the gods,—
(Rich in temples | and shrines he rules,—)
Though of gods he was never begot?”
The Poetic Edda, passage 1796
He lay with his host in Brunavagar, and they had there a
strand-slaughtering, and ate the flesh raw. Hogni was the name of a
king. His daughter was Sigrun; she was a Valkyrie and rode air and
water; she was Svava reborn. Sigrun rode to Helgi’s ship and said:
The Poetic Edda, passage 854
34. “Enough shall it be | if out ye can bring
Forth from our house | the kettle here.”
Tyr then twice | to move it tried,
But before him the kettle | twice stood fast.
The Poetic Edda, passage 1857
49. “Now were he come, | if come he might,
Sigmund’s son, | from Othin’s seat;
Hope grows dim | of the hero’s return
When eagles sit | on the ash-tree boughs,
And men are seeking | the meeting of dreams.”
The Poetic Edda, passage 2896
6. Some editions place this stanza between stanzas 7 and 8. Kostbera
(“The Giver of Food”) and Glaumvor (“The Merry”): presumably creations
of the poet. Both: Atli’s two emissaries, Vingi and the one here
unnamed (Knefröth?).
The Poetic Edda, passage 3378
Hȫn′-ir, a god, 8, 20, 25, 162, 358, 359, 493.
The Poetic Edda, passage 3375
Hog′-ni, father of Sigrun, 296, 306, 308, 312, 313, 316–319, 323, 328,
329.