Hyndluljóð

Freyja spake:

"Maiden, awake!

wake thee, my friend,

My sister Hyndla,

in thy hollow cave!

Already comes darkness,

and ride must we

To Valhall to seek

the sacred hall."

"The favor of Heerfather

seek we to find,

To his followers gold

he gladly gives;

To Hermoth gave he

helm and mail-coat,

And to Sigmund he gave

a sword as gift."

"Triumph to some,

and treasure to others,

To many wisdom

and skill in words,

Fair winds to the sailor,

to the singer his art,

And a manly heart

to many a hero."

"Thor shall I honor,

and this shall I ask,

That his favor true

mayst thou ever find;

*********

Though little the brides

of the giants he loves."

"From the stall now

one of thy wolves lead forth,

And along with my boar

shalt thou let him run;

For slow my boar goes

on the road of the gods,

And I would not weary

my worthy steed."

Hyndla spake:

"Falsely thou askest me,

Freyja, to go,

For so in the glance

of thine eyes I see;

On the way of the slain

thy lover goes with thee.

Ottar the young,

the son of Instein."

Freyja spake:

"Wild dreams, methinks,

are thine when thou sayest

My lover is with me

on the way of the slain;

There shines the boar

with bristles of gold,

Hildisvini,

he who was made

By Dain and Nabbi,

the cunning dwarfs."

"Now let us down

from our saddles leap,

And talk of the race

of the heroes twain;

The men who were born

of the gods above,

*********"

"A wager have made

in the foreign metal

Ottar the young

and Angantyr;

We must guard, for the hero

young to have,

His father's wealth,

the fruits of his race."

"For me a shrine

of stones he made,

And now to glass

the rock has grown;

Oft with the blood

of beasts was it red;

In the goddesses ever

did Ottar trust."

Freyja spake:

"Tell to me now

the ancient names,

And the races of all

that were born of old:

Who are of the Skjoldungs,

who of the Skilfings,

Who of the Othlings,

who of the Ylfings,

Who are the free-born,

who are the high-born,

The noblest of men

that in Mithgarth dwell?"

Hyndla spake:

"Thou art, Ottar,

the son of Instein,

And Instein the son

of Alf the Old,

Alf of Ulf,

Ulf of Sæfari,

And Sæfari's father

was Svan the Red."

"Thy mother, bright

with bracelets fair,

Hight, methinks,

the priestess Hledis;

Frothi her father,

and Friaut her mother;

Her race of the mightiest

men must seem."

"Of old the noblest

of all was Ali,

Before him Halfdan,

foremost of Skjoldungs;

Famed were the battles

the hero fought,

To the corners of heaven

his deeds were carried."

"Strengthened by Eymund,

the strongest of men,

Sigtrygg he slew

with the ice-cold sword;

His bride was Almveig,

the best of women,

And eighteen boys

did Almveig bear him."

Hyndla spake:

"Hence come the Skjoldungs,

hence the Skilfings,

Hence the Othlings,

hence the Ynglings,

Hence come the free-born,

hence the high-born,

The noblest of men

that in Mithgarth dwell:

And all are thy kinsmen,

Ottar, thou fool!"

"Hildigun then

her mother hight,

The daughter of Svava

and Sækonung;

And all are thy kinsmen,

Ottar, thou fool!

It is much to know,

wilt thou hear yet more?"

"The mate of Dag

was a mother of heroes,

Thora, who bore him

the bravest of fighters,

Frathmar and Gyrth

and the Frekis twain,

Am and Jofurmar,

Alf the Old;

It is much to know,

wilt thou hear yet more?"

"Her husband was Ketil,

the heir of Klypp,

He was of thy mother

the mother's-father;

Before the days

of Kari was Frothi,

And horn of Hild

was Hoalf then."

"Next was Nanna,

daughter of Nokkvi,

Thy father's kinsman

her son became;

Old is the line,

and longer still,

And all are thy kinsmen,

Ottar, thou fool!"

Hyndla spake:

"Isolf and Osolf,

the sons of Olmoth,

Whose wife was Skurhild,

the daughter of Skekkil,

Count them among

the heroes mighty,

And all are thy kinsmen,

Ottar, thou fool!"

"Gunnar the Bulwark,

Grim the Hardy,

Thorir the Iron-shield,

Ulf the Gaper,

Brodd and Hörvir

both did I know;

In the household they were

of Hrolf the Old."

"Hervarth, Hjorvarth,

Hrani, Angantyr,

Bui and Brami,

Barri and Reifnir,

Tind and Tyrfing,

the Haddings twain,

And all are thy kinsmen,

Ottar, thou fool!"

"Eastward in Bolm

were born of old

The sons of Arngrim

and Eyfura;

With berserk-tumult

and baleful deed

Like fire o'er land

and sea they fared,

And all are thy kinsmen,

Ottar, thou fool!"

"The sons of Jormunrek

all of yore

To the gods in death

were as offerings given;

He was kinsman of Sigurth,

hear well what I say,

The foe of hosts,

and Fafnir's slayer."

Hyndla spake:

"From Volsung's seed

was the hero sprung,

And Hjordis was born

of Hrauthung's race,

And Eylimi

from the Othlings came,

And all are thy kinsmen,

Ottar, thou fool!"

"Gunnar and Hogni,

the heirs of Gjuki,

And Guthrun as well,

who their sister was;

But Gotthorm was not

of Gjuki's race,

Although the brother

of both he was:

And all are thy kinsmen,

Ottar, thou fool!"

"Of Hvethna's sons

was Haki the best,

And Hjorvarth the father

of Hvethna was;

*********"

"Harald Battle-tooth

of Auth was born,

Hrörek the Ring-giver

her husband was;

Auth the Deep-minded

was Ivar's daughter,

But Rathbarth the father

of Randver was:

And all are thy kinsmen,

Ottar, thou fool!"

Freyja spake:

"To my boar now bring

the memory-beer,

So that all thy words,

that well thou hast spoken,

The third morn hence

he may hold in mind,

When their races Ottar

and Angantyr tell."

Hyndla spake:

"Hence shalt thou fare,

for fain would I sleep,

From me thou gettest

few favors good;

My noble one, out

in the night thou leapest

As Heithrun goes

the goats among"

"To Oth didst thou run,

who loved thee ever,

And many under

thy apron have crawled;

My noble one, out

in the night thou leapest,

As Heithrun goes

the goats among."

Freyja spake:

"Around the giantess

flames shall I raise,

So that forth unburned

thou mayst not fare."

Hyndla spake:

"Flames I see burning,

the earth is on fire,

And each for his life

the price must lose;

Bring then to Ottar

the draught of beer,

Of venom full

for an evil fate."

Freyja spake:

"Thine evil words

shall work no ill,

Though, giantess, bitter

thy baleful threats;

A drink full fair

shall Ottar find,

If of all the gods

the favor I get."