Fragment of "The Short Voluspo"
1. Eleven in number the
gods were known,
When Baldr o'er the hill of
death was bowed;
And this to avenge was Vali
swift,
When his brother's slayer soon
he flew.
2. The father of Baldr was
the heir of Bur,
-lacuna-
3. Freyr's wife was Gerth, the
daughter of Gymir,
Of the giants' brood, and
Aurbotha bore her;
To these as well was Thjazi
kin,
The dark-loving giant; his
daughter was Skathi.
4. Much have I told thee, and
further will tell;
There is much that I know;- wilt
thou hear yet more?
5. Heith and Hrossthjof, the
children of Hrimnir,
-lacuna-
6. The sybils arose from
Vitholf's race,
From Vilmeith all the seers
are,
And the workers of charms are
Svarthofthi's children,
And from Ymir sprang the
giants all.
7. Much have I told thee, and
further will tell;
There is much that I know;- wilt
thou hear yet more?
8. One there was born in
the bygone days,
Of the race of the gods, and
great was his might;
Nine giant women, at
the world's edge,
Once bore the man so
mighty in arms.
9. Gjolp there bore him, Greip
there bore him,
Eistla bore him, and Eyrgjafa,
Ulfrun bore him, and Angeyja,
Imith and Atla, and Jarnsaxa.
10. Strong was he made with
the strength of earth,
With the ice-cold sea, and
the blood of swine.
11. One there was born, the
best of all,
And strong was he made with
the strength of earth;
The proudest is called the
kinsman of men
Of the rulers all throughout
the world.
12. Much have I told thee, and
further will tell;
There is much that I know;- wilt
thou hear yet more?
13. The wolf did Loki with
Angrbotha win,
And Sleipnir bore he to Svathilfari;
The worst of marvels seemed
the one
That sprang from the brother of
Byleist then.
14. A heart ate Loki;- in
the embers it lay,
And half-cooked found he the
woman's heart;-
With child from the woman Lopt
soon was,
And thence among men came
the monsters all.
15. The sea, storm-driven, seeks
heaven itself,
O'er the earth it flows, the
air grows sterile;
Then follow the snows and
the furious winds,
For the gods are doomed, and
the end is death.
16. Then comes another, a
greater than all,
Though never I dare his name
to speak;
Few are they now that farther
can see
Than the moment when Othin shall
meet the wolf.