The Younger Edda Part 11

The giants of Iva's[90] capes Made a rush with Geirrod; The foes of the cold Svithiod Took to flight.

Geirrod's giants Had to succ.u.mb When the lightning wielder's[91] kinsmen Closely pursued them.

Wailing was 'mongst the cave-dwellers When the giants, With warlike spirit endowed, Went forward.

There was war.

The slayer of troll-women, By foes surrounded, The giant's hard head hit.

With violent pressure Were pressed the vast eyes Of Gjalp and Greip Against the high roof.

The fire-chariot's driver The old backs broke Of both these maids For the cave-woman.

The man of the rocky way But scanty knowledge got; Nor able were the giants To enjoy perfect gladness.

Thou man of the bow-string!

The dwarf's kinsman An iron beam, in the forge heated, Threw against Odin's dear son.

But the battle-hastener, Freyja's old friend, With swift hands caught In the air the beam As it flew from the hands Of the father of Greip,-- His breast with anger swollen Against Thruda's[92] father.

Geirrod's hall trembled When he struck, With his broad head, 'Gainst the old column of the house-wall.

Uller's splendid flatterer Swung the iron beam Straight 'gainst the head Of the knavish giant.

The crusher of the hall-wont troll-women A splendid victory won Over Glam's descendants; With gory hammer fared Thor.

Gridarvol-staff, Which made disaster 'Mong Geirrod's companion, Was not used 'gainst that giant himself.

The much worshiped thunderer, With all his might, slew The dwellers in Alfheim With that little willow-twig, And no shield Was able to resist The strong age-diminisher Of the mountain-king.

[Footnote 90: A river in Jotunheim.]

[Footnote 91: Thor's kinsmen = the asas.]

[Footnote 92: Thruda was a daughter of Thor and Sif.]

IDUN.

How shall Idun be named? She is called the wife of Brage, the keeper of the apples; but the apples are called the medicine to bar old age (ellilyf, elixir vitae). She is also called the booty of the giant Thja.s.se, according to what has before been said concerning how he took her away from the asas. From this saga Thjodolf, of Hvin, composed the following song in his Haustlong:

How shall the tongue Pay an ample reward For the sonorous shield Which I received from Thorleif, Foremost 'mong soldiers?

On the splendidly made shield I see the unsafe journey Of three G.o.ds and Thja.s.se.

Idun's robber flew long ago The asas to meet In the giant's old eagle-guise.

The eagle perched Where the asas bore Their food to be cooked.

Ye women! The mountain-giant Was not wont to be timid.

Suspected of malice Was the giant toward the G.o.ds.

Who causes this?

Said the chief of the G.o.ds.

The wise-worded giant-eagle From the old tree began to speak.

The friend of Honer Was not friendly to him.

The mountain-wolf from Honer Asked for his fill From the holy table: It fell to Honer to blow the fire.

The giant, eager to kill, Glided down Where the unsuspecting G.o.ds, Odin, Loke and Honer, were sitting.

The fair lord of the earth Bade Farbaute's son Quickly to share The ox with the giant; But the cunning foe of the asas Thereupon laid The four parts of the ox Upon the broad table.

And the huge father of Morn[93]

Afterward greedily ate The ox at the tree-root.

That was long ago, Until the profound Loke the hard rod laid 'Twixt the shoulders Of the giant Thja.s.se.

Then clung with his hands The husband of Sigyn To Skade's foster-son, In the presence of all the G.o.ds.

The pole stuck fast To Jotunheim's strong fascinator, But the hands of Honer's dear friend Stuck to the other end.

Flew then with the wise G.o.d The voracious bird of prey Far away; so the wolf's father To pieces must be torn.

Odin's friend got exhausted.

Heavy grew Lopt.

Odin's companion Must sue for peace.

Hymer's kinsman demanded That the leader of hosts The sorrow-healing maid, Who the asas' youth-preserving apples keeps, Should bring to him.

Brisingamen's thief Afterward brought Idun To the gard of the giant.

Sorry were not the giants After this had taken place, Since from the south Idun had come to the giants.

All the race Of Yngve-Frey, at the Thing, Grew old and gray,-- Ugly-looking were the G.o.ds.

Until the G.o.ds found the blood-dog, Idun's decoying thrall, And bound the maid's deceiver, You shall, cunning Loke, Spake Thor, die; Unless back you lead, With your tricks, that Good joy-increasing maid.

Heard have I that thereupon The friend of Honer flew In the guise of a falcon (He often deceived the asas with his cunning); And the strong fraudulent giant, The father of Morn, With the wings of the eagle Sped after the hawk's child.

The holy G.o.ds soon built a fire-- They shaved off kindlings-- And the giant was scorched.

This is said in memory Of the dwarf's heel-bridge.[94]

A shield adorned with splendid lines From Thorleif I received.

[Footnote 93: A troll-woman.]

[Footnote 94: Shield.]

aeGER'S FEAST.

How shall gold be named? It may be called fire; the needles of Glaser; Sif's hair; Fulla's head-gear; Freyja's tears; the chatter, talk or word of the giants; Draupner's drop; Draupner's rain or shower; Freyja's eyes; the otter-ransom, or stroke-ransom, of the asas; the seed of Fyrisvold; Holge's how-roof; the fire of all waters and of the hand; or the stone, rock or gleam of the hand.

Why is gold called aeger's fire? The saga relating to this is, as has before been told, that aeger made a visit to Asgard, but when he was ready to return home he invited Odin and all the asas to come and pay him a visit after the lapse of three months. On this journey went Odin, Njord, Frey, Tyr, Brage, Vidar, Loke; and also the asynjes, Frigg, Freyja, Gefjun, Skade, Idun, Sif. Thor was not there, for he had gone eastward to fight trolls. When the G.o.ds had taken their seats, aeger let his servants bring in on the hall floor bright gold, which shone and lighted up the whole hall like fire, just as the swords in Valhal are used instead of fire. Then Loke bandied hasty words with all the G.o.ds, and slew aeger's thrall who was called Fimafeng. The name of his other thrall is Elder. The name of aeger's wife is Ran, and they have nine daughters, as has before been written. At this feast all things pa.s.sed around spontaneously, both food and ale and all the utensils needed for the feasting. Then the asas became aware that Ran had a net in which she caught all men who perish at sea. Then the saga goes on telling how it happens that gold is called the fire, or light or brightness of aeger, of Ran, or of aeger's daughters; and from these periphrases it is allowed to call gold the fire of the sea, or of any of the periphrases of the sea, since aeger and Ran are found in periphrases of the sea; and thus gold is now called the fire of waters, of rivers, or of all the periphrases of rivers. But these names have fared like other periphrases. The younger skald has composed poetry after the pattern of the old skalds, imitating their songs; but afterward they have expanded the metaphors whenever they thought they could improve upon what was sung before; and thus the water is the sea, the river is the lakes, the brook is the river. Hence all the figures that are expanded more than what has before been found are called new tropes, and all seem good that contain likelihood and are natural. Thus sang the skald Brage:

From the king I received The fire of the brook.

This the king gave to me And a head with song.

Why is gold called the needles or leaves of Glaser? In Asgard, before the doors of Valhal, stands a grove which is called Glaser, and all its leaves are of red gold, as is here sung:

Glaser stands With golden leaves Before Sigtyr's halls.

This is the fairest forest among G.o.ds and men.