The Collected Works of William Morris :: :: University of Virginia Library

Grettir, didst thou live utterly for nought?
Among the many millions of the earth
Few knew thy name nor where thou hadst thy birth.
And yet, that passing glow of fame unsought,
That eager life in ill luck's meshes caught
That struggles yet to gain a little mirth
Amidst of pain—with less remembered worth
Great things to little things have great men brought.

At least thy life moved men so, that e'en I,
Thy mother's wail in the lone eve and drear,
Thy brother's laugh at death for thee, can hear—
Hear now nor wonder at her agony
Nor wonder that he found it good to die—
Speak, Grettir, through the dark: I am anear.

xxj

BALDUR'S DREAM

[Translation from the Edda songs upon which the Grethir and Völsung a Saga are based.]

1

The Gods on a time
At the Thing were all gathered
And the Goddesses there
Were gathered together,
And this thing the great Gods
Had to talk over there,
Why baleful dreams
Had come to Baldur.

2

Up rose Odin,
Lord of the ages,
And he on Sleipnir
Laid the saddle,
And thence he rode down
To the deeps of Niflhel,
Till he met the hound
That came out of Hel.

3

All bloody was he
On his breast's forefront,
Long while he bayed
On the Father of wisdom,
But forward rode Odin
Mid the din of the field-way
Till he came to the high-built
House of Hell.

4

Then rode Odin
To the door looking eastward
Where he wotted the mound was
Wherein lay the Vala.

xxij

Then to the witch-wife
Wise words he sang,
Witch-work for dead folk,
Till unwilling she rose
With dead words in her mouth:

5

“What man is that
A man that I know not
Who has brought unto me
The burden his mind bears?
I was snowed on with snow
And swept over with rain
And dripped down on with dew,
Dead, dead for a long while.”

6

“Way-wearer they call me,
The son of the death-wise;
Tell me tidings of Hel
And of earth will I tell thee.
For whom are these benches
Strewn with red rings
And the goodly bed
With gold done over?”

7

“For Baldur standeth
The mead brewed ready
And this shimmering drink
That the shield lieth over.
From the sons of the Gods
Is all hope gone away.
To speech was I driven
And now will hold silence.”

8

“Hold not silence, O witch-wife
Thee yet will I question
Until all wisdom
Well I wot.

xxiij

Who shall be
The bane of Baldur
And snatch the life
From Odin's son?”

9

“High beareth Hod
The staff made famous,
He shall be
The bane of Baldur
And snatch the life
From Odin's son.”

10

“Hold not silence, O witch-wife,
Thee yet will I question,
Until all wisdom
Well I wot.
Who upon Hod
Will wreak heavy vengeance
Or bring bale
On Baldur's bane?”

11

“Rind beareth Vali
In the Western halls;
One-night-old shall slay folk;
Nor washeth hand
Nor combeth head
Ere bale he bringeth
On Baldur's foeman.”

12

“Hold not silence, O witch-wife,
Thee yet will I question
Until all wisdom
Well I wot.

xxiv

Who are the mays
Who shall wait heavy-hearted
And on their heads
Cast heaven's skirts?”

13

“Way-wearer art thou not
E'en as I wotten
But rather Odin
Lord of the ages.”
“Thou art no witch-wife
No wise woman,
But of three giants
Art thou the mother.”

14

“Ride thou home, Odin,
And be thou all joyous
That thou mayst behold
Menfolk once more,
Till the last day when Loki
Slips loose from his bounds
And that great day
Of the Gods' death is come.”

THE LAY OF THRYM

[Trarslation from the Edda songs on which the Grethir and Völsunga Saga are based.]

1

Wrath Thor was waxen
Then when he woke up
And waking missed
His mighty hammer.
Bristled his beard thereat,
Broad about tossed his hair
As the great Earth-born
Groped round about him.

2

And this word he spake
Of all words the first word:
“Hearken thou, Loki,

xxv

To that when I speak now
For the like none hath heard
In the heaven above
Or the earth—of the God
Whose hammer got stolen.”

3

Forth then they went
To the fair house of Freyia
And this word he spake,
Of all words the first word:
“Lend to me, Freyia,
Thy feather-wrought shape
That that hammer of mine
I might get me again.”

4

“I would give it to thee
Though of gold it were wrought,
Were it of silver
Yet shouldst thou have it.”
Forth then flew Loki,
Whistled the Feather-shape
Until from the garth
Of the Gods he was gotten
And withinwards was come
To the world of the giants.

5

On mound was Thrym sitting,
Mighty lord of the giants,
For his bitches he twisted
The bright gold leashes,
And his mares' manes
Made equal duly.

6

“How fare the Æsir,
How fare the Elf-folk?
Why comest thou hither
To the home of the Giants?”

xxvj

“Ill fare the Æsir,
Ill fare the Elf-folk;
Hast thou not hidden
The Hot-rider's hammer?”

7

“Yea, I have hidden
The Hot-rider's hammer;
Eight miles it lieth
Under the earth.
No man there is
Who ever may fetch it
But if he shall bring me
Freyia for bride.”

8

Forth then flew Loki,
Whistled the Feather-shape,
Until from the world
Of the giants he was gotten
And withinwards was come
To the garth of the Gods.

9

“Speedeth thine errand
After thy labour
Up there aloft?
Tell me long tidings;
Oft from the sitting one
Faileth the story,
Oft from the lying one
Lies bubble forth.”

10

“E'en after my labour
So has mine errand been;
Thrym has gotten thine hammer,
High lord of the giants.
No man there is
Who ever may fetch it
But if he shall bring him
Freyia for bride.”

xxvij

11

Forth then they went
Fair Freyia to meet,
And this word he spake,
Of all words the first word:
“Bind on, O Freyia,
The linen of brides;
To the dwelling of giants
We twain shall drive thee.”

12

Wroth then waxed Freyia,
Fiercely she snorted,
The abode of the Æsir
All trembled beneath her,
The gem of the Brisings
Was bursten asunder.
“Me methinks deem ye
Mad with love-longing
That I should fare with you
To the world of the giants.”

13

The Gods on a time
At the Thing were all gathered,
And the Goddesses there
Were gathered together,
And this thing the great Gods
Had to talk over there:
How they might lay hand
On Hot-rider's hammer.

14

Then spake Heimdall,
Whitest of high Gods,
Wise in what should be
As any God was:
“Bind we on Thor then
Linen that brides bear,
Let him have the great gem
Of the Brisings hung on him.

xxviij

15

“Let us hand to him
Tinkle of keys
Let women's weed
Fall wide o'er his knee,
Set on his breast
Broad stones and bright,
Tire his head
Trimly and fair.”

16

Then spake Thor,
God of the Thunder:
“Craven the Æsir
Should call me certes
If the linen of brides
I should let bind upon me.

17

Then spake Loki,
Son of Laufey:
“Hold thy peace, Thor,
Of such words as these;
Doubtless the giants
Asgard shall dwell [in]
But if thou shalt have
Thine hammer to thee.”

18

Bound they on Thor then
Linen that brides bear,
Bound they upon him
The gem of the Brisings,
Hung they unto him
Tinkle of keys,
Let women's weed
Fall wide o'er his knee,
Set on his breast
Broad stones and bright,
Tire his head
Trimly and fair.

xxix

19

Then spake Loki
Wise son of Laufey
“I will go with thee,
Thy waiting woman;
We two shall drive
To the dwelling of giants.”

20

Then were the he-goats
Straight driven homewards,
Swift in the yoke,
Strong to run well.
Hills brake asunder,
Earth burned aflaming
And Odin's son wended
To the world of the giants.

21

Then loud spake Thrym
Lord of the giants:
“Stand up, ye giant folk
Strew ye the benches,
For now wendeth hither
Freyia to wed me
The daughter of Niord
Noatown's dweller.

22

“Here in my garth
Go the kine gold-horned,
Oxen all black
Bring the giants disport,
Many good things
Many gems have,
Freyia alone
Was all I thought lacking.”

23

In the evening betimes
Were they brought thither
And in to the giant folk

xxx

Now was the ale brought;
Sif's husband alone
Ate up an ox there
Eight salmon therewith
And all the sweet things
That the women's due were,
And drank out three mead-tuns.

24

Loud spake Thrym
Lord of the giants:
“Who e'er saw brides
Bite any keener?
Ne'er saw I brides
Broader mouthed bite,
Nor more mead than that
Drunk by a maid.”

25

There sat the wily
Waiting-maid by him
And found out a word
For the giant's word ready:
“Naught at all Freyia
For eight nights hath eaten,
Such longing had she
For the home of the giants.”

26

He stooped 'neath the linen
Sore longing to kiss her,
But backward he leaped
Endlong the hall:
“Why are Freyia's eyes
So fierce unto me?
Methinks from those eyes
Fire flamed forth.”

27

There sat the wily
Waiting-maid by him
And found a word

xxxj

For the giant's word ready:
“Nought at all Freyia
For eight nights hath slept
Such longing had she
For the home of the giants.”

28

In slunk the wretch,
The giant's sister,
And dared to bid
For the bride-fee there:
“Give from thy hands
The gold rings ruddy
If thou wouldst win
Goodwill of me
Goodwill of me,
And my loving kindness.”

29

Then loud spake Thrym,
Lord of the giants:
“Bear in the hammer
The bride to hallow,
Lay ye Miolnir,
On the knees of the maiden,
And hallow us both
To the hands of Varar.”

30

Laughed then Hot-rider's
Heart in the breast of him,
When hardly of heart
His hammer he caught up:
Thrym got he first slain,
Lord of the giants,
Then all the kin
He crushed of the giant folk.

31

Slew he the old crone
The giant's sister,
She who had bidden

xxxij

Give forth the bride-fee;
Smiting her lot was
Instead of silver,
And the hammer's stroke
For store of gold rings.

So came Odin's son
In the end by his hammer.