女巫的预言 · 诗体埃达 / 文脉

Voluspo / Völuspá / The Wise-Woman's Prophecy

《女巫的预言》（Völuspá，"女巫的预言"）是《诗体埃达》开篇之作，也是北欧神话最重要的单一文本。全诗六十六节，以一位被奥丁从坟墓中唤起的女先知（völva）的第一人称叙述展开。她从混沌初开讲起，依次讲述世界之树的起源、矮人的创造、第一对人类 Ask 和 Embla 的诞生、诸神的黄金时代、巴尔德尔之死，以及最终的诸神黄昏（Ragnarök）。

诗的核心是双重运动：毁灭与再生。"斧之时、剑之时、盾被劈裂；风之时、狼之时，直到世界崩塌"这一类末日意象，是北欧神话最具辨识度的段落之一。但诗并未在毁灭中结束：第 59 节起，一个新的世界从浪中升起，巴尔德尔归来，"未播的田野结出果实"。这个末日后的再生图景是否受到基督教"新天新地"观念影响，是十九世纪以来北欧学研究最持久的争论之一。

本页收录 Henry Adams Bellows 1923 年英译本。Bellows 译本已进入公有领域；本站保留其诗篇导言、英译正文和注释，不收现代中译或现代校勘文本。

Bellows 1923 英译

THE WISE-WOMAN’S PROPHECY

Bellows Introductory Note

At the beginning of the collection in the Codex Regius stands the
Voluspo, the most famous and important, as it is likewise the most
debated, of all the Eddic poems. Another version of it is found in a
huge miscellaneous compilation of about the year 1300, the Hauksbok,
and many stanzas are included in the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson.
The order of the stanzas in the Hauksbok version differs materially
from that in the Codex Regius, and in the published editions many
experiments have been attempted in further rearrangements. On the
whole, however, and allowing for certain interpolations, the order of
the stanzas in the Codex Regius seems more logical than any of the
wholesale “improvements” which have been undertaken.

The general plan of the Voluspo is fairly clear. Othin, chief of the
gods, always conscious of impending disaster and eager for knowledge,
calls on a certain “Volva,” or wise-woman, presumably bidding her rise
from the grave. She first tells him of the past, of the creation of the
world, the beginning of years, the origin of the dwarfs (at this point
there is a clearly interpolated catalogue of dwarfs’ names, stanzas
10–16), of the first man and woman, of the world-ash Yggdrasil, and of
the first war, between the gods and the Vanir, or, in Anglicized form,
the Wanes. Then, in stanzas 27–29, as a further proof of her wisdom,
she discloses some of Othin’s own secrets and the details of his search
for knowledge. Rewarded by Othin for what she has thus far told (stanza
30), she then turns to the real prophesy, the disclosure of the final
destruction of the gods. This final battle, in which fire and flood
overwhelm heaven and earth as the gods fight with their enemies, is the
great fact in Norse mythology; the phrase describing it, ragna rök,
“the fate of the gods,” has become familiar, by confusion with the word
rökkr, “twilight,” in the German Götterdämmerung. The wise-woman tells
of the Valkyries who bring the slain warriors to support Othin and the
other gods in the battle, of the slaying of Baldr, best and fairest of
the gods, through the wiles of Loki, of the enemies of the gods, of the
summons to battle on both sides, and of the mighty struggle, till Othin
is slain, and “fire leaps high about heaven itself” (stanzas 31–58).
But this is not all. A new and beautiful world is to rise on the ruins
of the old; Baldr comes back, and “fields unsowed bear ripened fruit”
(stanzas 59–66).

This final passage, in particular, has caused wide differences of
opinion as to the date and character of the poem. That the poet was
heathen and not Christian seems almost beyond dispute; there is an
intensity and vividness in almost every stanza which no archaizing
Christian could possibly have achieved. On the other hand, the
evidences of Christian influence are sufficiently striking to outweigh
the arguments of Finnur Jonsson, Müllenhoff and others who maintain
that the Voluspo is purely a product of heathendom. The roving Norsemen
of the tenth century, very few of whom had as yet accepted
Christianity, were nevertheless in close contact with Celtic races
which had already been converted, and in many ways the Celtic influence
was strongly felt. It seems likely, then, that the Voluspo was the work
of a poet living chiefly in Iceland, though possibly in the “Western
Isles,” in the middle of the tenth century, a vigorous believer in the
old gods, and yet with an imagination active enough to be touched by
the vague tales of a different religion emanating from his neighbor
Celts.

How much the poem was altered during the two hundred years between its
composition and its first being committed to writing is largely a
matter of guesswork, but, allowing for such an obvious interpolation as
the catalogue of dwarfs, and for occasional lesser errors, it seems
quite needless to assume such great changes as many editors do. The
poem was certainly not composed to tell a story with which its early
hearers were quite familiar; the lack of continuity which baffles
modern readers presumably did not trouble them in the least. It is, in
effect, a series of gigantic pictures, put into words with a directness
and sureness which bespeak the poet of genius. It is only after the
reader, with the help of the many notes, has familiarized himself with
the names and incidents involved that he can begin to understand the
effect which this magnificent poem must have produced on those who not
only understood but believed it.

1. Hearing I ask | from the holy races,
From Heimdall’s sons, | both high and low;
Thou wilt, Valfather, | that well I relate
Old tales I remember | of men long ago.

2. I remember yet | the giants of yore,
Who gave me bread | in the days gone by;
Nine worlds I knew, | the nine in the tree
With mighty roots | beneath the mold.

3. Of old was the age | when Ymir lived;
Sea nor cool waves | nor sand there were;
Earth had not been, | nor heaven above,
But a yawning gap, | and grass nowhere.

4. Then Bur’s sons lifted | the level land,
Mithgarth the mighty | there they made;
The sun from the south | warmed the stones of earth,
And green was the ground | with growing leeks.

7. At Ithavoll met | the mighty gods,
Shrines and temples | they timbered high;
Forges they set, | and they smithied ore,
Tongs they wrought, | and tools they fashioned.

8. In their dwellings at peace | they played at tables,
Of gold no lack | did the gods then know,—
Till thither came up | giant-maids three,
Huge of might, | out of Jotunheim.

9. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats,
The holy ones, | and council held,
To find who should raise | the race of dwarfs
Out of Brimir’s blood | and the legs of Blain.

10. There was Motsognir | the mightiest made
Of all the dwarfs, | and Durin next;
Many a likeness | of men they made,
The dwarfs in the earth, | as Durin said.

12. Vigg and Gandalf, | Vindalf, Thrain,
Thekk and Thorin, | Thror, Vit and Lit,
Nyr and Nyrath,— | now have I told—
Regin and Rathsvith— | the list aright.

13. Fili, Kili, | Fundin, Nali,
Heptifili, | Hannar, Sviur,
Frar, Hornbori, | Fræg and Loni,
Aurvang, Jari, | Eikinskjaldi.

14. The race of the dwarfs | in Dvalin’s throng
Down to Lofar | the list must I tell;
The rocks they left, | and through wet lands
They sought a home | in the fields of sand.

15. There were Draupnir | and Dolgthrasir,
Hor, Haugspori, | Hlevang, Gloin,
Dori, Ori, | Duf, Andvari,
Skirfir, Virfir, | Skafith, Ai.

16. Alf and Yngvi, | Eikinskjaldi,
Fjalar and Frosti, | Fith and Ginnar;
So for all time | shall the tale be known,
The list of all | the forbears of Lofar.

17. Then from the throng | did three come forth,
From the home of the gods, | the mighty and gracious;
Two without fate | on the land they found,
Ask and Embla, | empty of might.

18. Soul they had not, | sense they had not,
Heat nor motion, | nor goodly hue;
Soul gave Othin, | sense gave Hönir,
Heat gave Lothur | and goodly hue.

19. An ash I know, | Yggdrasil its name,
With water white | is the great tree wet;
Thence come the dews | that fall in the dales,
Green by Urth’s well | does it ever grow.

22. Heith they named her | who sought their home,
The wide-seeing witch, | in magic wise;
Minds she bewitched | that were moved by her magic,
To evil women | a joy she was.

23. On the host his spear | did Othin hurl,
Then in the world | did war first come;
The wall that girdled | the gods was broken,
And the field by the warlike | Wanes was trodden.

24. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats,
The holy ones, | and council held,
Whether the gods | should tribute give,
Or to all alike | should worship belong.

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.

26. In swelling rage | then rose up Thor,—
Seldom he sits | when he such things hears,—
And the oaths were broken, | the words and bonds,
The mighty pledges | between them made.

27. I know of the horn | of Heimdall, hidden
Under the high-reaching | holy tree;
On it there pours | from Valfather’s pledge
A mighty stream: | would you know yet more?

28. Alone I sat | when the Old One sought me,
The terror of gods, | and gazed in mine eyes:
“What hast thou to ask? | why comest thou hither?
Othin, I know | where thine eye is hidden.”

29. I know where Othin’s | eye is hidden,
Deep in the wide-famed | well of Mimir;
Mead from the pledge | of Othin each morn
Does Mimir drink: | would you know yet more?

30. Necklaces had I | and rings from Heerfather,
Wise was my speech | and my magic wisdom;
. . . . . . . . . .
Widely I saw | over all the worlds.

32. I saw for Baldr, | the bleeding god,
The son of Othin, | his destiny set:
Famous and fair | in the lofty fields,
Full grown in strength | the mistletoe stood.

33. From the branch which seemed | so slender and fair
Came a harmful shaft | that Hoth should hurl;
But the brother of Baldr | was born ere long,
And one night old | fought Othin’s son.

34. His hands he washed not, | his hair he combed not,
Till he bore to the bale-blaze | Baldr’s foe.
But in Fensalir | did Frigg weep sore
For Valhall’s need: | would you know yet more?

35. One did I see | in the wet woods bound,
A lover of ill, | and to Loki like;
By his side does Sigyn | sit, nor is glad
To see her mate: | would you know yet more?

36. From the east there pours | through poisoned vales
With swords and daggers | the river Slith.
. . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . .

37. Northward a hall | in Nithavellir
Of gold there rose | for Sindri’s race;
And in Okolnir | another stood,
Where the giant Brimir | his beer-hall had.

38. A hall I saw, | far from the sun,
On Nastrond it stands, | and the doors face north;
Venom drops | through the smoke-vent down,
For around the walls | do serpents wind.

40. The giantess old | in Ironwood sat,
In the east, and bore | the brood of Fenrir;
Among these one | in monster’s guise
Was soon to steal | the sun from the sky.

41. There feeds he full | on the flesh of the dead,
And the home of the gods | he reddens with gore;
Dark grows the sun, | and in summer soon
Come mighty storms: | would you know yet more?

42. On a hill there sat, | and smote on his harp,
Eggther the joyous, | the giants’ warder;
Above him the cock | in the bird-wood crowed,
Fair and red | did Fjalar stand.

43. Then to the gods | crowed Gollinkambi,
He wakes the heroes | in Othin’s hall;
And beneath the earth | does another crow,
The rust-red bird | at the bars of Hel.

44. Now Garm howls loud | before Gnipahellir,
The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run free;
Much do I know, | and more can see
Of the fate of the gods, | the mighty in fight.

46. Fast move the sons | of Mim, and fate
Is heard in the note | of the Gjallarhorn;
Loud blows Heimdall, | the horn is aloft,
In fear quake all | who on Hel-roads are.

47. Yggdrasil shakes, | and shiver on high
The ancient limbs, | and the giant is loose;
To the head of Mim | does Othin give heed,
But the kinsman of Surt | shall slay him soon.

48. How fare the gods? | how fare the elves?
All Jotunheim groans, | the gods are at council;
Loud roar the dwarfs | by the doors of stone,
The masters of the rocks: | would you know yet more?

49. Now Garm howls loud | before Gnipahellir,
The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run free;
Much do I know, | and more can see
Of the fate of the gods, | the mighty in fight.

50. From the east comes Hrym | with shield held high;
In giant-wrath | does the serpent writhe;
O’er the waves he twists, | and the tawny eagle
Gnaws corpses screaming; | Naglfar is loose.

51. O’er the sea from the north | there sails a ship
With the people of Hel, | at the helm stands Loki;
After the wolf | do wild men follow,
And with them the brother | of Byleist goes.

52. Surt fares from the south | with the scourge of branches,
The sun of the battle-gods | shone from his sword;
The crags are sundered, | the giant-women sink,
The dead throng Hel-way, | and heaven is cloven.

53. Now comes to Hlin | yet another hurt,
When Othin fares | to fight with the wolf,
And Beli’s fair slayer | seeks out Surt,
For there must fall | the joy of Frigg.

54. Then comes Sigfather’s | mighty son,
Vithar, to fight | with the foaming wolf;
In the giant’s son | does he thrust his sword
Full to the heart: | his father is avenged.

55. Hither there comes | the son of Hlothyn,
The bright snake gapes | to heaven above;
. . . . . . . . . .
Against the serpent | goes Othin’s son.

56. In anger smites | the warder of earth,—
Forth from their homes | must all men flee;—
Nine paces fares | the son of Fjorgyn,
And, slain by the serpent, | fearless he sinks.

57. The sun turns black, | earth sinks in the sea,
The hot stars down | from heaven are whirled;
Fierce grows the steam | and the life-feeding flame,
Till fire leaps high | about heaven itself.

58. Now Garm howls loud | before Gnipahellir,
The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run free;
Much do I know, | and more can see
Of the fate of the gods, | the mighty in fight.

59. Now do I see | the earth anew
Rise all green | from the waves again;
The cataracts fall, | and the eagle flies,
And fish he catches | beneath the cliffs.

60. The gods in Ithavoll | meet together,
Of the terrible girdler | of earth they talk,
And the mighty past | they call to mind,
And the ancient runes | of the Ruler of Gods.

61. In wondrous beauty | once again
Shall the golden tables | stand mid the grass,
Which the gods had owned | in the days of old,
. . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . .

62. Then fields unsowed | bear ripened fruit,
All ills grow better, | and Baldr comes back;
Baldr and Hoth dwell | in Hropt’s battle-hall,
And the mighty gods: | would you know yet more?

63. Then Hönir wins | the prophetic wand,
. . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . .
And the sons of the brothers | of Tveggi abide
In Vindheim now: | would you know yet more?

64. More fair than the sun, | a hall I see,
Roofed with gold, | on Gimle it stands;
There shall the righteous | rulers dwell,
And happiness ever | there shall they have.

65. There comes on high, | all power to hold,
A mighty lord, | all lands he rules.
. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . .

66. From below the dragon | dark comes forth,
Nithhogg flying | from Nithafjoll;
The bodies of men | on his wings he bears,
The serpent bright: | but now must I sink.

Bellows Notes

1. A few editors, following Bugge, in an effort to clarify the poem,
place stanzas 22, 28 and 30 before stanzas 1–20, but the arrangement in
both manuscripts, followed here, seems logical. In stanza 1 the Volva,
or wise-woman, called upon by Othin, answers him and demands a hearing.
Evidently she belongs to the race of the giants (cf. stanza 2), and
thus speaks to Othin unwillingly, being compelled to do so by his magic
power. Holy: omitted in Regius; the phrase “holy races” probably means
little more than mankind in general. Heimdall: the watchman of the
gods; cf. stanza 46 and note. Why mankind should be referred to as
Heimdall’s sons is uncertain, and the phrase has caused much
perplexity. Heimdall seems to have had various attributes, and in the
Rigsthula, wherein a certain Rig appears as the ancestor of the three
great classes of men, a fourteenth century annotator identifies Rig
with Heimdall, on what authority we do not know, for the Rig of the
poem seems much more like Othin (cf. Rigsthula, introductory prose and
note). Valfather (“Father of the Slain”): Othin, chief of the gods, so
called because the slain warriors were brought to him at Valhall (“Hall
of the Slain”) by the Valkyries (“Choosers of the Slain”).

2. Nine worlds: the worlds of the gods (Asgarth), of the Wanes
(Vanaheim, cf. stanza 21 and note), of the elves (Alfheim), of men
(Mithgarth), of the giants (Jotunheim), of fire (Muspellsheim, cf.
stanza 47 and note), of the dark elves (Svartalfaheim), of the dead
(Niflheim), and presumably of the dwarfs (perhaps Nithavellir, cf.
stanza 37 and note, but the ninth world is uncertain). The tree: the
world-ash Yggdrasil, symbolizing the universe; cf. Grimnismol, 29–35
and notes, wherein Yggdrasil is described at length.

3. Ymir: the giant out of whose body the gods made the world; cf.
Vafthruthnismol, 21. In this stanza as quoted in Snorri’s Edda the
first line runs: “Of old was the age | ere aught there was.”
Yawning gap: this phrase, “Ginnunga-gap,” is sometimes used as a proper
name.

4. Bur’s sons: Othin, Vili, and Ve. Of Bur we know only that his wife
was Bestla, daughter of Bolthorn; cf. Hovamol, 141. Vili and Ve are
mentioned by name in the Eddic poems only in Lokasenna, 26. Mithgarth
(“Middle Dwelling”): the world of men. Leeks: the leek was often used
as the symbol of fine growth (cf. Guthrunarkvitha I, 17), and it was
also supposed to have magic power (cf. Sigrdrifumol, 7).

5. Various editors have regarded this stanza as interpolated; Hoffory
thinks it describes the northern summer night in which the sun does not
set. Lines 3–5 are quoted by Snorri. In the manuscripts line 4 follows
line 5. Regarding the sun and moon as daughter and son of Mundilferi,
cf. Vafthruthnismol, 23 and note, and Grimnismol, 37 and note.

6. Possibly an interpolation, but there seems no strong reason for
assuming this. Lines 1–2 are identical with lines 1–2 of stanza 9, and
line 2 may have been inserted here from that later stanza.

7. Ithavoll (“Field of Deeds”?): mentioned only here and in stanza 60
as the meeting-place of the gods; it appears in no other connection.

8. Tables: the exact nature of this game, and whether it more closely
resembled chess or checkers, has been made the subject of a 400-page
treatise, Willard Fiske’s “Chess in Iceland.” Giant-maids: perhaps the
three great Norns, corresponding to the three fates; cf. stanza 20 and
note. Possibly, however, something has been lost after this stanza, and
the missing passage, replaced by the catalogue of the dwarfs (stanzas
9–16), may have explained the “giant-maids” otherwise than as Norns. In
Vafthruthnismol, 49, the Norns (this time “three throngs” instead of
simply “three”) are spoken of as giant-maidens; Fafnismol, 13,
indicates the existence of many lesser Norns, belonging to various
races. Jotunheim: the world of the giants.

9. Here apparently begins the interpolated catalogue of the dwarfs,
running through stanza 16; possibly, however, the interpolated section
does not begin before stanza 11. Snorri quotes practically the entire
section, the names appearing in a somewhat changed order. Brimir and
Blain: nothing is known of these two giants, and it has been suggested
that both are names for Ymir (cf. stanza 3). Brimir, however, appears
in stanza 37 in connection with the home of the dwarfs. Some editors
treat the words as common rather than proper nouns, Brimir meaning “the
bloody moisture” and Blain being of uncertain significance.

10. Very few of the dwarfs named in this and the following stanzas are
mentioned elsewhere. It is not clear why Durin should have been singled
out as authority for the list. The occasional repetitions suggest that
not all the stanzas of the catalogue came from the same source. Most of
the names presumably had some definite significance, as Northri,
Suthri, Austri, and Vestri (“North,” “South,” “East,” and “West”),
Althjof (“Mighty Thief”), Mjothvitnir (“Mead-Wolf”), Gandalf (“Magic
Elf”), Vindalf (“Wind Elf”), Rathsvith (“Swift in Counsel”),
Eikinskjaldi (“Oak Shield”), etc., but in many cases the
interpretations are sheer guesswork.

12. The order of the lines in this and the succeeding four stanzas
varies greatly in the manuscripts and editions, and the names likewise
appear in many forms. Regin: probably not identical with Regin the son
of Hreithmar, who plays an important part in the Reginsmol and
Fafnismol, but cf. note on Reginsmol, introductory prose.

14. Dvalin: in Hovamol, 144, Dvalin seems to have given magic runes to
the dwarfs, probably accounting for their skill in craftsmanship, while
in Fafnismol, 13, he is mentioned as the father of some of the lesser
Norns. The story that some of the dwarfs left the rocks and mountains
to find a new home on the sands is mentioned, but unexplained, in
Snorri’s Edda; of Lofar we know only that he was descended from these
wanderers.

15. Andvari: this dwarf appears prominently in the Reginsmol, which
tells how the god Loki treacherously robbed him of his wealth; the
curse which he laid on his treasure brought about the deaths of
Sigurth, Gunnar, Atli, and many others.

17. Here the poem resumes its course after the interpolated section.
Probably, however, something has been lost, for there is no apparent
connection between the three giant-maids of stanza 8 and the three
gods, Othin, Hönir and Lothur, who in stanza 17 go forth to create man
and woman. The word “three” in stanzas 8 and 17 very likely confused
some early reciter, or perhaps the compiler himself. Ask and Embla: ash
and elm; Snorri gives them simply as the names of the first man and
woman, but says that the gods made this pair out of trees.

18. Hönir: little is known of this god, save that he occasionally
appears in the poems in company with Othin and Loki, and that he
survives the destruction, assuming in the new age the gift of prophesy
(cf. stanza 63). He was given by the gods as a hostage to the Wanes
after their war, in exchange for Njorth (cf. stanza 21 and note).
Lothur: apparently an older name for Loki, the treacherous but
ingenious son of Laufey, whose divinity Snorri regards as somewhat
doubtful. He was adopted by Othin, who subsequently had good reason to
regret it. Loki probably represents the blending of two originally
distinct figures, one of them an old fire-god, hence his gift of heat
to the newly created pair.

19. Yggdrasil: cf. stanza 2 and note, and Grimnismol, 29–35 and notes.
Urth (“The Past”): one of the three great Norns. The world-ash is kept
green by being sprinkled with the marvelous healing water from her
well.

20. The maidens: the three Norns; possibly this stanza should follow
stanza 8. Dwelling: Regius has “sæ” (sea) instead of “sal” (hall,
home), and many editors have followed this reading, although Snorri’s
prose paraphrase indicates “sal.” Urth, Verthandi and Skuld: “Past,”
“Present” and “Future.” Wood, etc.: the magic signs (runes) controlling
the destinies of men were cut on pieces of wood. Lines 3–4 are probably
interpolations from some other account of the Norns.

21. This follows stanza 20 in Regius; in the Hauksbok version stanzas
25, 26, 27, 40 and 41 come between stanzas 20 and 21. Editors have
attempted all sorts of rearrangements. The war: the first war was that
between the gods and the Wanes. The cult of the Wanes (Vanir) seems to
have originated among the seafaring folk of the Baltic and the southern
shores of the North Sea, and to have spread thence into Norway in
opposition to the worship of the older gods; hence the “war.” Finally
the two types of divinities were worshipped in common; hence the treaty
which ended the war with the exchange of hostages. Chief among the
Wanes were Njorth and his children, Freyr and Freyja, all of whom
became conspicuous among the gods. Beyond this we know little of the
Wanes, who seem originally to have been water-deities. I remember: the
manuscripts have “she remembers,” but the Volva is apparently still
speaking of her own memories, as in stanza 2. Gollveig (“Gold-Might”):
apparently the first of the Wanes to come among the gods, her
ill-treatment being the immediate cause of the war. Müllenhoff
maintains that Gollveig is another name for Freyja. Lines 5–6, one or
both of them probably interpolated, seem to symbolize the refining of
gold by fire. Hor (“The High One”): Othin.

22. Heith (“Shining One”?): a name often applied to wise-women and
prophetesses. The application of this stanza to Gollveig is far from
clear, though the reference may be to the magic and destructive power
of gold. It is also possible that the stanza is an interpolation. Bugge
maintains that it applies to the Volva who is reciting the poem, and
makes it the opening stanza, following it with stanzas 28 and 30, and
then going on with stanzas 1 ff. The text of line 2 is obscure, and has
been variously emended.

23. This stanza and stanza 24 have been transposed from the order in
the manuscripts, for the former describes the battle and the victory of
the Wanes, after which the gods took council, debating whether to pay
tribute to the victors, or to admit them, as was finally done, to equal
rights of worship.

25. Possibly, as Finn Magnusen long ago suggested, there is something
lost after stanza 24, but it was not the custom of the Eddic poets to
supply transitions which their hearers could generally be counted on to
understand. The story referred to in stanzas 25–26 (both quoted by
Snorri) is that of the rebuilding of Asgarth after its destruction by
the Wanes. The gods employed a giant as builder, who demanded as his
reward the sun and moon, and the goddess Freyja for his wife. The gods,
terrified by the rapid progress of the work, forced Loki, who had
advised the bargain, to delay the giant by a trick, so that the work
was not finished in the stipulated time (cf. Grimnismol, 44, note). The
enraged giant then threatened the gods, whereupon Thor slew him. Oth’s
bride: Freyja; of Oth little is known beyond the fact that Snorri
refers to him as a man who “went away on long journeys.”

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.

27. Here the Volva turns from her memories of the past to a statement
of some of Othin’s own secrets in his eternal search for knowledge
(stanzas 27–29). Bugge puts this stanza after stanza 29. The horn of
Heimdall: the Gjallarhorn (“Shrieking Horn”), with which Heimdall,
watchman of the gods, will summon them to the last battle. Till that
time the horn is buried under Yggdrasil. Valfather’s pledge: Othin’s
eye (the sun?), which he gave to the water-spirit Mimir (or Mim) in
exchange for the latter’s wisdom. It appears here and in stanza 29 as a
drinking-vessel, from which Mimir drinks the magic mead, and from which
he pours water on the ash Yggdrasil. Othin’s sacrifice of his eye in
order to gain knowledge of his final doom is one of the series of
disasters leading up to the destruction of the gods. There were several
differing versions of the story of Othin’s relations with Mimir;
another one, quite incompatible with this, appears in stanza 47. In the
manuscripts I know and I see appear as “she knows” and “she sees” (cf.
note on 21).

28. The Hauksbok version omits all of stanzas 28–34, stanza 27 being
there followed by stanzas 40 and 41. Regius indicates stanzas 28 and 29
as a single stanza. Bugge puts stanza 28 after stanza 22, as the second
stanza of his reconstructed poem. The Volva here addresses Othin
directly, intimating that, although he has not told her, she knows why
he has come to her, and what he has already suffered in his search for
knowledge regarding his doom. Her reiterated “would you know yet more?”
seems to mean: “I have proved my wisdom by telling of the past and of
your own secrets; is it your will that I tell likewise of the fate in
store for you?” The Old One: Othin.

29. The first line, not in either manuscript, is a conjectural
emendation based on Snorri’s paraphrase. Bugge puts this stanza after
stanza 20.

30. This is apparently the transitional stanza, in which the Volva,
rewarded by Othin for her knowledge of the past (stanzas 1–29), is
induced to proceed with her real prophecy (stanzas 31–66). Some editors
turn the stanza into the third person, making it a narrative link.
Bugge, on the other hand, puts it after stanza 28 as the third stanza
of the poem. No lacuna is indicated in the manuscripts, and editors
have attempted various emendations. Heerfather (“Father of the Host”):
Othin.

31. Valkyries: these “Choosers of the Slain” (cf. stanza 1, note) bring
the bravest warriors killed in battle to Valhall, in order to
re-enforce the gods for their final struggle. They are also called
“Wish-Maidens,” as the fulfillers of Othin’s wishes. The conception of
the supernatural warrior-maiden was presumably brought to Scandinavia
in very early times from the South-Germanic races, and later it was
interwoven with the likewise South-Germanic tradition of the
swan-maiden. A third complication developed when the originally quite
human women of the hero-legends were endowed with the qualities of both
Valkyries and swan-maidens, as in the cases of Brynhild (cf. Gripisspo,
introductory note), Svava (cf. Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar, prose after
stanza 5 and note) and Sigrun (cf. Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 17 and
note). The list of names here given may be an interpolation; a quite
different list is given in Grimnismol, 36. Ranks of the gods: some
editors regard the word thus translated as a specific place name.
Herjan (“Leader of Hosts”): Othin. It is worth noting that the name
Hild (“Warrior”) is the basis of Bryn-hild (“Warrior in Mail-Coat”).

32. Baldr: The death of Baldr, the son of Othin and Frigg, was the
first of the great disasters to the gods. The story is fully told by
Snorri. Frigg had demanded of all created things, saving only the
mistletoe, which she thought too weak to be worth troubling about, an
oath that they would not harm Baldr. Thus it came to be a sport for the
gods to hurl weapons at Baldr, who, of course, was totally unharmed
thereby. Loki, the trouble-maker, brought the mistletoe to Baldr’s
blind brother, Hoth, and guided his hand in hurling the twig. Baldr was
slain, and grief came upon all the gods. Cf. Baldrs Draumar.

33. The lines in this and the following stanza have been combined in
various ways by editors, lacunæ having been freely conjectured, but the
manuscript version seems clear enough. The brother of Baldr: Vali, whom
Othin begot expressly to avenge Baldr’s death. The day after his birth
he fought and slew Hoth.

34. Frigg: Othin’s wife. Some scholars have regarded her as a solar
myth, calling her the sun-goddess, and pointing out that her home in
Fensalir (“the sea-halls”) symbolizes the daily setting of the sun
beneath the ocean horizon.

35. The translation here follows the Regius version. The Hauksbok has
the same final two lines, but in place of the first pair has, “I know
that Vali | his brother gnawed, / With his bowels then | was
Loki bound.” Many editors have followed this version of the whole
stanza or have included these two lines, often marking them as
doubtful, with the four from Regius. After the murder of Baldr, the
gods took Loki and bound him to a rock with the bowels of his son
Narfi, who had just been torn to pieces by Loki’s other son, Vali. A
serpent was fastened above Loki’s head, and the venom fell upon his
face. Loki’s wife, Sigyn, sat by him with a basin to catch the venom,
but whenever the basin was full, and she went away to empty it, then
the venom fell on Loki again, till the earth shook with his struggles.
“And there he lies bound till the end.” Cf. Lokasenna, concluding
prose.

36. Stanzas 36–39 describe the homes of the enemies of the gods: the
giants (36), the dwarfs (37), and the dead in the land of the goddess
Hel (38–39). The Hauksbok version omits stanzas 36 and 37. Regius
unites 36 with 37, but most editors have assumed a lacuna. Slith (“the
Fearful”): a river in the giants’ home. The “swords and daggers” may
represent the icy cold.

37. Nithavellir (“the Dark Fields”): a home of the dwarfs. Perhaps the
word should be “Nithafjoll” (“the Dark Crags”). Sindri: the great
worker in gold among the dwarfs. Okolnir (“the Not Cold”): possibly a
volcano. Brimir: the giant (possibly Ymir) out of whose blood,
according to stanza 9, the dwarfs were made; the name here appears to
mean simply the leader of the dwarfs.

38. Stanzas 38 and 39 follow stanza 43 in the Hauksbok version. Snorri
quotes stanzas 38, 39, 40 and 41, though not consecutively. Nastrond
(“Corpse-Strand”): the land of the dead, ruled by the goddess Hel. Here
the wicked undergo tortures. Smoke-vent: the phrase gives a picture of
the Icelandic house, with its opening in the roof serving instead of a
chimney.

39. The stanza is almost certainly in corrupt form. The third line is
presumably an interpolation, and is lacking in most of the late paper
manuscripts. Some editors, however, have called lines 1–3 the remains
of a full stanza, with the fourth line lacking, and lines 4–5 the
remains of another. The stanza depicts the torments of the two worst
classes of criminals known to Old Norse morality—oath-breakers and
murderers. Nithhogg (“the Dread Biter”): the dragon that lies beneath
the ash Yggdrasil and gnaws at its roots, thus symbolizing the
destructive elements in the universe; cf. Grimnismol, 32, 35. The wolf:
presumably the wolf Fenrir, one of the children of Loki and the
giantess Angrbotha (the others being Mithgarthsorm and the goddess
Hel), who was chained by the gods with the marvelous chain Gleipnir,
fashioned by a dwarf “out of six things: the noise of a cat’s step, the
beards of women, the roots of mountains, the nerves of bears, the
breath of fishes, and the spittle of birds.” The chaining of Fenrir
cost the god Tyr his right hand; cf. stanza 44.

40. The Hauksbok version inserts after stanza 39 the refrain-stanza
(44), and puts stanzas 40 and 41 between 27 and 21. With this stanza
begins the account of the final struggle itself. The giantess: her name
is nowhere stated, and the only other reference to Ironwood is in
Grimnismol, 39, in this same connection. The children of this giantess
and the wolf Fenrir are the wolves Skoll and Hati, the first of whom
steals the sun, the second the moon. Some scholars naturally see here
an eclipse-myth.

41. In the third line many editors omit the comma after “sun,” and put
one after “soon,” making the two lines run: “Dark grows the sun |
in summer soon, / Mighty storms—” etc. Either phenomenon in summer
would be sufficiently striking.

42. In the Hauksbok version stanzas 42 and 43 stand between stanzas 44
and 38. Eggther: this giant, who seems to be the watchman of the
giants, as Heimdall is that of the gods and Surt of the dwellers in the
fire-world, is not mentioned elsewhere in the poems. Fjalar, the cock
whose crowing wakes the giants for the final struggle.

43. Gollinkambi (“Gold-Comb”): the cock who wakes the gods and heroes,
as Fjalar does the giants. The rust-red bird: the name of this bird,
who wakes the people of Hel’s domain, is nowhere stated.

44. This is a refrain-stanza. In Regius it appears in full only at this
point, but is repeated in abbreviated form before stanzas 50 and 59. In
the Hauksbok version the full stanza comes first between stanzas 35 and
42, then, in abbreviated form, it occurs four times: before stanzas 45,
50, 55, and 59. In the Hauksbok line 3 runs: “Farther I see | and
more can say.” Garm: the dog who guards the gates of Hel’s kingdom; cf.
Baldrs Draumar, 2 ff, and Grimnismol, 44. Gnipahellir (“the
Cliff-Cave”): the entrance to the world of the dead. The wolf: Fenrir;
cf. stanza 39 and note.

45. From this point on through stanza 57 the poem is quoted by Snorri,
stanza 49 alone being omitted. There has been much discussion as to the
status of stanza 45. Lines 4 and 5 look like an interpolation. After
line 5 the Hauksbok has a line running: “The world resounds, | the
witch is flying.” Editors have arranged these seven lines in various
ways, with lacunæ freely indicated. Sisters’ sons: in all Germanic
countries the relations between uncle and nephew were felt to be
particularly close.

46. Regius combines the first three lines of this stanza with lines 3,
2, and 1 of stanza 47 as a single stanza. Line 4, not found in Regius,
is introduced from the Hauksbok version, where it follows line 2 of
stanza 47. The sons of Mim: the spirits of the water. On Mim (or Mimir)
cf. stanza 27 and note. Gjallarhorn: the “Shrieking Horn” with which
Heimdall, the watchman of the gods, calls them to the last battle.

47. In Regius lines 3, 2, and 1, in that order, follow stanza 46
without separation. Line 4 is not found in Regius, but is introduced
from the Hauksbok version. Yggdrasil: cf. stanza 19 and note, and
Grimnismol, 29–35. The giant: Fenrir. The head of Mim: various myths
were current about Mimir. This stanza refers to the story that he was
sent by the gods with Hönir as a hostage to the Wanes after their war
(cf. stanza 21 and note), and that the Wanes cut off his head and
returned it to the gods. Othin embalmed the head, and by magic gave it
the power of speech, thus making Mimir’s noted wisdom always available.
Of course this story does not fit with that underlying the references
to Mimir in stanzas 27 and 29. The kinsman of Surt: the wolf Fenrir,
who slays Othin in the final struggle; cf. stanza 53. Surt is the giant
who rules the fire-world, Muspellsheim; cf. stanza 52.

48. This stanza in Regius follows stanza 51; in the Hauksbok it stands,
as here, after 47. Jotunheim: the land of the giants.

49. Identical with stanza 44. In the manuscripts it is here
abbreviated.

50. Hrym: the leader of the giants, who comes as the helmsman of the
ship Naglfar (line 4). The serpent: Mithgarthsorm, one of the children
of Loki and Angrbotha (cf. stanza 39, note). The serpent was cast into
the sea, where he completely encircles the land; cf. especially
Hymiskvitha, passim. The eagle: the giant Hræsvelg, who sits at the
edge of heaven in the form of an eagle, and makes the winds with his
wings; cf. Vafthruthnismol, 37, and Skirnismol, 27. Naglfar: the ship
which was made out of dead men’s nails to carry the giants to battle.

51. North: a guess; the manuscripts have “east,” but there seems to be
a confusion with stanza 50, line 1. People of Hel: the manuscripts have
“people of Muspell,” but these came over the bridge Bifrost (the
rainbow), which broke beneath them, whereas the people of Hel came in a
ship steered by Loki. The wolf: Fenrir. The brother of Byleist: Loki.
Of Byleist (or Byleipt) no more is known.

52. Surt: the ruler of the fire-world. The scourge of branches: fire.
This is one of the relatively rare instances in the Eddic poems of the
type of poetic diction which characterizes the skaldic verse.

53. Hlin: apparently another name for Frigg, Othin’s wife. After losing
her son Baldr, she is fated now to see Othin slain by the wolf Fenrir.
Beli’s slayer: the god Freyr, who killed the giant Beli with his fist;
cf. Skirnismol, 16 and note. On Freyr, who belonged to the race of the
Wanes, and was the brother of Freyja, see especially Skirnismol,
passim. The joy of Frigg: Othin.

54. As quoted by Snorri the first line of this stanza runs: “Fares
Othin’s son | to fight with the wolf.” Sigfather (“Father of
Victory”): Othin. His son, Vithar, is the silent god, famed chiefly for
his great shield, and his strength, which is little less than Thor’s.
He survives the destruction. The giant’s son: Fenrir.

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.

56. The warder of earth: Thor. The son of Fjorgyn: again Thor, who,
after slaying the serpent, is overcome by his venomous breath, and
dies. Fjorgyn appears in both a masculine and a feminine form. In the
masculine it is a name for Othin; in the feminine, as here and in
Harbarthsljoth, 56, it apparently refers to Jorth.

57. With this stanza ends the account of the destruction.

58. Again the refrain-stanza (cf. stanza 44 and note), abbreviated in
both manuscripts, as in the case of stanza 49. It is probably misplaced
here.

59. Here begins the description of the new world which is to rise out
of the wreck of the old one. It is on this passage that a few critics
have sought to base their argument that the poem is later than the
introduction of Christianity (circa 1000), but this theory has never
seemed convincing (cf. introductory note).

60. The third line of this stanza is not found in Regius. Ithavoll: cf.
stanza 7 and note. The girdler of earth: Mithgarthsorm, who, lying in
the sea, surrounded the land. The Ruler of Gods: Othin. The runes were
both magic signs, generally carved on wood, and sung or spoken charms.

61. The Hauksbok version of the first two lines runs:

“The gods shall find there, | wondrous fair,
The golden tables | amid the grass.”

No lacuna (line 4) is indicated in the manuscripts. Golden tables: cf.
stanza 8 and note.

62. Baldr: cf. stanza 32 and note. Baldr and his brother, Hoth, who
unwittingly slew him at Loki’s instigation, return together, their
union being a symbol of the new age of peace. Hropt: another name for
Othin. His “battle-hall” is Valhall.

63. No lacuna (line 2) indicated in the manuscripts. Hönir: cf. stanza
18 and note. In this new age he has the gift of foretelling the future.
Tveggi (“The Twofold”): another name for Othin. His brothers are Vili
and Ve (cf. Lokasenna, 26, and note). Little is known of them, and
nothing, beyond this reference, of their sons. Vindheim (“Home of the
Wind”): heaven.

64. This stanza is quoted by Snorri. Gimle: Snorri makes this the name
of the hall itself, while here it appears to refer to a mountain on
which the hall stands. It is the home of the happy, as opposed to
another hall, not here mentioned, for the dead. Snorri’s description of
this second hall is based on Voluspo, 38, which he quotes, and perhaps
that stanza properly belongs after 64.

65. This stanza is not found in Regius, and is probably spurious. No
lacuna is indicated in the Hauksbok version, but late paper manuscripts
add two lines, running:

“Rule he orders, | and rights he fixes,
Laws he ordains | that ever shall live.”

The name of this new ruler is nowhere given, and of course the
suggestion of Christianity is unavoidable. It is not certain, however,
that even this stanza refers to Christianity, and if it does, it may
have been interpolated long after the rest of the poem was composed.

66. This stanza, which fits so badly with the preceding ones, may well
have been interpolated. It has been suggested that the dragon, making a
last attempt to rise, is destroyed, this event marking the end of evil
in the world. But in both manuscripts the final half-line does not
refer to the dragon, but, as the gender shows, to the Volva herself,
who sinks into the earth; a sort of conclusion to the entire prophecy.
Presumably the stanza (barring the last half-line, which was probably
intended as the conclusion of the poem) belongs somewhere in the
description of the great struggle. Nithhogg: the dragon at the roots of
Yggdrasil; cf. stanza 39 and note. Nithafjoll (“the Dark Crags”);
nowhere else mentioned. Must I: the manuscripts have “must she.”