The Lay of Vafthrúdnir
© 2023 Edward Pettit, CC BY-NC 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0308.03
Óðinn said:
- ‘Advise me now, Frigg, since I want to go
to visit Vafþrúðnir;
I declare my great curiosity to contend in ancient staves
with the all-wise giant!’
Frigg said:
- ‘I would keep Herjafǫðr at home
in the courts of the gods,
for I have considered no giant to be as strong
as Vafþrúðnir!’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Much have I travelled, much have I tried,
much have I tested the powers;
I want to know this,
what Vafþrúðnir’s household is like.’
Frigg said:
- ‘May you travel safe, may you come back safe,
may you be safe in your fellowship!
May your mind be strong, Aldafǫðr,
wherever you have to speak words to a giant!’ - Then Óðinn went to test the word-wisdom
of that one, of the all-wise giant;
he came to a hall, and Ímr’s father owned it;
Yggr went in at once.
Óðinn said:
- ‘Hail to you now, Vafþrúðnir! Now I have come into your hall
to see you yourself;
I want to know this first, whether you are knowledgeable
or all-wise, giant!’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘What kind of man is it at whom
I shall hurl speech in my house?
May you not come out from our halls,
unless you are the wiser!’
Óðinn said:
- ‘I’m called Gagnráðr; I’ve come thirsty now from
my journey to your halls;
I have travelled long in need of an invitation
and your hospitality, giant!’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Why then, Gagnráðr, do you speak before [me] from the floor?
Go to a seat in the hall!
Then it shall be tested, which of us two knows more,
the guest or the ancient sage.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘A poor man, when he comes to a rich man’s house,
should say something useful or be silent;
I think excessive talking ill rewards
whoever comes up against a cold-ribbed one.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Tell me, Gagnráðr, since you want to test
your talent on the floor,
what the horse is called which hauls
each day over host-men.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘He’s called Skinfaxi, who hauls the shining
day over host-men;
he’s thought the best of horses among the Hreiðgotar,
light always shines from the steed’s mane.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Say this, Gagnráðr, since you want to test
your talent on the floor,
what the horse is called which hauls night
from the east over the able powers.’
Óðínn said:
- ‘He’s called Hrímfaxi, who hauls each
night over the able powers;
he lets bit-drops fall each morning,
from there comes dew over dales.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Say this, Gagnráðr, since you want to test
your talent on the floor,
what the river is called which divides the earth
among the sons of giants and among the gods.’
Óðínn said:
- ‘The river’s called Ífing which divides the earth
among the sons of giants and among the gods;
it shall run freely during life-days,
ice doesn’t form on the river.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Say this, Gagnráðr, since you want to test
your talent on the floor,
what the field is called on which Surtr and the sweet gods
will encounter each other in battle.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘The field’s called Vígríðr on which Surtr and the sweet gods
will encounter each other in battle;
it’s a hundred leagues in every direction —
that’s the field determined for them.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘You’re wise now, guest! Go to the giant’s bench,
and let’s talk together on the seat;
we two shall wager our heads in the hall,
guest, on mind-wisdom!’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the first thing, if your mind is strong
and you, Vafþrúðnir, know:
whence the earth and sky above
first came, O wise giant.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘From Ymir’s flesh the earth was formed,
and from his bones boulders,
the sky from the skull of the frost-cold giant,
and from his “sweat” the sea.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this secondly, if your mind is strong
and you, Vafþrúðnir, know:
whence Máni came, so that he journeys over men,
and Sól the same.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘He’s called Mundilfæri, he’s the father of Máni,
and of Sól the same;
they must turn the sky each day,
as a year-reckoning for men.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the third thing, since they call you wise,
and you, Vafþrúðnir, may know:
whence Dagr came, the one who travels over men,
and Nótt with dark moons.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘He’s called Dellingr, he’s the father of Dagr,
but Nótt was born to Nǫrr;
the able powers made full moon and dark moon
as a year-reckoning for men.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the fourth thing, since they call you wise,
and you, Vafþrúðnir, may know:
whence Vetr and warm Sumar
first came among the wise gods.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘He’s called Vindsvalr, he’s the father of Vetr,
and Svásuðr of Sumar.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the fifth thing, since they call you wise,
and you, Vafþrúðnir, may know:
who was the oldest of the Æsir or of Ymir’s kin
in early days.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Countless years before the earth was created,
then Bergelmir was born;
Þrúðgelmir was the father of that one,
and Aurgelmir his grandfather.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the sixth thing, since they call you wise,
and you, Vafþrúðnir, may know:
from where Aurgelmir first came with the sons of giants,
O wise giant.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘From Élivágar venom-drops sprang out,
[and] so grew until a giant emerged therefrom;
all our families came from there,
which is why they are always too fierce.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the seventh thing, since they call you wise,
and you, Vafþrúðnir, may know:
how he begot children, that bold giant,
when he didn’t have a giantess’s love-play.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘They said that under the frost-giant’s arm grew
a girl and a boy together;
leg upon leg of the wise giant begot
a six-headed son.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the eighth thing, since they call you wise,
and you, Vafþrúðnir, may know:
what you first remember or know from farthest back,
you are all-knowing, giant!’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Countless years before the earth was created,
then Bergelmir was born;
the first thing I remember was when that wise giant
was laid on a mill-frame.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the ninth thing, since they call you wise,
and you, Vafþrúðnir, may know:
whence the wind comes, so that it moves over wave,
people never see it itself.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘He’s called Hræsvelgr, who sits at the sky’s end,
a giant in eagle’s shape;
from his wings, they say, the wind comes
over all people.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the tenth thing, since you, Vafþrúðnir,
may know all the fates of the gods:
whence Njǫrðr came among the sons of the Æsir;
he rules a hundred temples and altars,
and he was not born to the Æsir.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘In Vanaheimr wise powers created him,
and gave him as a hostage to the gods;
at the age’s end he will come back
home among wise Vanir.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the eleventh thing:
where men fight each other in enclosed fields every day.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘All the unique champions in Óðinn’s enclosed fields
fight each other every day;
they choose the slain and ride from battle;
thereafter they sit together in peace.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Say this as the twelfth thing: how you,
Vafþrúðnir, may know all the fates of the gods;
about the secrets of giants and of all gods
you tell the absolute truth,
O all-wise giant.’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘About the secrets of giants and of all gods
I can tell the truth,
because I have come to each world;
I came to nine worlds beneath Niflhel;
humans die there from Hel.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Much have I travelled, much have I tried,
much have I tested the powers;
which people will live when the famous Fimbulvetr
moves among men?’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Líf and Lífþrasir, and they will hide themselves
in Hoddmímir’s wood;
morning-dews they will have for their food,
from there human beings will be born.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Much have I travelled, much have I tried,
much have I tested the powers;
whence will Sól come [back] to the smooth sky,
once Fenrir has destroyed this one?’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Álfrǫðull will bear one daughter
before Fenrir destroys her;
that girl must ride, when the powers die,
the paths of her mother.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Much have I travelled, much have I tried,
much have I tested the powers;
who are those maidens who move over the sea,
journey with wise minds?’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Three mighty rivers fall over the village
of the maidens of Mǫgþrasir;
their guardian-spirits are alone in the world(?),
though they are born among the giants.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Much have I travelled, much have I tried,
much have I tested the powers;
which Æsir will rule the gods’ possessions,
when the dark flame has died?’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘Víðarr and Váli will settle in the gods’ sanctuaries
when the dark flame dies;
Móði and Magni will have Mjǫllnir
and work at the war’s end.
Óðinn said:
- ‘Much have I travelled, much have I tried,
much have I tested the powers;
what will bring Óðinn to his life’s end,
when the powers are ripped apart?’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘The wolf will swallow Aldafǫðr,
Víðarr will avenge this;
he will cleave the cold jaws
of the wolf in battle.’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Much have I travelled, much have I tried,
much have I tested the powers;
what did Óðinn say, before he stepped onto the pyre,
himself, into his son’s ear?’
Vafþrúðnir said:
- ‘No one knows that, what you in early days
said in your son’s ear;
with a doomed mouth have I have spoken my ancient staves
and about the doom of the powers.
Now I have shared my word-wisdom with Óðinn;
you are always the wisest of beings!’
* Original text modified by the editor for clarification and ease of reading