with giants close at hand.
There I found a vat of mead; that vat was called Odrerir.
I would never have come back from Giantland, had I not been helped
by the good woman named Gunnlod. The woman that I embraced.
The next day the frost-giants came to the High One’s hall to ask for advice.
They sought out Odin by the name that he had taken for himself when disguised
as a slave: that name was Bolverk.
They desired to know whether Bolverk was among the gods or whether he
had been killed by Suttung the giant.
Odin had sworn a sacred oath on a ring but, despite this, he
betrayed Suttung at his feast and left Gunnlod weeping.
Now wisdom is proclaimed by Odin from his high-seat, beside the well
from which flows the fate of all.
At that place in the High One’s hall, there was talk of men and runes and good advice.
Odin speaks again, of how he gained wisdom and rune-knowledge
I hung on a tree with the wind blowing round.
I hung there for nine long nights.
I was wounded with a spear.
I was thus sacrificed to Odin; myself to myself.
And it was on that tree, the one whose deep roots are unknown to any man.
As I hung there I was given no food; I was given no drink.
I stared downward from where I hung.
Then I seized the runes; screaming with pain I seized them.
Then I fell back, but I had gained them.
Nine powerful spells I learned from Bolthor’s famous son (Odin’s mother’s brother).
As well as this I got to drink of that precious mead that was poured out
of the vat called Odrerir.
After that drink I revived and became wise.
I grew and I prospered.
One word grew into another and one deed grew into another.
Runes need to be sought out and the most significant one found:
a letter that is great and powerful.
Such a letter is one made by the powerful gods and carved by the one
who is rune-master to the gods.
Odin carved the rune for the Æsir.
Dain carved the rune for the elves.
Dvalin carved the rune for the dwarfs.
Asvid carved the rune for the giants.
Each had a rune that stood for their kind.
And how is such wisdom gained?
It is gained by knowing how to carve, how to interpret the meaning,
how to test the meaning, how to ask, how to sacrifice and how to kill.
Better not to pray at all, than to sacrifice more than is necessary.
Better not to kill at all, than to engage in too great a slaughter.
In this way Odin, when known by the name Thund, carved runes before
the history of nations was written.
Odin speaks again, of magic spells
I know spells better than the wife of a king; better than the son of any man.
I know a spell that brings help against any accusation, any sorrow.
It will help defeat fear.
I know another, which will help those who heal the sick.
I know another, which will bind the strength of an enemy.
It will blunt the edge of their swords.
No weapon of theirs will strike home and cut.
I know another, that will free me from chains that men might place on me.
When I chant it, I can walk away.
Chains fall away and feet and hands become free.
I know another, that will stop an arrow in flight.
When warriors join in battle and the arrows fly,
then they can be stopped, no matter how fast they fly.
If I see it, I can stop it.
I know another, that I can use if I am wounded in a fight.
Though a wooden weapon is raised against me, it will fail.
And if a man tries to ensnare me with magic then that will rebound on him.
I know another, to use if fire threatens to burn down the hall.
No matter how wide and fierce it burns, this spell will stop it.
I know another, which I can use if disharmony threatens to divide warriors.
This one will bring a settlement of peace where there was once strife.
I know another, that will protect a ship at sea.
It will quieten the waves and calm the sea.
I know another, to defeat shape-shifting witches.
It will prevent them returning to their human form.
I know another, to protect friends in battle.
This one will protect their journey to the fight, their times in the battle,
and their journey away from the field of war.
I know another, for when I see a dead man hanging from a tree.
By carving these runes and colouring them rightly, that man will walk and speak again.
I know another, to recite when pouring water over a warrior.
That warrior will then be invincible in battle.
No sword will touch him.
I know another, which will assist me to name all the gods.
With it I can tell the Æsir from the elves.
Only those who are wise can do this.
I know another, which will secure for me a woman’s affection and her love-making.
With it I can command her thoughts and cause her mind to conform to my will.
I know another, that will draw all young girls to me.
These are spells that are useful for all who know them.
I know another, that I will not teach to any woman.
I will not teach it to any girl.
I will not teach it to the wife of any man.
Though I will tell it to the woman that I embrace in love.
Or to my sister.
These are the songs that were sung by the High One in the hall of the High One.
These are useful to the sons of men.
They are of no use to the sons of giants.
They benefit the one who recites and knows them.
They benefit the one who has learnt this recitation; the one who has listened.
13
The rivalry of Odin and Frigg over the sons of King Hraudung
FOUND IN THE Poetic Edda and in a section known as Grimnir’s Sayings, this story tells how Odin and Frigg competed with each other through the patronage of two royal children. The story also explores beliefs about the wisdom of Odin.
Grimnir’s Sayings tells of a rivalry between Odin and his wife Frigg. Frigg tricks King Geirrod into torturing her husband when he arrives at his hall disguised as Grimnir (which means ‘masked one’ in Old Norse). This is just one of many times that Odin travels in disguise under a false name in Norse mythology and is a distinct feature of the traditions associated with him. The importance of hospitality to Germanic society is seen in the poem with Frigg accusing Geirrod, Odin’s favourite, of stinginess – a serious insult – and Agnar (Agnar-the-younger, not to be confused with Geirrod’s brother of the same name) receiving Odin’s favour due to him taking on the responsibility of the host by offering Odin a drink.
The poem starts with a lengthy introduction, which sets out the narrative backstory. This is then followed by a fifty-four-stanza monologue delivered by Odin disguised as Grimnir. The poetic monologue is concerned with mythological facts and particularly the topography of the world of the gods. The poem concludes with another prose section, which acts as an epilogue showing the fatal consequences of Geirrod’s actions. The prose elements are likely to be later than the original poem and were added to provide context.
This is one of several poems in the Poetic Edda – including The Seeress’ Prophecy, Vafthrudnir’s Sayings and Sayings of the High One – that show the importance of wisdom to Odin. In this poem, however, Odin is imparting wisdom, rather than searching for it in the desper
ate (and vain) hope of preventing Ragnarok. Held between two fires, Odin begins to reveal his knowledge and wisdom for the benefit of Agnar, Geirrod’s son, so he can become king in his father’s stead. The gaining of this wisdom is implied as being crucial for the young boy if he is to be a successful ruler. This echoes episodes in the youth of Sigurd the dragon-slayer where the acquisition of wisdom is an important step in him moving from being simply a warrior to being a leader of men; and it highlights a key feature of what was expected of a ruler.
* * *
The sons of King Hraudung are rescued by an old couple
There was once a king by the name of Hraudung. He was king over the Goths. He was a sea-king who was famous for his Viking exploits, although some claim that he was a giant. This king had two sons. Now, the two sons were named Agnar and Geirrod. Agnar was the eldest when this story starts and was ten years old. Geirrod was eight years old. One day the two children went fishing. They only intended to put out a little way from the shore in order to catch a few small fish. But the wind caught the boat and pushed them far out to sea; out into the deep water. It grew dark and they had no idea where they were until, at last, the waves carried them onto a strange shore. There, the boat was wrecked but both the boys escaped with their lives. Exploring, they came across a small cottage and the farmer there sheltered them for the winter. The couple living there were an old man and his wife. Together they acted as foster-parents to the two lost boys. The old woman became the foster-mother of Agnar and the old man became the foster-father of Geirrod.
When winter gave way to spring, the old man made enquiries and sought out a ship that they might use to take them home. The old man and his wife took the two boys down to the harbour and settled them on the ship. Before it sailed, the old man spoke privately with Geirrod, his foster-son. At last, the ship set sail and eventually took the boys back to the land ruled by their father. But once the ship had grounded on the shore, Geirrod leapt out of it. Before his brother Agnar could get off the vessel, Geirrod turned and gave it a mighty push. He cried out, ‘Go wherever the trolls will guide you.’ And with that the ship slipped away from the shore, carrying Agnar with it. Then Geirrod went up to the royal hall and was greeted with great joy, for the king, his father, had died over the winter and the land had no ruler. Then Geirrod was proclaimed king in succession to Hraudung and he ruled as a powerful king with great renown.
The true identities of the foster-parents revealed
The old couple who had fostered the two boys were none other than Odin and Frigg. It was Frigg who had acted as foster-mother to Agnar and Odin who had acted as foster-father to Geirrod. One day, Odin and Frigg were at Odin’s high seat; the place from which it was possible to see into all the worlds. There the lives of Agnar and Geirrod could be seen.
Odin boasted to Frigg that Agnar was reduced to raising children by a giantess in nothing better than a cave. While this was happening, Geirrod was ruling as a king from a royal hall. In this way, Odin mocked the lowly achievement of Frigg’s foster-son in comparison with the success enjoyed by his own foster-son. It was now clear that the secret advice that the ‘old man’ had whispered to Geirrod was that he should abandon his own brother and take the kingdom of their father and rule it alone.
Frigg was incensed at the way that Odin described Agnar and she sought a way to strike back. As she thought about the duties of hospitality that were expected of a king she decided on what carefully crafted insult she would aim at Geirrod. He was, she asserted, a mean king. There was no generosity in him and guests who came to his hall were not given the hospitality that should be expected of a king. Odin denied this and said that this accusation was a lie. And so the two of them laid a bet on the truth of what Frigg had claimed.
The visit of Grimnir, the ‘masked one’, to Geirrod’s royal hall
In order to try out the hospitality of Geirrod, Odin visited him but did so in disguise. He took the name of Grimnir, which means the ‘masked one’, because his identity was hidden. But before he reached the hall, Frigg had already acted. She had sent Fulla, her servant, to Geirrod to warn him that a wizard, wearing a blue cloak, was on his way to cast a spell on him. Fulla told Geirrod that this wizard was so fierce that no dog would attack him. It did not matter how fierce that dog might be; it would be afraid of the wizard.
When Odin – disguised as Grimnir – reached Geirrod’s hall he was seized and held as a prisoner. Geirrod then interrogated him in order to find out who he was and his business. But the wizard would give no answer. In response to this silence, Geirrod forced the wizard to undergo ordeals. First, he gave him no food. Next, he tortured him with fire. For eight whole days the wizard was forced to sit between two raging fires until his blue cloak smouldered with the great heat. But still he would not speak.
At last, Geirrod’s son took pity on the wizard. This boy was named Agnar after the lost brother of Geirrod, and he was ten years old. This was the same age as the elder Agnar had been when the wind blew him and his brother out to sea. Agnar-the-younger went up to Grimnir between the two fires and offered him a drinking horn that was full and which would quench his thirst. As he gave Grimnir the drinking horn, Agnar-the-younger said that it was wrong that the wizard was being so badly treated, given that he had done no wrong.
At this, Odin finally began to speak . . .
‘The fire is hot and fierce and I have sat here for eight nights without food. Indeed no one offered me food except Agnar (the-younger). So the day will come when he will rule the Goths instead of his father, Geirrod. He will be blessed by Odin for that drink that he brought me.
‘I look out over the different worlds. I see the sacred land of the Æsir and of the elves. I see Thor ruling in strength until that day when all will be torn apart. I see Yewdale, where Ull, the god of archery, lives in his hall. I see the hall of Alfheim which was given to Freyr on the day that he lost his first tooth as a child. I see Odin’s hall of Valaskialf, with its roof shingled with silver. I see where Odin and Frigg drink daily from golden cups. And I see Valhalla where Odin welcomes the slain, as they arrive fresh from battle. In that place the rafters are made from spears, the thatch from shields and the benches are covered by coats of mail. A wolf hangs over the door and an eagle flies above it. I see the hall of Thiazi the giant and the hall built for Baldr. I see where Heimdall – the watchman of the gods – sits and drinks his mead. I see where Freyia has rule and where half of those slain in battle go; the others go to Odin. I see the golden pillars of Glitnir and the great wooden hall of Niord.
‘Over these wide worlds there fly my two ravens: Hugin (Thought) and Munin (Memory). I fear that one day Hugin (Thought) may not return; but most of all I fear the loss of Munin (Memory).
‘I see Valhalla with its five hundred and forty doors. They are so wide that eight hundred warriors can pass through one of these doors. They shall pass through these doors on the day that they go out to fight the wolf at Ragnarok. On its roof grazes the goat named Heidrun. She will produce enough mead to fill a great cauldron that cannot be emptied. On that same roof stands the deer named Eikthyrnir. That deer grazes on the branches there and from its antlers drips the waters that form all the rivers of all the worlds. One of those rivers is the one that Thor will wade across on the day that the bridge to the realm of the Æsir burns. On that day, he will sit as judge by the tree called Yggdrasil.
‘Under one root of that tree lives Hel. And Ratatosk the squirrel runs up and down the tree carrying messages between the eagle on the topmost branch and the dragon, Nidhogg, down below. The boughs of that tree are fed on by four deer and beneath it lives an unimaginable number of snakes. That tree is suffering beyond belief because the deer gnaw its top, its trunk rots and, below, the dragon Nidhogg tears at its roots.
‘From here I also see the way it is in the sky about the earth; how the steeds Arvak and Alsvid pull the chariot of the sun. And under their saddles are iron bellows, placed there by the Æsir. And a shield, called Svalin, stands in f
ront of the sun and were it not there to shield the sun’s heat, then all below, mountain and sea, would be consumed by fire. And yet the sun is pursued: by Skoll the wolf. He chases the sun across the sky to the far forests where it dips to hide. And there is another wolf too: Hati, the wolf who pursues the moon. That wolf is the son of Hrodvitnir (or Fenrir).
‘Furthermore, I know how the earth was made from the flesh of Ymir; the sea from his blood; the mountains from his bones; the trees from his hair; and the sky from his skull. Middle Earth, where men live, was fashioned from his eyelashes and clouds were formed from his brain.
‘And of all that exists, these are the best: Skidbladnir is best of ships and owned by Freyr; Yggdrasil is best of trees; Odin is best of the Æsir; Sleipnir is best of horses; Bifrost is best of bridges; Bragi is best of poets; Habrok is best of hawks; Garm is best of dogs.
‘And I am called by many names. I am known as: Mask, Wanderer, Warrior, Helmet-Wearer, High, War-Merry, Masked One, Maddener, Very-Wise, War-Father, Father of All, Father of the Slain. Since I went among people, there has never been just one name by which I am known. They called me Grimnir when I visited Geirrod. I was Thror at the Assembly. I was Vidur on the battlefield.
‘Now Geirrod, you have drunk too much. And you will lose all you have gained, since you have lost my favour. I have told you much but you have remembered little. You have been deceived and I see a sword covered in blood.
‘I know that your life is drawing to its end and now, at last, you may look and see Odin. Come close to me if you dare! Odin is my name. I am the Terrible One. And all the other names by which I am known are rooted in me alone. All those names come from Odin the Terrible One.’
When Odin had finished speaking, Geirrod stood up from where he was sitting and made as if to pull Odin, his foster-father, away from the raging fires. Before he leapt up, Geirrod had been sitting with a half-drawn sword on his lap. As he rose from his seat, the sword slipped from his grasp and fell blade uppermost. At the same time, Geirrod lost his footing and fell forward onto his own sword and died. With Geirrod dead, Odin suddenly disappeared. Agnar-the-younger then became king in his father’s place and sat on the royal throne as a boy-king. He ruled for a long time.
Tales of Valhalla Page 11