The Prophecy of the Vala

Джерело: William Morris Artist, Writer, Socialist, Vol. I, 543-63. William Morris, 1938. Translated in 1870s.

[Morris has followed the late 19th century custom of bringing verse 22, concerning the sorceress Heid to the beginning of the poem, along with the verses concerning Odin paying the völva for her service, in order to identify Heid as the speaker of the poem. Neither Codex Regius nor the Hauksbók manuscript have this arrangement. It is a late 19th century interpretation of the text.]^[1]

 

¹ Heath-Dame they called her

At each home that she came to,

The well-spæing Vala;

Oer wolves cast she witch-work

And sang where she could sing

The song that her heart loved;

Sweet savour beloved

To the dread brides was she.

 

² By the door sat she lonely,

When the Ancient of days,

The dread God came thither;

She gazed into his eyes;

“What wouldst thou of me?

Why wilt thou try me?

Well wot I Odin

Where thou thine eye hidedst.”

 

³ Then gave her War-father

Gems and bright rings

For the spells of her wisdom

And her witch-craft far-seeing;

Wide she saw, wide and wide

Through every world.

 

⁴ “I bid all be hushed

Of the holy kindred,

Both the more and the less,

Erst born of Heimdall!

Wilt thou, Valfather

That I tell well and duly

Old wisdom of men,

As far forth as I may?^[2]

 

⁵ “I mind the giants

Yore agone gotten,

Who in the days bygone

Brought me to birth.

Of nine worlds I mind me,

Of nine trees wide-spreading,

And the noble life-tree

Down neath the mould.

 

⁶ “In the days of old

Whereas Ymir dwelt

Neither sand nor sea was there

Or the cold waves swallow;

No place earth had then

Or the Heavens up aloft,

No grass was there, nought

But the Gap of the Welter;

 

⁷ Before Bur’s sons

Bare up the Heavens,

E’en they who made

Mid-earth the noble:

Then the southering sun

Shone on their hall-stones

And the ground was grown oer

With green herb waxing mighty.

 

⁸ From the South turned the Sun,

From the side of the Moon,

And stretched her right hand

Oer the edge of the heaven;

Nought the sun wotted

Where her abode was;

Nought the Moon wotted

What might was his;

Nought the stars wotted

Where their stead might be.

 

⁹ Then went all things of might

To the seat of all counsel,

And the most holy Gods

Gave heed unto this;

To the night and the moon's wane

Gave they a name;

Morning they named,

And they named the midday,

Undern and evening,

For every year's telling.

 

¹⁰ They met, the Æsir

On the plains of Ida,

Altar and house

Aloft they reared there,

Put forth their might,

All matters proved,

Built them forges,

And fair things smithied;

Tongs they shaped

And made them tools.

 

¹¹ Glad, at tables

In gardens played they,

No whit they wanted

Gold for their need;

Until there came

Three mays of the giants

Mighty indeed

From the giant-dwelling.^[3]

 

¹² Then went all things of might

To the seat of counsel;

The most holy Gods

Gave heed unto this,

How should be wrought

The race of the dwarf-kind

From the blood of the brine,

And the bones of the Blue-one.

 

¹³ Then was Modsognir

Made the mightiest

Of all the dwarfs,

And Durin the second;

Many shapes of men

These made on the earth,

As Durin told,

These Dwarfs aforesaid.

 

^{14 [4]}Nyi, Nidi

Nordri, Sudri,

Austri, Westri,

Althiofr, Dwalin,

Nár and Náinn

Nipingr, Dainn,

Bifur, Bafur,

Bombur, Nori,

Ann, and Anarr,

Oinn, Miödvitnir.

 

¹⁵ Vegg and Gandalf,

Windelf, Thorin,

Thrár and Thráinn

Thekkr, Litr, and Vitr,

Nyr, and Nyradr;

Now of all the dwards

With Regin and Radsvid

Aright is the tale told.

 

¹⁶ Fili, Kili,

Fundinn, Nali,

Hepti, Vili,

Hannar, Sviur,

Billingr, Bruni,

Bildr and Buri,

Frar, Hornbori,

Froegr and Loni,

Aurvangr, Jari,

And Eikinskialdi.

 

¹⁷ Time to tell of the Dwarfs

Of Dwalin’s folk

Unto mankind

Een up to Lofar;

Those who set out

From the stony halls,

Aurvangis home

To the meads of Jara.

 

¹⁸ There was Draupnir,

And Dolgthrasir,

Har, Haugspori,

Hlevangr, Gloin,

Dori, Ori,

Dufr, Andvari,

Skirfir, Virfir,

Skafidr, Ai.

 

¹⁹ Elf and Yngvi,

Eikinskialdi,

^[5]Fialar and Frosti,

Finn and Ginnar:

Great to be told of

That tale of the Kin

Of Lofar shall be

While men folk are aliving.

 

         x x x x x x x x

          x x x x x x x

 

²⁰ Three Æsir came forth

On a time from their folk,

Mighty, well-loving

To man’s abode:

They found on the land

Little of might,

Ask and Embla,

Aimless and fateless.

 

²¹ Breath of life lacked they,

Lacked they all speech,

Blood, might to go,

And goodly colour;

Breath of life gave Odin,

Speech gave Hœnir,

Blood gave Lodur,

And goodly colour

 

         x x x x x x x x

          x x x x x x x

 

²² I know an ash standing

Yggdrasil hight

High-waving, besprinkled

With water’s white sand;

Thence come the dews

^[6]That fall into the dales;

Green it stands ever, over

The spring of the Bygone.

 

²³ Thence come three maidens,

Many things wise in,

From the hall that is set

Neath the high-standing bole;

Gone-by is the first named

Going-by is the second,

On the staves there they scored;

Shall-come-yet is the third;

Laws there they lay down

And the lives of men choose

For the children of men,

And the fate of mankind.

 

         x x x x x x x x x

 

²⁴ She wotteth of Odin,

Where his eye is hidden,

In the pure bright

Brook^[7] of Mimir;

Mead drinketh Mimir

Every morning

From Valfather’s pledge:

Know ye yet, or what know ye?

 

²⁵ She wotteth of Heimdall,

Where his great cry is hidden

Neath the holy tree

Bright high up in heaven;

And she sees a stream flow down

In sandy falls

^[8]From Valfather’s Pledge:

Know ye yet, or what know ye?

 

         x x x x x x x x x

          x x x x x x x x

 

²⁶ The slaying of folk

Minds she first in the world,

When on the glaives

^[9]Gullveig they raised,

And her burnt up

In the hall of the High One;

Thrice they burned her

Born thrice over,

Oft o’er again,

Ever she liveth.

 

²⁷ Then went all things of might

To the seat of all counsel,

The most holy Gods

Gave heed unto this,

Whether the Æsir

Should pay atonement,

Or all the Gods

Weregild should have.

 

²⁸ Odin cast forth then,

Short forth oer the people;

And then first amid folk

Fell death in the world,

And the barrier was broken

Of the burgh of the Æsir,

And the Vanir must spurn

The meads death-laden.^[10]

 

²⁹ Then went all things of might

To the seat of all counsel,

The most holy Gods

Gave heed unto this,

Who had blended with ill

The blue heaven up aloft,

Giving Ods may

To the kin of the giants.

 

³⁰ Thor smote there alone,

With anger more laden,

For seldom he sits

When of such things he heareth.

A part went all oaths,

All words, all swearing,

All speech of might,

That midst them had been.

 

         x x x x x x x x x x

          x x x x x x x x x

 

³¹ The Deadchoosers saw she

Come from afar

Arrayed to ride forth

To the folk of the Gods:

Skuld held shield there,

Skogul rode second,

Gunn, Hild, Skogul,

Geirskogul were there.

So is the tale made

Of Herian’s^[11] maidens, []

Dead-choosers arrayed

To ride through the world.

 

         x x x x x x x x x x^[12]

 

³² I saw of Baldur,

The bloodstained God,

Born of Odin,

The fated bane hidden.

There it stood growing

High oer the green mead,

Slender, most fair,

The mistletoe.

 

³³ Ah from that stem

So slender-seeming

A woeful flight

Forth shall Hod shoot;

Baldur’s own brother

Was born oer-early,

One day old to slaying

Shall fall Odin’s son.^[13]

 

₃₄ Yet he was heth not hand

Nor head he combeth,

Ere Baldur’s foe

To bale is borne;

Frigg falls agreeting

In the Fenhalls

O’er Valhall’s woe:

Know ye yet, or what know ye?

 

³⁵ Then might the Vala

Make bonds of battle

Exceeding hard-wrought,

Wrought all of inwards.

 

³⁶ Bound there she saw lie

Laid in grove of the fire^[14]

An evil thing like

To the likeness of Loki;

There sitteth Signy,

Full of all sorrow

Over her husband:

Know ye yet or what know ye?

 

³⁷ Garm bayeth high

By the cave of Gnipa,

The bonds are rent,

And the wolf runneth free;

Further forth may I see,

Many things may I tell

Of the Gods’ darkening,

The happy Gods’ strife.

 

         x x x x x x x x

          x x x x x x x

 

³⁸ Falls a stream from the East

Through the dales full of venom,

Stream of knives and of swords,

Slid is it called.

 

³⁹ To the north is there standing

In the alley of night

A hall all of gold

For the high kin of Sindri;

And another there standeth

In the stead called Uncold,

The beer-hall of the Giants,

Brimir they call it.

 

⁴⁰ A hall she sees standing

Afar from the sun^[15]

On the strand of the dead,

All doors turned to the north,

And the venom-drops rain down

Through luffer through roof;

Its walls are wattled

With nought but worms’ backs.

 

⁴¹ She seems a-wading

The heavy streams there

Mansworn men

And murderous monsters,

And the undoer

Of another’s soft speech-friend:

Falls Nidhogg to sucking

The foredone corpses;

The wolf tears the dead:

Know ye yet, or what know ye?

 

⁴² Garm bayeth on high

By the cave of Gnipa,

The bonds are rent

And the wolf runneth free;

Further forth may I see

Many things may I tell

Of the Gods’ darkening

The happy Gods’ strife.

 

         x x x x x x x x

          x x x x x x x

 

⁴³ East bode the old crone

In the wood of iron,

And there brought forth

Fenris’ offspring;^[16]

Amidst all these

A certain one is there,

The moon’s swallower

In troll’s semblance.

 

⁴⁴ Fulfilled with the life-breath

Of fey men is he,

With red blood the Gods’ seat

This same shall redden:

Black shall the sunlight be

All summers after,

All weather woeful:

Know ye yet, or what know ye?

 

⁴⁵ There on mound was a-setting

Smiting the harp-strings

The guard gainst the witch-wives,

Egdir the glad,

And over him crowed

Up aloft in the fowl-wood

The fair red cock

That Fialar is hight.

 

⁴⁶ Yea Golden-comb

Croweth over the Æsir

Who waketh the heroes

In Warfather’s house:

But another there croweth

Down alow neath the earth,

Soot-red is he

In the halls of Hel.

 

⁴⁷ Garm bayeth on high

By the cave of Gnipa,^[17]

The bonds are rent

An the wolf runneth free;

Further forth may I see

Mighty lore I wot of

Of the Gods’ Darkening,

Of the happy Gods’ strife.

 

⁴⁸ Brethren shall fight

And be bane of each other,

Cousins moreover

Kinship shall spill:

A hard while in the world,

A while of great whoredom;

An axe-age, a spear-age

Shields shall be cloven,

A wind-age a wolf-age

Ere the world sinketh!

 

⁴⁹ Earth is a-groaning,

Grewsome things fly abroad,

Neither shall any man

Spare another.

 

⁵⁰ Mimir’s kin fall a-dancing

And the world-tree is kindled

At the screaming

Of the horn of screaming;

High Heimdall blows

And his horn is aloft,

With Mimirs head

Holds Odin converse.

 

⁵¹ Shaketh Yggdrasil’s

Ash yet standing,^[18]

Groans the tree of old time,

And the giant is loosened;

All are heavy with dread

On the ways of Hell,

Or ever Surt’s son

Swalloweth all up.

 

⁵² How fare the Æsir?

How fare the elves now?

All giant-home rumbles,

And the Gods are assembled,

And the dwarfs are whining

Before their stone doors,

The wise of the rock-walls:

Know ye yet, or what know ye?

 

⁵³ Garm bayeth on high

By the cave of Gnipa,

The bonds are rent

And the wolf runneth free

Further forth may I see

Many things may I tell

Of the Gods’ darkening

The happy Gods’ strife.

 

⁵⁴ Hrym drives from the East

With shield held before him,

The World’s worm is writhing

With the wrath of a giant;

The worm breaks through the billows,

Wails out the eagle,

Corpses the Night-pale tears;

Naglfar^[19] is loosened.^[20]

 

⁵⁵ From the East that keel cometh,

Come forth Muspell’s folk

From afar oer the sea,

And Loki is streering:

All the monster’s kin wendeth

Along with the wolf,

Yea in their fellowship

Fare Byleist’s brother.

 

⁵⁶ From the South fareth Surt

With the flickering flame;

Shines from his sword

The sun of the fight-Gods:

Stony hills grind together,

The giant-wives totter,

All men tread Hel’s ways,

And the Heavens are cloven.

 

⁵⁷ Then will arise

Hlin’s^[21] second woe

When Odin fareth

To fight with the Wolf

And Beli’s^[22] bright bane

Battleth with Surt^[23],

There Frigg’s dear one

Falleth to earth.

 

⁵⁸ Garm bayeth on high

By the cave of Gnipa,

The bonds are rent

And the wolf runneth free,

Further forth may I see

Many things may I tell

Of the Gods’ Darkening

Of the happy Gods’ strife.^[24]

 

⁵⁹ Then comes in the great son

Of the sire Victorious

Even Vidar, to fight

With the Beast^[25] of the Fallen;

His hand shall drive through

To the heart of the giant

The glittering sword

For his sire’s avenging.

 

⁶⁰ (a stanza too fragmentary

to make out at all)^[26]

 

⁶¹ Then the noble kin

Of Hlodyn in cometh,

The Midearths holy God^[27]

Amidst wrath the worm slayeth,

Nine feet then goes

The *son of Fiörgyn^[28]

And falls, felled by the adder

Who feared no foe –

Now wend all men

From the place of the world.

 

⁶² Blackeneth the sun now,

Earth sinketh in sea;

From the heavens fall down

The stars fair-twinkling,

The fire is a-raging,

The life-giver flameth,

And the flame playeth high

Gainst the very heavens.

Garm bayeth on high

By the cave of Gnipa,

The bonds are rent

And the Wolf runneth free:

Further forth may I see,

Many things may I tell

Of the Gods’ Darkening

The happy Gods’ strife.^[29]

 

⁶³ She sees arise

Now once again

Green, fair exceeding

The earth from the sea;

Flow adown the rivers

The erne flies thereover,

He who in fells

Hath fish for his catching.

 

⁶⁴ Then meet the Æsir

On the meads of Ida:

Speech make they there

Of the mighty world-circler^[30]

Memory they have

Of the mighty doings,

And the lore of the great God

Of yore agone.

 

⁶⁵ And there thereafter

Those things of wonder,

The golden tables,

In the grass they find,

Those that in old days

Once they had.

 

⁶⁶ All unsown

Shall the acres wax there;

All bale be bettered

And Baldur come back;

Dwell Hod^[31] and Baldur,

Dear Gods of Heaven,

In Hropt’s walls of glory^[32]:

Know ye yet, or what know ye?^[33]

 

⁶⁷ Then may Hoenir^[34]

Have choice of his own lot

And the songs of two brethren

May have abiding

In the wide Wind-home

Know ye yet, or what know ye?

 

⁶⁸ A hall she seeth

Than the sun far fairer

Bedight with gold

On Gimill standing;

There shall the host

Of the trusty have dwelling

For time evermore

All bliss to enjoy.

 

⁶⁹ Then down from above

To the doom of the mighty

The mighty one cometh

Who ruleth oer all things:

Dooms shall he give

Guilt and strife allay,

And set up holy peace

That shall be evermore.

 

         x x x x x x x

          x x x x x x

 

⁷⁰ Then dusky comes in

The drake a-flying

From the nether world

And the fells of night:

Oer the fields flyeth Nidhogg

In his wing-feathers beareth

Corpses of men. –

Now must she sink adown.

 

Примітки:

[1] {Вступ з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[2] {[f. 32v] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[3] {[f. 34] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[4] Then names of the dwarfs all mean something should be trans: but I haven’t yet got the due data for it. WM.

[5] {[f. 34v] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[6] {[f. 35] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[7] {[should be “well”; Ice., “brunnr,” AWS] – Примітка з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[8] {[f. 35v] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[9] meaning the discovery of gold.

[10] {[f. 36] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[11] {[Herjan: one of Odin’s names: War-lord]} – Примітка з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[12] {[f. 36] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[13] {Hod was ‘one night old’ when he slew Baldur. – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[14] {[f. 37] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[15] {[f. 37v] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[16] {[f. 38] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[17] {[f. 38v] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[18] {[f. 39] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[19] Nagl-far is the ship made of dead men’s nails.

[20] {[f. 39v] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[21] Hlin synonym for Frigg Odin’s wife.

[22] Beli’s bane is Freyr the son of Odin.

[23] Surt is the fire giant who destroys the earth. Freyr is the god of the Earth.

[24] {[f. 40] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[25] Valdyr, is the Fenris Wolf who kills Odin.

[26] {[-------? unclear] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[27] Thor.

[28] {Fiörgyn, Mother-earth – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[29] { f. 40v – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[30] Mid-earth Worm dead & done with.

[31] Hod had killed Baldur unwittingly.

[32] {Hropt’s (Odin) home of victory = ‘Valhalla’ is nearer the text. MM – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[33] {[f. 41] – Заувага з сайту http://www.germanicmythology.com/}

[34] Hoenir was sent as hostage by the Æsir to the Vanir.