But when Njord came back from the mountains to Noatun he sang this: Njord, in Noatun, afterward begat two children: a son, by name Frey, and a daughter, by name Freyja. Hermod arose, and Balder accompanied him out of the hall. Then the woman suddenly disappeared. When Balder had fallen, the asas were struck speechless with horror, and their hands failed them to lay hold of the corpse. Surt is the name of him who stands on its border guarding it. ", Gylfi's frown flatted until he smiled, "Yes, I see. The one who is behind her is Skoll. He surpasses other men in the craft of cunning, and cheats in all things. Back to Text Their first work was to erect a court, where there were seats for all the twelve, and, besides, a high-seat for Alfather. When the asas saw whither he went they proceeded up to the force, dividing themselves into two bands, but Thor waded in the middle of the stream, and so they dragged the net along to the sea. This is why the first section of the Prose Edda is called "The Deluding of Gylfi" (or, in Old Norse, Gylfaginning). Then said Ganglere: What did Alfather do when Asgard had been built? She asked him for his name, and of what kin he was, saying that the day before there rode five fylkes (kingdoms, bands) of dead men over the bridge; but she added, it does not shake less under you alone, and you do not have the hue of dead men. Brothers slay each other for the sake of gain, and no one spares his father or mother in that manslaughter and adultery. He has in heaven the hall which hight Glitner. It was scarcely long enough to touch the earth with its tail and head, and you raised it so high that your hand nearly reached to heaven. We will tell you all about the different gods and goddesses, as well as the heroes and heroines. Then said Har: Still more remarkable is the hart Eikthyrner, which stands over Valhal and bites the branches of the same tree. He thought to himself whether this could come from their own nature, or whether the cause must be sought for among the gods whom they worshiped. This is why he journeys to Asgard, but on the way he is tricked by the gods and arrives in some other place, where he finds a great palace. A she-goat, by name Heidrun, stands up in Valhal and bites the leaves off the branches of that famous tree called Lerad. A giantess in Jotunheim, hight Angerboda. But the father of winter has two names, Vindlone and Vindsval. Loke immediately sprang up, cast the net on the fire and leaped into the river. Then said Hymer that they had come so far out that it was dangerous to stay there, for the Midgard-serpent. She has no way out except to run away! What is it that you need from us?" These are called so: Austri, Vestri, Nordri, Sudri. As punishment, the gods took Muldilfari's children and made them work in the sky. HE has a conversation with 3 Aesir and wins a competition in which the Aesir's idea of the afterlife is disproved. How does he steer the path of the sun and moon? Thor answered that he could not deny that he had been greatly disgraced in this meeting; and this I know, he added, that you will call me a man of little account, whereat I am much mortified. When he saw his eyes he thought he must fall down at the sight of them alone. Wanting to obtain some of the powers of the sir, Gylfi set out for Asgard, and asked the three enthroned men he met to tell him about their gods. Their names were High-One, Just-as-High, and Third. Thor said he wished to row a while longer, and so he did; but Hymer was by no means in a happy mood. He has a flaming sword in his hand, and at the end of the world he will come and harry, conquer all the gods, and burn up the whole world with fire. High-One waved cheerily to Glyfi, and the three Aesir disappeared. This place is called Gladsheim. The following are the names of the horses of the gods: Sleipner is the best one; he belongs to Odin, and he had eight feet. 473. She was married to a man called Naglfari. Answered Jafnhar: This ash is the best and greatest of all trees; its branches spread over all the world, and reach up above heaven. He hears the grass grow and the wool on the backs of the sheep, and of course all things that sound louder than these. Made answer to him Har: Thus is it said in the Valas Prophecy: Said Ganglere: What took place before the races came into existence, and men increased and multiplied? Har asked the comer what more his errand was, and added that food and drink was there at his service, as for all in Hars hall. Utgard-Loke now asked Thor what feats there were that he would be willing to exhibit before them, corresponding to the tales that men tell of his great works. He rules over rain and sunshine, and over the fruits of the earth. The wolf thought that this fetter was indeed very strong, but also that his strength had increased since he broke Lading. Or do you believe him to be a god of whom you now spake? Then Thor turned away to where he saw a herd of oxen, that belonged to Hymer. In Snorri's account Gylfi is supposedly deluded by the sir into accepting their religion; hence the name "Gylfaginning," most often interpreted as the "deluding of Gylfi", although '-ginning' is regarded the same as what we recognise in "beginning", thus "the origin of Gylfi" is also possible. Thus it is said in the Valas Prophecy: It is generally believed that this Thok was Loke, Laufeys son, who has wrought most evil among the asas. 16 A possible meaning of the name Vindlni. The second part of the Prose Edda is called the Skldskaparml and the third Httatal. The Moon knew not His wife is Idun. They became his servants, and have always accompanied him since that time. Then they sent to Jotunheim after the giantess whose name is Hyrrokken. That man asked him what his name was. Do you suppose that Alfather invites kings, jarls, or other great men, and gives them water to drink? They looked about them and found an adjoining room to the right, in the midst of the hall, and they went in. She was first married to a man who hight Naglfare. They took a trough full of meat and set it on the floor, whereupon Loke seated himself at one end and Loge at the other. The fifth is Fulla, who is also a may, she wears her hair flowing and has a golden ribbon about her head; she carries Friggs chest, takes care of her shoes and knows her secrets. Her man-servants name is Ganglate; her maid-servants, Ganglot. So Frigg exacted an oath from fire, water, iron and all kinds of metal, stones, earth, trees, sicknesses, beasts and birds and creeping things, that they should not hurt Balder. The dart pierced him and he fell dead to the ground. He was standing there for some time, smiling, when he realized that Third had stopped talking. His wife hight Frigg, and she was the daughter of Fjorgvin, and from their offspring are descended the race that we call asas, who inhabited Asgard the old and the realms that lie about it, and all that race are known to be gods. Back to Text But there is a third, which is above these, and is called Vidblain, and in this heaven we believe this mansion (Gimle) to be situated; but we deem that the light-elves alone dwell in it now. The tale is not long. Loke had yet more children. He wanted to crawl away and leave this place. Then says Gangleri: Answered Har: He lives from everlasting to everlasting, rules over all his realm, and governs all things, great and small. With so few surviving texts, Snorri took quite a few liberties that are still hotly debated by scholars today. What mighty works has he accomplished? He had a daughter whose name was Night, and she was also very lovely and dark. Even the dog Garm, that was bound before the Gnipa-cave, gets loose. The second is Glad, the third Gyller, the fourth Gler, the fifth Skeidbrimer, the sixth Silfertop, the seventh Siner, the eighth Gisl, the ninth Falhofner, the tenth Gulltop, the eleventh Letfet. The head is called Heimdals sword. Jord, the mother of Thor, and Rind, Vales mother, are numbered among the goddesses. During Snorri's times, however, the Christian Church strongly discouraged anything that was connected with the heathen past. But if you cannot answer my question I declare you to be defeated. He was so curious, he finally asked, "Why does the Sun move so fast?". And she has no way out except to run away. Har answered: The red which you see in the rainbow is burning fire. Finding the door open they entered, and saw there many men, the most of whom were immensly large, sitting on two benches. Some of the tales within theGylfaginning are reshaped through Christian ideologies or made up entirely to fill in gaps. All who come to him with disputes go away perfectly reconciled. Back to Text, 14 Old Norse sarnkol. He frightens her and he will catch her, but the one which runs in front of her is named Hati Hrvitnisson, and he wants to catch the moon, and so must it be.15 In the morning Hymer arose, dressed himself, and busked himself to row out upon the sea to fish. How was the earth fashioned? He is famous for his wisdom, eloquence and flowing speech. Below, Third tells Gylfi about how the three brothers created the sky and the astronomical bodies in it.]. Then said Ganglere: Of great importance to the gods it must be, it seems to me, that Idun preserves these apples with care and honesty. where she had her halls. He frightens her and he will eventually catch her, when the world ends. Books D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths A classic of mythical anthologies, with beautiful artwork. She lends a favorable ear to men who call upon her, and it is from her name that the title has come that women of birth and wealth are called frur. I have heard that you have been whispering among yourselves that I am not small of stature, but you will see greater men when you come to Utgard. They were so very powerful that we, as gods you know, decided that these boys should rule over the universe. Gylfi was a bit worried about going to see the Aesir. This water is so holy that all things that are put into the fountain become as white as the film of an egg-shell. No one is so wise that he can tell all his great works; but I can tell you so many tidings of him that it will grow late before all is told that I know. Then it shall come to pass that the earth and the mountains will shake so violently that trees will be torn up by the roots, the mountains will topple down, and all bonds and fetters will be broken and snapped. He is filled with the life-blood of all dead men. Har answered: The food that is placed on his table he gives to his two wolves, which hight Gere and Freke. Then said Hymer that they had come to the place where he was wont to sit and catch flat-fish, but Thor said he would like to row much farther out, and so they made another swift pull. There he saw many rooms and a large number of people, of whom some were playing, others were drinking, and some were fighting with weapons. His wife hight Sygin, and their sone, Nare, or Narfe. In the door of the hall Gylfe saw a man who played with swords so dexterously that seven were in the air at one time. Then said Utgard-Loke: How now, Thor! "Odinn and his brothers took embers from distant very hot and fiery lands and put them up into Mighty Space so they could exist over the sky and the Earth. Hence is the saying that he hlins who is forewarned. Thus it is said in the Valas Prophecy: And on this point, when Vafthrudner, the giant, was asked by Gangrad: Then asked Ganglere: How were the races developed from him? Why do you ride the way to Hel? He is daring in combat, and a good shot. He has often brought the asas into great trouble, and often helped them out again, with his cunning contrivances. The stars knew not Just-as-High nudged him a bit. So it is said in the Valas Prophecy: Then said Ganglere: What other remarkable things are there to be said about the ash? Thor gets great renown by slaying the Midgard-serpent, but retreats only nine paces when he falls to the earth dead, poisoned by the venom that the serpent blows on him. Or what was done so that more men were made? The result of the grapple was, that the more Thor tightened his grasp, the firmer she stood. The Midgard-serpent took the ox-head into his mouth, whereby the hook entered his palate, but when the serpent perceived this he tugged so hard that both Thors hands were dashed against the gunwale. Snorri, however, was very learned in Biblical and classical (Greek and Roman) studies and this knowledge may have affect the way he rebuilt the myths. His hall is called Bilskirner. Har answered: The earth rises again from the sea, and is green and fair. He found the door and headed back home to his people with all of the new information he had found. But of Hermod it is to be told that he rode nine nights through deep and dark valleys, and did not see light until he came to the Gjallar-river and rode on the Gjallar-bridge, which is thatched with shining gold. It was made of six things: of the footfalls of cats, of the beard of women, of the roots of the mountain, of the sinews of the bear, of the breath of the fish, and of the spittle of the birds. She keeps in a box those apples of which the gods eat when they grow old, and then they become young again, and so it will be until Ragnarok (the twilight of the gods). Then they heard a great groaning and roaring. In the evening they came to a bonde (1) and got there lodgings for the night. The first book of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Gylfaginning ( Tricking of Gylfi ), contains a question-and-answer game in which Gylfi's questions reveal the nature of the Norse cosmos. Thus says the Valas Prophecy: While these things are happening, Heimdal stands up, blows with all his might in the Gjallar-horn and awakens all the gods, who thereupon hold counsel. The eleventh is Syn, who guards the door of the hall, and closes it against those who are not to enter. When you drank from the horn, and thought that it diminished so little, then, by my troth, it was a great wonder, which I never could have deemed possible. Here he built a house with four doors, so that he might keep an outlook on all sides. The whole of this narrative is metaphysical since the sir, who according to Snorri, have foreknowledge, trick him into a belief in the arcane complexities of the Norse pantheon, ultimately leaving him standing on empty ground. where their places were. The second treasure he possesses is Megingjarder (belt of strength); when he girds himself with it his strength is doubled. Thus says Thjodolf of Hvin, that Valhal was thatched with shields: Ganglere then made the following question: Who is the highest and oldest of all the gods? Gylfiss primary purpose in the Gylfaginning is to ask the sir gods about the universes origin. The one hight Skol, he runs after her; she fears him and he will one day overtake her. These trees they took up and made men of them. All things did so,men and beasts, the earth, stones, trees and all metals, just as you must have seen these things weep when they come out of frost and into heat. Then said Utgard-Loke: That is a feat, indeed, if you can keep your word, and you shall try it immediately. Just-as-High began again, this time speaking in a very slow way, "She found people in the ice when she licked it. But Gylfi soon found that the questions his people asked of him were becoming too diificult for him to answer himself. It is one of the reasons that the Prose Edda is continuously under scrutiny by modern Norse scholars. Three Aesir greeted him when he arrived, and he told them his new name, but not his real name. Thus says Brage, the old skald: King Gylfe was a wise man and skilled in the black art. The first is Alfather, the second is Herran or Herjan, the third Nikar or Hnikar, the fourth Nikuz or Hnikud, the fifth Fjolner, the sixth Oske, the seventh Ome, the eighth Biflide or Biflinde, the ninth Svidar, the tenth Svidrer, the eleventh Vidrer, the twelfth Jalg or Jalk. Har answered as follows: As Bors sons went along the sea-strand, they found two trees. A section of the Prose Edda (the Gylfaginning) is dedicated to Gylfi. Answered Har: You will not come out from here hale unless you are wiser. It is built of serpents wattled together, and all the heads of the serpents turn into the hall and vomit forth venom that flows in streams along the hall, and in these streams wade perjurers and murderers. Then Thor saw that the glove was the hall in which he had spent the night, and that the adjoining room was the thumb of the glove. 1. Hence is the saying that syn is set against it, when anyone tries to deny ought. The one asa looked at the other, and thought there now was a choice of two evils, and no one would offer his hand, before Tyr held out his right hand and laid it in the wolfs mouth. When Thor took the provision-sack and was to open it, then happened what seems incredibile, but still it must be told,that he could not get one knot loosened, nor could he stir a single end of the strings so that it was looser than before. Thus the wolf perishes. Then they took one more heat. Har answered: Of no great account was his meeting with Bele. Back to Text, 9 The sir are one of the families of the Scandinavian gods. Go, Gangleri, and use this as you can.". Source: Nks 1867 4to. Toward the end of winter the burg was far built, and it was so high and strong that it could in nowise be taken. Gylfi said to himself as he walked, "They would know the answers. Gangleri wanted to know about the universes origins and the end of the world (aka Ragnark). Third laughed so hard he nearly choked to death. Third sniggered a bit. The Swedish people trusted their king and expected him to know answers to all questions. The second part of the Prose Edda is called the Skldskaparml and the third Httatal. For them he prepares Valhal and Vingolf, where they are called einherjes (heroes). Norfe, or Narfe, hight a giant, who dwelt in Jotunheim. When there were three days left before summer, the work was all completed excepting the burg gate. But the Frost giants call him Aurgelmer. 10 Dagr. He needs less sleep than a bird; sees an hundred miles around him, and as well by night as by day. Thus in the Prophecy of the Vala: Then said Ganglere: Much had been done, it seemed to me, when heaven and earth were made, when sun and moon were set in their places, and when days were marked out; but whence came the people who inhabit the world? In setting up the deluding of Gyfi, he tells the reader that the sagas told within its pages are tall tales. Just-as-High sighed deeply. Said Jafnhar: We have heard tell of adventure that seem to us incredible, but here sits one near who is able to tell true tidings thereof, and you may believe that he will not lie for the first time now, who never told a lie before: Then said Ganglere: I will stand here and listen, to see if any answer is to be had to this question. In the end all the palace and its people just vanish and Gylfi is left standing on empty ground. ", Gylfi didn't think this really answered his question. Afterward she was married to Annar. What does Gylfi ask about at the beginning of the story? When the gods came to their senses, Frigg spoke and asked who there might be among the asas who desired to win all her love and good will by riding the way to Hel and trying to find Balder, and offering Hel a ransom if she would allow Balder to return home again to Asgard. But however great may be the throng in Valhal, they will get plenty of flesh of the boar Sahrimner. Odin's greatest achievement was the creation of man and the immortal soul. It was also agreed that no man should help him with the work. The first gave them spirit and life; the second endowed them with reason and power of motion; and the third gave them form, speech, hearing and eyesight. But this funeral-pile was attended by many kinds of folk. For what feats are you and your companions prepared? Answered Utgard-Loke: Young lads here think it nothing but play to lift my cat up from the ground, and I should never have dared to offer such a thing to Asa-Thor had I not already seen that you are much less of a man than I thought. Skirner went on his journey, courted Gerd for him, and got the promise of her that she nine nights thereafter should come to Bar-Isle and there have her wedding with Frey. They gave places to all fires, to some in heaven; some flew loose under the sky and yet they set their places and shaped their paths. GEFJON's PLOUGHING. He rules all things, but the other gods, each according to his might, serve him as children a father. Did an acorn fall onto my head? Thus they are named in Grimners Lay: Gymer hight a man whose wife was Orboda, of the race of mountain giants. Look for the old woman Gefjon's laughter at defeating Gylfi, for instance. Odin took this misfortune most to heart, since he best comprehended how great a loss and injury the fall of Balder was to the asas. World Mythology, Volume 1: Gods and Creation by Jared Aragona is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Balders horse, fully caparisoned, was led to his masters pile. When he had put on the ox-head for bait, he cast it overboard and it sank to the bottom. On this foot he has the shoe for which materials have been gathering through all ages, namely, the strips of leather which men cut off for the toes and heels of shoes; wherefore he who wishes to render assistance to the ases must cast these strips away. She answered that all were shooting at Balder, but that he was not scathed thereby. 17 Vindsvalr. Loke saw that he now had only two chances of escape,either to risk his life and swim out to sea, or to leap again over the net. The Gylfaginning deals with king Gylfis encounters with the sir, and his disguised journey as Gangleri to Asgard. Vale they changed into the likeness of a wolf, whereupon he tore his brother Narfe to pieces, with whose intestines the asas bound Loke over the three rocks. He answered: I am to ride to Hel to find Balder. Since then it has been held as a proverb, to get loose out of Lading or to dash out of Drome, whenever anything is extraordinarily hard. Ginnunga means something like "magical, mighty" and himin literally means "heaven". A well-informed man would not ask this, because this is known by all, but if you alone have become so lacking in knowledge that you have never heard this, then I think it better that you ask unknowingly once than that you should be ignorant any longer of something which it is proper to know about. Utgard-Loke bade her take a wrestle with Asa-Thor. And when the heated blasts from Muspelheim met the rime, so that it melted into drops, then, by the might of him who sent the heat, the drops quickened into life and took the likeness of a man, who got the name Ymer. Vidar and Vale live. The gods wanted to launch it and make Balders bale-fire thereon, but they could not move it. Gylfi looked up to see the three great Aesir staring at him expectedly. They also recounted Bifrost, the only link between Asgard and the human realms. When the asas thus became sure that it was really a mountain-giant that had come among them, they did not heed their oaths, but called on Thor. What makes the story of Glyfi in the Gylfaginning different is that Snorri wrote it 100 percent and has no foundations in Norse lore. The cup-bearer immediately brought forward the horn and handed it to Thor. He set them in the sky and told them to ride around every two half-days. Then the All-father11 took Night and her son Day and gave them two horses and two chariots and set them up in the sky so that they should ride around the world every two half-days. But the truth must be told, that there was no fearless sleeping. High-One finished. Heimdal is the name of one. In the evening Thor took his goats and killed them both, whereupon he had them flayed and borne into a kettle. He is the ward of the gods, and sits at the end of heaven, guarding the bridge against the mountain-giants. This is sometimes simply translated as "bellows". He needs no food himself. A great loss it was to him when he fought with Bele; and this I know, forsooth, that he must have repented of that gift. Balders corspe was borne out on the ship; and when his wife, Nanna, daughter of Nep, saw this, her heart was broken with grief and she died. No better tribunal is to be found among gods and men. However, eventually High-One said to Gylfi, "A well-informed man would not ask this, because this is known by everyone. And the same evening, when the builder drove out after stone with his horse Svadilfare, a mare suddenly ran out of the woods to the horse and began to neigh at him. Made answer Har: Alfather he is called in our tongue, but in Asgard of old he had twelve names. When he came to Frey and asked him why he was so sad that he would not talk, Frey answered that he had seen a beautiful woman, and for her sake he had become so filled with grief, that he could not live any longer if he could not get her.