Poetic EddaNorse MythologyAncient Myth / ComparativeOld NorseSharePoetic Edda 30Bellows - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableBellowsLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Poetic Edda 1Poetic Edda 2Poetic Edda 3Poetic Edda 4Poetic Edda 5Poetic Edda 6Poetic Edda 7Poetic Edda 8Poetic Edda 9Poetic Edda 10Poetic Edda 11Poetic Edda 12Poetic Edda 13Poetic Edda 14Poetic Edda 15Poetic Edda 16Poetic Edda 17Poetic Edda 18Poetic Edda 19Poetic Edda 20Poetic Edda 21Poetic Edda 22Poetic Edda 23Poetic Edda 24Poetic Edda 25Poetic Edda 26Poetic Edda 27Poetic Edda 28Poetic Edda 29Poetic Edda 30Poetic Edda 31Poetic Edda 32Poetic Edda 33Poetic Edda 34Poetic Edda 35Poetic Edda 36Poetic Edda 37Poetic Edda 38Poetic Edda 39Poetic Edda 40Poetic Edda 41Poetic Edda 42Poetic Edda 43Poetic Edda 44Poetic Edda 45Poetic Edda 46Poetic Edda 47Poetic Edda 48Poetic Edda 49Poetic Edda 50Poetic Edda 51Poetic Edda 52Poetic Edda 53Poetic Edda 54Poetic Edda 55Poetic Edda 56Poetic Edda 57Poetic Edda 58Poetic Edda 59Poetic Edda 60Poetic Edda 61Poetic Edda 62Poetic Edda 63Poetic Edda 64Poetic Edda 65Poetic Edda 66Poetic Edda 67Poetic Edda 68Poetic Edda 69Poetic Edda 70Poetic Edda 71Poetic Edda 72Poetic Edda 73Poetic Edda 74Poetic Edda 75Poetic Edda 76Poetic Edda 77Poetic Edda 78Poetic Edda 79Poetic Edda 80Poetic Edda 81Poetic Edda 82Poetic Edda 83Poetic Edda 84Poetic Edda 85Poetic Edda 86›The Lay Of FjolsvithPoetic Edda 30ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter117. Before the house | he beheld one coming To the home of the giants high. 2“What giant is here, | in front of the house, And around him fires are flaming?” 318. “What seekest thou here? | for what is thy search? What, friendless one, fain wouldst thou know? By the ways so wet | must thou wander hence, For, weakling, no home hast thou here.” 419. “What giant is here, | in front of the house, To the wayfarer welcome denying?” 5“Greeting full fair | thou never shalt find, So hence shalt thou get thee home. 620. “Fjolsvith am I, | and wise am I found, But miserly am I with meat; Thou never shalt enter | within the house,— Go forth like a wolf on thy way!” 721. “Few from the joy | of their eyes will go forth, When the sight of their loves they seek; Full bright are the gates | of the golden hall, And a home shall I here enjoy.” 822. “Tell me now, fellow, | what father thou hast, And the kindred of whom thou camst.” 9“Vindkald am I, | and Varkald’s son, And Fjolkald his father was. 1023. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: Who is it that holds | and has for his own The rule of the hall so rich?” 1124. “Mengloth is she, | her mother bore her To the son of Svafrthorin; She is it that holds | and has for her own The rule of the hall so rich.” 1225. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What call they the gate? | for among the gods Ne’er saw man so grim a sight.” 1326. “Thrymgjol they call it; | ’twas made by the three, The sons of Solblindi; And fast as a fetter | the farer it holds, Whoever shall lift the latch.” 1427. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What call they the house? | for no man beheld ‘Mongst the gods so grim a sight.” 1528. “Gastropnir is it, | of old I made it From the limbs of Leirbrimir; I braced it so strongly | that fast it shall stand So long as the world shall last.” 1629. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What call they the tree | that casts abroad Its limbs o’er every land?” 1730. “Mimameith its name, | and no man knows What root beneath it runs; And few can guess | what shall fell the tree, For fire nor iron shall fell it.” 1831. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What grows from the seed | of the tree so great, That fire nor iron shall fell?” 1932. “Women, sick | with child, shall seek Its fruit to the flames to bear; Then out shall come | what within was hid, And so is it mighty with men.” 2033. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What cock is he | on the highest bough, That glitters all with gold?” 2134. “Vithofnir his name, | and now he shines Like lightning on Mimameith’s limbs; And great is the trouble | with which he grieves Both Surt and Sinmora.” 2235. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What call they the hounds, | that before the house So fierce and angry are?” 2336. “Gif call they one, | and Geri the other, If now the truth thou wouldst know; Great they are, | and their might will grow, Till the gods to death are doomed.” 2437. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: May no man hope | the house to enter, While the hungry hounds are sleeping?” 2538. “Together they sleep not, | for so was it fixed When the guard to them was given; One sleeps by night, | the next by day, So no man may enter ever.” 2639. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: Is there no meat | that men may give them, And leap within while they eat?” 2740. “Two wing-joints there be | in Vithofnir’s body, If now the truth thou wouldst know; That alone is the meat | that men may give them, And leap within while they eat.” 2841. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What weapon can send | Vithofnir to seek The house of Hel below?” 2942. “Lævatein is there, | that Lopt with runes Once made by the doors of death; In Lægjarn’s chest | by Sinmora lies it, And nine locks fasten it firm.” 3043. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: May a man come thence | who thither goes, And tries the sword to take?” 3144. “Thence may he come | who thither goes, And tries the sword to take, If with him he carries | what few can win, To give to the goddess of gold.” 3245. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What treasure is there | that men may take To rejoice the giantess pale?” 3346. “The sickle bright | in thy wallet bear, Mid Vithofnir’s feathers found; To Sinmora give it, | and then shall she grant That the weapon by thee be won.” 3447. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What call they the hall, | encompassed here With flickering magic flames?” 3548. “Lyr is it called, | and long it shall On the tip of a spear-point tremble; Of the noble house | mankind has heard, But more has it never known.” 3649. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What one of the gods | has made so great The hall I behold within?” 3750. “Uni and Iri, | Bari and Jari, Var and Vegdrasil, Dori and Ori, | Delling, and there Was Loki, the fear of the folk.” 3851. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What call they the mountain | on which the maid Is lying so lovely to see?” 3952. “Lyfjaberg is it, | and long shall it be A joy to the sick and the sore; For well shall grow | each woman who climbs it, Though sick full long she has lain.” 4053. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: What maidens are they | that at Mengloth’s knees Are sitting so gladly together?” 4154. “Hlif is one named, | Hlifthrasa another, Thjothvara call they the third; Bjort and Bleik, | Blith and Frith, Eir and Aurbotha.” 4255. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: Aid bring they to all | who offerings give, If need be found therefor?” 4356. “Soon aid they all | who offerings give On the holy altars high; And if danger they see | for the sons of men, Then each from ill do they guard.” 4457. “Now answer me, Fjolsvith, | the question I ask, For now the truth would I know: Lives there the man | who in Mengloth’s arms So fair may seek to sleep?” 4558. “No man there is | who in Mengloth’s arms So fair may seek to sleep, Save Svipdag alone, | for the sun-bright maid Is destined his bride to be.” 4659. “Fling back the gates! | make the gateway wide! Here mayst thou Svipdag see! Hence get thee to find | if gladness soon Mengloth to me will give.” 4760. “Hearken, Mengloth, | a man is come; Go thou the guest to see! The hounds are fawning, | the house bursts open,— Svipdag, methinks, is there.” 4861. “On the gallows high | shall hungry ravens Soon thine eyes pluck out, If thou liest in saying | that here at last The hero is come to my hall. 4962. “Whence camest thou hither? | how camest thou here? What name do thy kinsmen call thee? Thy race and thy name | as a sign must I know, That thy bride I am destined to be.” 5063. “Svipdag am I, | and Solbjart’s son; Thence came I by wind-cold ways; With the words of Urth | shall no man war, Though unearned her gifts be given.” 5164. “Welcome thou art, | for long have I waited; The welcoming kiss shalt thou win! For two who love | is the longed-for meeting The greatest gladness of all. 5265. “Long have I sat | on Lyfjaberg here, Awaiting thee day by day; And now I have | what I ever hoped, For here thou art come to my hall. 5366. “Alike we yearned; | I longed for thee, And thou for my love hast longed; But now henceforth | together we know Our lives to the end we shall live.” ‹Previous chapterPoetic Edda 29Next chapterPoetic Edda 31›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States via Project Gutenberg