Prose EddaNorse MythologyAncient Myth / ComparativeOld NorseShareProse Edda 9Anderson - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableAndersonLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Prose Edda 1Prose Edda 2Prose Edda 3Prose Edda 4Prose Edda 5Prose Edda 6Prose Edda 7Prose Edda 8Prose Edda 9Prose Edda 10Prose Edda 11Prose Edda 12Prose Edda 13Prose Edda 14Prose Edda 15Prose Edda 16Prose Edda 17Prose Edda 18Prose Edda 19Prose Edda 20Prose Edda 21Prose Edda 22Prose Edda 23Prose Edda 24Prose Edda 25Prose Edda 26Prose Edda 27Prose Edda 28Prose Edda 29Prose Edda 30Prose Edda 31Prose Edda 32Prose Edda 33Prose Edda 34Prose Edda 35›The Asas.Prose Edda 9ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter118. Then said Ganglere: Whence comes the wind? It is so strong that it moves great seas, and fans fires to flame, and yet, strong as it is, it cannot be seen. Therefore it is wonderfully made. Then answered Har: That I can tell you well. At the northern end of heaven sits a giant, who hight Hrasvelg. He is clad in eagles’ plumes, and when he spreads his wings for flight, the winds arise from under them. Thus is it here said: 2Hrasvelg hight he Who sits at the end of heaven, A giant in eagle’s disguise. From his wings, they say, The wind does come Over all mankind.[30] 3[Footnote 30: Elder Edda: Vafthrudner’s Lay, 37.] 419. Then said Ganglere: How comes it that summer is so hot, but the winter so cold? Har answered: A wise man would not ask such a question, for all are able to tell this; but if you alone have become so stupid that you have not heard of it, then I would rather forgive you for asking unwisely once than that you should go any longer in ignorance of what you ought to know. Svasud is the name of him who is father of summer, and he lives such a life of enjoyment, that everything that is mild is from him called sweet (svasligt). But the father of winter has two names, Vindlone and Vindsval. He is the son of Vasad, and all that race are grim and of icy breath, and winter is like them. 520. Then asked Ganglere: Which are the asas, in whom men are bound to believe? Har answered him: Twelve are the divine asas. Jafnhar said: No less holy are the asynjes (goddesses), nor is their power less. Then added Thride: Odin is the highest and oldest of the asas. He rules all things, but the other gods, each according to his might, serve him as children a father. Frigg is his wife, and she knows the fate of men, although she tells not thereof, as it is related that Odin himself said to Asa-Loke: 6Mad are you, Loke! And out of your senses; Why do you not stop? Fortunes all, Methinks, Frigg knows, Though she tells them not herself.[31] 7[Footnote 31: Elder Edda. Loke’s Quarrel, 29, 47.] 8Odin is called Alfather, for he is the father of all the gods; he is also called Valfather, for all who fall in fight are his chosen sons. For them he prepares Valhal and Vingolf, where they are called einherjes (heroes). He is also called Hangagod, Haptagod, Farmagod; and he gave himself still more names when he came to King Geirrod: 9Grim is my name, And Ganglare, Herjan, Hjalmbore, Thek, Thride, Thud, Ud, Helblinde, Har, Sad, Svipal, Sangetal, Herteit, Hnikar, Bileyg, Baleyg, Bolverk, Fjolner, Grimner, Glapsvid, Fjolsvid, Sidhot, Sidskeg, Sigfather, Hnikud, Alfather, Atrid, Farmatyr, Oske, Ome, Jafnhar, Biflinde, Gondler, Harbard, Svidur, Svidrir, Jalk, Kjalar, Vidur, Thro, Yg, Thund, Vak, Skilfing, Vafud, Hroptatyr, Gaut, Veratyr.[32] 10[Footnote 32: Elder Edda: Grimner’s Lay, 46-50.] 11Then said Ganglere: A very great number of names you have given him; and this I know, forsooth, that he must be a very wise man who is able to understand and decide what chances are the causes of all these names. Har answered: Much knowledge is needed to explain it all rightly, but still it is shortest to tell you that most of these names have been given him for the reason that, as there are many tongues in the world, so all peoples thought they ought to turn his name into their tongue, in order that they might be able to worship him and pray to him each in its own language. Other causes of these names must be sought in his journeys, which are told of in old sagas; and you can lay no claim to being called a wise man if you are not able to tell of these wonderful adventures. 1221. Then said Ganglere: What are the names of the other asas? What is their occupation, and what works have they wrought? Har answered: Thor is the foremost of them. He is called Asa-Thor, or Oku-Thor.[33] He is the strongest of all gods and men, and rules over the realm which is called Thrudvang. His hall is called Bilskirner. Therein are five hundred and forty floors, and it is the largest house that men have made. Thus it is said in Grimner’s Lay: 13Five hundred floors And forty more, Methinks, has bowed Bilskirner. Of houses all That I know roofed I know my son’s is the largest.[34] 14[Footnote 33: Oku is derived from the Finnish thunder-god, Ukko.] 15[Footnote 34: Elder Edda: Grimner’s Lay, 24.] 16Thor has two goats, by name Tangnjost and Tangrisner, and a chariot, wherein he drives. The goats draw the chariot; wherefore he is called Oku-Thor.[35] He possesses three valuable treasures. One of them is the hammer Mjolner, which the frost-giants and mountain-giants well know when it is raised; and this is not to be wondered at, for with it he has split many a skull of their fathers or friends. The second treasure he possesses is Megingjarder (belt of strength); when he girds himself with it his strength is doubled. His third treasure that is of so great value is his iron gloves; these he cannot do without when he lays hold of the hammer’s haft. 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. 17[Footnote 35: The author of the Younger Edda is here mistaken. See note on page 82 {Footnote 33}.] 1822. Thereupon said Ganglere: I wish to ask tidings of more of the asas. Har gave him answer: Odin’s second son is Balder, and of him good things are to be told. He is the best, and all praise him. He is so fair of face and so bright that rays of light issue from him; and there is a plant so white that it is likened unto Balder’s brow, and it is the whitest of all plants. From this you can judge of the beauty both of his hair and of his body. He is the wisest, mildest and most eloquent of all the asas; and such is his nature that none can alter the judgment he has pronounced. He inhabits the place in heaven called Breidablik, and there nothing unclean can enter. As is here said: 19Breidablik it is called, Where Balder has Built for himself a hall In the land Where I know is found The least of evil.[36] 20[Footnote 36: Elder Edda: Grimner’s Lay, 12.] 2123. The third asa is he who is called Njord. He dwells in Noatun, which is in heaven. He rules the course of the wind and checks the fury of the sea and of fire. He is invoked by seafarers and by fishermen. He is so rich and wealthy that he can give broad lands and abundance to those who call on him for them. He was fostered in Vanaheim, but the vans[37] gave him as a hostage to the gods, and received in his stead as an asa-hostage the god whose name is Honer. He established peace between the gods and vans. Njord took to wife Skade, a daughter of the giant Thjasse. She wished to live where her father had dwelt, that is, on the mountains in Thrymheim; Njord, on the other hand, preferred to be near the sea. They therefore agreed to pass nine nights in Thrymheim and three in Noatun. But when Njord came back from the mountains to Noatun he sang this: 22[Footnote 37: Compare Vainamoinen, the son of Ukko, in the Finnish epic Kalevala.] 23Weary am I of the mountains, Not long was I there, Only nine nights. The howl of the wolves Methought sounded ill To the song of the swans. 24Sleep I could not On my sea-strand couch, For the scream of the sea-fowl. There wakes me, As he comes from the sea, Every morning the mew. 25Then went Skade up on the mountain, and dwelt in Thrymheim. She often goes on skees (snow-shoes), with her bow, and shoots wild beasts. She is called skee-goddess or skee-dis. Thus it is said: 26Thrymheim it is called Where Thjasse dwelt, That mightiest giant. But now dwells Skade, Pure bride of the gods, In her father’s old homestead.[38] 27[Footnote 38: Elder Edda: Grimner’s Lay, 11.] 2824. Njord, in Noatun, afterward begat two children: a son, by name Frey, and a daughter, by name Freyja. They were fair of face, and mighty. Frey is the most famous of the asas. He rules over rain and sunshine, and over the fruits of the earth. It is good to call on him for harvests and peace. He also sways the wealth of men. Freyja is the most famous of the goddesses. She has in heaven a dwelling which is called Folkvang, and when she rides to the battle, one half of the slain belong to her, and the other half to Odin. As is here said: 29Folkvang it is called, And there rules Freyja. For the seats in the hall Half of the slain She chooses each day; The other half is Odin’s.[39] 30[Footnote 39: Elder Edda: Grimner’s Lay, 14.] 31Her hall is Sesrynmer, and it is large and beautiful. When she goes abroad, she drives in a car drawn by two cats. She lends a favorable ear to men who call upon her, and it is from her name the title has come that women of birth and wealth are called frur.[40] She is fond of love ditties, and it is good to call on her in love affairs. 32[Footnote 40: Icel. frú (Ger. frau; Dan. frue), pl. frúr, means a lady. It is used of the wives of men of rank or title. It is derived from Freyja.] 3325. Then said Ganglere: Of great importance these asas seem to me to be, and it is not wonderful that you have great power, since you have such excellent knowledge of the gods, and know to which of them to address your prayers on each occasion. But what other gods are there? Har answered: There is yet an asa, whose name is Tyr. He is very daring and stout-hearted. He sways victory in war, wherefore warriors should call on him. There is a saw, that he who surpasses others in bravery, and never yields, is Tyr-strong. He is also so wise, that it is said of anyone who is specially intelligent, that he is Tyr-learned. A proof of his daring is, that when the asas induced the wolf Fenrer to let himself be bound with the chain Gleipner, he would not believe that they would loose him again until Tyr put his hand in his mouth as a pledge. But when the asas would not loose the Fenris-wolf, he bit Tyr’s hand off at the place of the wolf’s joint (the wrist; Icel. úlfliðr[41]). From that time Tyr is one-handed, and he is now called a peacemaker among men. 34[Footnote 41: This etymology is, however, erroneous, for the word is derived from oln or öln, and the true form of the word is ölnliðr = the ell-joint (wrist); thus we have ölnboge--the elbow; öln = alin (Gr. ὠδίνη; Lat. ulna; cp. A.-S. el-boga; Eng. elbow) is the arm from the elbow to the end of the middle finger, hence an ell in long measure.] 3526. Brage is the name of another of the asas. He is famous for his wisdom, eloquence and flowing speech. He is a master-skald, and from him song-craft is called brag (poetry), and such men or women as distinguish themselves by their eloquence are called brag-men[42] and brag-women. His wife is Idun. 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 said Ganglere: Of great importance to the gods it must be, it seems to me, that Idun preserves these apples with care and honesty. Har answered, and laughed: They ran a great risk on one occasion, whereof I might tell you more, but you shall first hear the names of more asas. 36[Footnote 42: Compare the Anglo-Saxon brego = princeps, chief.] 3727. Heimdal is the name of one. He is also called the white-asa. He is great and holy; born of nine maidens, all of whom were sisters. He hight also Hallinskide and Gullintanne, for his teeth were of gold. His horse hight Gulltop (Gold-top). He dwells in a place called Himinbjorg, near Bifrost. He is the ward of the gods, and sits at the end of heaven, guarding the bridge against the mountain-giants. He needs less sleep than a bird; sees an hundred miles around him, and as well by night as by day. He hears the grass grow and the wool on the backs of the sheep, and of course all things that sound louder than these. He has a trumpet called the Gjallarhorn, and when he blows it it can be heard in all the worlds. The head is called Heimdal’s sword. Thus it is here said: 38Himinbjorg it is called, Where Heimdal rules Over his holy halls; There drinks the ward of the gods In his delightful dwelling Glad the good mead.[43] 39[Footnote 43: Elder Edda: Grimner’s Lay, 13.] 40And again, in Heimdal’s Song, he says himself: 41Son I am of maidens nine, Born I am of sisters nine. 4228. Hoder hight one of the asas, who is blind, but exceedingly strong; and the gods would wish that this asa never needed to be named, for the work of his hand will long be kept in memory both by gods and men. 4329. Vidar is the name of the silent asa. He has a very thick shoe, and he is the strongest next after Thor. From him the gods have much help in all hard tasks. 4430. Ale, or Vale, is the son of Odin and Rind. He is daring in combat, and a good shot. 4531. Uller is the name of one, who is a son of Sif, and a step-son of Thor. He is so good an archer, and so fast on his skees, that no one can contend with him. He is fair of face, and possesses every quality of a warrior. Men should invoke him in single combat. 4632. Forsete is a son of Balder and Nanna, Nep’s daughter. He has in heaven the hall which hight Glitner. All who come to him with disputes go away perfectly reconciled. No better tribunal is to be found among gods and men. Thus it is here said: 47Glitner hight the hall, On gold pillars standing, And roofed with silver. There dwells Forsete Throughout all time, And settles all disputes.[44] 48[Footnote 44: Elder Edda: Grimner’s Lay, 15.] ‹Previous chapterProse Edda 8Next chapterProse Edda 10›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