DOTLAN EveMaps

Poetic Edda - Voluspa (Prophecy of the Seeress)

[31]
On all sides saw I
Valkyries assemble, Ready to ride
to the ranks of the gods; Skuld bore the shield,
and Skogul rode next, Guth, Hild, Gondul,
and Geirskogul. Of Herjan's maidens
the list have ye heard, Valkyries ready
to ride o'er the earth.

[32]
I saw for Baldr,
the bleeding god, The son of Othin,
his destiny set: Famous and fair
in the lofty fields, Full grown in strength
the mistletoe stood.

[38]
A hall I saw,
far from the sun, On Nastrond it stands,
and the doors face north, Venom drops
through the smoke-vent down, For around the walls
do serpents wind.

[39]
I saw there wading
through rivers wild Treacherous men
and murderers too, And workers of ill
with the wives of men; There Nithhogg sucked
the blood of the slain, And the wolf tore men;
would you know yet more?

[40]
The giantess old
in Ironwood sat, In the east, and bore
the brood of Fenrir; Among these one
in monster's guise Was soon to steal
the sun from the sky.

[41]
There feeds he full
on the flesh of the dead, And the home of the gods
he reddens with gore; Dark grows the sun,
and in summer soon Come mighty storms:
would you know yet more?

[45]
Brothers shall fight
and fell each other, And sisters' sons
shall kinship stain; Hard is it on earth,
with mighty whoredom; Axe-time, sword-time,
shields are sundered, Wind-time, wolf-time,
ere the world falls; Nor ever shall men
each other spare.

[50]
From the east comes Hrym
with shield held high; In giant-wrath
does the serpent writhe; O'er the waves he twists,
and the tawny eagle Gnaws corpses screaming;
Naglfar is loose.

[51]
O'er the sea from the north
there sails a ship With the people of Hel,
at the helm stands Loki; After the wolf
do wild men follow, And with them the brother
of Byleist goes.

[52]
Surt fares from the south
with the scourge of branches, The sun of the battle-gods
shone from his sword; The crags are sundered,
the giant-women sink, The dead throng Hel-way,
and heaven is cloven.

[53]
Now comes to Hlin
yet another hurt, When Othin fares
to fight with the wolf, And Beli's fair slayer
seeks out Surt, For there must fall
the joy of Frigg.

[55]
Hither there comes
the son of Hlothyn, The bright snake gapes
to heaven above; -lacuna- vith venom he fills both sea and air Against the serpent
goes Othin's son.

[56]
In anger smites
the warder of earth,-- Forth from their homes
must all men flee;- Nine paces fares
the son of Fjorgyn, And, slain by the serpent,
fearless he sinks.

[57]
The sun turns black,
earth sinks in the sea, The hot stars down
from heaven are whirled; Fierce grows the steam
and the life-feeding flame, Till fire leaps high
about heaven itself.

[58]
Now Garm howls loud
before Gnipahellir, The fetters will burst,
and the wolf run free; Much do I know,
and more can see Of the fate of the gods,
the mighty in fight.

[64]
More fair than the sun,
a hall I see, Roofed with gold,
on Gimle it stands; There shall the righteous
rulers dwell, And happiness ever
there shall they have.

[66]
From below the dragon
dark comes forth, Nithhogg flying
from Nithafjoll; The bodies of men on
his wings he bears, The serpent bright:
but now must I sink.