NOTES TO THE TWENTY-THIRD CANTO.

Specimen of the metre.

Nu i̱lte Ski̱rnir, hvad han kunde,

Ned ad den ski̱önne Regnbuerand,

Hen over Jordens dunkle Lunde,

Da kom han til Troldkaemveland.

Det var som Vinden, Vei̱en over:

Den i̱ngen Bom kan byde Stöv;

Det var som Blaest paa Havets Vover,

Der kruser Bölgens sorte Top.

In the metre I have adopted for this Canto, I have introduced occasionally anapests, for the sake of greater variety.

In this Canto the poet has diverged considerably from either Edda, and has boldly and felicitously sketched a plan of his own, into which, however, he has interwoven ideas taken from three different Cantos of the poetic Edda: viz Harbard’s song; Alvismal (discourse of Alvis); Skirnisfor (journey of Skirnir). In the first, Harbard’s song, it is Thor, and not Skirnir, who enters into a dialogue with Harbard, whom he meets at the fiord. In the second, Alvismal, the subject of the Canto is a dialogue between Thor and the dwarf Alvis (all-wise), wherein the latter makes a pompous display of his learning, by giving definitions and synonymes of earth, heaven, wind, fire, nearly in the same manner that Skirnir does in this Canto. In the third, Skirnir’s journey, wherein Skirnir is sent by Frey to propose marriage to Gerda, are mentioned the ferocious dogs which guard the dwelling of giant Gymer, the father of Gerda.

[81] Fiord means a creek or arm of the sea running inland; on the coast of Norway the fiords run for a very considerable distance inland; and thus flowing from the sea at the high tide form a contrast with the course of the rivers.

[82] The word shoeless foot, in the original nœgne Fod, seems borrowed from the speech of Harbard to Thor, in Harbard’s song in the poetic Edda, wherein he says,

Thou dost not look, as if thou

Three domains possess’d;

[A]Bare legged thou standest

In beggar’s apparel.

[A] Probably because Thor had taken off his shoes, in order to ford the stream.

[83] The remarks on the females of the Jotun race seem likewise borrowed from the same chapter in the poetic Edda:

We had sprightly women,

Were they but gentle;

We had clever women,

Were they but fond of us.

[84] Drypsal means Drippinghall.

[85] Oppheim means abode above.

[86] The original has Svalhjelm (cool helmet), and means a covering to protect the head against the rays of the sun; I have therefore chosen the word umbrella as the most appropriate expression.

[87] Alludes to the difference between a fiord and a river.

[88] With respect to Gestur and his riddles, they are not to be found in the Edda; but the poet has borrowed the idea from the Hervara Saga, wherein king Heidrek, who had a great talent for divining riddles and enigmas, had a great many proposed to him by Odin, under the disguise of the blind Gestur.

Extract from the Hervara Saga in the original Icelandic, with a literal translation.

Heiman ék fór,From home I went,
Heiman ék ferdadist;From home I travelled,
Sá ék á veg vega:Saw I on way ways:
Vegr var undir;The way was under,
Vegr var yfir,The way was over,
Ok ver gá alla:And the way over all;
Heidrekr kongr!Heidrek king!
Hyggtu at gatu?Guessest thou the riddle?
Gód er gáta dhin,Good is riddle thine,
Gestr blindi!Gestur blind!
Gétit er dheirrar:Guessed is it:
Fugl dhar yfir fló;Bird there over flew;
Fiskr dhar undir svamFish there under swam
Fórtu á brú.Thyself went on bridge.