[20]. Völuspa is derived from völva, sybil and spá, foretelling. The name völva seems to be derived from völr (staff, stick), as we see that the sibyls or prophetesses used to walk from place to place with a stick.
[21]. Vafthrudnir. Vaf = weave, or entangle: thrudnir = strong, or mighty; hence Vafthrudnir = mighty in riddles which cannot be disentangled.
[22]. The awful = Odin.
[23]. The one who gives useful advice.
[24]. When the heart, which is near the ribs, is cold, the ribs are also cold; therefore this means cold-hearted.
[25]. Fœda means both to give birth to, to raise, and to feed.
[26]. Ividi, a very obscure word (only found here in the whole Northern literature), which has been translated differently without any particle of authority in any case, and in each case only as a mere guess. The word vid means tree, perhaps the world-tree, Yggdrasil, which extended its roots under the world.
[27]. It is well known that the later Edda bears strong marks of the influence of Christianity, and we quote it with caution and only when it essentially agrees with Voluspa and other parts of the earlier Edda.
[28]. Vili, will; Ve, sanctuary, holy place. Cf. also ‘Lokasenna,’ 26; ‘Ynglinga,’ c. 3.
[29]. Gjöll (the sounding one).