NOTES
[[122]]
[Prose]. Harbarth (“Gray-Beard”): Othin. On the nature of the prose notes found in the manuscripts, cf. Grimnismol, introduction. Thor: the journeys of the thunder-god were almost as numerous as those of Othin; cf. Thrymskvitha and Hymiskvitha. Like the Robin Hood of the British ballads, Thor was often temporarily worsted, but always managed to come out ahead in the end. His “Journey in the East” is presumably the famous episode, related in full by Snorri, in the course of which he encountered the giant Skrymir, and in the house of Utgartha-Loki lifted the cat which turned out to be Mithgarthsorm. The Hymiskvitha relates a further incident of this journey. [[123]]
[2]. The superscriptions to the speeches are badly confused in the manuscripts, but editors have agreed fairly well as to where they belong.
[3]. From the fact that in Regius line 3 begins with a capital letter, it is possible that lines 3–4 constitute the ferryman’s reply, with something lost before stanza 4.
[4]. Thy mother: Jorth (Earth).
[5]. Some editors assume a lacuna after this stanza.
[6]. Three good dwellings: this has been generally assumed to mean three separate establishments, but it may refer simply to [[124]]the three parts of a single farm, the dwelling proper, the cattle-barn and the storehouse; i.e., Thor is not even a respectable peasant.
[8]. Hildolf (“slaughtering wolf”): not elsewhere mentioned in the Edda. Rathsey (“Isle of Counsel”): likewise not mentioned elsewhere.