The Younger Edda Part 8

From the east drives Hrym, Bears his s.h.i.+eld before him.

Jormungand welters In giant rage And smites the waves.

The eagle screams, And with pale beak tears corpses, Naglfar gets loose.

A s.h.i.+p comes from the east, The hosts of Muspel Come o'er the main, And Loke is steersman.

All the fell powers Are with the wolf; Along with them Is Byleist's brother.[65]

From the south comes Surt With blazing fire-brand,-- The sun of the war-G.o.d s.h.i.+nes from his sword.

Mountains dash together, Giant maids are frightened, Heroes go the way to Hel, And heaven is rent in twain.

Then comes to Hlin Another woe, When Odin goes With the wolf to fight, And Bele's bright slayer[66]

To contend with Surt.

There will fall Frigg's beloved.

Odin's son goes To fight with the wolf, And Vidar goes on his way To the wild beast.[67]

With his hand he thrusts His sword to the heart Of the giant's child, And avenges his father.

Then goes the famous Son[68] of Hlodyn To fight with the serpent.

Though about to die, He fears not the contest; All men Abandon their homesteads When the warder of Midgard In wrath slays the serpent.

The sun grows dark, The earth sinks into the sea, The bright stars From heaven vanish; Fire rages, Heat blazes, And high flames play 'Gainst heaven itself.[69]

[Footnote 65: Loke.]

[Footnote 66: Frey.]

[Footnote 67: The Fenris-wolf.]

[Footnote 68: Thor.]

[Footnote 69: Elder Edda: The Vala's Prophecy, 50-52, 54-57, 59, 60, 62, 63.]

And again it is said as follows:

Vigrid is the name of the plain Where in fight shall meet Surt and the gentle G.o.d.

A hundred miles It is every way.

This field is marked out for them.[70]

[Footnote 70: Elder Edda: Vafthrudner's Lay, 18.]

CHAPTER XVII.

REGENERATION.

57. Then asked Ganglere: What happens when heaven and earth and all the world are consumed in flames, and when all the G.o.ds and all the einherjes and all men are dead? You have already said that all men shall live in some world through all ages. Har answered: There are many good and many bad abodes. Best it is to be in Gimle, in heaven. Plenty is there of good drink for those who deem this a joy in the hall called Brimer. That is also in heaven. There is also an excellent hall which stands on the Nida mountains. It is built of red gold, and is called Sindre. In this hall good and well-minded men shall dwell. Nastrand is a large and terrible hall, and its doors open to the north. It is built of serpents wattled together, and all the heads of the serpents turn into the hall and vomit forth venom that flows in streams along the hall, and in these streams wade perjurers and murderers. So it is here said:

A hall I know standing Far from the sun On the strand of dead bodies.

Drops of venom Fall through the loop-holes.

Of serpents' backs The hall is made.

There shall wade Through heavy streams Perjurers And murderers.

But in Hvergelmer it is worst.

There tortures Nidhug The bodies of the dead.[71]

[Footnote 71: Elder Edda: The Vala's Prophecy, 40, 41.]

58. Then said Ganglere: Do any G.o.ds live then? Is there any earth or heaven? Har answered: The earth rises again from the sea, and is green and fair. The fields unsown produce their harvests. Vidar and Vale live.

Neither the sea nor Surfs fire has harmed them, and they dwell on the plains of Ida, where Asgard was before. Thither come also the sons of Thor, Mode and Magne, and they have Mjolner. Then come Balder and Hoder from Hel. They all sit together and talk about the things that happened aforetime,--about the Midgard-serpent and the Fenris-wolf. They find in the gra.s.s those golden tables which the asas once had. Thus it is said:

Vidar and Vale Dwell in the house of the G.o.ds, When quenched is the fire of Surt.

Mode and Magne Vingner's Mjolner shall have When the fight is ended.[72]

[Footnote 72: Elder Edda: Vafthrudner's Lay, 51.]

In a place called Hodmimer's-holt[73] are concealed two persons during Surt's fire, called Lif and Lifthraser. They feed on the morning dew.

From these so numerous a race is descended that they fill the whole world with people, as is here said:

Lif and Lifthraser Will lie hid In Hodmimer's-holt.

The morning dew They have for food.

From them are the races descended.[74]

[Footnote 73: Holt = grove.]

[Footnote 74: Elder Edda: Vafthrudner's Lay, 45.]

But what will seem wonderful to you is that the sun has brought forth a daughter not less fair than herself, and she rides in the heavenly course of her mother, as is here said:

A daughter Is born of the sun Ere Fenrer takes her.

In her mother's course When the G.o.ds are dead This maid shall ride.[75]

[Footnote 75: Elder Edda: Vafthrudner's Lay, 47.]

And if you now can ask more questions, said Har to Ganglere, I know not whence that power came to you. I have never heard any one tell further the fate of the world. Make now the best use you can of what has been told you.

59. Then Ganglere heard a terrible noise on all sides, and when he looked about him he stood out-doors on a level plain. He saw neither hall nor burg. He went his way and came back to his kingdom, and told the tidings which he had seen and heard, and ever since those tidings have been handed down from man to man.

AFTERWORD

TO THE FOOLING OF GYLFE.