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Forspjallsljóð * * HRAFNAGALDUR ÓÐINS Compiled, edited and (where necesary) translated by Gunivortus Goos (GardenStone) Usingen, 2014 * * Forspjallsljóð * * (Prelude poem) Odin's raven magic Foreword Thank you for downloading this PDF. All rights reserved; this publication as a whole may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author as long as that is done without any commercial aim. That applies too if parts of the publication are used and the authors are fully credited. Once again one of my smaller projects has reached its realization and can be ticked off - the (re) introduction of the poem or song with the Oldnorse name 'Hrafnagaldur Odin "(Odin's raven magic), also called Forspjallsljóð' (prelude poem). Have fun with it. Gunivortus, Usingen, July, 2014. Introduction Backgrounds The Hrafnagaldr Óðins (Odin's raven-magic), also called Forspjallsljóð (prelude poem) is an Icelandic poem, written in the style of the poems of the Poetic Edda. It has passed down only in paper manuscripts. In the edition of the Poetic Edda from 1867 the translator Sophus Bugge argued that the poem only was created in the 17th-Century. According to Bugge, it was composed as an introduction to the 'Baldrs draumar' poem. Since Bugge's argumentation it was not part anymore of editions of the Poetic Edda; before, it was added to the English Thorpe edition from 1866 and to the German Simrock edition from 1851. In 1886 the Swedish scholar and author Viktor Rydberg accepted the poem as authentic and sought to explain its narrative as referring to the time Idun was taken from Asgard by Thjazi. In 2002 the Icelandic scholar Jónas Kristjánsson published arguments that would point to a much earlier date of origin than Bugge proposed, the 13th or 14th Century was targeted. Kristjánsson based his view on linguistic evidence and on the apparently corrupt state of the left poem. Others disputed that with the argument that the metrical system of the poem would differ too much from the Eddic poems. At first, the scholar Annette Lassen saw the poem on the same level as the Svipdagsmál (Lay of Svipdagr) which contains the two poems Grógaldr (Spell of Gróa) and the Fjölsvinnsmál (Sayings of Fjölsvinnr) which also were discovered in the 17th Century but are considered by many related scholars as part of the Poetic Edda. Some years later Lassen revised her view and stated that the poem would be post medieval. One of her arguments was the use of the Middle Low German word 'máltíd', which would at earliest appear in the middle of the 14th Century – but she dates the poem later. According to analysis of the best manuscripts, the various copies all derive from a single archetype. Whether prior to the paper manuscript also a vellum manuscript existed, is unknown, but Árni Magnússon makes reference to the poem in a letter dated June 18, 1729 to Jón Halldórsson, Dean of Hítardalur, raising the possibility that such a vellum manuscript was lost in the Great Fire in Copenhagen of 1728, which destroyed a large part of Arni's library, including as many as 15 bound manuscripts of Eddic poetry. The letter reads, in a translation of William P. Reaves, as follows: "I had (which burned) blessed Reverend Ólafur's (our principal's) letter regarding one of these odes (I believe Hrafnagaldur Odins) a song that Magister Brynjólfur had allowed to be copied from one old, dirty leaf, and as I recall, he said that there was something missing at the end, and that it may have occurred in the same manner. This is all as if in a fog, the documents are gone." Obviously, the discussion whether the poem originate from the 13th or 14th Century or from the 16th or 17th Century has not come to a conclusive end yet. The contents in short The poem begins with five stanzas of ominous introduction, the narrative proper setting is in stanza 6. Idunn falls from the world-tree (stanzas 6-7) and is given a wolfskin to wear (stanza 8). Alarmed, Odin sends a trio of messengers led by Heimdall to get news from a woman designated as "the doorpost of Gjöll's sun" (Giallar sunnu gátt, a kenning for woman) (stanza 9). The identity of the woman that Heimdall and his companions visit in the lower world is not revealed. She has been variously identified as Idunn, Hela (Emil Doepler, 1881), and as Urd. The messengers ask her the beginning, duration and end of heaven, the world, and hel (stanza 11). Tears are her only response (stanzas 12-13). The failed messengers return to Asgard, joining a feast in progress (stanzas 14-15). Heimdall tells the gods of their mission; Loki informs the goddesses (stanzas 16-19). The festivities conclude (stanza 21), and the onset of night is described in mythological terms (stanzas 22-26). In the final verse, Heimdall lifts his horn toward heaven. Interest in the poem has been renewed after 1998, when Eysteinn Björnsson and William P. Reaves posted an edition of the poem with an English translation and commentary online. Only the English translation of this whole project is still online available. In 2005 the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós together with Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, and Steindór Andersen composed a choral and orchestral work 'Hrafnagaldur Óðins'. This introduction is based on theWikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrafnagaldr_Óðins Several other translations exist, below another English and another German translation. The poem contains quite a few 'kennings' (Oldnorse poetical descriptions of names or terms). These are explained alongside the stanzas. The Poem Old Norse English 1 1 Alföður orkar, Allfather works, álfar skilja, elves understand, vanir vitu, vanir know, vísa nornir, norns reveal, elur íviðja, gives birth, íviðja :A troll wife or giantess aldir bera, men endure, þreyja þursar, thurses wait, þrá valkyrjur. valkyries yearn. 2 2 Ætlun æsir The Æsir suspected illa gátu, an evil scheme, veður villtu wights confounded vættar rúnum; the weather with magic; Óðhræris skyldi Urður was appointed Urður geyma, Óðhrærir's keeper, Urður: fate máttk at verja powerful to protect it mestum þorra. from the mightiest winter. 3 3 Hverfur því Hugur, Hugur then disappears Hugur: the raven Huginn? himna leitar, seeking the heavens, grunar guma men's ruin is suspected, grand ef dvelur; if he's delayed; þótti er Þráins Þráinn's thought Þráinn: name of a dwarf þunga draumur, is an opressive dream, Dáins dulu Dáinn's dream Dáinn: dwarf or elf name draumur þótti. was thought enigmatic. 4 4 Dugir með dvergum The dwarves' powers dvína, heimar dwindle, the worlds niður að Ginnungs sink down niði sökkva; towards Ginnung's abyss; oft Alsviður Often Alsviður Alsviður: Odin? ofan fellir, fells from above, oft of föllnum often he gathers aftur safnar. the fallen again. 5 5 Stendur æva Earth and Sun strind né röðull, cannot stand firm; lofti með lævi malignant winds linnir ei straumi; do not cease; mærum dylst hidden in the glorious í Mímis brunni well of Mímir vissa vera; lies all knowledge; vitið enn, eða hvað? know ye yet, or what? 6 6 Dvelur í dölum Dwells in dales dís forvitin, the curious dís, Yggdrasils frá from Yggdrasill's aski hnigin; ash descended; álfa ættar of elven kin, Iðunni hétu, Iðunn was her name, Ívalds eldri youngest of Ívald's yngsta barna. elder children. 7 7 Eirði illa Ill she endured ofankomu, the fall from above, hárbaðms undir under the hoar-tree's haldin meiði; trunk confined; kunni síst disliked staying að kundar Nörva, at Nörvi's daughter's, Nörvi's daughter: night vön að værri used to better vistum heima. abodes back home. 8 8 Sjá sigtívar The divinities see syrgja Naumu Nauma grieving viggjar að véum; in the wolf's home; Wolf's home: Yggdrasil vargsbelg seldu, given a wolf-skin, lét í færast, she clad herself therein, lyndi breytti, changed disposition, lék að lævísi, delighted in guile, litum skipti. shifted her shape. 9 9 Valdi Viðrir Viðrir selected Viðrir: Odin vörð Bifrastar Bifröst's guardian Bifröst's guardian: Heimdall Gjallar sunnu to inquire of gátt að frétta, the bearer of Gjöll's sun, bearer of Gjöll's sun: woman heims hvívetna whatever she knew hvert er vissi; of the world's affairs; Bragi og Loftur Bragi and Loftur Loftur: Loki báru kviðu. bore witness. 10 10 Galdur gólu, Sorcery they sang, göndum riðu, wolves they rode, Rögnir og Reginn Rögnir and Reginn, Rögnir: Odin að ranni heimis; against the world's house; hlustar Óðinn Óðinn listens Hliðskjálfu í; in Hliðskjálf; leit braut vera watched the travellers' langa vegu. distant journey. 11 11 Frá enn vitri The wise one asked veiga selju the server of mead, server of mead: woman banda burður scion of gods og brauta sinnar; and his road-companions, hlýrnis, heljar, if she knew the origin, heims ef vissi duration, and end ártíð, æfi, of heaven, of hel, aldurtila. of the world. 12 12 Né mun mælti, Her mind she spoke not, né mál knátti nor was Gefjun able Gefjun greiða, to utter a word, né glaum hjaldi; nor express any joy; tár af tíndust tears trickled, törgum hjarnar, from the skull's shields, skull's shields: eye holes eljunfaldin the mighty one endurrjóða. was bereft of power. 13 13 Eins kemur austan As from the East, úr Élivágum out of Élivágar, þorn af akri comes a thorn from the þurs hrímkalda, Field of the rime-cold giant, hveim drepur dróttir with which Dáinn Dáinn allar smites all men mæran of Miðgarð of glorious Midgard með nátt hverri. every night.
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