Sample file 1 © Andrew Valkauskas 2016 First Edition Published by Pendelhaven 2016 121 Place Bourbonniere Lachute, Quebec J8H 3W7 Canada www.pendelhaven.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced for resale without the prior writ- ten permission of the copyright holder. Author and Designer: Andrew Valkauskas Artists: Kevin Nichols Natasa Ilincic Sveta Sergeevna Ignatova Daria Azolina Soni Alcorn-Hender Juraj Kopacka Richard Kane Ferguson Helena Rosova Antony Galbraith Anastasia Ovchinnikova Design and Layout: Andrew Valkauskas Kyriaki Sofocleous Stella Andronicou Editing / Proof Reading: Sofia Moura Fay Rousseau Chris Challice Melissa George SampleISBN# 978-0-9940240-6-0 file 2 Dedicated to Snorri and all of the scribes. Through their work, the Viking age lives on! Sample file 3 Rebellion of The Dvergar 114 The Dead Find New Homes 116 Table of Contents Valhalla 120 Love of the Eddas 6 Loki Comes to Asgard 124 Edda Structure and Sources 6 King Adils and the Scyldings 127 Introduction The Aesir-Vanir War 130 Elaborations and Style 8 Gulveig in Asgard 138 Inconsistencies and Omissions 8 Exchange of Hostages 144 Other Mythologies 9 The Building of the Asgard Wall 146 Presentation 11 Sayings of Alviss 150 Bibliography 12 Alvissmal The Illuminated Edda The Wild Hunt 153 The Primeval Age 14 The Mead of Poetry 156 The Crucible of Life 16 Frey’s great Betrayal 160 The Waking of Nidhogg 17 Iduna’s Family and the Tree 162 The First Fire Council 18 Thiassi Steals Iduna 166 The Dark Tide 19 Skadi Comes for the Weregild 168 The Loom of Destiny 24 Naglfar 170 Eriu and the Fomorians 26 Thor in Jotunheim 174 Lebor Gabala I Harbard’s Song 176 The Children of Nemed 28 Harbardsljoth Lebor Gabala II Sif’s Golden Hair 182 In The Beginning 32 Brokk and Loki’s Wager 185 Kalevala I Thrym’s Saga 188 Felling and Sowing 34 Thrymskvida Kalevala II Love in Jarnvid 192 Galligarm 36 Thor’s Tale 198 Fornjot and the Alfar 42 Thorsdrapa Norf i and the Battle 46 Loki’s Brats in Asgard 201 Audhumla and the Ash 52 Prophesy of the Seeress 204 Kalevala II Voluspa Ymir and the Norns 54 The Binding of Fenrir 208 Svartalfheim and Alfgard 59 Hel Tames Nif lheim 213 The Torrent of Blood 60 Skirnir’s Travels 217 The Rise of the Aesir 63 Skirnismal Nott and Her Children 70 Asgard and Gimle 220 Sol, Mani and the Wolves 74 Baldur Demands Nanna 222 The Amber Gods 78 Grotti’s Song 226 Lietuviskos Pasakos Grottasongr Nine Nights & Nine Worlds 81 Baldur’s Nightmare 229 The First Line of Kings 84 Baldur’s Draumar Heimskringla The Eternal Battle 230 The List of Rig 92 Hjadningavig Rigsthula Hymir’s Tale 233 The Jotuns Regroup 95 Hymiskvida The Aesir Visit Utgard 236 The Alfar Visit Midgard 98 SampleGylfaginning file Freya and the Swan Maidens 100 Grimnir’s Advice 241 The Warden of the Ash 104 Grimnismal Ratatosk 108 How Freya Received Brisgamen 245 The Great Blight 111 Thor Fights Hrungnir 248 4 Skaldskaparmal Atli and the Nibelungs 336 Egle, Queen of Serpents 251 Atlamal Hin Groenlenzku Lietuviskos Pasakos Gudrun`s Challenge 338 The Two Kingdoms 254 Gudrunarhvot Mabinogion I Brynhild Meets Hel 340 Two Grooms 256 Loki’s Quarrel 344 Mabinogion II Lokasenna An Heir is Born 258 Baldur’s Death 348 Mabinogion III Odin is Exiled 352 The Land of Ice and Fire 261 Gesta Danorum The Three Valkyries 264 Odin’s Darkest Night 355 Wayland’s Lament 268 The Woman of the Sea 358 Waylandarkvida The Maidens of Truth 362 Helgi Hjorvardsson 272 Odin’s Wisdom 366 Helgakvida Hjorvardssonar Havamal Svava Visits the Norns 275 Loki is Captured and Bound 374 Helgi Hunding’s Bane 280 The Return of the King 376 Helgi Hundingsbani II The Song of Kara 286 Odin Seeks Vafthrudnir 378 Vafthrudnismal Sinfjotli’s Death 290 Ragnarok 382 Fra Dautha Sinfjotli Svipdag’s Saga 292 Epilogue Groagaldr (Svipdagsmal I) Einar of the Storjunkari 385 Fjolsvinn’s Questions 294 The Shadows Stir 388 Fjolsvinnsmal (Svipdagsmal II) Tyrf ing 390 Gripir’s Prophesy 297 Hervarar Saga Ok Heidreks I Gripisspa Angantyr is Born 393 The Tale of Regin 301 Hervarar Saga Ok Heidreks II Reginsmal Heidrek the Wise 396 Fafnir’s Treasure 306 Hervarar Saga Ok Heidreks III Fafnismal The Battle of Hiadining 397 Odin and Brynhild 309 The Final Prophesy 398 Brynhild’s Awakening 311 Hyndlujoth Brynhildsmal The Inheritance 401 Sigurd’s Tale 315 Appendix Sigurdarkvida En Skama Helgi Hundingsbane 402 Sigurd is Betrayed 318 Helgi Hundingsbani I Gunnar and Brynhild 320 Hamdir’s Tale 405 Brot Af Sigurdarkvida Hamdismal Gudrun’s Tale 322 Glossary Gudrunarkvida I Characters from Norse Myths 407 Brynhild Rides to Helheim 324 Characters from Finnish Myths 425 Helreith Brynhildr Characters from Baltic Myths 425 Tale of the Nibelungs 326 Characters from Celtic Myths 426 Drap Niblunga Characters from Welsh Myths 426 Gudrun Marries Again 327 Locations, Halls and Rivers 427 Gudrunarkvida II Gudrun`s Test 330 Magical Artifacts 429 SampleGudrunarkvida III Story Telling file Game Gudrun`s Lament 332 Runic Game System Oddrunargratr Game Setup 430 Atli`s Fate 333 Playing the Game 431 Atlakvida Index 5 Introduction great translators who have walked this path before me. The natural progression led me to the Icelandic Love of the Eddas Sagas, and then to the Legendary Sagas, and then onto more obscure books. The books written by Jacob Grimm My love for stories rooted in ancient social con- were instrumental bridges between mythology and fairy- sciousness started at a very young age. I remember vivid- tale. In a similar vein, Georges Dumezil was masterful in ly, endlessly asking my grandmother to read me from the his comparisons between different mythologies. fairy-tale book which she brought with her from Lithuania By now you might think that I am an English when she came to Canada. Castles, devils, dragons, and literature scholar or someone educated in history and/or heroes lived within those pages. It contained dozens of anthropology. Nothing could be further from the truth. In stories that would replay themselves in my mind after sto- fact, I am a computer science graduate and have spent my ry-time was over and the lights were turned off. My imag- entire career in IT. The knowledge I have amassed on the ination would take over and I would build make-believe subject matter is in great part forged by my love of Norse worlds around those stories. myths and sagas as well as my love for reading. As big as This intense fascination is no doubt what turned my book library was, it has doubled since my work on the me into an avid reader and led me to role-playing at a very Illuminated Edda began. early age. The love affair with mythology started in grade 5 A big thanks also goes out to Google. In my quest when I cracked open Deities and Demigods, a Dungeons to track down old and rare texts (to add to my collection), and Dragons source book on mythology. All of the pre- I found many treasures as a result of Googles digitization sented pantheons of gods and mythic beasts were intrigu- efforts. ing, but I kept on going back to the Norse chapter. There My obsession with Norse myths has not dimin- was some visceral and primal attraction I couldn’t resist. ished my admiration and interest in other ancient systems That compelling force could not be put into words. of belief. Meso-American is a close second, followed by My gateway book into the authentic myths was Celtic and Baltic. “The Children of Odin” by Padraic Colum. It was a very The Eddas have been so inspirational that for accessible book and it presented the major stories in a many years I imagined creating my own translation. My very entertaining manner. I read and re-read the book deep respect for those works is in part the reason why it many times, and over the years, I have gifted that book to took so long to do my own take on these timeless classics. many friends, leading me to go out to buy another copy for The Illuminated Edda is my personal homage to these myself. I’ve lost count of how many of these have passed works. I do hope that I have done them justice. through my hands. My desire for more was answered by the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson. I still have my first copy of this book, and it’s a completely worn out from the many times it has been read. The cover is stained and damaged, the spine Edda Structure and is cracked in so many places that it’ll stay at whatever page I need, but the book refuses to give up on me. It has served me well for over a quarter of a century. Naturally, after the Prose Edda, I acquired the Sources Poetic Eddas... and I say Eddas in the plural sense because “Edda” means grandmother and appears in the I’m a collector of the many translations. The Illuminated Rigsthula when Heimdall creates the echelons of man- SampleEdda you hold in your hands was inspired by the many kind. No one truly knows the reasonsfile for the name which accompanies the Prose and Poetic Eddas. It may have been 6 chosen because grandparents would be the elders with the and Zoega, but I also referenced grammatical books by most knowledge. During the Viking period, most knowl- Byock. I double-checked my translation work by drawing edge was passed down using oral tradition.