Prose Edda - Brodeur Trans.
Skáldskaparmál
"But now one thing must be said to young skalds, to such as yearn to attain to the craft of poesy and to increase their store of figures with traditional metaphors; or to those who crave to acquire the faculty of discerning what is said in hidden phrase: let such an one, then, interpret this book to his instruction and pleasure. Yet one is not so to forget or discredit these traditions as to remove from poesy those ancient metaphors with which it has pleased Chief Skalds to be content; nor, on the other hand, ought Christian men to believe in heathen gods, nor in the truth of these tales otherwise than precisely as one may find here in the beginning of the book.
II. "Now you may hear examples of the way in which Chief Skalds have held it becoming to compose, making use of these simple terms and periphrases: as when Arnórr Earls' Skald says that Odin is called Allfather:
Now I 'll tell men the virtueHere, moreover, he calls poesy the Song-Surf of Allfather. Hávardr the Halt sang thus:
Of the terrible Jarl;
Allfather's Song-Surf streams;
Late my sorrows lighten.
Now is the flight of eagles
Over the field; the sailors
Of the sea-horses hie them
To the Hanged-God's gifts and feasting.
98
Thus sang Víga-Glúmr:
With the Hanged-God's helmetThus sang Refr:
The hosts have ceased from going
By the brink; not pleasant
The bravest held the venture.
Oft the Gracious One came to meThus sang Eyvindr Skald-Despoiler:
At the holy cup of the Raven-God;
The king of the stem-ploughed sea's gold
From the skald in death is sundered.
And Sigurdr,Thus sang Glúmr Geirason:
He who sated the ravens
Of Cargo-God
With the gore of the host
Of slain Haddings
Of life was spoiled
By the earth-rulers
At Ögló.
There the Týr of TriumphThus sang Eyvindr:
Himself inspired the terror
Of ships; the gods of breezes
That favor good men steered them.
99
Göndull and SkögullThus sang Úlfr Uggason:
Gauta-Týr sent
To choose from kings
Who of Yngvi's kin
Should go with Odin
And be in Valhall.
Swiftly the Far-Famed rideth,Thus sang Thjódólfr of Hvin:
The Foretelling God, to the fire speeds,
To the wide pyre of his offspring;
Through my cheeks praise-songs are pouring.
The slain lay there sand-strewing,Hallfredr sang thus:
Spoil for the Single-Eyed
Dweller in Frigg's bosom;
In such deeds we rejoiced.
The doughty ship-possessorHere is an example of this metaphor, that in poesy the earth is called the Wife of Odin. Here is told what Eyvindr sang:
With sharpened words and soothfast
Lures our land, the patient,
Barley-locked Wife of Thridi.
Hermódr and Bragi,
Spake Hropta-Týr.
100
Go ye to greet the Prince;Thus sang Kormákr:
For a king who seemeth
A champion cometh
To the hall hither.
The Giver of Lands, who bindethThus sang Steinthórr:
The sail to the top, with gold-lace
Honors him who pours god's verse-mead;
Odin wrought charms on Rindr.
Much have I to laudThus sang Úlfr Uggason:
The ancient-made (though little)
Liquor of the valiant
Load of Gunnlöd's arm-clasp.
There I think the Valkyrs follow,Thus sang Egill Skallagrímsson:
And ravens, Victorious Odin
To the blood of holy Baldr.
With old tales the hail was painted.
No victims for this
To Víli's brother,
The High-God, I offer,
Glad to behold him;
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