Hymiskviða
The Lay of Hymir
Old Norse Poetry
English translation (1866) by Benjamin Thorpe.
Transcription by Eiður Eyþórsson.
I
About this translation
This Benjamin Thorpe’s translation of Hymiskviða is derived from his 1866 edition of The Edda of Sæmund the Learned. In that work, on pages 56-61, the poem is presented in English translation, accompanied by Thorpe’s notes and commentary.
The wording of the poem and its accompanying commentary has been preserved without alteration. Minor adjustments have been made to the layout for readability: line breaks within stanzas have been expanded where necessary, and notes that originally appeared at the bottom of each page have been repositioned to appear directly beneath the relevant stanza. Numbering of notes have also been adjusted to fit the format. In the print, notes on each page start counting from 1.
Here Begins Hymiskviða
1
Once the celestial gods
had been taking fish,
and were in compotation,
ere they the truth discovered.¹
Rods² they shook,
and blood inspected,
when they found at Œgir´s
a lack of kettles.
¹ To wit, that they were short of kettles for brewing.
² That is divining rods. So Tacitus of the ancient Germans: Sortium consuetudo simplex: vigram frugiferæ arbori decisam in surculos amputant, eosque notis quibusdam discretos super candidam vestem temere ac fortuitu spargunt. Mox, si publice consuletur, sacerdos civitatis; sin privatim, ipse pater familiæ precatus deos cœlumque suspiciens ter singulos tollit, sublatos secundum impressam ante notam interpretatur. Germania X.
2
Sat the rock-dweller
glad as a child,
much like the son
of Miskorblindi.
In his eyes looked
Ygg’s son³ steadfastly.
“Thou to the Æsir shalt
oft a compotation give.”
³ Thor.
3
Caused trouble to the Jötun
th’ unwelcomed-worded As:
he forthwith meditated
vengeance on the gods.
Sif’s husband he besought
a kettle him to bring.
“in which I beer
for all of you may brew.”
4
The illustrious gods
found that impossible,
nor could the exalted powers
it accomplish,
till from trueheartedness,
Tý to Hlorridi
much friendly counsel gave.
5
“There dwell eastward
of Elivágar
the all-wise Hýmir,
at heaven’s end.
My sire, fierce of mood,
a kettle owns,
a capacious caldron,
a rast in depth.”
6
Thor.
“Knowest thou whether we
can get the liquor-boiler?”
Tý.
Yes, friend! if we
stratagem employ.”
Rapidly they drove
forward that day
from Asgard,
till to the giant’s home they came.
7
Thor stalled his goats,
splendid of horn,
then turned him to the hall
that Hýmir owned.
The son his granddam found
to him most loathful;
heads she had
nine hundred.
8
But another came
all-golden forth,
fair-browed, bearing
the beer-cup to her son:
9
“Ye Jötuns’ kindred!
I will you both,
ye daring pair,
under the kettles place.
My husband is
oftentimes
niggard toward guests,
to ill-humour prone.”
10
But the monster,
the fierce-souled Hýmir,
late returned
home from the chase.
He the hall entered,
the icebergs resounded,
as the churl approached;
the thicket on his cheeks was frozen.
11
“Hail to thee, Hýmir!
be of good cheer:
now thy son is come
to thy hall,
whom we expected
from his long journey;
him accompanies
our famed adversary,
the friend of man,
who Veor hight.
12
See where they sit
under the hall’s gable,
as if to shun thee:
the pillar stands before them.”
In shivers flew the pillar
at the Jötun’s glance;
the beam was first
broken in two.
13
Eight kettles fell,
but only one of them,
a hard-hammered cauldron,
whole from the column.
The two came forth,
but the old Jötun
with eyes surveyed
his adversary.
14
Augured to him
his mind no good,
when he saw
the giantess’s sorrow
on the floor coming.
Then were three
oxen taken,
and the Jötun bade
them forthwith be boiled.
15
Each one they made
by the head shorter,
and to the fire
afterwards bore them.
Sif’s consort ate,
ere to sleep he went,
completely, he alone,
two of Hýmir’s beeves.
16
Seemed to the hoary
friend of Hrúngnir
Hlorridi’s refection
full well large:
We three to-morrow night
shall be compelled
on what we catch
to live.”
17
Veor said he would
on the sea row,
if the bold Jötun him
would with baits supply:
“To the herd betake thee,
(if thou in thy courage trustest,
crusher of the rock-dwellers!)
for baits to seek.
18
I expect
that thou wilt
bait from an ox
easily obtain.”
The guest in haste
to the forest went,
where stood an all-black
ox before him.
19
The Thursar’s bane
wrung from an ox
the high fastness
of his two horns.
“To me thy work seems
worse by far,
ruler of keels!
than if thou hadst sat quiet.”
20
The lord of goats
the apes’ kinsman besought
the horse of plank
farther out to move;
but the Jötun
declared his slight desire
farther to row.
21
The mighty Hýmir drew,
he alone,
two whales up
with his hook;
but at the stern abaft
Veor cunningly
made him a line.
22
Fixed on the hook
the shield of men,
the serpent’s slayer,
the ox’s head.
Gaped at the bait
the foe of gods,
the encircler beneath
of every land.⁴
⁴ The great serpent that encircles the earth.
23
Drew up boldly
the mighty Thor
the worm with venom glistening,
up to the side;
with his hammer struck,
on his foul head’s summit,
like a rock towering,
the wolf’s own brother.
24
The icebergs resounded,
the caverns howled,
the old earth
shrank together:
at length the fish
back into the ocean sank.⁵
⁵ According to the Prose Edda (p. 445), the giant, overcome with fright, took out his knife and severed Thor’s line.
25
The Jötun was little glad,
as they rowed back,
so that the powerful Hýmir
nothing spake,
but the oar moved
in another course.
26
“Wilt thou do
half the work with me,
either the whales
home to the dwelling bear,
or the boat
fast bind?”
27
Hlorridi went,
grasped the prow,
quickly, with its hold-water, lifted
the water-steed,
together with its oars
and scoop;
bore to the dwelling
the Jötun’s ocean-swine,
the curved vessel,
through the wooded hills.
28
But the Jötun
yet ever frowned,
to strife accustomed,
with Thor disputed,
said that no one was strong,
however vigorously
he might row,
unless he his cup could break.
29
But Hlorridi,
when to his hands it came,
forthwith brake
an upright stone in twain;
sitting dashed the cup
through the pillars:
yet they brought it whole
to Hýmir back.
30
Until the beauteous
woman gave
important, friendly counsel,
which she only knew:
“Strike at the head of Hýmir,
the Jötun with food oppressed,
that is harder
than any cup.”
31
Rose then on his knee
the stern lord of goats,
clad in all
his godlike power.
Unhurt remained
the old man’s helm-block,
but the round wine-bearer
was in shivers broken.
32
“Much good, I know,
has departed from me,
now that my cup I see
hurled from my knees.”
Thus the old man spake:
“I can never
say again,
beer thou art too hot.
33
Now ‘tis to be tried
if ye can carry
the beer-vessel
out of our dwelling.”
Tý twice assayed
to move the vessel,
yet at each time
stood the kettle fast.
34
Then Módi’s father
by the brim grasped it,
and trod through
the dwelling’s floor.
Sif’s consort lifted
the kettle on his head,
while about his heels
its rings jingled.
35
They had far journeyed
before Odin’s son
cast one look backward:
he from the caverns saw,
with Hýmir from the east,
a troop of many-headed
monsters coming.
36
From his shoulders he
lifted the kettle down;
Miöllnir hurled forth
towards the savage crew,
and slew
all the mountain-giants,
who with Hýmir
had him pursued.
37
Long they had not journeyed
when of Hlorridi’s goats
one lay down
half-dead before the car.
It from the pole had sprung
across the trace;
but the false Loki
was of this the cause.
38
Now ye have heard,
– for what fabulist can
more fully tell –
what indemnity
he from the giant got:
he paid for it
with his children both.⁶
⁶ This strophe belongs apparently to another poem.
39
In his strength exulting
he to the gods’ counsel came,
and had the kettle,
which Hýmir had possessed,
out of which every god
shall beer with Œgir drink
at every harvest-tide.
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