Against the maid, kinswoman

Of the sedge-cowled giant.

And the honor-lessener

Of the Lady of the Sea-Crag

Won foot-hold in the surging

Of the hail-rolled leaping hill-spate;
The rock-knave's swift Pursuer

Passed the broad stream of his staff's road,
Where the foam-flecked mighty rivers
Frothed with raging venom.

There they set the staves before them
In the streaming grove of dogfish;
The wind-wood's slippery pebbles,
Smitten to speech, slept not;

The clashing rod did rattle

'Gainst the worn rocks, and the rapid Of the fells howled, storm-smitten, On the river's stony anvil.

The Weaver of the Girdle
Beheld the washing slope-stream
Fall on his hard-grown shoulders:
No help he found to save him;
The Minisher of hill-folk
Caused Might to grow within him
Even to the roof of heaven,
Till the rushing flood should ebb.

The fair warriors of the Æsir,
In battle wise, fast waded,

And the surging pool, sward-sweeping,
Streamed: the earth-drift's billow,
Blown by the mighty tempest,

Tugged with monstrous fury
At the terrible oppressor

Of the earth-born tribe of cave-folk.

Till Thjálfi came uplifted

On his lord Thor's wide shield-strap: That was a mighty thew-test

For the Prop of Heaven; the maidens Of the harmful giant stiffly

Held the stream stubborn against them; The Giantess-Destroyer

With Gridr's staff fared sternly.

Nor did their hearts of rancor
Droop in the men unblemished,
Nor courage 'gainst the headlong
Fall of the current fail them:
A fiercer-daring spirit

Flamed in the dauntless God's breast,

With terror Thor's staunch heart-stone

Trembled not, nor Thjálfi's.

And afterward the haters

Of the host of sword-companions,
The shatterers of bucklers,
Dinned on the shield of giants,
Ere the destroying peoples

Of the shingle-drift of monsters

Wrought the helm-play of Hedinn
'Gainst the rock-dwelling marksmen.

The hostile folk of sea-heights
Fled before the Oppressor

Of headland tribes; the dalesmen
Of the hill-tops, imperilled,
Fled, when Odin's kindred

Stood, enduring staunchly;

The Danes of the flood-reef's border
Bowed down to the Flame-Shaker.

Where the chiefs, with thoughts of valor
Imbued, marched into Thorn's house,
A mighty crash resounded

Of the cave's ring-wall; the slayer
Of the mountain-reindeer-people
On the giant-maiden's wide hood
Was brought in bitter peril:
There was baleful peace-talk.

And they pressed the high head, bearing
The piercing brow-moon's eye-flame
Against the hill-hall's rafters;
On the high roof-tree broken
He crushed those raging women:
The swinging Storm-car's Guider
Burst the stout, ancient back-ridge
And breast-bones of both women.

Earth's Son became familiar

With knowledge strange; the cave-men

Of the land of stone o'ercame not,
Nor long with ale were merry:
The frightful elm-string's plucker,
The friend of Sudri, hurtled
The hot bar, in the forge fused,
Into the hand of Odin's Gladdener.

So that Gunnr's Swift-Speeder
Seized (the Friend of Freyja),
With quick hand-gulps, the molten
High-raised draught of metal,
When the fire-brand, glowing,
Flew with maddened fury
From the giant's gripping fingers
To the grim Sire of Thrúdr.

The hall of the doughty trembled
When he dashed the massy forehead
Of the hill-wight 'gainst the bottom
Of the house-wall's ancient column;
Ullr's glorious step-sire

With the glowing bar of mischief
Struck with his whole strength downward
At the hill-knave's mid-girdle.

The God with gory hammer
Crushed utterly Glaumr's lineage;
The Hunter of the Kindred
Of the hearth-dame was victorious;
The Plucker of the Bow-String
Lacked not his people's valor,-

The Chariot-God, who swiftly

Wrought grief to the Giant's bench-thanes.

He to whom hosts make offering
Hewed down the 'dolt-like dwellers
Of the cloud-abyss of Elf-Home,
Crushing them with the fragment
Of Gridr's Rod: the litter

Of hawks, the race of Listi
Could not harm the help-strong
Queller of Ella's Stone-Folk.]

XIX. "How should one periphrase Frigg? Call her Daughter of Fjörgynn, Wife of Odin, Mother of Baldr, Co-Wife of Jörd and Rindr and Gunnlöd and Grídr, Mother-in-law of Nanna, Lady of the Æsir and Ásynjur, Mistress of Fulla and of the Hawk-Plumage and of Fensalir.

XX. "How should one periphrase Freyja? Thus: by calling her Daughter of Njördr, Sister of Freyr, Wife of Ódr, Mother of Hnoss, Possessor of the Slain, of Sessrúmnir, of the Gib-Cats, and of Brísinga-men; Goddess of the Vanir, Lady of the Vanir, Goddess Beautiful in Tears, Goddess of Love. All the goddesses may be periphrased thus: by calling them by the name of another, and naming them in terms of their possessions or their works or their kindred.

[XXI. "How should Sif be periphrased? By calling her Wife of Thor, Mother of Ullr, Fair-Haired Goddess, CoWife of Járnsaxa, Mother of Thrúdr.

XXII. "How should Idunn be periphrased? Thus: by call