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Moreover, poesy is called Ship or Ale of the Dwarves: ale is líð, and lið is a word for ships; therefore it is held that it is for this reason that poesy is now called Ship of the Dwarves, even as this verse tells:

The wit of Gunnlöd's Liquor
In swelling wind-like fullness,
And the everlasting Dwarves' Ship
I own, to send the same road.

IV. "What figures should be employed to periphrase the name of Thor? Thus: one should call him Son of Odin and of Jörd, Father of Magni and Módi and Thrúdr, Husband of Sif, Stepfather of Ullr, Wielder and Possessor of Mjöllnir and of the Girdle of Strength, and of Bilskirnir; Defender of Ásgard and of Midgard, Adversary and Slayer of Giants and Troll-Women, Smiter of Hrungnir, of Geirrödr and of Thrívaldi, Master of Thjálfi and Röskva, Foe of the Midgard Serpent. Foster-father of Vingnir and Hlóra. So sang Bragi the Skald:

Thus sang

The line of Odin's Offspring
Lay not slack on the gunwale,
When the huge ocean-serpent
Uncoiled on the sea's bottom.

Ölvir Cut-Nose-and-Crop-Ears:

The encircler of all regions
And Jörd's Son sought each other.

Thus sang Eilífr:

Wroth stood Röskva's Brother,

And Magni's Sire wrought bravely:
With terror Thor's staunch heart-stone
Trembled not, nor Thjálfi's.

And thus sang Eysteinn Valdason:

With glowing eyes Thrúdr's Father
Glared at the sea-road's circler,
Ere the fishes' watery dwelling
Flowed in, the boat confounding.

Eysteinn sang further:

Swiftly Sif's Husband bouned him
To haste forth with the Giants
For his hardy fishing:

Well sing we Hrímnir's horn-stream.

Again he sang:

The earth-fish tugged so fiercely
That Ullr's Kinsman's clenched fists
Were pulled out past the gunwale;
The broad planks rent asunder.

Thus sang Bragi:

The strong fiend's Terrifier

In his right hand swung his hammer,
When he saw the loathly sea-fish
That all the lands confineth.

Thus sang Gamli:

While the Lord of high Bilskirnir,
Whose heart no falsehood fashioned,
Swiftly strove to shatter

The sea-fish with his hammer.

Thus sang Thorbjörn Lady's-Skald:

Bravely Thor fought for Ásgard
And the followers of Odin.

Thus sang Bragi:

And the vast misshapen circler
Of the ship's sea-path, fierce-minded,
Stared from below in anger

At the Skull-Splitter of Hrungnir.

Again sang Bragi:

Well hast Thou, Hewer-in-Sunder
Of the nine heads of Thrívaldi,
Kept thy goats'. . .

Thus sang Eilífr:

The Merciless Destroyer
Of the people of the Giants
Grasped with ready fore-arms
At the heavy red-hot iron.

The remainder of this stanza cannot be made out.

Thus sang

Thus Úlfr

Úlfr Uggason:

Faintly the stout-framed thickling
A fearful peril called it,

At the great draught wondrous heavy
Drawn up by the Lord of he-goats.

sang further:

The very mighty Slayer

Of the Mountain-Man brought crashing

His fist on Hymir's temple:

That was a hurt full deadly.

[blocks in formation]

Vimur's ford's Wide-Grappler

'Gainst the waves smote featly

The glittering Serpent's head off.

With old tales the hall was gleaming.

Here he is called Giant of Vimur's Ford. There is a river called Vimur, which Thor waded when he journeyed to the garth of Geirrödr.

Thus sang Vetrlidi the skald:

Thou didst break the leg of Leikn,

Didst cause to stoop Starkadr,

Didst bruise Thrívaldi,

Didst stand on lifeless Gjálp.

Thus sang Thorbjörn Lady's-Skald:

Thou didst smite the head of Keila,

Smash Kjallandi altogether,

Ere thou slewest Lútr and Leidi,
Didst spill the blood of Búseyra;
Didst hold back Hengjankjapta,-
Hyrrokkin died before;

Yet sooner in like fashion

Svívör from life was taken.

V. "How should one periphrase Baldr? By calling him Son of Odin and Frigg, Husband of Nanna, Father of Forseti, Possessor of Hringhorni and Draupnir, Adversary of Hödr, Companion of Hel, God of Tears. Úlfr Uggason, following the story of Baldr, has composed a long passage in the Húsdrápa; and examples are recorded earlier to the effect that Baldr is so termed.

VI. "How should one periphrase Njördr? By calling him God of the Vanir, or Kinsman of the Vanir, or Wane, Father of Freyr and Freyja, God of Wealth-Bestowal. So says Thórdr Sjáreksson:

Gudrún's self by ill
Her sons did kill;
The wise God-bride

At the Wane's side
Grieved; men tell

Odin tamed steeds well;

'T was not the saying

Hamdir spared sword-playing.

Here it is recorded that Skadi departed from Njördr, as

has already been written.

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