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"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 X or discredit these traditions as to remove from poesy thosex 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 virtue

Of the terrible Jarl;

Allfather's Song-Surf streams;

Late my sorrows lighten.

Here, moreover, he calls poesy the Song-Surf of Allfather.
Hávardr the Halt sang thus:

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.

to the one-armed God of War ; but, especially in compounds, it has the sense of God, the God, and is usually applied to Odin. The compounds mentioned here by Snorri are all epithets of Odin. See Gylfaginning, p. 30.

Thus sang Víga-Glúmr:

Thus

sang

With the Hanged-God's helmet
The hosts have ceased from going
By the brink; not pleasant

The bravest held the venture.

Refr:

Oft the Gracious One came to me
At the holy cup of the Raven-God;
The king of the stem-ploughed sea's gold
From the skald in death is sundered.

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Göndull and Skögull
Gauta-Týr sent

To choose from kings

Who of Yngvi's kin
Should go with Odin
And be in Valhall.

Thus sang Úlfr Uggason:

Swiftly the Far-Famed rideth,

The Foretelling God, to the fire speeds,
To the wide pyre of his offspring;

Through my cheeks praise-songs are pouring.

Thus sang Thjódólfr of Hvin:

Hallfredr

The slain lay there sand-strewing,

Spoil for the Single-Eyed

Dweller in Frigg's bosom;

In such deeds we rejoiced.

sang thus:

The doughty ship-possessor

With sharpened words and soothfast

Lures our land, the patient,

Barley-locked Wife of Thridi.

Here is an example of this metaphor, that in poesy the earth is called the Wife of Odin. Here is told what Eyvindr sang:

Hermódr and Bragi,
Spake Hropta-Týr,

Go ye to greet the Prince;
For a king who seemeth
A champion cometh

To the hall hither.

Thus sang Kormákr:

The Giver of Lands, who bindeth
The sail to the top, with gold-lace
Honors him who pours god's verse-mead;
Odin wrought charms on Rindr.

Thus sang Steinthórr:

Much have I to laud

The ancient-made (though little)

Liquor of the valiant

Load of Gunnlöd's arm-clasp.

Thus sang Úlfr Uggason:

There I think the Valkyrs follow,

And ravens, Victorious Odin

To the blood of holy Baldr.

With old tales the hall was painted.

Thus sang Egill Skallagrímsson:

No victims for this

To Vili's brother,

The High-God, I offer,

Glad to behold him;

Yet has Mímir's friend

On me bestowed

Amends of evil

Which I account better.

He has given me the art-
He, the Wolf's Opposer,
Accustomed to battle,-

Of blemish blameless.

Here he is called High God, and Friend of Mímir, and Adversary of the Wolf.

Thus sang Refr:

Swift God of Slain, that wieldeth
The snowy billow's wave-hawks,
The ships that drive the sea-road,
To thee we owe the dwarves' drink.

Thus sang Einarr Tinkling-Scale:

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'Tis mine to pour the liquor
Of the Host-God's mead-cask freely
Before the ships' swift Speeder:
For this I win no scorning.

Úlfr Uggason:

His steed the lordly Heimdallr
Spurs to the pyre gods builded
For the fallen son of Odin,
The All-Wise Raven-Ruler.

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