EINHERJAR

GINNUNGAGAP

NO-THING WAS: NOT SAND, NOT SEA, NOT COOL WAVES; JǪRÐ WAS NOT YET FOUND, NOR SKY ABOVE; THE GINNUNGAGAP WAS YAWNING, AND GRASS NOWHERE.

TO THE NORTH OF THE GAP, IN THE COLD: NIFLHEIMR. IN ITS MIDDLE HVERGELMIR. FROM IT RAN THE RIVERS:
SVǪL, GUNNÞRÁ, FJǪRM, FIMBULÞUL;
SLÍÐR, HRÍÐ, SYLGR, YLGR;
VÍÐ, LEIPTR, GJǪLL — NÆST HELGRINDUM; ÉLIVÁGAR!

THE VENOM IN THE RIVERS HARDENED. AS ICE. THEN AS RIME. LAYER ON LAYER IT PILED IN THE GAP. THE GAP FILLED, GREW HEAVY. FROM WITHIN: VAPOR AND GUST.

TO THE SOUTH OF THE GAP, IN THE HEAT: MÚSPELLSHEIMR. AT ITS EDGE SAT SURTR, THE FATHER OF ELDJǪTNAR, WITH FLAMING SWORD. SPARKS AND EMBERS FLEW.

THE MIDDLE OF THE GAP WAS MILD AS A WINDLESS SKY. THERE THE RIME MET THE HEAT'S BREATH. THE RIME MELTED. VENOM-DROPS SPRANG FROM ÉLIVÁGAR. THEY QUICKENED. THEY SWELLED IN THE GAP. A JǪTUNN CAME FORTH, REMEMBERED AS YMIR AND AURGELMIR.

AURGELMIR SLEPT. HE SWEATED. UNDER HIS LEFT ARM, HRÍMÞURSAR: A MAÐR AND A WOMAN. BETWEEN HIS LEGS, SON ÞRÚÐGELMIR, SIX-HEADED. BERGELMIR AFTER.

FROM THE SAME DROPS: AUÐHUMLA. FOUR RIVERS OF MILK RAN FROM HER TEATS; WITH THEM SHE FED YMIR. SHE LICKED THE SALT-RIME-STONES TO SUSTAIN HERSELF.

FROM THE STONE SHE LICKED: ON FIRST DAY, THE HAIR. ON SECOND DAY, THE HEAD. ON THIRD DAY, THE WHOLE OF HIM — BÚRI. WHITE.

BÚRI'S SON WAS BORR. BORR MARRIED BESTLA, DAUGHTER OF THE JǪTUNN BǪLÞORN.

FROM THAT BOND A SNAKE CAME FORTH — JǪRMUNGANDR — AND TOOK HIS TAIL IN HIS MOUTH. FROM THE DRIP, THREE SONS: TÝR, ÓÐR, HOF. THEN THEY THREW HIM INTO THE SEA.

MY FIRST SÓL

MY FIRST SÓL THREW FROM THE SOUTH, HER HAND AROUND THE SKY-EDGE. MÁNI WAS HER FRIEND.

SHE DID NOT KNOW WHERE HER HǪLL WAS. MÁNI KNEW NOT HIS PULL.

THEN HOWLING CAME FROM THE IRON WOOD, EAST, WHERE TÝR HAD BRED WITH ANGRBOÐA. FENRIR'S KIN — HATI HRÓÐVITNIR.

SKǪLL TOOK UP AFTER SÓL, THE BRIGHT BRIDE OF SKY. HATI AFTER MÁNI.

THERE WITHIN THE RINGING WAVES OF JǪRMUNGANDR STANDS OUR HǪLL, AN OAK AT ITS HEART, STRETCHING ABOVE AND HOUSING TWO RAVENS THAT COME BACK TO IT: HUGINN AND MUNINN. THE TRUNK ÚLFHEÐNAR CALL BARNSTOKKR.

THERE I SEE, HEAR, SMELL, AND FEAST. THERE I BOUND TO MYSELF THIS WOMAN — JǪRÐ.

THERE I COUNTED AND NAMED THE JǪTNAR ON THE SLITS OF MY FINGERS. AND I GAVE WIND TO FIRE IN THE MIDDLE. AND I TRACKED SHAPES WITH MY TONGUE. AND RÚN FYRIR RÚN, I BEGAN TALKING TO MY MOTHER, AND SHE HAILED BACK.

THERE WITH HER TÝR HAD ÓÐINN. THEN ÞÓRR. ALSO FRIGG AFTER ÞÓRR. AND LOKI AFTER.

POINTING SPEAR

THERE, THREE ROOT ABOVE, I SAW ÁLFHEIMR. HOME OF THE LIGHT ELVES AND JǪTNAR.

THERE, THREE ROOT BELOW, I SAW SVARTÁLFAHEIMR. HOME OF THE DARK ELVES AND DWARVES.

AT THE ÁSGARÐR ROOT, URÐR'S WELL — AND FROM IT, ALL THAT GROWS GREEN.

THERE THE TÍVAR SING AND DANCE; EVERY SKULL THE ÆSIR RIDE UP TO IT OVER BIFRǪST — A BOW OF THREE COLORS, THE RED OF IT FIRE.

FROM THE WHITE HǪLL BY THE WELL COME THREE MAIDENS — URÐR, VERÐANDI, SKULD — WHO CARVE ON WOOD AND DIRECT THE FLOW OF ÉLIVÁGAR.

UNDER THE ROOT OF NIFLHEIMR IS HVERGELMIR. THERE NÍÐHǪGGR GNAWS THE ROOT FROM BELOW.

UNDER THE ROOT THAT TURNS TOWARD THE HRÍMÞURSAR IS MÍMIR'S WELL, IN WHICH UNDERSTANDING IS HIDDEN.

THERE CAME ALFǪÐR AND ASKED FOR ONE DRINK OF THE WELL, BUT HE DID NOT GET IT UNTIL HE LAID HIS EYE AS AN OATH.

FIRST GREAT BLÓT

AT THE WALLS OF MIÐGARÐR I FOUND VANAHEIMR, NEIGHBORING LAND, SPRUNG FROM THE SAME ROOT.

THE VANIR KNEW WELL OF ÚLFR'S HOME. THEY WERE FERTILE AND CAME IN ARMS. I THREW MY SPEAR OVER THEIR HOST. THAT WAS THE FIRST WAR IN THE WORLD.

EVERYONE WENT AT EACH OTHER. THE WALL OF OUR HǪLL BROKE AND BLED. THEY TRAMPLED OUR FIELD AND WE TRAMPLED THEIRS. MANY FELL AND WE FOUGHT EIGHT MOONS.

PEACE HAD TO BE MADE, OR THE WORLD WOULD CEASE TO BE. LOKI AND I STOOD MIRRORED, EACH THE OTHER'S LIKENESS. CUT THE TURF — JARÐARMEN. RAISED IT ON CROSSED SPEARS. WALKED UNDER, BOTH OF US. BLED INTO THE DIRT THE SOD CAME FROM. STIRRED BLOOD AND DIRT TOGETHER WITH OUR HANDS. FÓSTBRŒÐRALAG.

TO SEAL IT, A VAT WAS SET BETWEEN US. ÆSIR AND VANIR — ALL SPAT INTO IT. THE SPITTLE WAS STIRRED.

FROM IT WE SHAPED A MAÐR — KVASIR. NONE COULD ASK WHAT HE COULD NOT ANSWER.

HOSTAGES WERE EXCHANGED. MÍMIR AND HŒNIR WENT TO THEM. TO US CAME NJǪRÐR, FATHER OF THE VANIR, AND HIS CHILDREN — FREYR AND FREYJA. AND WITH FREYJA CAME SEIÐR — THE CRAFT OF SEEING WHAT WILL COME, AND BENDING IT.

THE VANIR DID NOT LIKE MÍMIR'S TALK. THEY SENT THE OLD HEAD BACK. I KEPT IT WITH HERBS.

SECOND TERRIBLE BLÓT

THE MAÐR KEPT TALKING. HE TOLD ME ABOUT JǪTNAR POISONING THE ÉLIVÁGAR.

HE POINTED AT SIF'S CUT HAIR. A BIG SMASHING HAD TO BE DONE.

HIS TALK MADE ME SWEAT. TO SVARTÁLFAHEIMR I WAS SENT.

I FELT I NEEDED THOSE OF THE SPEAR. SO I WENT KNOCKING ON DOORS FOR RAGNARǪK.

ÞÓRR HEARD, SAW HIS MOTHER CRYING, SO HE SMASHED JǪTNAR WITH HIS HAMMER.

LOKI I FOUND PLAYING WITH DARK ELVES. HE THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY. THEN HE TREMBLED, THREATENED BY ÞÓRR'S MJǪLLNIR.

FRIGG PLAYED WITH FIRE. SHE GAVE BIRTH TO IÐUNN, WHOSE APPLES WERE MANY — BIG AND REJUVENATING.

THEN LOKI SLEPT WITH A STALLION AND MADE SLEIPNIR. A HORSE WITH EIGHT LEGS.

SLEIPNIR TOOK ME TO MY FATHER, FOR WHOM THE OATH WAS MADE TO GIVE YMIR TO BLÓT. TO CUT IT WAS TO FALL OFF.

THEN ONE EVENING, WHEN WE HAD COME TO OUR SEATS, A MAÐR CAME INTO THE HǪLL. CLOAKED. PIERCING WHITE FROM HIS FACE. BIG. OLD.

LOKI WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING BUT HIS LIPS WERE SHUT.

HE WALKED TO THE TREE AT THE CENTER OF THE HǪLL. HE DREW THE SWORD AND DROVE IT INTO BARNSTOKKR UP TO THE HILT.

HE SPOKE: "HE WHO DRAWS THIS SWORD FROM THE TRUNK SHALL HAVE IT FROM ME AS A GIFT, AND SHALL FIND HE NEVER BORE A BETTER BLADE."

HE CLOSED THE DOOR.

HANDS CLOSED ON THE HILT. THE BLADE DID NOT MOVE. ONE AFTER ANOTHER. THE BLADE DID NOT MOVE.

THEN MINE. I LIFTED IT TOWARDS SÓL.

A GUEST, BERGELMIR, OFFERED THREE TIMES THE GOLD. I SAID: "KEEP YOUR STONES. YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN IT AS I DID, WHERE IT STOOD, IF IT HAD BEEN FATED FOR YOU. NOW IT SHALL NEVER COME TO YOU AND YOUR OFFSPRING'S HAND, SINCE IT CAME FIRST TO MINE."

HE SEETHED WITH RAGE AND STORMED OUT OF THE HǪLL AND WOKE UP YMIR.

RAGNARǪK

I NOW POINT THE BARNSTOKKR-BLADE AT THE GREAT THROAT AND SET OUT TO OPEN IT AS MY FATHER, FOR MY FATHER — IN THE OATH THAT HANGS ON THE TREE.

HEIMDALLR SOUNDED THE GJALLARHORN. THE BLOOD FOR BLÓT ROSE IN THE GAP AND DROWNED THE HRÍMÞURSAR, EVERY ONE, SAVE BERGELMIR. HE CLIMBED ONTO A HOLLOWED LÚÐR WITH HIS WIFE AND RODE THE FLOOD OUT OF THE GAP.

HIS FLESH ÓÐINN LAID DOWN FOR THE SOIL.

HIS BLOOD THAT HAD NOT SOAKED AWAY ÓÐINN PENNED INTO THE SEAS AND THE LAKES.

HIS BONES ÓÐINN STOOD UP FOR THE MOUNTAINS.

HIS TEETH, AND HIS JAW, AND ALL THE BONES ÞÓRR HAD BROKEN, ÓÐINN SCATTERED AS THE STONES AND THE SCREE.

HIS HAIR ÓÐINN PLANTED, AND IT ROSE AS THE TREES.

HIS SKULL ÓÐINN LIFTED OVER ALL OF IT FOR THE SKY. AT ITS FOUR CORNERS ÓÐINN SET DWARVES: NORÐRI, SUÐRI, AUSTRI, VESTRI — ONE AT EACH CORNER, TO HOLD IT UP.

HIS BRAINS ÓÐINN FLUNG UP INTO THE SKULL, AND THEY HANG THERE AS CLOUDS.

OUT OF MÚSPELLSHEIMR ÓÐINN TOOK SURTR'S FLYING SPARKS AND EMBERS AND FIXED THEM UNDER THE SKULL FOR STARS.

THE MAGGOTS THAT CAME FROM HIS DEAD FLESH ÓÐINN NAMED, AND GAVE SHAPE AND WIT — THE DWARVES, THE MAKERS WHO WORK NEVER UNDER SÓL.

HIS BROWS AND HIS LASHES ÓÐINN RAISED AS A WALL AROUND MIÐGARÐR — TO FENCE OTHER JǪTNAR OUT FROM WHAT GROWS GREEN.

THE ÉLIVÁGAR RAN CLEAN AGAIN. THE GREEN CAME BACK TO URÐR'S WELL. ÓÐINN HUNG GUNGNIR.

AND AT LAST A MAÐR STOOD OVER ME — CLOAKED, HOODED, ONE EYE, A SPEAR IN HIS HAND. I HAD SEEN HIM BEFORE, BY THE TREE, THE NIGHT THE BLADE FIRST WENT IN. HE HELD THE SPEAR OUT TO ME, OR AGAINST ME.

I STRUCK IT WITH THE BLADE, AND THE BLADE BROKE. I KEPT THE PIECES.

AND WHEN I OPENED MY EYES, ÓÐINN STOOD IN VALHǪLL. AND MY FATHER, FOR WHOM THE WHOLE BLÓT HAD BEEN GIVEN, CAME TO THE DOOR AND HAILED ME.

FOR EVERY EINHERI WHO FELL AND WAS LIFTED BY A VALKYRJA WAS GIVEN A DOOR.

EVERY DAY THE EINHERJAR RIDE OUT THE DOORS AND HEW ONE ANOTHER TO PIECES, AND FALL. AND WITH THE MORNING SÓL THEY RISE UP WHOLE, EACH WOUND CLOSED, AND RIDE BACK IN AND SIT DOWN TO FEAST AND DRINK FROM SKULLS AND HORNS.

AND THERE, IN ÁSGARÐR, ALL THE ÆSIR HANG — TÝR AT THE HIGH SEAT.