Like the foregoing poem, the “Grímnismál” has a didactic purpose, instruction in the mythology, the heavenly geography, and the nomenclature of the Northern Olympus.1 It is conveyed in Óthin’s monologue, addressed first, as a reward, to young Agnar, who takes pity on his plight, and finally to his erstwhile favorite Geirrœth, to whom the god gradually reveals his dread identity. The epic framework has elements in common with a fairy story, still told in our days in northern Norway, of two brothers who sail to a monster-infested island where the one brother abandons the other to his fate in order to claim the kingdom for himself. And there is a striking similarity between the story of the rivalry of Óthin and his wife Frigg, as told in the Introductory Prose, and the legend about the origin of the Langobards as told in the Edict of their king, Rotharis (644 A.D.), and retold by the Langobardian monk and historian, Paulus Diaconus (ca. 800):
“The form of the narrative is very symptomatic. The reader is to gather that the old cotter has given Geirrœth the counsel to make away with his brother; from the conversation between Óthin and Frigg, that it was they who fostered the youths; again, that Frigg, in maligning Geirrœth as a miser had a double purpose—in the first place, to induce Óthin to visit the king whom by her emissary she renders hostile to the disguised god; in the second place, to destroy Geirrœth, since Óthin would of course not let his ill treatment go unavenged.”2
The poem has suffered chiefly from accretions, which detract seriously from its æsthetic value: its monologic form no doubt tempted copyists to interpolate stray bits of lore—sometimes of great value—which they were anxious to have preserved within its framework. For the most part, these differ in form from the otherwise regular ljóðaháttr stanzas.
There are no positive indications as to time of composition (tenth century?) or place of origin. Certainly the poem is archheathen. It is handed down completely both in the Codex Regius and the Hauksbók; and some twenty stanzas are embedded in Snorri’s paraphrase in the “Gylfaginning.”
King Hrauthung had two sons, Agnar and Geirrœth.3 Agnar was ten years old, Geirrœth eight. One day they were rowing in a boat with their tackle, to catch small fry, when the wind blew them out to sea. In the darkness of night they were dashed against the land. They made the shore and found a cotter. They stayed there that winter. The goodwife fostered Agnar, the goodman, Geirrœth and counseled him in shrewdness. In spring he got them a boat, and when he and his wife led them down to the shore he spoke secretly with Geirrœth. They had a fair wind and came to their father’s landing place. Geirrœth was forward in the boat. He leapt out on shore and thrust the boat back into the sea and said, “Now go where all trolls may take thee!” Agnar drifted out to sea; but Geirrœth went up to the buildings. He was warmly welcomed, and as his father had died he was made king and became a famous leader.
One day, Óthin and Frigg were sitting in Hlithskjalf4 and were looking out upon all the worlds. Then said Óthin: “Dost thou see Agnar, thy foster son, how he begets children with an ogress in a cave? But Geirrœth, my foster son, is king in the land.” Frigg answered: “He is so grudging about his food5 that he lets his guests die of hunger when he thinks too many have come.” Óthin said that this was a gross lie, and so they laid a wager about this matter. Frigg sent her chambermaid Fulla to Geirrœth to tell him to beware lest he be bewitched by a warlock who was then come into the land. She told him that the warlock could be recognized by this, that no dog was so fierce as to rush at him. But it was evil slander, to say that King Geirrœth was not generous about his food. Yet he had that man taken captive whom his dogs would not set on. He was clad in a blue cloak and gave his name as Grímnir,6 and said no more about himself though he was asked. The king tortured him to make him speak, by setting him between two fires; and there he sate for eight nights. Geirrœth had a son ten years old, who was named Agnar after his brother. Agnar went up to Grímnir and gave him a full horn to drink from and said that the king did ill to torture one who had done no wrong. Grímnir emptied it. By that time the fire had come so near him that his cloak began to burn.
He said:
1. Hot art thou, blaze, and too high, withal!
Get, fire, thee farther away!
My frieze coat is singed though I flung it aloft,
flares up the fur in the flames.
2. Eight nights famished ’twixt the fires I sate,
nor did anyone fetch me food,
but Agnar only who after shall rule,
Geirrœth’s son, o’er the Goths.7
3. All hail to thee, for happiness
is given thee, Agnar, by Óthin.
Better guerdon shalt never get
for one beaker of beer.
4. The land is holy which lies yonder,
near to Æsir and alfs;
in Thrúthheim,8 there shall Thór ay dwell,
till draws nigh the doom of the gods.
5. On Ydal’s9 plains Ull hath reared him
his hall timbered on high.
For Frey’s10 tooth-fee was fashioned of yore
Alf-Home, as gift by the gods.
6. A third hall still, all thatched with silver,
was built by the blessed gods:
in Válaskjalf11 hall did house himself
Óthin in olden days.
7. Sokkvabekk12 called is the fourth, which cool waters
ripple round about;
there Óthin and Sága13 all their days drink,
glad from golden cups.
8. Gladhome is hight the fifth where golden shimm’ring
Valholl14 is widely spread out;
here Óthin chooses every day
weapon-slain warriors.
9. Easily known to Ygg’s chosen
are the heavenly halls:
the rafters, spearshafts; the roofs, shield-shingled;
and the benches strewn with byrnies.
10. Easily known to Ygg’s chosen
are the heavenly halls:
a wolf hangeth o’er the western gate,
and hovers an eagle on high.15
11. Thrymheim16 is hight the sixth, where Thjatsi dwelled,
the etin of awful might;
Njorth’s bride there her bower hath,
Skathi,17 where her father before.
12. Breithablik18 the seventh; there Baldr the good
hath reared him his bright abode:
in that land it lies where least I know
falsehood and faithlessness.
13. Himinbjorg19 the eighth; there Heimdall, they say,
guards the holy hall;
there the gods’ warder in goodly stead
the mead drinks, glad in mind.
14. Folkvang20 the ninth, where Freya21 chooses
who seats shall have in her hall:
half of the slain are hers each day,
and half are Óthin’s own.
15. Glitnir22 the tenth, which with gold is propped,
and is shingled with shining silver;
there Forseti23 unflagging sits,
the god that stills all strife.
16. Nóatún24 the eleventh, where Njorth hath him
reared his bright abode;
the sinless god his seat there has
and rules in high-timbered hall.
17. Greenwoods grow, and grasses tall,
in Víthi,25 Víthar’s land:
from horseback leaps the hero, eager
to avenge his father’s fall.
18. By Andhrímnir26 in Eldhrímnir27
Sæhrímnir,28 the boar, is boiled,
the best of bacons; though ’tis barely known
what the einherjar29 eat.
19. Valfather feeds Freki and Geri30
on the flesh of the fallen;
but weapon-glad Óthin on wine only
lives forever and ay.
20. The whole earth over, every day,
hover Hugin and Munin;31
I dread lest Hugin droop in his flight,
yet I fear me still more for Munin.
21. Thund32 roars loudly; sports Thjóthvitnir’s
fish33 in the foaming flood;
the strong stream seems too stiff to wade
for warriors to Valholl bent.
22. Valgrind34 is the gate that wards the gods,
holy, nigh holy doors;
old is that wicket, nor wot many
with what bolt that gate is barred.
23. Five hundred rooms and forty withal
I ween that in Bilskirnir35 be;
of all the halls which on high are reared
the greatest I see is my son’s.
24. Five hundred doors and forty withal
I ween that in Valholl be:
eight hundred warriors through one door hie them
when they fare forth to fight the Wolf.36
25. Heithrún, the goat on the hall that stands,
eateth off Læráth’s37 limbs;
the crocks she fills with clearest mead,
will that drink not e’er be drained.
26. Eikthyrnir,38 the hart on the hall that stands,
eateth off Læráth’s limbs;
drops from his horns in Hvergelmir39 fall,
thence wend all the waters their way.
27.40[Síth and Víth, Sœkin and Eikin,
Svol and Gunnthró, Fjorm and Fimbulthul,
Rín and Rinnandi,
Gipul and Gopul, Gomul and Geirvimul,
they flow by the garth of the gods;
Thyn and Vin, Tholl and Holl,
Gráth and Gunnthorin.
28. Vína is hight one, Vegsvinn the other,
the third, Thjóthnuma;
Nyt and Not, Nonn and Hronn,
Slíth and Hríth, Sylg and Ylg,
Víl and Ván, Vond and Strond,
Gjoll and Leiptr, flow in the land of men,
but hence flow to Hel.]
29. Kormt and Ormt and the Kerlaugs twain,
Thór does wade through
every day, to doom when he fares
’neath the ash Yggdrasil;
for the bridge of the gods41 is ablaze with flames—
hot are the holy waters.
30. 42[Glath and Gyllir, Gler and Skeithbrimir,
Silfrintopp and Sinir,
Gísl and Falhófnir, Golltopp and Léttfeti—
these steeds ride heavenly hosts
every day, to the doom when they fare
’neath the ash Yggdrasil.]
31. Three roots do spread in threefold ways
beneath the ash Yggdrasil:
dwell etins ’neath one, ’neath the other, Hel,
’neath the third; Mithgarth’s43 men.
32. 44 (An eagle sitteth on Yggdrasil’s limbs,
whose keen eyes widely ken;
’twixt his eyes a fallow falcon is perched,
hight Vethrfolnir, and watcheth.)
33. Ratatosk45 the squirrel is hight which runneth ay
about the ash Yggdrasil:
the warning words of the watchful eagle
he bears to Níthhogg46 beneath.
34. 47[Four harts also the highest shoots48
ay gnaw from beneath:
Dáin and Dvalin,49 Duneyr and Dýrathrór.]
35. [More worms do lie the world-tree beneath
than unwise apes may ween:
Góin and Móin, which are Grafvitnir’s sons,
Grábak and Grafvolluth;
Ofnir and Sváfnir50 ay, I fear me,
on that tree’s twigs will batten.]
36. The ash Yggdrasil doth ill abide,
more than to men is known:
the hart browsing above, its bole rotting,
and Níthhogg gnawing beneath.
37. Hrist and Mist the horn shall bear me,
Skeggjold and Skogul;
but Hild and Thrúth, Hlokk and Herfjotur,
Goll and Geironul,
Randgrith and Ráthgríth and Reginleif,51
to the einherjar ale shall bear.
38. Árvakr and Alsvith,52 they up shall draw
the sun’s wain wearily;
but under their bellies the blessed gods
have hidden the “icy irons.”53
39. Svalin54 is hight, the Sun before,
a shield from the shining god.
Would smoke and smolder both sea and land,
if from him it ever should fall.
40. Skoll the wolf, in the sky dogs him
to the warding woods;55
but Hati56 the other, Hróthvitnir’s son,
follows the fair orb too.
41. Of Ymir’s57 flesh the earth was shaped,
of his blood, the briny sea,
of his hair, the trees, the hills of his bones,
out of his skull the sky.
42. But of his lashes the loving gods made
Mithgarth for sons of men;
from his brow they made the menacing clouds
which in the heavens hover.
43. Will Ull58 befriend him, and all the gods,
who first the fire quenches;
for open lie to the Æsir all worlds,
when kettles are heaved from the hearth.59
44. [In earliest times lvaldi’s sons60
Skíthblathnir, the ship, did shape,
the best of boats, for beaming Frey,
the noble son of Njorth.]
45. [The ash Yggdrasil is of all trees best;
Skíthblathnir, the best of boats;
of holy gods, Óthin; of horses, Sleipnir;61
of bridges, Bifrost;62 of skalds, Bragi;63
of hawks; Hábrók;64 of hounds all, Garm.]65
46. Now my looks have I lifted aloft to the gods:66
help will come from on high,
from all the Æsir which in shall come
on Ægir’s benches,
at Ægir’s feast.67
47. Grim68 is my name, and Gangleri,69
Herjan70 and Hjálmberi,71
Thekk72 and Thrithi,73 Thuth and Uth,
Helblindi and Hár.74
48. Sath75 and Svipal76 and Sanngetal,77
Herteit78 and Hnikar,79
Bileyg,80 Báleyg,81 Bolverk,82 Fjolnir,83
Grím and Grímnir, Glapsvith, Fjolsvith,
49. Síthhott,84 Síthskegg,85 Sigfather,86 Hnikuth,87
Alfather,88 Valfather,89 Atríth,90 Farmatýr:91
by one name was I not welcomed ever,
since among folk I fared.
50. Grímnir my name in Geirrœth’s hall,
but Jálk in Ásmund’s.92
Was I Kjalar hight when the hand sled I drew,
but Thrór93 at Things,
Vithur in wars,
Óski and Ómi, Jafnhár, Biflindi,
Gondlir94 and Hárbarth95 among gods.
51. Svithur and Svithrir96 at Sokkmímir’s was I,
when the old etin I hid,
and when Mithvitnir’s, the mighty one’s,
son I slew alone.
52. Thou art muddled, Geirrœth! Too much thou hast drunk;
of much art robbed since rashly thou losest
Óthin’s and the einherjars’ favor.
53. Full long I spake, but little thou mindest:
faithless friends97 betray thee:
before me I see my foster son’s sword,
its blade all dripping with blood.
54. A death-doomed man will soon drink with Ygg:98
not long the life left thee.
The norns wish thee ill: now Óthin mayst see;
come thou near if thou canst.99
55. Now Óthin’s my name. Ygg was I hight,
Thund was my name ere then;
Vak100 and Skilfing, Váfuth101 and Hroptatýr,102
Gaut103 and Jálk among gods.
Ofnir104 and Svafnir,105 they all have become
one with me, I ween.
King Geirrœth was sitting with his sword on his knees half unsheathed. But when he heard that it was Óthin who had come to him, he arose and wanted to take him from between the fires. His sword slid from his hands with its hilt downward. The king stumbled and fell forward, the sword pierced him, and so he lost his life. Then Óthin vanished; but Agnar was king in that land for a long time.