snorri sturluson - ynglinga saga

8/12/2019 Snorri Sturluson - Ynglinga Saga

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Ynglinga Saga

Snorri Sturluson

==Of the Situation of Countries==

It is said that the earth's circle which the human race inhabits is torn across into many bights, sothat great seas run into the land from the out-ocean. Thus it is nown that a great sea goes in at!ar"esund, and u# to the land of $erusalem. %rom the same sea a long sea-bight stretchestowards the north-east, and is called the &lac Sea, and di"ides the three #arts of the earth ofwhich the eastern #art is called (sia, and the western is called by some )uro#a, by some )nea.!orthward of the &lac Sea lies Swithiod the *reat, or the Cold. The *reat Swithiod is reconedby some as not less than the *reat Serland others com#are it to the *reat &lueland. Thenorthern #art of Swithiod lies uninhabited on account of frost and cold, as liewise the southern#arts of &lueland are waste from the burning of the sun. In Swithiod are many great domains,and many races of men, and many inds of languages. There are giants, and there are dwarfs,and there are also blue men, and there are any inds of stranger creatures. There are huge wild

beasts, and dreadful dragons. On the south side of the mountains which lie outside of allinhabited lands runs a ri"er through Swithiod, which is #ro#erly called by the name of Tanais, butwas formerly called Tana+uisl, or ana+uisl, and which falls into the &lac Sea. The country ofthe #eo#le on the ana+uisl was called analand, or anaheim and the ri"er se#arates the three#arts of the world, of which the eastermost #art is called (sia, and the westermost )uro#e.

===)ndnotes===/0 The Straits of *ibraltar.10 !orthern (frica.20 Saharan and sub-Saharan (frica.

==Of the 3eo#le of (sia.==The country east of the Tana+uisl in (sia was called (saland, or (saheim, and the chief city inthat land was called (sgaard. In that city was a chief called Odin, and it was a great #lace forsacrifice. It was the custom there that twel"e tem#le #riests should both direct the sacrifices, andalso 4udge the #eo#le. They were called 5iar, or 5rotner, and all the #eo#le ser"ed and obeyedthem. Odin was a great and "ery far-tra"elled warrior, who con+uered many ingdoms, and sosuccessful was he that in e"ery battle the "ictory was on his side. It was the belief of his #eo#lethat "ictory belonged to him in e"ery battle. It was his custom when he sent his men into battle,or on any e6#edition, that he first laid his hand u#on their heads, and called down a blessing u#onthem and then they belie"ed their undertaing would be successful. 7is #eo#le also wereaccustomed, whene"er they fell into danger by land or sea, to call u#on his name and theythought that always they got comfort and aid by it, for where he was they thought hel# was near.Often he went away so far that he #assed many seasons on his 4ourneys.

==Of Odin's &rothers.==Odin had two brothers, the one called e, the other il4e, and they go"erned the ingdom when hewas absent. It ha##ened once when Odin had gone to a great distance, and had been so longaway that the #eo#le Of (sia doubted if he would e"er return home, that his two brothers too itu#on themsel"es to di"ide his estate but both of them too his wife %rigg to themsel"es. Odinsoon after returned home, and too his wife bac.


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==Of Odin's 8ar 8ith the 3eo#le of analand.==Odin went out with a great army against the analand #eo#le but they were well #re#ared, anddefended their land so that "ictory was changeable, and they ra"aged the lands of each other, anddid great damage. They tired of this at last, and on both sides a##ointed a meeting forestablishing #eace, made a truce, and e6changed hostages. The analand #eo#le sent their bestmen, !4ord the 9ich, and his son %rey. The #eo#le of (saland sent a man called 7one, whomthey thought well suited to be a chief, as he was a stout and "ery handsome man and with himthey sent a man of great understanding called :ime. On the other side, the analand #eo#le sentthe wisest man in their community, who was called ;"ase. !ow, when 7one came to anaheimhe was immediately made a chief, and :ime came to him with good counsel on all occasions.&ut when 7one stood in the Things or other meetings, if :ime was not near him, and anydifficult matter was laid before him, he always answered in one way --


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To 4oin them to the sweet isle's #lain.

!ow when Odin heard that things were in a #ros#erous condition in the land to the east beside*yl"e he went thither, and *yl"e made a #eace with him, for *yl"e thought he had no strength too##ose the #eo#le of (saland. Odin and *yl"e had many trics and enchantments against eachother but the (saland #eo#le had always the su#eriority. Odin too u# his residence at the:aelare lae, at the #lace now called Old Sigtun. There he erected a large tem#le, where therewere sacrifices according to the customs of the (saland #eo#le. 7e a##ro#riated to himself thewhole of that district, and called it Sigtun. To the tem#le #riests he ga"e also domains. !4orddwelt in !oatun, %rey in >#sal, 7eimdal in the 7iminbergs, Thor in Thrud"ang, &alder in&reidabli to all of them he ga"e good estates.

==Of Odin's (ccom#lishments.==

8hen Odin of (saland came to the north, and the 5iar with him, they introduced and taught toothers the arts which the #eo#le long afterwards ha"e #ractised. Odin was the cle"erest of all, andfrom him all the others learned their arts and accom#lishments and he new them first, and newmany more than other #eo#le. &ut now, to tell why he is held in such high res#ect, we must

mention "arious causes that contributed to it. 8hen sitting among his friends his countenancewas so beautiful and dignified, that the s#irits of all were e6hilarated by it, but when he was in warhe a##eared dreadful to his foes. This arose from his being able to change his sin and form inany way he lied. (nother cause was, that he con"ersed so cle"erly and smoothly, that all whoheard belie"ed him. 7e s#oe e"erything in rhyme, such as now com#osed, which we call scald-craft. 7e and his tem#le #riests were called song-smiths, for from them came that art of songinto the northern countries. Odin could mae his enemies in battle blind, or deaf, or terror-struc, and their wea#ons so blunt that they could no more but than a willow wand on the otherhand, his men rushed forwards without armour, were as mad as dogs or wol"es, bit their shields,and were strong as bears or wild bulls, and illed #eo#le at a blow, but neither fire nor iron toldu#on themsel"es. These were called &erserer.

==Of Odin's %eats.==

Odin could transform his sha#e his body would lie as if dead, or aslee# but then he would be insha#e of a fish, or worm, or bird, or beast, and be off in a twinling to distant lands u#on his ownor other #eo#le's business. 8ith words alone he could +uench fire, still the ocean in tem#est, andturn the wind to any +uarter he #leased. Odin had a shi# which was called Sidbladnir, in whichhe sailed o"er wide seas, and which he could roll u# lie a cloth. Odin carried with him :ime'shead, which told him all the news of other countries. Sometimes e"en he called the dead out ofthe earth, or set himself beside the burial-mounds whence he was called the ghost-so"ereign, andlord of the mounds. 7e had two ra"ens, to whom he had taught the s#eech of man and they flewfar and wide through the land, and brought him the news. In all such things he was #re-eminently wise. 7e taught all these arts in 9unes, and songs which are called incantations, andtherefore the (saland #eo#le are called incantation-smiths. Odin understood also the art in whichthe greatest #ower is lodged, and which he himself #ractised namely, what is called magic. &ymeans of this he could now beforehand the #redestined fate of men, or their not yet com#letedlot and also bring on the death, ill-luc, or bad health of #eo#le, and tae the strength or wit fromone #erson and gi"e it to another. &ut after such witchcraft followed such weaness and an6iety,that it was not thought res#ectable for men to #ractise it and therefore the #riestesses werebrought u# in this art. Odin new finely where all missing cattle were concealed under the earth,and understood the songs by which the earth, the hills, the stones, and mounds were o#ened to


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him and he bound those who dwell in them by the #ower of his word, and went in and too whathe #leased. %rom these arts he became "ery celebrated. 7is enemies dreaded him his friends #uttheir trust in him, and relied on his #ower and on himself. 7e taught the most of his arts to his#riests of the sacrifices, and they came nearest to himself in all wisdom and witch-nowledge.:any others, howe"er, occu#ied themsel"es much with it and from that time witchcraft s#read farand wide, and continued long. 3eo#le sacrificed to Odin and the twel"e chiefs from (saland, andcalled them their gods, and belie"ed in them long after. %rom Odin's name came the name(udun, which #eo#le ga"e to his sons and from Thor's name comes Thore, also Thorarinn andalso it is sometimes com#ounded with other names, as Steenthor, or 7a"thor, or e"en altered inother ways.

==Odin's awgi"ing.==

Odin established the same law in his land that had been in force in (saland. Thus he establishedby law that all dead men should be burned, and their belongings laid with them u#on the #ile, andthe ashes be cast into the sea or buried in the earth. Thus, said he, e"ery one will come to alhallawith the riches he had with him u#on the #ile and he would also en4oy whate"er he himself hadburied in the earth. %or men of conse+uence a mound should be raised to their memory, and for

all other warriors who had been distinguished for manhood a standing stone which customremained long after Odin's time. On winter day there should be blood-sacrifice for a good year,and in the middle of winter for a good cro# and the third sacrifice should be on summer day, for"ictory in battle. O"er all Swithiod the #eo#le #aid Odin a scatt or ta6 -- so much on each headbut he had to defend the country from enemy or disturbance, and #ay the e6#ense of the sacrificefeasts for a good year.

==Of !4ord's :arriage.==

!4ord too a wife called Sade but she would not li"e with him and married afterwards Odin, andhad many sons by him, of whom one was called Saeming and about him )y"ind Saldas#iller

sings thus --


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and the calling u#on him. The Swedes belie"ed that he often showed to them before any greatbattle. To some he ga"e "ictory others he in"ited to himself and they reconed both of these tobe fortunate. Odin was burnt, and at his #ile there was great s#lendour. It was their faith that thehigher the smoe arose in the air, the higher he would be raised whose #ile it was and the richerhe would be, the more #ro#erty that was consumed with him.

==Of !4ord.==

!4ord of !oatun was then the sole so"ereign of the Swedes and he continued the sacrifices, andwas called the drot or so"ereign by the Swedes, and he recei"ed scatt and gifts from them. In hisdays were #eace and #lenty, and such good years, in all res#ects, that the Swedes belie"ed !4ordruled o"er the growth of seasons and the #ros#erity of the #eo#le. In his time all the diar or godsdied, and blood-sacrifices were made for them. !4ord died on a bed of sicness, and before hedied made himself be mared for Odin with the s#ear-#oint. The Swedes burned him, and allwe#t o"er his gra"e-mound.

==%rey's 5eath.==

%rey too the ingdom after !4ord, and was called drot by the Swedes, and they #aid ta6es to him.7e was, lie his father, fortunate in friends and in good seasons. %rey built a great tem#le at>#sal, made it his chief seat, and ga"e it all his ta6es, his land, and goods. Then began the >#saldomains, which ha"e remained e"er since. Then began in his days the %rode-#eace and thenthere were good seasons, in all the land, which the Swedes ascribed to %rey, so that he was moreworshi##ed than the other gods, as the #eo#le became much richer in his days by reason of the#eace and good seasons. 7is wife was called *erd, daughter of *ymis, and their son was called%4olne. %rey was called by another name, Yng"e and this name Yng"e was considered long afterin his race as a name of honour, so that his descendants ha"e since been called Ynglinger. %reyfell into a sicness and as his illness too the u##er hand, his men too the #lan of letting fewa##roach him. In the meantime they raised a great mound, in which they #laced a door with

three holes in it. !ow when %rey died they bore him secretly into the mound, but told the Swedeshe was ali"e and they e#t watch o"er him for three years. They brought all the ta6es into themound, and through the one hole they #ut in the gold, through the other the sil"er, and throughthe third the co##er money that was #aid. 3eace and good seasons continued.

==Of %reya and 7er 5aughters.==

%reya alone remained of the gods, and she became on this account so celebrated that all womenof distinction were called by her name, whence they now ha"e the title %rue so that e"ery womanis called frue, or mistress o"er her #ro#erty, and the wife is called the house-frue. %reya continuedthe blood-sacrifices. %reya had also many other names. 7er husband was called Oder, and herdaughters 7noss and *erseme. They were so "ery beautiful, that afterwards the most #recious4ewels were called by their names.

8hen it became nown to the Swedes that %rey was dead, and yet #eace and good seasonscontinued, they belie"ed that it must be so as long as %rey remained in Sweden and therefore theywould not burn his remains, but called him the god of this world, and afterwards offeredcontinually blood-sacrifices to him, #rinci#ally for #eace and good seasons.

==Of ;ing %4olne's 5eath.==%4olne, Yng"e %rey's son, ruled thereafter o"er the Swedes and the >#sal domains. 7e was


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#owerful, and lucy in seasons and in holding the #eace. %redfrode ruled then in eidre, andbetween them there was great friendshi# and "isiting. Once when %4olne went to %rode inSealand, a great feast was #re#ared for him, and in"itations to it were sent all o"er the country.%rode had a large house, in which there was a great "essel many ells high, and #ut together ofgreat #ieces of timber and this "essel stood in a lower room. (bo"e it was a loft, in the floor ofwhich was an o#ening through which li+uor was #oured into this "essel. The "essel was full ofmead, which was e6cessi"ely strong. In the e"ening %4olne, with his attendants, was taen into thead4oining loft to slee#. In the night he went out to the gallery to see a certain #lace, and he was"ery slee#y and e6ceedingly drun. (s he came bac to his room he went along the gallery to thedoor of another left, went into it, and his foot sli##ing, he fell into the "essel of mead and wasdrowned. So says Th4odolf of ;"ine --


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Then 5ri"a sent a message to the witch 7uld and sent isbur, her son by anlande, to Sweden.5ri"a bribed the witch-wife 7uld, either that she should bewitch anlande to return to %inland, orill him. 8hen this witch-wor was going on anlande was at >#sal, and a great desire came o"erhim to go to %inland but his friends and counsellors ad"ised him against it, and said thewitchcraft of the %inn #eo#le showed itself in this desire of his to go there. 7e then became "erydrowsy, and laid himself down to slee# but when he had sle#t but a little while he cried out,saying that the :ara was treading u#on him. 7is men hastened to him to hel# him but whenthey too hold of his head she trod on his legs, and when they laid hold of his legs she #ressedu#on his head and it was his death. The Swedes too his body and burnt it at a ri"er calledSytaa, where a standing stone was raised o"er him. Thus says Th4odolf --


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the offer of sacrifices should begin, a great multitude of Swedes came to >#sal and now thechiefs held consultations with each other, and all agreed that the times of scarcity were onaccount of their ing 5omald, and they resol"ed to offer him for good seasons, and to assault andill him, and s#rinle the stalle of the gods with his blood. (nd they did so. Th4odolf tells ofthis --


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;ing 5yg"e's son, called 5ag, succeeded to him, and was so wise a man that he understood thelanguage of birds. 7e had a s#arrow which told him much news, and flew to different countries.Once the s#arrow flew to 9eidgotaland, to a farm called ar"a, where he flew into the #easant'scorn-field and too his grain. The #easant came u#, too a stone, and illed the s#arrow. ;ing5ag was ill-#leased that the s#arrow did not come home and as he, in a sacrifice of e6#iation,in+uired after the s#arrow, he got the answer that it was illed at ar"a. Thereu#on he ordered agreat army, and went to *otland and when he came to ar"a he landed with his men and#lundered, and the #eo#le fled away before him. ;ing 5ag returned in the e"ening to his shi#s,after ha"ing illed many #eo#le and taen many #risoners. (s they were going across a ri"er at a#lace called S4otan's Athe 8ea#on'sB %ord, a labouring thrall came running to the ri"er-side, andthrew a hay- for into their troo#. It struc the ing on the head, so that he fell instantly from hishorse and died. In those times the chief who ra"aged a country was called *ram, and the men-at-arms under him *ramer. Th4odolf sings of it thus --


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the loo# of the noose u# in the branches of the tree, and hauled u#on it, so that the ing washanged close under the branches and died and S4al" with her men ran down to their shi#s, androwed away. ;ing (gne was buried u#on the s#ot, which was afterwards called (gnefet and it lieson the east side of the Tauren, and west of Stosund. Th4odolf s#eas of it thus --


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the woman who had Yng"e instead of (lf for her husband and as she often re#eated the same, hebecame "ery angry. One e"ening (lf went into the hall, where Yng"e and &era sat on the highseat s#eaing to each other. Yng"e had a short sword u#on his nees, and the guests were sodrun that they did not obser"e the ing coming in. ;ing (lf went straight to the high seat, drewa sword from under his cloa, and #ierced his brother Yng"e through and through. Yng"e lea#edu#, drew his short sword, and ga"e (lf his death-wound so that both fell dead on the floor. (lfand Yng"e were buried under mounds in %yris"old. Thus tells Th4odolf of it --


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The wildest horse you e'er did see'Tis Sigur's steed -- the gallows tree.(t Stromones the tree did grow,8here *udlog's cor#se wa"es on the bough.( high stone stands on Stromo's heath,To tell the gallant hero's death.#sal. 7e ruled the country but was often insummer out on war e6#editions. One summer he went with his forces to 5enmar and ha"ing

#lundered all around in $utland, he went into ymf4ord in autumn, and marauded there also.8hile he was thus lying in Oddesund with his #eo#le, ;ing *ylog of 7alogaland, a son of ;ing*udlog, of whom mention is made before, came u# with a great force, and ga"e battle to $orund.8hen the country #eo#le saw this they swarmed from all #arts towards the battle, in great shi#sand small and $orund was o"er#owered by the multitude, and his shi#s cleared of their men. 7es#rang o"erboard, but was made #risoner and carried to the land. *ylog ordered a gallows to beerected, led $orund to it, and had him hanged there. So ended his life. Th4odolf tals of this e"entthus --


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home. In the time when the ings we ha"e been s#eaing of were in >#sal, 5enmar had beenruled o"er by 5an :iellati, who li"ed to a "ery great age then by his son, %rode :iellati, or the3eace-lo"ing, who was succeeded by his sons 7alfdan and %ridleif, who were great warriors.7alfdan was older than his brother, and abo"e him in all things. 7e went with his army against;ing On to Sweden, and was always "ictorious. (t last ;ing On fled to 8ester *otland when hehad been ing in >#sal about twenty-fi"e years, and was in *otland twenty-fi"e years, while7alfdan remained ing in >#sal. ;ing 7alfdan died in his bed at >#sal, and was buried there ina mound and ;ing On returned to >#sal when he was si6ty years of age. 7e made a greatsacrifice, and in it offered u# his son to Odin. On got an answer from Odin, that he should li"esi6ty years longer and he was afterwards ing in >#sal for twenty-fi"e years. !ow came Ole the&old, a son of ;ing %ridleif, with his army to Sweden, against ;ing On, and they had se"eralbattles with each other but Ole was always the "ictor. Then On fled a second time to *otlandand for twenty-fi"e years Ole reigned in >#sal, until he was illed by Starad the Old. (fter Ole'sfall, On returned to >#sal, and ruled the ingdom for twenty-fi"e years. Then he made a greatsacrifice again for long life, in which he sacrificed his second son, and recei"ed the answer fromOdin, that he should li"e as long as he ga"e him one of his sons e"ery tenth year, and also that heshould name one of the districts of his country after the number of sons he should offer to Odin.8hen he had sacrificed the se"enth of his sons he continued to li"e but so that he could not wal,

but was carried on a chair. Then he sacrificed his eighth son, and li"ed thereafter ten years, lyingin his bed. !ow he sacrificed his ninth son, and li"ed ten years more but so that he dran out of ahorn lie a weaned infant. 7e had now only one son remaining, whom he also wanted tosacrifice, and to gi"e Odin >#sal and the domains thereunto belonging, under the name of theTen ands, but the Swedes would not allow it so there was no sacrifice, and ;ing On died, andwas buried in a mound at >#sal. Since that time it is called On's sicness when a man dies,without #ain, of e6treme old age. Th4odolf tell of this --

#sal's town the cruel ingSlaughtered his sons at Odin's shrine --Slaughtered his sons with cruel nife,

To get from Odin length of life.7e li"ed until he had to turn7is toothless mouth to the deer's horn(nd he who shed his children's bloodSuced through the o6's horn his food.(t length fell 5eath has traced him down,Slowly, but sure, in >#sal's town.#sal. Th4odolfsings of it thus --


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5enmar while he was abroad. 8hen the earls heard that the Swedish ing was laying 5enmarwaste, they collected an army, hastened on board their shi#s, and sailed by the south side toymf4ord. They came une6#ectedly u#on Ottar, and the battle began immediately. The Swedesga"e them a good rece#tion, and many #eo#le fell on both sides but as soon as men fell in the5anish army other men hastened from the country to fill their #laces, and also all the "essels inthe neighbourhood 4oined them. The battle ended with the fall of Ottar and the greater #art ofhis #eo#le. The 5anes too his body, carried it to the land, laid it u#on a mound of earth, and letthe wild beasts and ra"ens tear it to #ieces. Thereafter they made a figure of a crow out of wood,sent it to Sweden, and sent word with it that their ing, Ottar, was no better than it and from thishe was called Ottar endelcrow. Th4odolf tells so of it --


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One of his horses was called Slong"e, and another 9a"en. This horse he had taen from Ole onhis death, and bred from him a horse, also called 9a"en, which the ing sent in a #resent to ;ing*odgest in 7alogaland. 8hen *odgest mounted the horse he was not able to manage him, andfell off and was illed. This accident ha##ened at Omd in 7alogaland. ;ing (dils was at a 5isasacrifice and as he rode around the 5isa hall his horse' 9a"en stumbled and fell, and the ing wasthrown forward u#on his head, and his sull was s#lit, and his brains dashed out against a stone.(dils died at >#sal, and was buried there in a mound. The Swedes called him a great ing.Th4odolf s#eas thus of him --

#sal's #lains.Such death grim %ate has willed it so07as struc down Ole's deadly foe.

snorri sturluson - ynglinga saga

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