Formáli

Þróun guðshugmyndar. Almáttigr guð skapaði í upphafi himin ok jörð ok alla þá hluti, er þeim fylgja, og síðast menn tvá, er ættir eru frá komnar, Adam ok Evu, ok fjölgaðist þeira kynslóð ok dreifðist um heim allan. En er fram liðu stundir, þá ójafnaðist mannfólkit. Váru sumir góðir ok rétttrúaðir, en miklu fleiri snerust eftir girnðum heimsins ok órækðu guðs boðorð, ok fyrir því drekkði guð heiminum í sjóvargangi ok öllum kykvendum heimsins nema þeim, er í örkinni váru með Nóa. Eftir Nóaflóð lifðu átta menn, þeir er heiminn byggðu, ok kómu frá þeim ættir, ok varð enn sem fyrr, at þá er fjölmenntist ok byggðist veröldin, þá var þat allr fjölði mannfólksins, er elskaði ágirni fjár ok metnaðar, en afrækðust guðs hlýðni, ok svá mikit gerðist at því, at þeir vildu eigi nefna guð. En hverr myndi þá frá segja sonum þeira frá guðs stórmerkjum? Svá kom, at þeir týndu guðs nafni, ok víðast um veröldina fannst eigi sá maðr, er deili kunni á skapara sínum. En eigi at síðr veitti guð þeim jarðligar giftir, fé ok sælu, er þeir skyldu við vera í heiminum. Miðlaði hann ok spekðina, svá at þeir skilðu alla jarðliga hluti ok allar greinar, þær er sjá mátti loftsins ok jarðarinnar. Þat hugsuðu þeir ok undruðust, hví þat myndi gegna, er jörðin ok dýrin ok fuglarnir höfðu saman eðli í sumum hlutum ok þó ólík at hætti. Þat var eitt eðli, að jörðin var grafin í hám fjalltindum ok spratt þar vatn upp, ok þurfti þar eigi lengra at grafa til vatns en í djúpum dölum. Svá er ok dýr ok fuglar, at jafnlangt er til blóðs í höfði ok fótum. Önnur náttúra er sú jarðar, at á hverju ári vex á jörðinni gras ok blóm, ok á sama ári fellr þat allt ok fölnar, svá ok dýr ok fuglar, at vex hár ok fjaðrar ok fellr af á hverju ári. Þat er in þriðja náttúra jarðar, þá er hon er opnuð ok grafin, þá grær gras á þeiri moldu, er efst er á jörðinni. Björg ok steina þýddu þeir móti tönnum ok beinum kvikenda. Af þessu skilðu þeir svá, at jörðunni væri kvik ok hefði líf með nökkurum hætti, ok vissu þeir, at hon furðuliga gömul at aldartali ok máttug í eðli. Hon fæddi öll kykvendi, ok hon eignaðist allt þat, er dó. Fyrir þá sök gáfu þeir henni nafn ok tölðu ætt sína til hennar. Þat sama spurðu þeir af gömlum frændum sínum, at síðan er talið váru mörg hundruð vetra, þá var in sama jörð ok sól ok himintungl, en gangr himintunglanna var ójafn. Áttu sum lengra gang, en sum skemmra. Af þvílíkum hlutum grunaði þá, at nökkurr myndi vera stjórnari himintunglanna, sá er stilla myndi gang þeira at vilja sínum, ok myndi sá vera ríkr mjök ok máttigr. Ok þess væntu þeir, ef hann réði fyrir höfuðskepnunum, at hann myndi ok fyrr verit hafa en himintunglin, ok þat sá þeir, ef hann ræðr gangi himintunglanna, at hann myndi ráða skini sólar ok dögg loftsins ok ávexti jarðarinnar, er því fylgir, ok slíkt sama vindinum loftsins ok þar með stormi sævarins. Þá vissu þeir eigi, hvar ríki hans var, en því trúðu þeir, at hann réð öllum hlutum á jörðu ok í lofti, himins ok himintunglum, sævarins ok veðranna. En til þess at heldr mætti frá segja eða í minni festa, þá gáfu þeir nöfn með sjálfum sér öllum hlutum, ok hefir þessi átrúnaðr á marga lund breytzt, svá sem þjóðirnar skiptust ok tungurnar greindust. En alla hluti skilðu þeir jarðligri skilningu, því at þeim var eigi gefin andlig spekðin. Svá skilðu þeir, at allir hlutir væri smíðaðir af nökkuru efni.

How the idea of God developed. In the beginning, almighty God created heaven and earth and everything that belongs to them, and last of all two people from whom every family descends, Adam and Eve; their line multiplied and spread across the whole world. But as time passed, people grew unequal. Some were good and believed rightly, but far more turned to the desires of the world and ignored God's commandments, and for this God drowned the world in a surge of the sea, along with every living creature, except those who were in the ark with Noah. After Noah's flood, eight people lived on and settled the world, and families descended from them; and it happened again as before, that once the world grew crowded and settled, the whole mass of humanity came to love greed for wealth and status, and turned away from obedience to God — and this went so far that they no longer wished to speak God's name. And who then would tell their sons of God's great works? So it came about that they lost God's name, and across most of the world no one could be found who knew anything of his own creator. Yet God still granted them earthly gifts — wealth and well-being — to live by in the world. He also gave them wisdom, so that they understood all earthly things and every visible feature of sky and land. They thought about this and wondered why it should be that the earth and the beasts and the birds shared a nature in some ways and yet differed in their habits. One shared trait was this: that when the earth was dug into the tops of high mountains, water sprang up there, and it took no longer to dig down to water there than in deep valleys — and it is the same with beasts and birds, that it is just as far to the blood in the head as in the feet. Another trait of the earth is that every year grass and flowers grow on it, and in that same year all of it falls and withers — and so too with beasts and birds, whose hair and feathers grow and shed every year. And this is the earth's third trait: when it is opened and dug up, grass grows on the soil that lies uppermost. Rocks and stones they likened to the teeth and bones of living creatures. From all this they understood that the earth was alive, with a life of its own in some fashion, and they knew it was wondrously old in years and mighty in its nature. It fed every living thing, and took back everything that died. For this reason they gave it a name and traced their own line back to it. And they learned this too from their old kinsmen: that many hundreds of years back, counting from then, the same earth still stood, and the same sun and stars, though the heavenly bodies moved unevenly — some had a longer course, some a shorter. From things like these they began to suspect that there must be some ruler of the heavenly bodies, one who set their courses as he willed, and that he must be very great and mighty. And they reasoned that if he governed the chief elements of creation, he must have existed even before the heavenly bodies; and that if he governed the courses of the heavenly bodies, he must also govern the shining of the sun, the dew of the air, and the fruit the earth brings forth because of it, and just so the wind of the air and the storms of the sea. They did not yet know where his kingdom was, but they believed that he ruled everything on earth and in the sky, the heavens and the heavenly bodies, the sea and the storms. And so that they might tell of this more easily, or hold it in memory, they gave names of their own devising to everything — and this belief has changed in many ways since, as peoples split apart and their tongues grew apart. But they understood everything with an earthly understanding, for spiritual wisdom had not been given to them. This much they did understand: that everything was made from some kind of matter.

Um þrjár hálfur veraldar. Veröldin var greind í þrjár hálfur, frá suðri í vestr ok inn at Miðjarðarsjó; sá hlutr var kallaðr Affríká. Inn syðri hlutr þeirar deilðar er heitr, svá at þar brennr, af sólu. Annarr hlutr frá vestri til norðrs ok inn til hafsins; er sá kallaðr Evrópá eða Énéá. Inn nyrðri hluti er þar svá kaldr, at eigi vex gras á ok eigi má byggja. Frá norðri ok um austrhálfur allt til suðrs, þat er kallat Asíá. Í þeim hluta veraldar er öll fegrð ok prýði ok eignir jarðar-ávaxtar, gull ok gimsteinar. Þar er ok mið veröldin. Ok svá sem þar er jörðin fegri ok betri öllum kostum en í öðrum stöðum, svá var ok mannfólkit þar mest tignat af öllum giftunum, spekinni ok aflinu, fegrðinni ok alls konar kunnustu.

The three regions of the world. The world was divided into three regions: one stretched from south to west, up to the Mediterranean Sea — that part was called Africa. The southern part of that division is hot, so hot that it burns there from the sun. The second part runs from west to north and up to the ocean; it is called Europe, or Enea. Its northern part is so cold that no grass grows there, and no one can live there. From north around through the eastern regions all the way to the south is called Asia. In that part of the world is all the world's beauty and splendor, and the riches the earth brings forth, gold and gemstones. There too is the center of the world. And just as the land there is fairer and better in every way than in other places, so too were the people there held in the highest honor of all — for wisdom and strength, for beauty and every kind of skill.

Frá Trjóumönnum. Nær miðri veröldinni var gert þat hús ok herbergi, er ágætast hefir verit, er kallat Trjóa, þar sem vér köllum Tyrkland. Þessi staðr var miklu meiri gerr en aðrir ok með meira hagleik á marga lund með kostnaði ok föngum, en þar váru til. Þar váru tólf konungdómar ok einn yfirkonungr, ok lágu mörg þjóðlönd til hvers konungdómsins. Þar váru í borginni tólf höfðingjar. Þessir höfðingjar hafa verit um fram aðra menn, þá er verit hafa í veröldu, um alla manndómliga hluti. Einn konungr í Trjóu er nefndr Múnón eða Mennón. Hann átti dóttur höfuðkonungsins Príamí. Sú hét Tróan. Þau áttu son. Hann hét Trór, er vér köllum Þór. Hann var at uppfæðslu í Trakíá með hertoga þeim, er nefndr er Lóríkús, en er hann var tíu vetra, þá tók hann við vápnum föður síns. Svá var hann fagr álitum, er hann kom með öðrum mönnum, sem þá er fílsbein er grafit í eik. Hár hans er fegra en gull. Þá er hann var tólf vetra, þá hafði hann fullt afl. Þá lyfti hann af jörðu tíu bjarnarstökkum öllum senn, ok þá drap hann Lóríkúm hertoga, fóstra sinn, ok konu hans, Lórá eða Glórá, ok eignaði sér ríkit Trakíá. Þat köllum vér Þrúðheim. Þá fór hann víða um lönd ok kannaði allar heimshálfur ok sigraði einn saman alla berserki ok alla risa ok einn inn mesta dreka ok mörg dýr. Í norðrhálfu heims fann hann spákonu þá, er Síbíl hét, er vér köllum Sif, ok fekk hennar. Engi kann at segja ætt Sifjar. Hon var allra kvinna fegrst. Hár hennar var sem gull. Þeira sonr var Lóriði, er líkr var feðr sínum. Hans sonr var Einriði, hans sonr Vingeþórr, hans sonr Vingener, hans sonr Móda, hans sonr Magi, hans sonr Seskef, hans sonr Beðvig, hans sonr Athra, er vér köllum Annan, hans sonr Ítrmann, hans sonr Heremóð, hans sonr Skjaldun, er vér köllum Skjöld, hans Bjáf, er köllum Bjár, hans sonr Ját, hans sonr Guðólfr, hans sonr Finn, hans sonr Fríallaf, er vér köllum Friðleif. Hann átti þann son, er nefndr er Vóden. Þann köllum vér Óðin. Hann var ágætr maðr af speki ok allri atgervi. Kona hans hét Frígíða, er vér köllum Frigg.

Of the people of Troy. Near the middle of the world stood the finest house and hall there has ever been, called Troy — what we call Turkland. This place was built far more grandly than any other, with greater skill in every respect, whatever the cost and the resources at hand. It held twelve kingdoms and one high king, and many nations belonged to each kingdom. In the city itself there were twelve chieftains. These chieftains surpassed all other men who have ever lived, in every manly quality. One king in Troy is named Munon, or Mennon. He was married to the daughter of the high king Priam. She was called Troan. They had a son. He was named Tror, whom we call Thor. He was raised in Thrace by a duke named Lorikus, and when he was ten years old, he took up his father's weapons. He was as fair to look at, standing among other men, as ivory set in oak. His hair was brighter than gold. By the time he was twelve, he had his full strength. Then he lifted ten bearskins off the ground all at once, and he killed Duke Lorikus, his own foster-father, and Lorikus's wife, Lora, or Glora, and took the kingdom of Thrace for himself. That we call Thrudheim. He then traveled widely through many lands, explored every quarter of the world, and single-handedly defeated every berserk and every giant, and one of the greatest dragons, and many beasts. In the northern part of the world he found a prophetess named Sibil, whom we call Sif, and took her as his wife. No one can tell Sif's lineage. She was the fairest of all women. Her hair was like gold. Their son was Loridi, who resembled his father. His son was Einridi, his son Vingethor, his son Vingener, his son Moda, his son Magi, his son Seskef, his son Bedvig, his son Athra, whom we call Annar, his son Itrmann, his son Heremod, his son Skjaldun, whom we call Skjold, his son Bjaf, whom we call Bjar, his son Jat, his son Gudolf, his son Finn, his son Friallaf, whom we call Fridleif. He had a son named Voden. Him we call Odin. He was a man famed for wisdom and every accomplishment. His wife was named Frigida, whom we call Frigg.

För Óðins norðr í heim. Óðinn hafði spádóm ok svá kona hans, ok af þeim vísendum fann hann þat, at nafn hans myndi uppi vera haft í norðrhálfu heims ok tignat um fram alla konunga. Fyrir þá sök fýstist hann at byrja ferð sína af Tyrklandi ok hafði með sér mikinn fjölða liðs, unga menn ok gamla, karla ok konur, ok höfðu með sér marga gersamliga hluti. En hvar sem þeir fóru yfir lönd, þá var ágæti mikit frá þeim sagt, svá at þeir þóttu líkari goðum en mönnum. Ok þeir gefa eigi stað ferðinni, fyrr en þeir koma norðr í þat land, er nú er kallat Saxland. Þar dvalðist Óðinn langar hríðir ok eignaðist víða þat land. Þar setti Óðinn til landsgæzlu þrjá sonu sína. Er einn nefndr Vegdeg. Var hann ríkr konungr ok réð fyrir Austr-Saxlandi. Hans sonr var Vitrgils. Hans synir váru þeir Vitta, faðir Heingests, ok Sigarr, faðir Svebdeg, er vér köllum Svipdag. Annarr sonr Óðins hét Baldeg, er vér köllum Baldr. Hann átti þat land, er nú heitir Vestfál. Hans sonr var Brandr, hans sonr Frjóðigar, er vér köllum Fróða. Hans sonr var Freóvin, hans sonr Uvigg, hans sonr Gevis, er vér köllum Gave. Inn þriði sonr Óðins er nefndr Sigi, hans sonr Rerir. Þeir langfeðr réðu þar fyrir, er nú er kallat Frakland, ok er þaðan sú ætt komin, er kölluð er Völsungar. Frá öllum þeim eru stórar ættir komnar ok margar. Þá byrjaði Óðinn ferð sína norðr ok kom í þat land, er þeir kölluðu Reiðgotaland, ok eignaðist í því landi allt þat, er hann vildi. Hann setti þar til landa son sinn, er Skjöldr hét. Hans sonr var Friðleifr. Þaðan er sú ætt komin, er Skjöldungar heita. Þat eru Danakonungar, ok þat heitir Jótland, er þá var kallat Reiðgotaland.

Odin's journey north into the world. Odin had the gift of foresight, and so did his wife, and from that knowledge he learned that his name would be kept alive in the northern part of the world and honored above all kings. For that reason he was eager to set out from Turkland, and he took with him a great company of people, young and old, men and women, and they brought many splendid possessions with them. And wherever they traveled through the lands, great things were said of them, so that they seemed more like gods than men. And they did not end their journey until they came north into the land now called Saxland. There Odin stayed for a long time and took much of that land into his own hands. There Odin set up three of his sons as guardians of the land. One was named Vegdeg. He was a powerful king and ruled over East Saxland. His son was Vitrgils. His sons were Vitta, father of Hengist, and Sigar, father of Svebdeg, whom we call Svipdag. Odin's second son was named Baldeg, whom we call Baldr. He held the land now called Vestfal. His son was Brand, his son Frjodigar, whom we call Frodi. His son was Freovin, his son Uvigg, his son Gevis, whom we call Gave. Odin's third son is named Sigi, his son Rerir. These forefathers ruled over what is now called Frakland, and from them descends the family known as the Volsungs. From all of them come many great families. Then Odin resumed his journey north and came to the land they called Reidgotaland, and he took possession there of everything he wanted. He set up his own son, named Skjold, over that land. His son was Fridleif. From him descends the family called the Skjoldungs. These are the kings of the Danes, and the land now called Jutland was then called Reidgotaland.

Óðinn tók sér bústað í Sigtúnum. Eftir þat fór hann norðr, þar sem nú heitir Svíþjóð. Þar var sá konungr, er Gylfi er nefndr. En er hann spyrr til ferðar þeira Ásíamanna, er er æsir váru kallaðir, fór hann í móti þeim ok bauð, at Óðinn skyldi slíkt vald hafa í hans ríki, sem hann vildi sjálfr. Ok sá tími fylgði ferð þeira, at hvar sem þeir dvölðust í löndum, þá var þar ár ok friðr, ok trúðu allir, at þeir væri þess ráðandi, því at þat sá ríkismenn, at þeir váru ólíkir öðrum mönnum, þeim er þeir höfðu sét, at fegrð ok svá at viti. Þar þótti Óðni fagrir vellir ok landskostir góðir ok kaus sér þar borgstað, er nú heita Sigtún. Skipaði hann þar höfðingjum ok í þá líking, sem verit hafði í Trója, setti tólf höfuðmenn í staðinum at dæma landslög, ok svá skipaði hann réttum öllum sem fyrr hafði verit í Trója ok Tyrkir váru vanir. Eftir þat fór hann norðr, þar til er sjár tók við honum, sá er þeir hugðu, at lægi um öll lönd, ok setti þar son sinn til þess ríkis, er nú heitir Nóregr. Sá er Sæmingr kallaðr, ok telja þar Nóregskonungar sínar ættir til hans ok svá jarlar ok aðrir ríkismenn, svá sem segir í Háleygjatali. En Óðinn hafði með sér þann son sinn, er Yngvi er nefndr, er konungr var í Svíþjóðu eftir hann, ok eru frá honum komnar þær ættir, er Ynglingar eru kallaðir. Þeir æsir tóku sér kvánföng þar innan lands, en sumir sonum sínum, ok urðu þessar ættir fjölmennar, at umb Saxland ok allt þaðan of norðrhálfur dreifðist svá, at þeira tunga, Ásíamanna, var eigin tunga um öll þessi lönd. Ok þat þykkjast menn skynja mega af því, at rituð eru langfeðganöfn þeira, at þau nöfn hafa fylgt þessi tungu ok þeir æsir hafa haft tunguna norðr hingat í heim, í Nóreg ok í Svíþjóð, í Danmörk ok í Saxland, ok í Englandi eru forn landsheiti eða staðaheiti, þau er skilja má, at af annarri tungu eru gefin en þessi.

Odin settled in Sigtuna. After that he traveled north, to the land now called Sweden. There ruled a king named Gylfi. And when he heard of the journey of those Asia-people, who were called the Aesir, he went to meet them and offered that Odin should hold whatever power in his kingdom he himself wished. And such good fortune followed their journey that wherever they stayed in a land, there was good harvest and peace, and everyone believed they were the cause of it, for the great men of the land saw that they were unlike any people they had seen before, both in beauty and in wisdom. Odin found the fields there fair and the land good, and he chose for himself a city site, now called Sigtuna. He appointed chieftains there in the same fashion as had been done in Troy: he set twelve leading men in the place to judge the laws of the land, and he laid down all the same laws that had held before in Troy, following Turkish custom. After that he traveled north, until he was stopped by the sea, which they believed lay around all the lands of the world, and there he set his son over the kingdom now called Norway. He is called Saeming, and the kings of Norway trace their line back to him, as do the jarls and other great men, as it says in the Haleygjatal. But Odin kept with him his son named Yngvi, who was king in Sweden after him, and from him descend the families called the Ynglings. The Aesir took wives for themselves there in the land, and some took them for their sons, and these families grew so numerous that throughout Saxland and on through the whole northern region they spread until their language, the language of the Asia-people, became the native tongue across all these lands. And people believe they can tell this from the fact that their forefathers' names are written down, and that these names have kept to this tongue, and that the Aesir carried this language north here into the world, into Norway and into Sweden, into Denmark and into Saxland — and in England there are old land-names and place-names which show they were given from a different tongue than this one.