Prose Edda — Old Norse facing a living language
Þá mælti Gangleri: "Hverjar eru ásynjurnar?" Hárr segir: "Frigg er æðst. Hon á þann bæ, er Fensalir heita, ok er hann allvegligr. Önnur er Sága. Hon býr á Sökkvabekk, ok er þat mikill staðr. Þriðja er Eir. Hon er læknir beztr. Fjórða er Gefjun. Hon er mær, ok henni þjóna þær, er meyjar andast. Fimmta er Fulla. Hon er enn mær ok ferr laushár ok gullband um höfuð.
Then Gangleri asked: "Who are the goddesses?" High said: "Frigg is foremost. She owns the estate called Fensalir, and it's truly magnificent. The second is Saga — she lives at Sokkvabekk, a great place. The third is Eir, the best of healers. The fourth is Gefjun — she's a maiden, and all women who die unmarried serve her. The fifth is Fulla — she too is a maiden, and goes about with her hair loose and a gold band around her head; she carries Frigg's casket, looks after her shoes, and shares her secrets.
Hon berr eski Friggjar ok gætir skóklæða hennar ok veit launráð með henni. Freyja er tignust með Frigg. Hon giftist þeim manni, er Óðr heitir. Dóttir þeira er Hnoss. Hon er svá fögr, at af hennar nafni eru hnossir kallaðar, þat er fagrt er ok gersimligt. Óðr fór í braut langar leiðir, en Freyja grætr eftir, en tár hennar er gull rautt.
Freyja ranks highest after Frigg. She's married to a man named Od; their daughter is Hnoss, so lovely that anything beautiful and precious is called a 'hnoss' after her name. Od went off on long travels, and Freyja weeps for him, and her tears are red gold.
Freyja á mörg nöfn, en sú er sök til þess, at hon gaf sér ýmis heiti, er hon fór með ókunnum þjóðum at leita Óðs. Hon heitir Mardöll ok Hörn, Gefn, Sýr. Freyja átti Brísingamen. Hon er ok kölluð Vanadís. Sjaunda Sjöfn, hon gætir mjök til at snúa hugum manna til ásta, kvinna ok karla, ok af hennar nafni er elskhuginn kallaðr sjafni.
Freyja has many names, and the reason is this: she took on different names as she wandered among unknown peoples searching for Od. She's called Mardoll, Horn, Gefn, Syr. Freyja owned the necklace Brisingamen. She's also called the Lady of the Vanir. Seventh is Sjofn — she works hard at turning people's minds to love, both women and men, and the word for a lover comes from her name.
Átta Lofn, hon er svá mild ok góð til áheita, at hon fær leyfi af Alföðr eða Frigg til manna samgangs, kvinna ok karla, þótt áðr sé bannat eða þvertekit þykki. Þat er af hennar nafni lof kallat ok svá þat, at hon er lofuð mjök af mönnum. Níunda Vár, hon hlýðir á eiða manna ok einkamál, er veita sín á milli konur ok karlar. Því heita þau mál várar. Hon hefnir ok þeim, er brigða.
Eighth is Lofn — she's so gentle and kind to those who pray to her that she wins Allfather's or Frigg's permission for people to marry, women and men, even where it was forbidden or flatly refused before. The word for permission comes from her name, and so does the word for being 'loved' by everyone. Ninth is Var — she listens to the oaths and private promises men and women make to each other, which is why such vows are called 'vows' after her. She also punishes those who break them.
Tíunda Vör, hon er vitr ok spurul, svá at engi hlut má hana leyna. Þat er orðtak, at kona verði vör þess, er hon verðr vís. Ellifta Syn, hon gætir dura í höllinni ok lýkr fyrir þeim, er eigi skulu inn ganga, ok hon er sett til varnar á þingum fyrir þau mál, er hon vill ósanna. Því er þat orðtak, at syn sé fyrir sett, þá er maðr neitar.
Tenth is Vor — she's wise and inquisitive, so nothing can be hidden from her. There's a saying that a woman becomes 'aware' of what she comes to know. Eleventh is Syn — she guards the hall's door and shuts it against those who shouldn't enter; she's also set up at trials to argue against claims she wants to refute, which is why people say a 'denial' is entered when someone refuses a charge.
Tólfta Hlín, hon er sett til gæzlu yfir þeim mönnum, er Frigg vill forða við háska nökkurum. Þaðan af er þat orðtak, at sá, er forðast, hleinir. Þrettánda Snotra, hon er vitr ok látprúð. Af hennar heiti er kallat snotr kona eða karlmaðr, sá er hóflátr er. Fjórtánda Gná, hana sendir Frigg í ýmsa heima at erendum sínum. Hon á þann hest, er renn loft ok lög ok heitir Hófvarpnir.
Twelfth is Hlin — she's set to watch over anyone Frigg wants to protect from danger, which is why people say someone 'leans on' her when they escape harm. Thirteenth is Snotra — she's wise and well-mannered, and a sensible woman or man is called 'snotr' after her. Fourteenth is Gna — Frigg sends her on errands to different worlds. She owns the horse that runs over sky and sea, called Hoof-Tosser.
Þat var eitt sinn, er hon reið, at vanir nökkurir sá reið hennar í loftinu. Þá mælti einn: 42. "Hvat þar flýgr, hvat þar ferr eða at lofti líðr?" Hon svarar: 43. "Né ek flýg, þó ek ferk ok at lofti líðk á Hófvarpni, þeim er Hamskerpir gat við Garðrofu." Af Gnár nafni er svá kallat, at þat gnæfar, er hátt ferr. Sól ok Bil eru talðar með ásynjum, en sagt er fyrr frá eðli þeira
Once, as she was riding, some of the Vanir saw her passing overhead, and one of them said: What's that flying there, / what's that traveling, / gliding through the air? She answered: I'm not flying, / though I am traveling / and gliding through the air, / on Hoof-Tosser, / whom Hamskerpir fathered / with Gardrofa. From Gna's name comes the word for something that towers or looms high. Sol and Bil are also counted among the goddesses, but their nature has already been told."