Prose Edda — Old Norse facing a living language
Þá mælti Gangleri: "Hafa nökkur meiri tíðendi orðit með ásunum? Allmikit þrekvirki vann Þórr í þessi ferð." Hárr svarar: "Vera mun at segja frá þeim tíðendum, er meira þótti vert ásunum. En þat er upphaf þeirar sögu, at Baldr inn góða dreymði drauma stóra ok hættliga um líf sitt.
Then Gangleri asked: "Has anything else of note happened among the Aesir? That was a mighty feat Thor pulled off on that trip." High answered: "There's still something to tell that the Aesir took far more seriously. It began when Baldr the Good started dreaming great and dangerous dreams about his own life.
En er hann sagði ásunum draumana, þá báru þeir saman ráð sín, ok var þat gert at beiða griða Baldri fyrir allskonar háska, ok Frigg tók svardaga til þess, at eira skyldu Baldri eldr ok vatn, járn ok alls konar málmr, steinar, jörðin, viðirnir, sóttirnar, dýrin, fuglarnir, eitrit, ormarnir.
When he told the Aesir about the dreams, they conferred together, and decided to seek safety for Baldr from every kind of danger — Frigg took oaths from everything, that fire and water would spare Baldr, and iron too, and every kind of metal, stones, the earth, trees, sicknesses, animals, birds, poison, snakes.
En er þetta var gert ok vitat, þá var þat skemmtun Baldrs ok ásanna, at hann skyldi standa upp á þingum, en allir aðrir skyldu sumir skjóta á hann, sumir höggva til, sumir berja grjóti, en hvat sem at var gert, sakaði hann ekki, ok þótti þetta öllum mikill frami. En er þetta sá Loki Laufeyjarson, þá líkaði honum illa, er Baldr sakaði ekki.
Once this was done and made known, it became a favorite game of Baldr's and the Aesir's that he would stand up at the assembly and let the others shoot at him, or hack at him, or throw stones at him — and whatever they did, he took no harm from it, and everyone thought this a splendid thing. But when Loki Laufeyarson saw this, he was displeased that Baldr took no harm.
Hann gekk til Fensalar til Friggjar ok brá sér í konu líki. Þá spyrr Frigg, ef sú kona vissi, hvat æsir höfðust at á þinginu. Hon sagði, at allir skutu at Baldri ok þat, at hann sakaði ekki. Þá mælti Frigg: "Eigi munu vápn eða viðir granda Baldri. Eiða hefi ek þegit af öllum þeim." Þá spyr konan: "Hafa allir hlutir eiða unnit at eira Baldri?"
He went to Frigg at Fensalir, disguised as a woman. Frigg asked this woman whether she knew what the Aesir were doing at the assembly. She said everyone was shooting at Baldr, and that he took no harm from it. Frigg said: "No weapon or piece of wood can hurt Baldr — I've taken oaths from all of them." The woman asked: "Have all things sworn oaths to spare Baldr?"
Þá svarar Frigg: "Vex viðarteinungr einn fyrir vestan Valhöll. Sá er mistilteinn kallaðr. Sá þótti mér ungr at krefja eiðsins." Því næst hvarf konan á braut, en Loki tók mistiltein ok sleit upp ok gekk til þings. En Höðr stóð útarliga í mannhringnum, því at hann var blindr. Þá mælti Loki við hann: "Hví skýtr þú ekki at Baldri?"
Frigg answered: "There's one sapling growing west of Valhalla, called mistletoe — it seemed too young to me to ask an oath of." At that the woman vanished at once, and Loki went and pulled up the mistletoe and carried it to the assembly. Hod stood at the edge of the circle of men, since he was blind. Loki said to him: "Why aren't you shooting at Baldr?"
Hann svarar: "Því, at ek sé eigi, hvar Baldr er, ok þat annat, at ek em vápnlauss." Þá mælti Loki: "Gerðu þó í líking annarra manna ok veit Baldri sæmð sem aðrir menn. Ek mun vísa þér til, hvar hann stendr. Skjót at honum vendi þessum." Höðr tók mistiltein ok skaut at Baldri at tilvísun Loka.
He answered: "Because I can't see where Baldr is standing, and because I have no weapon." Loki said: "Do as the others do, and show Baldr some honor the way everyone else is. I'll point you toward where he's standing — shoot this stick at him." Hod took the mistletoe and shot at Baldr, aimed by Loki.
Flaug skotit í gegnum Baldr, ok féll hann dauðr til jarðar, ok hefir þat mest óhapp verit unnit með goðum ok mönnum. Þá er Baldr var fallinn, þá féllust öllum ásum orðtök ok svá hendr at taka til hans, ok sá hverr til annars, ok váru allir með einum hug til þess, er unnit hafði verkit, en engi mátti hefna. Þar var svá mikill griðastaðr.
The shot went straight through Baldr, and he fell dead to the ground — and that was the worst disaster ever brought about among gods and men. When Baldr fell, every one of the Aesir lost the power of speech, and their hands too, for a moment — none of them could bring themselves to touch him. They looked at each other, and every one of them shared the same thought about who had done this, but no one could take revenge — the ground they stood on was too sacred a sanctuary for that.
En þá er æsirnir freistuðu at mæla, þá var hitt þó fyrr, at grátrinn kom upp, svá at engi mátti öðrum segja með orðunum frá sínum harmi. En Óðinn bar þeim mun verst þenna skaða sem hann kunni mesta skyn, hversu mikil aftaka ok missa ásunum var í fráfalli Baldrs.
When the Aesir tried at last to speak, weeping broke out first, so violently that none of them could put their grief into words for the others. But Odin bore this loss the hardest of all, because he understood better than anyone how much harm and how great a loss the Aesir had suffered in Baldr's death.
En er goðin vitkuðust, þá mælti Frigg ok spurði, hverr sá væri með ásum, er eignast vildi allar ástir hennar ok hylli ok vili hann ríða á helveg ok freista, ef hann fái fundit Baldr, ok bjóða Helju útlausn, ef hon vill láta fara Baldr heim í Ásgarð. En sá er nefndr Hermóðr inn hvati, sonr Óðins, er til þeirar farar varð.
Once the gods had gathered themselves, Frigg spoke up and asked who among the Aesir would want to earn all her love and favor by riding the road to Hel to see if he could find Baldr there, and offer Hel a ransom if she would let Baldr come home to Asgard. The one who took on that journey was Hermod the Bold, Odin's son.
Þá var tekinn Sleipnir, hestr Óðins, ok leiddr fram, ok steig Hermóðr á þann hest ok hleypði braut. En æsirnir tóku lík Baldrs ok fluttu til sævar. Hringhorni hét skip Baldrs. Hann var allra skipa mestr. Hann vildu goðin fram setja ok gera þar á bálför Baldrs, en skipit gekk hvergi fram. Þá var sent í Jötunheima eftir gýgi þeiri, er Hyrrokkin hét.
Sleipnir, Odin's horse, was brought out and led forward, and Hermod mounted him and galloped off. The Aesir took Baldr's body and carried it down to the sea. Baldr's ship was called Hringhorni, the largest of all ships. The gods meant to launch it and hold Baldr's funeral pyre on board, but the ship wouldn't budge. So word was sent to Jotunheim for the giantess called Hyrrokkin.
En er hon kom ok reið vargi ok hafði höggorm at taumum, þá hljóp hon af hestinum, en Óðinn kallaði til berserki fjóra at gæta hestsins, ok fengu þeir eigi haldit, nema þeir felldi hann. Þá gekk Hyrrokkin á framstafn nökkvans ok hratt fram í fyrsta viðbragði, svá at eldr hraut ór hlunnunum ok lönd öll skulfu.
When she arrived, riding a wolf with a snake for a bridle, she jumped down off her mount, and Odin called four berserkers to hold the wolf, but they couldn't manage it without knocking it down first. Then Hyrrokkin went to the ship's prow and shoved it out with a single push, so hard that fire shot from the rollers and the whole land shook.
Þá varð Þórr reiðr ok greip hamarinn ok myndi þá brjóta höfuð hennar, áðr en goðin öll báðu henni friðar. Þá var borit út á skipit lík Baldrs, ok er þat sá kona hans, Nanna Nepsdóttir, þá sprakk hon af harmi ok dó. Var hon borin á bálit ok slegit í eldi. Þá stóð Þórr at ok vígði bálit með Mjöllni.
Thor grew angry and grabbed the hammer, and would have smashed her skull then and there, if all the gods hadn't begged for peace on her behalf. Baldr's body was then carried out onto the ship, and when his wife, Nanna, daughter of Nep, saw it, her heart burst with grief and she died — she was carried onto the pyre too, and the fire was lit.
En fyrir fótum honum rann dvergr nökkurr; sá er Litr nefndr; en Þórr spyrnði fæti sínum á hann ok hratt honum í eldinn, ok brann hann.
Thor stood by and hallowed the pyre with Mjollnir, and just then a dwarf named Lit ran past his feet — Thor kicked him into the fire, and he burned.
En þessa brennu sótti margs konar þjóð, fyrst at segja frá Óðni, at með honum fór Frigg ok valkyrjur ok hrafnar hans, en Freyr ók í kerru með gelti þeim, er Gullinbursti heitir eða Slíðrugtanni, en Heimdallr reið hesti þeim, er Gulltoppr heitir, en Freyja ók köttum sínum. Þar kom ok mikit fólk hrímþursa ok bergrisar. Óðinn lagði á bálit gullhring þann, er Draupnir heitir.
All kinds of people came to that funeral: first, Odin — Frigg came with him, and the valkyries, and his ravens; Freyr drove in his chariot pulled by the boar called Gullinbursti, or Slidrugtanni; Heimdall rode the horse called Gulltopp; Freyja drove her cats. A great crowd of rime-giants and mountain-giants came too.
Honum fylgði sú náttúra, at ina níundu hverja nótt drupu af honum átta gullhringar jafnhöfgir. Hestr Baldrs var leiddr á bálit með öllu reiði. En þat er at segja frá Hermóði, at hann reið níu nætr dökkva dala ok djúpa, svá at hann sá ekki, fyrr en hann kom til árinnar Gjallar ok reið á Gjallarbrúna. Hon var þökð lýsigulli. Móðguðr er nefnd mær sú, er gætir brúarinnar.
Odin laid on the pyre the gold ring called Draupnir, which had this quality: every ninth night, eight gold rings of equal weight dripped from it. Baldr's horse was led onto the pyre in full harness. As for Hermod, he rode nine nights through valleys dark and deep, seeing nothing, until he reached the river Gjoll and rode onto Gjoll's Bridge, which is roofed with shining gold. The maiden who guards that bridge is named Modgud.
Hon spurði hann at nafni eða at ætt ok sagði, at inn fyrra dag riðu um brúna fimm fylki dauðra manna - "en eigi dynr brúin minnr undir einum þér, ok eigi hefir þú lit dauðra manna. Hví ríðr þú hér á helveg?" Hann svarar, at -"ek skal ríða til Heljar at leita Baldrs, eða hvárt hefir þú nakkvat sét Baldr á helvegi?"
She asked his name and lineage, and told him that the day before, five whole companies of dead men had ridden across the bridge — "though the bridge doesn't thunder any less under you alone, and you don't have the look of a dead man. Why are you riding here on the road to Hel?" He answered: "I'm riding to Hel to find Baldr — have you perhaps seen Baldr on the road to Hel?"
En hon sagði, at Baldr hafði þar riðit um Gjallarbrú, "en niðr ok norðr liggr helvegr." Þá reið Hermóðr, þar til er hann kom at helgrindum. Þá sté hann af hestinum ok gyrði hann fast, steig upp ok keyrði hann sporum, en hestrinn hljóp svá hart ok yfir grindina, at hann kom hvergi nær.
She said Baldr had indeed ridden across Gjoll's Bridge, "but the road to Hel lies down and north from here." Then Hermod rode on until he reached the gates of Hel. There he dismounted, tightened the horse's girth, mounted again, and drove in his spurs — and the horse leapt so hard over the gate that he cleared it entirely without touching it.
Þá reið Hermóðr heim til hallarinnar ok steig af hesti, gekk inn í höllina, sá þar sitja í öndugi, Baldr bróður sinn, ok dvalðist Hermóðr þar um nóttina. En at morgni þá beiddist Hermóðr af Helju, at Baldr skyldi ríða heim með honum, ok sagði, hversu mikill grátr var með ásum. En Hel sagði, at þat skyldi svá reyna, hvárt Baldr var svá ástsæll - "sem sagt er.
Hermod rode on to the hall, dismounted, went inside, and saw his brother Baldr sitting there in the high seat, and Hermod stayed the night there. In the morning Hermod begged Hel to let Baldr ride home with him, and told her how much weeping there was among the Aesir.
Ok ef allir hlutir í heiminum, kykvir ok dauðir, gráta hann, þá skal hann fara til ása aftr, en haldast með Helju, ef nakkvarr mælir við eða vill eigi gráta." Þá stóð Hermóðr upp, en Baldr leiddi hann út ór höllinni ok tók hringinn Draupni ok sendi Óðni til minja, en Nanna sendi Frigg rifti ok enn fleiri gjafar. Fullu fingrgull.
Hel said it would be put to the test, whether Baldr was as beloved as they claimed — "if everything in the world, living and dead, weeps for him, then he shall go back to the Aesir; but he stays with Hel if even one thing refuses to weep, or speaks against it." Then Hermod got up to leave, and Baldr walked him out of the hall, and gave him the ring Draupnir to send back to Odin as a keepsake, and Nanna sent Frigg a linen gown, and more gifts besides, and a gold ring for Fulla's finger.
Þá reið Hermóðr aftr leið sína ok kom í Ásgarð ok sagði öll tíðendi, þau er hann hafði séð ok heyrt. Því næst sendu æsir um allan heim erendreka at biðja, at Baldr væri grátinn ór helju, en allir gerðu þat, mennirnir ok kykvendin ok jörðin ok steinarnir ok tré ok allr málmr, svá sem þú munt sét hafa, at þessir hlutir gráta þá, er þeir koma ór frosti ok í hita.
Then Hermod rode back the way he'd come, reached Asgard, and told everything he'd seen and heard. The Aesir then sent messengers throughout the whole world, asking that Baldr be wept free of Hel, and everyone did this — people, animals, the earth, stones, trees, and every kind of metal, just as you must have seen these things weep when they come in from the frost into warmth.
Þá er sendimenn fóru heim ok höfðu vel rekit sín erendi, finna þeir í helli nökkurum, hvar gýgr sat. Hon nefndist Þökk. Þeir biðja hana gráta Baldr ór Helju. Hon segir: 54. "Þökk mun gráta þurrum tárum Baldrs bálfarar; kyks né dauðs nautk-a ek Karls sonar, haldi Hel því, er hefir." En þess geta menn, at þar hafi verit Loki Laufeyjarson, er flest hefir illt gert með ásum."
When the messengers were on their way home, their errand well done, they came upon a cave where a giantess sat. She called herself Thokk. They asked her to weep Baldr free of Hel. She said: Thokk will weep dry tears / for Baldr's funeral; / living or dead, I got nothing good from that old man's son — / let Hel keep what she holds. And people suspect that this was Loki Laufeyarson, who has done the Aesir more harm than anyone."