Asatru Folk Assembly - Grímnismál, a reading

00:00:00.000 Grimnismalk

00:00:21.000 Grimnir Sayings

00:00:25.000 Prow's introduction to Grimnismal gives an unexpected account of Odin and Frigg as rival patroness to two kingly candidates, the lost sons of King Hroudon.

00:00:37.340 Odin uses cunning to give his foster son an unfair advantage and then precipitates a matrimonial quarrel by pointing out the different fates which have overtaken their protégés.

00:00:48.800 Frigg is swift to get her own back, accusing Odin's favorite of stinginess, a serious charge,

00:00:55.380 given the near-sacred character which Germanic society ascribes to hospitality.

00:01:01.100 Frigg duplicitously ensures that Geralt does mistreat his guests,

00:01:05.740 relying on Odin's practice of disguising himself when visiting strange halls.

00:01:10.320 Odin arrives at Geralt's hall, calling himself Grimnir, the Masked One.

00:01:14.860 Gerard's methods of torture, starvation, and heat have been thought to recall shamanistic rituals allowing access to arcane knowledge kept hidden from the uninitiated. Such practices could have been known to the Scandinavians from their northern neighbors, the Lapps.

00:01:31.860 on the ninth night nine is a magical number odin reveals himself gerald realizes his mistake too late as it eventually happens to most odinic protégés the hero has lost his patron's favor and is doomed to die

00:01:48.980 Geralt's son, Agnar, who significantly bears his uncle's name, and is now the same age

00:01:55.740 as his uncle was when the brothers encountered the divine protectors, has recognized the

00:02:00.520 responsibilities of the host in giving Odin a drink, and the gods' favor now falls on

00:02:05.740 him.

00:02:07.980 Like Fafrutnismal, Grimnismal is obsessed with mythological facts.

00:02:14.060 The topography of the world of the gods, rather than its history, is revealed in Odin's monologue.

00:02:20.540 Stimulated by heat and hunger, Odin gradually reveals his divinity, first through demonstrating

00:02:26.120 his mastery of arcane knowledge, wide-ranging and compendious, thematically arranged to

00:02:31.760 allude to his physical torment and the judgment and revenge which will result from it.

00:02:37.740 Finally, after the crucial verse 45, in which Odin asserts the right relations of sacrifice

00:02:44.420 and patronage having restored between gods and men by Agnarr's action, he identifies

00:02:50.020 himself in all his guises.

00:02:54.140 Like the Havermar, Grimlin and Small intends both to reveal mythological knowledge and

00:02:59.420 to teach wisdom, a wisdom which comes too late for Gerard, but which qualifies Agnarr

00:03:05.060 to become king in his father's place.

00:03:08.180 The acquisition of all sorts of wisdom,

00:03:10.640 runic, magical, gnomic, and mythological,

00:03:14.240 as evidenced by the poems recounting Sigurd's youth,

00:03:17.260 is necessary for the hero to achieve transition from fighter to ruler.

00:03:22.220 In his context in the Poetic Edna,

00:03:24.940 Grim and Small both completes the exposition of Odinic wisdom

00:03:27.820 and looks forward to the exploration of kingship

00:03:30.500 which develops in the heroic poems.

00:03:32.200 And so the story begins

00:03:36.800 About the sons of King Hradung

00:03:40.300 King Hradung had two sons

00:03:43.800 One was called Agnar and the other Gerod

00:03:46.540 Agnar was ten years old and Gerod eight

00:03:49.960 They both rode out in a boat with rods and trailing lines to catch small fish

00:03:55.600 The wind drove them out into the ocean

00:03:59.040 In the dark that night, they made landfall and went ashore.

00:04:04.800 They found a crafter.

00:04:07.460 They stayed there for the winter.

00:04:10.180 The old woman fostered Agnarr, and the old man, Geralt.

00:04:15.160 In the spring, the old man got them a ship,

00:04:18.940 and when he and the old woman took them down to the shore,

00:04:22.580 then the old man smoked privately to Geralt.

00:04:25.420 They got a breeze and came to their father's harbor.

00:04:29.040 Gerrard was forwarding the ship, he jumped ashore, and pushed the ship out and said,

00:04:35.040 Go where the evil one may take you.

00:04:38.040 The ship was driven out and Gerrard went up to the house.

00:04:42.040 He was greeted joyfully, his father had died.

00:04:47.040 Then Gerrard was taken as king and became a splendid man.

00:04:52.040 Odin and Frigg sat in Hlidyskjolf and looked into all the worlds.

00:04:59.600 Odin said, Do you see Agnarr, your foster son, there raising children with a giantess

00:05:06.040 in a cave?

00:05:07.040 But Gerrard, my foster son, is king and rules over the land, Frigg says.

00:05:14.720 He is so stingy with food that he tortures his guests if it seems to him that too many

00:05:20.040 have come. Odin says that is the greatest lie they wagered on the matter.

00:05:29.080 Flaeg sent her headmaiden, Fula, to Gerrard. She told the king to beware lest the wizard,

00:05:36.200 who had come into the country, should bewitch him and said he could be known by this sign,

00:05:43.160 that no dog was so fierce that it would leap on him.

00:05:46.680 and that was the greatest slander that the Gerard was not generous with food however he had been man arrested whom no dog would attack

00:05:58.180 he was wearing a blue cloak and called himself Grimnir and would say nothing more about himself though he was asked

00:06:07.680 The king had him tortured to make him speak, and set him between two fires, and he sat

00:06:14.360 there eight nights.

00:06:16.300 Gilrod the king had a son who was ten years old, and he was called Agnar after Gilrod's

00:06:22.680 brother.

00:06:23.680 Agnar went to Grimnir and gave him a full horn to drink from, saying the king was acting

00:06:29.520 wrongly to have him and miss a man tortured.

00:06:33.640 Grimnir drank it up, and the fire had come so close that Grimnir's cloak burned.

00:06:39.980 He said, Hot art thou fire, too fierce by far.

00:06:47.360 Get ye now gone, ye flames.

00:06:50.180 The mantle is burnt, though I bury it aloft, and the fire scorches the fur.

00:06:57.200 Twixt the fires now eight nights have I sat, and no man brought meat to me, save Agnarr

00:07:03.000 alone, and alone shall rule Geralt's son o'er the Ghass.

00:07:09.680 Held to thee, Agnar, for hailed thou art by the voice of Eretir, for a single drink shalt

00:07:17.920 thou never receive a greater gift as a reward.

00:07:23.940 The land is holy, that lies hard by the gods and the elves together, and Thor shall ever

00:07:30.780 and through time dwell, till the gods to destruction go.

00:07:37.240 Idalir call they the place where Ul, a hall for himself, hath set, and Alfheim, the gods

00:07:44.420 to Frer, once gave as a tooth-gift in ancient times.

00:07:51.340 A third home is there, with silver thatched by the hands of the gracious gods.

00:07:57.440 Valeskyof is it, in days of old, set by a god for himself.

00:08:04.660 Sokvabek is the fourth, where cool waves flow, and amid their murmur it stands, where daily

00:08:12.340 do Odin and Saga drink, and gladness from cups of gold.

00:08:18.660 The fifth is glastheim, and gold-bright there stand Valhar stretching wide, and there does

00:08:26.420 Oden each day choose the men who have fallen in fight.

00:08:31.460 Easy it is to know for him who to Oden comes and beholds the hall, its rafters or spears

00:08:38.380 with shields is it roofed, on its benches or breastplates is strewn.

00:08:44.360 Easy it is to know for him who to Oden comes and beholds the hall.

00:08:49.620 There hangs a wolf by the western door, And o'er it an eagle hovers. 0.81

00:08:57.100 The sixth is Thrymheim, where Thiasi dwelt, The giant of marvellous mites.

00:09:03.720 Now Scotty abides, a god's fair bride, In the home that her father had. 0.98

00:09:11.220 The seventh is Breitablick, Baldr has there, For himself a dwelling set.

00:09:18.220 From the land I know that lies so fair, And from evil fate is free.

00:09:24.340 Himenbjörg is the eighth, And Heimdall there, 1.00

00:09:27.400 Oer men hold sway, is it said. 0.97

00:09:31.080 In his well-built house Does the water of heaven

00:09:33.500 The good meat gladly drink.

00:09:36.700 The ninth is Folkvang, Where Freya decries.

00:09:40.600 Who shall have seats in the hall?

00:09:42.980 The half of the dead Each day does she choose,

00:09:45.520 half does Odin have. The tenth is Glitnir, its pillars are gold, and its roof with silver

00:09:52.620 is set. There most of his days does Forseti dwell, and sets all strife at end. The eleventh

00:10:00.960 is Nautun, there has Njord for himself a dwelling set. The sinless ruler of Minder sits in his 0.95

00:10:09.560 temple timbered high filled with growing trees and high standing grass is vithy vithar's land

00:10:19.880 but there did sons from his steed leap down when his father's he fame would revenge

00:10:28.040 in erdhrimnir anthermir cooks seremenir's exceeding flesh the best of food but few men know

00:10:38.840 on what fair the warriors feast fretting dearly does here father feed the fair famed fighter of old

00:10:49.000 but on wine alone does the weapon dead god odin forever live or midgard hugen and munan both

00:10:58.520 each day set forth to fly for hugen i fear lest he come home not home but for munan my care is more

00:11:08.840 loud rolls thund and thjoth vitenir's fish joyfully fares in the flood hard does it seem to the host of the slain to wade the tolerant wild

00:11:23.240 there falgrin stands the sacred gates and behind are the holy doors old is the gate but few there are who can tell how it tightly is locked

00:11:36.240 Five hundred doors and forty there are, I wean in Valhall's wall. Eight hundred fighters through one door fair, when to war with the wolves they go. Five hundred rooms and forty there are, I wean in Bilsknernirbilt. Of all the homes whose roofs I beheld, my sons the greatest meseemed.

00:12:02.280 Hetrun is the goat who stands by her father's hall, and the branches of Laird she bites.

00:12:11.060 The pitcher she fills with the fair clear mead ne'er fails the foaming drink.

00:12:18.320 Eichtirnir is the heart who stands by her father's hall, and the branches of Laird he

00:12:25.400 Bites, from his horns a-stream into Vergemir's drops, thence all the rivers run.

00:12:34.460 Sith and Vith, Seken and Eken, Svol and Fimbuthul, Guntro and Fjorn, Rinn and Rinnandi, Gippel

00:12:45.000 and Gopel, Gommel and Girvimor, that flow through the fields of the gods.

00:12:51.040 Thin and veen, thol and whole, Groth and gunturin,

00:12:57.040 Vino is one, vexfin another, And thothun muma a third.

00:13:04.040 Nith and not, non and hron, Slith and rith, 0.52

00:13:09.040 Sirlig and vilg, Vith and von, Vond and strand, 0.98

00:13:14.040 Gyor and lept that go among men, And hence they fall to hell. 0.70

00:13:20.040 Cormt and Hormt, and the Kirling's twain, Shall door each day way through. 0.99

00:13:29.200 When doomed to give, he shall go forth To the astray Idrazil. 0.96

00:13:35.340 For heaven's bridge burns all in flame, And the sacred water seeth. 1.00

00:13:40.800 Gleth and Gilir, Gler and Skethbremir, Silflintop and Sinir, Gizl and Falhofnir, Gotop and Letfeti,

00:13:53.140 on these deeds the gods shall go, when dooms to give each day they ride to the Astri Yggdrasil.

00:14:02.840 Three routes there are, that three ways run, nít the Astri Yggdrasil,

00:14:09.580 Neat the first lives hell,

00:14:11.640 Neat the second the frost giants, 0.96

00:14:14.060 Neat the last are the lands of men.

00:14:17.560 Ratatosk is the squirrel, 0.93

00:14:19.580 Who there shall run on the astray Idrazil,

00:14:23.140 From above the words of the eagle he bears, 0.73

00:14:26.560 And tells them to nitog beneath.

00:14:29.940 For hearts there are,

00:14:31.280 That the highest twigs nibble with necks bent back,

00:14:34.780 Dain and Valin, Dunair and Durathror,

00:14:37.460 Most serpents there are, beneath the ash, That an unwise ape would think.

00:14:44.640 Goin and moin, Grafvidnir's sons, Drabek and Grafvoroth,

00:14:50.960 Ofnir and Svafnir, Shall ever, methinks, gnaw at the twigs of the tree.

00:14:57.060 Yggdrasil's ash, great evil suffers, Far more than men do know. 0.99

00:15:03.100 The heart bites its top, its trunk is rotting, and Nithog gnaws beneath. 1.00

00:15:08.580 Wrist and mist, ring the horn at my will, Skegjod and Skogl, Hild and Throof, 1.00

00:15:14.920 Rok and Herfjotr, Gol and Geronol, Rangrith and Rathgrith,

00:15:23.460 And Regenleifbeer to the warriors bring.

00:15:27.020 Arvach and Arsvith, up shall drag weary the weight of the sun,

00:15:31.880 But an iron cool hath the kindly gods of Yor yet under the yokes.

00:15:37.640 In front of the sun does Valin stand, the shield for the shining god.

00:15:43.400 Mountains and sea would be set in flames if it fell from before the sun. 0.84

00:15:49.260 Skol is the wolf that iron wood follows the glittering god. 0.81

00:15:54.600 And the sun of Rathvinir, Haithi, awaits the burning bride of heaven. 0.95

00:16:01.100 Out of Ymir's flesh was fashioned the earth, and the ocean out of his blood, 0.76

00:16:06.140 of his bones the hirds, of his hair the trees, of his skull the heavens high. 0.95

00:16:12.720 Midgard the gods from his eyebrows made, and set for the sons of men,

00:16:18.460 and out of his brains the baleful clouds they made to move on high.

00:16:24.440 He is the favor of Url and of all the gods who thirst in the flames will reach,

00:16:29.940 Where the house could be seen by the sons of the gods of the Kettle, a side were cast.

00:16:36.200 In days of old, the Valdi's sons Scythblatnir fashion fair.

00:16:41.740 The best of the ships for the bright god Thraer, the noble son of Njord.

00:16:47.700 The best of trees must Idrazer be, Scythblatnir best of boats.

00:16:53.460 Of all the gods in Odin's the greatest, And Slepnir the best of steeds,

00:17:00.180 Bithrost of bridges, Bragi of scalds, Hobrok of hawks, and Garim of hounds.

00:17:07.400 To the race of the gods my face have I raised, And wished for aid have I waked. 0.98

00:17:14.400 For to all the gods the mesh is gone, That sit in Eger's seats,

00:17:19.900 That drink within Eger's doors.

00:17:23.240 Grim is my name, Genglari am I, Heron and Chauberi, Thet and Thrithi, Thuth and Uth,

00:17:31.640 Helblindi and Hol, Soth and Svipal and Sengithal, Hirt and Hnacr, Belig and Berig, Bovek and

00:17:42.480 Fionir, Grim and Grimnir, Glebswith and Fioswith, Sithoth, Sithskeg, Sigvarther, Hinkuth,

00:17:52.000 A single name have I never had, since first among men I fared.

00:18:01.000 Vremnir, they call me, in Gevershal, with Asmeth, Yalk, am I.

00:18:07.000 Kjallr I was when I went to in a sled. At the council, Thrur, am I called.

00:18:13.000 As Vithur I fared to the fights. Oski, Befrindi, Yathanor, Aomi.

00:18:20.000 gondlir and hraboth mis-gods i deceive the giants sock me mere old as swither and switherer of yore of mithweneer's sons the slayer i was when the famed one found his doom

00:18:36.560 drunk art thou gareth too much didst thou drink much hast thou lost for help no more from me or my heroes thou hast

00:18:47.000 small heed didst thou take to all that i told and false were the words of thy friends for now the sword of my friend i see that waits all wet with blood

00:18:59.560 thy sword-pierced body shall eg have soon for thy life is ended at last the maids are hostile now odin behold now come to me if thou canst for am i odin eg once i was

00:19:16.900 air that did they call me thund wak and skilfing wofoth and raptatir gout and yoke miss the gods ofnir and svafnir and all methinks are names but none for me

00:19:34.900 king geroth sat and had his sword on his knee half drawn from its sheath but when he heard that odin was come tither then he rose up and sought to take odin from the fire the sword slipped from his hand and fell with the hilt down the king stumbled and fell forward

00:20:02.340 And the sword pierced him through and slew him.

00:20:06.340 Then Odin vanished, but Agnarr long ruled there as king.

00:20:32.340 Amen. 0.52

Asatru Folk Assembly - December 14, 2023

Grímnismál, a reading

Episode Stats

Summary

Transcript