Hyndluljóð, a reading
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Harmful content
Misogyny
4
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Toxicity
12
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Hate speech
38
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Summary
The poem of Hindla is a collection of names, not strictly mythological, but belonging to the semi-historical hero sagas of Norse tradition. The wise woman, Freyja, being asked by Freyja to trace the ancestry of her favorite, for the purpose of deciding a wager, gives a complex genealogy including many of the popular sagas handed down from days long before the Atlantic settlements.
Transcript
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The Hinluljoth, the poem of Hindla. The Hinluljoth is found in neither of the great manuscripts of the Poetic Edda, but it is included in the so-called Fletterjörbach, Book of the Flatland, an enormous compilation made somewhere about 1400.
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The lightness of this manuscript would of itself be enough to cast a doubt upon the condition in which the poem has been preserved, and there can be no question that what we have is in very poor shape.
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It is, in fact, two separate poems, or parts of them, clumsily put together.
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The longer one, the poem of Hindla, proper, is chiefly a collection of names, not strictly mythological, but belonging to the semi-historical hero sagas of Norse tradition.
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The wise woman, Hindla, being asked by Freyja to trace the ancestry of her favorite, Otan, for the purpose of deciding a wager, gives a complex genealogy including many of the heroes who appear in the popular sagas handed down from days long before the Atlantic settlements.
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The poet was learned, but without enthusiasm. It is not likely that he composed the Hindla Lyoth much before the 12th century.
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Though the material of which it is compounded must have been very much older.
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Although the genealogies are centrally continental, the poem seems rather like a product of the archaeological period of Iceland.
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Inserted bodily in the Hindleria proper is a fragment of 51 lines, taken from a poem of which, by a curious chance, we know the name.
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Snorri quotes one stanza of it, calling it the Short Veruspo.
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The fragment preserved gives, of course, no indication of the length of the original poem,
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but it shows that it was a late and very inferior imitation of the great Veloospo.
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Like the Henlelioth proper, it apparently comes from the 12th century,
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but there is nothing whatsoever to indicate that the two poems were the work of the same man,
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or were ever connected in any way until some bludgering copyist mixed them up.
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Certainly the connection did not exist in the middle of the 13th century
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seems indeed to have been more or less confused as to the facts,
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to feel anything of the enthusiasm at the earlier school.
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but as most of these have no direct relation to the poems of the Edda,
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I have limited the notes to a mere record of who the persons mentioned were, and the saga groups in which they appeared.
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Maiden awake, wake thee, my friend, my sister Hindla in the hollow cave.
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Already come darkness, and ride must we to Valhall to seek the sacred hall.
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To his followers gold he gladly gives, To Hermoth gave him hand and mail-coat,
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Triumph to come, and treasure to others, To many wisdom and skill and words.
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Fair winds to the sailor, to the singer his art, And a manly heart to many a hero.
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Dor shall I honor, and this shall I ask, That his favor true, mayst thou ever find.
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little the brides of the giants he loves from the stall now one of thy wolves lead forth and along
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with my boar shalt thou let him run for slow my boar goes on the road of the gods and i would not
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weary my worthy steed endless spake falsely thou ask me thraya to go for so in the glance of thine
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eyes I see. On the way of the slain thy lover goes with thee, Othar the young, the son of
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Einstein. Freya spake, Wild dreams, methinks, are thine, when thou sayest, My lover is
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with me on the way of the slain. There shines the boar with bristles of gold. Hindel the
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Svidni, he who is made, by Dain and Nabi, the cunning dwarfs.
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Now let us down from a saddle's leap, and talk of the race of the hero's twain, the
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A wager have made in the foreign metal, Oltar the Young and Angontir.
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We must guard for the hero, young to have, his father's wealth, the fruits of his race.
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Tell to me now the ancient names, and the races of all that were born of old.
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Who are the Skjodungs, who are the Skilfings, who are the Odlings, who are the Iflings?
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Who are the Freeborn, who are the Highborn, and nobles of men that in Midgard dwelled?
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Thou art Othar, the son of Einstein, and Einstein the son of Alf the Old,
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Alf of Ulf, Ulf of Cephalis, and Cephalis' father was found the Red.
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Throate her father, and free out her mother,
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before him half-done, foremost of skjoldungs.
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to the corners of heaven his deeds were carried.
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sick trig he slew with the ice-cold sword.
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Hence come the skjoldungs, hence the skilled things,
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Hence come the free-born, hence the high-born, the noblest of men that in Midgard dwell,
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Hildegundin, her mother Hight, the daughter of Svava and Sekongnung,
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Next was Nana, daughter of Nocvi, thy father's kinsman her son became.
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Old is the nine and longer still, and all are thy kinsmen, Othar thou fool.
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Isof and Osoth, the sons of Ormoth, whose wife was Skrgild, the daughter of Skechr,
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count them among the heroes mighty, and all are thy kinsmen, Othar thou fool.
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Gunnar the bulwark, Grim the hardy, Thorir the ironshield, Ulf the gopper, Brod and Hurvir,
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Both did I know in the household they were of, Ulf the old.
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Hervarth and Hrovarth, Hrani and Angontir, Bui and Brami, Bari and Raifnir, Tend and
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Tyrthing, the Haring's twain, and are thy kinsmen, Othar thou fool.
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Eastward in Bohm was born of old, the sons of Armgrim and Æthira, with berserk tumult
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and baleful deed, like fire o'er land and sea they fared, and are thy kinsmen, Othar
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The sons of Jormenrek, all of your, to the gods in death, was an offering given.
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He was kinsman of Sigurd, hear what life say, the foe of hosts and Fafnir's slayer.
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From Volsung's seed was the hero sprung, and Aradis was born of Rathung's race, and Elimi
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from the Othlings came, and all thy kinsmen, Othar thou for.
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Gunnar and Hogni, the heirs of Gjoki, and Guthrun as well, who their sister was, but
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Guthorn was not of Gyuki's race, although thy brother of both he was, and all of thy
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Of Hvathna's sons was Haki the best, and Hrvarth the father of Hvathana.
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Herald Battletooth of Ulth was born, Horek and the ringgiver whose husband was, Ulth
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the deep-minded was Ivar's daughter, and Rathbarth the father of Rondver was, and all thy kinsmen
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Eleven in number the gods were known, when Baldr o'er the hill of death was bowed, and
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this to avenge was Valia swift, when his brother Slayer soon he knew.
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Frere's wife was Girth, the daughter of Gimir, of the giant's brood, and Arbotha bore her.
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To these as well it was Theatsikin, the dark-loving giant, his daughter was Skati.
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Much have I told thee, and father would tell thee.
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There is much that I know, wilt thou hear yet more?
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The Sibyls arose from Vittal's race, from Vilmaeth all the seers are, and the workers
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of charms of Svarthoth's children, and from Ymir sprang the giants all.
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Much have I told thee, and further will tell, and there is much that I know.
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was born in the bygone days of the race of the gods, and great was his might. Nine giant
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women, as the world's edges, once bore the man so mighty in arms.
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Gyop there bore him, greb there bore him, estla bore him, and irf gif ya, urfen bore
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him, and Angen-ya, Imith, and Atla, and Yarnsaksa.
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Strong was he made with the strength of earth, with ice-cold sea, and the blood of swine.
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Wonder was born the best of all, and strong was he made with the strength of earth.
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The proudest is called the kinsmen of men, of the rulers all, throughout the world.
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Much have I told thee, and further will tell, there is much that I know, wilt thou hear
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The wolf did Loki with anger bought a win, and Slyknir bore him to Svartifari.
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The worst of marvel seemed the one, that sprang from the brother of Biles then.
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A heart ate Loki in the embers it lay, and half-cooked found he the woman's heart, but
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The child from the woman lopped soon was, and thence among them came the monster's awe.
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The sea-storm driven seeks heaven itself, where the earth flows, the anger grows sterile.
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Then followed in the snows and the furious winds, for the gods are doomed in the din
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Then comes another, a greater than all, though never I dare his name to speak.
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Here were they now, the farther they came, In the moment when Odin shall meet the wolf.
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Freya spake, To my boy now bring the memory beer,
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So that all thy words, that where thou hast spoken,
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The third-morn hence he may hold in mind, When the races Otar and Angantir tear.
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Hence thou shalt thou fare, for fain would I sleep, from me thou gettest favours good.
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My noble one out in the night thou leapest, as hethering goes the goats among.
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To oath did thou strung, who loved the other, and many under thy apron hath crawled.
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My noble one out in the night thou leapest, as hethering goes the goats among.
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Freya spake, Among the giantess flames shall I raise,
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Hindla spake, Flames I see burning, the earth is on fire,
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An earth for his life the price must lose, Bring in to Otar the draught of beer,
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Freya spake, Thine evil words shall work no ill,
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A drinkful fairs shall Otar find, If of all the gods the favor I get.