Svipdagsmál, a reading
Episode Stats
Harmful content
Misogyny
2
sentences flagged
Toxicity
4
sentences flagged
Hate speech
42
sentences flagged
Summary
The love story of Zipdog and Mingloth is not referred to elsewhere in the poetic edith, nor does Snorri mention it. However, Groa, who here appears in Zipdog s mother, is spoken of as a wise woman, who helps Thor with her magical charms.
Transcript
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The two poems, Grågårdl, Gråsperl, and Fjörsvinsmål, The Lay of Fjörsvith, which many editors have very wisely united under the single title as The Dagsmål, are found only in paper manuscripts, none of them antedating the 17th century.
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Everything points to a relatively late origin for the poems,
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their extensive use of kennings or political circumlocutions,
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their romantic spirit, quite foreign to the character of the unquestionably older poems,
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the absence of any reference to them in the older documents,
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and finally the fact that the poems appear to have been preserved in an unusually good condition.
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Whether or not a connecting link or a narrative verse joining the two parts have been lost is an open question.
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On the whole, it seems likely that the story was sufficiently well known so that the reciter of the poem or poems
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merely filled in the gaps with a brief prose summary and pretty much his own words.
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The general relationship between dialogue and narrative and naetic poems is discussed in the introductory note to the grimness model
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The love story of Zipdog and Mingroth is not referred to elsewhere in the poetic edith,
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However, Groa, who here appears in Zipdog's mother,
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is spoken of by Snorri as a wise woman, the wife of Urvundil,
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On the other hand, the essence of the story, the hero's winning of a bride ringed about
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by flames, is strongly suggestive of parts of the Sigurd Brynhild traditions.
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Whether or not it is to be regarded as a nature or solar myth depends entirely on one's view
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Not so highly esteemed today as formerly, such an interpretation is certainly not necessary
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to explain what it is, under any circumstances, a very charming romance told in the main with
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dramatic effectiveness. In later years, the story of Zupdag and Mingloth became popular
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throughout the North and was made the subject of many Danish and Swedish as well as Norwegian
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ballads. These have greatly assisted in the reconstruction of the outlines of the narratives
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What evil vexes mine only son, what baleful fate hast thou found,
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that thou call'st thy mother who lies in the mold, and the world of the living hath left?
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The false woman whom my father embraced has brought me a baleful gain,
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for she bade me go forth where none may fail, and mingloth the maid to seek.
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Grower spake, long is the way, long must thou wander, but long is love as well.
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Thou mayst find, perchance, what thou fain wouldst have, if the fates their favour would give.
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Zipdog spake, charms full good, then chant to me, mother, and seek thy son to God.
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For death do I fear, on the way I feel fair, And in years am I young, methinks.
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Then first I will chant thee the charm oft tried, That Rani taught to rhyme.
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From the shoulder whate'er methinks thee shake, For helper thyself shalt thou have.
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Then next I will chant thee, if needs thou must travel,
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And wander a purposeless way, The bolts of the earth shall on every side
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Then third I will chant thee, if threatening streams
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The danger of death shall bring, Yet to hell shall turn both horn and roof,
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Then forth I will chant thee, if come thy foe, on the gallows' way against thee, and
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to thine hands shall their hearts be given, and peace shall the warriors wish.
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Then fifth I will chant thee, if fetters, perchance, shall bind thy bending limbs,
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o'er thy thighs do I chant a loosening charm, and the lock is burst from the limbs, and
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Then sixth I will chant thee, if storms on the sea Here might have unknowest to man,
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Yet never shall wind nor wave do harm, And calm is the course of thy boat.
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The seventh I chant thee, if frost shall seek To kill thee on lofty throgs,
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The fatal cold shall not grip thy flesh, And whole thy body shall be.
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An eighth I will chant thee, if ever by night thou shalt wander our murky ways, yet never
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the curse of a Christian woman and the dead shall do thee harm.
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The ninth will I chant thee, if needs thou must thrive, with a warlike giant in words.
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The heart good store of wit shall have, and thy mouth of words full wise.
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Now fare on the way, where danger waits, Let evil is not lessen thy love.
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I have stood at the door of the earth-fix stones, The while I chanted thee charms.
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Bear hence, my son, what thy mother hath said, And let it live in thy breast.
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Thine eathers shall be the best of fortune, So long as my words shall last.
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Before the house he beheld one coming to the home of the giant's high.
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Zipdog spake, What giant is here in front of the house, and around him fires are flaming?
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What seekest thou here, for what is thy search?
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By the way so wet must thou wander hence, for, weakling, no home hast thou here.
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What giant is here, in front of the house, to the wayfarer welcome the nine?
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Fjolzvith spake, greeting, full fair, thou never shalt find, so hence shalt thou get thee home.
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Fjolzvith am I, and wise am I found, but miserly am I with meat.
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Thou never shalt enter within the house, go forth like a wolf on the way.
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Zvipdog spake, few from the home of their eyes will go forth, on the sight of their loves they seek.
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Full bright on the gates of the golden hall
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What father thou hast in the kindred of whom thou cam'st?
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Who is it that holds, and has for his own, the rule of the hall so rich?
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Mingloth is she, her mother boy her, to the son of Svathrorin.
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She is it that holds, and has for her own, the rule of the hall so rich.
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The question I ask, for now the truth would I know.
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twas made by the three, the sons of Soblandi,
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Now answer me, Fjolzvith, the question I ask, for now the truth would I know.
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What call thee the house, for no man beheaded, amongst the gods so grim a sight?
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Gastropnir is it, of old I make it, from the limbs of Leobrimir.
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I brace thee so strongly that fast thee shall stand, so long as the world shall last.
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Zvipdog spake, now answer me, Fjolzvith, the question I ask, and now the truth would
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What call thee the tree that casts abroad its limbs o'er every land?
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Fjolzvith spake, Mammoth its name, and no man knows what roots beneath it runs, and
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few can guess what shall fell the tree, for fire nor iron shall fell it.
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Zipdog spake, Now answer me, Fjolzvith, the question I ask.
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What grows from the seed of the tree so great, that fire nor iron shall fell?
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Fjolzvith spake, Women sick with child shall seek its root to the flames to bear.
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Then one shall come, that within was hid, and so it is mighty with men.
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Now answer me, Fjolzvith, the question I ask, for now the truth would I know.
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What cock is he on the highest bough that glitters all with gold?
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Vithofnir, his name, and now he shines like lightning on Mimimath's limbs, and great is
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the trouble with which he grieves, but certain Sinemora.
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Now answer me, Fjolzvith, the question I ask, For now the truth would I know.
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What call they the hounds, that before the house so fierce and angry are?
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Fjolzvith spake, Gif call they one, and Geri the other.
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Great they are, and their might will grow, The gods to death are doomed.
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Svipdog spake, For now, me Fjolzvith, the question I ask, for now the truth would I
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May no man hope the house to enter, while the hungry hounds are sleeping?
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Fjolzvith spake, Together they sleep not, for so was it fixed, when the gar to them
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One sleeps by night, the next by day, so no man may enter ever.
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Now answer me, Fjolzvith, the question I ask, for now the truth would I know?
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Is there no meat that men may give them and leap within while they eat?
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Fjolzvith spake, to wing-joint there be in Vith Ophnir's body, if now the truth thou
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wist know, that alone is the meat that men may give them and leap within while they eat?
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dog spake. Now answer me, Fjolsvith, the question I ask, for now the truth I would know. What
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weapon can sin Vithofnir to seek the house of hell below? Fjolsvith spake,
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Levitan is there that lopped with runes once made by the doors of death. In Legion's chest
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by Sinmora, lies it, and nine walks fast on its firm.
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Now answer me, Fjolzvith, the question I ask.
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May a man come thence, who thither goes, and tries the sword to take?
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Thence may he come, who thither goes, and tries the sword to take.
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Now answer me, Fjolzvith, the question I ask
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The sin will ra, give it, and then shall she grant that the weapon be thy to win.
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Snipdog spake, Now answer me, Fjolzvith, the question I ask,
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What call they the hall encompassed here, with flickering magic flames?
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Fjolzvith spake, Liar is it called, and long it shall,
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Ooni and Iri, Bari and Yari, Var and Wegdrasil,
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Dori and Orli, Deling and Der, was Loki the fiel of the folk.
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What call they the mountain on which the maid is lying so lovely to see?
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Letheberl gizit, and long shall it be a joy to the sick and the sore,
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for well shall grow each woman who climbs it, though sick for long she has lain.
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Now answer me, Fjolzvith, the question I ask, for now the truth I would know.
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What maidens are they that Amingloth's knees are sitting so gladly together?
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Hlyph is one named, Hlyphstrasse the another, Throthvara call they the third, Bjort and
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Zipdog spake, Now answer me, Fjordsvith, the question I ask,
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For now the truth would I know, Eh, bring they to all who offerings give,
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Fjolzvith spake, Soon am they all who offerings give,
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On the holy altars high, and if danger they see, For the sons of men,
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The question I ask, for now the truth would I know.
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Lives there a man who in Minglos' arms So fair may seek to sleep?
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Fjolsvith spake, No man there is who in Mingloth's arms so fair may seek to sleep.
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Save Slipdog alone, for the sun-bright maid is destined his bride to be.
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Slipdog spake, Flin back the gates, make the gateway wide.
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Here mayst thou, Slipdog, see, Hence get thee to find if gladness soon Mingloth to me will
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Roswith spake, Hearken, Mingloth, a man is come!
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If thou liest in saying, That here at last a hero is come to my hall.
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Thence cam'st thou hinder, how cam'st thou here?
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Mingloth spake, Welcome, thou art, thou for love have I waited,
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For to who love is the long-forward meeting, The greatest gladness of all.
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Long have I sat on the leaf of the bird here, Awaiting thee day to by day.
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And now I have what I have ever hoped, For here thou art come to my hall.