Þrymskviða, a reading
Episode Stats
Harmful content
Misogyny
10
sentences flagged
Hate speech
20
sentences flagged
Summary
Thrymskvitha, The Lay of Thrym, is one of the most famous ballads in the entire Edda, and has been called by some as the greatest ballad in the world. It's swift, vigorous action, the sharpness of its characterization, and the central situation all combine to make it one the most vivid, short narrative poems ever composed.
Transcript
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The Thrymsk Vitha is found only in the Codex Regius, where it follows the Locasena.
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Sonority does not quote from it, nor, rather oddly, does the story appear in the Prose Edda.
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Artistically, the Thrymsk Vitha is one of the best, as it is, next to the Vluspa, the most famous of the entire collection.
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It has indeed been called the most famous ballad in the world, and not without reason.
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Its swift, vigorous action, the sharpness of its characterization, and the humor of the central situation
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combined to make it one of the most vivid, short narrative poems ever composed.
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Of course, we know nothing specific of its author,
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but there can be no question that he was a poet of extraordinary ability.
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The poem assumed its present form, most critics agree, somewhere about 900,
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and thus it is one of the oldest in the collection.
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It has been suggested on the basis of stylistic similarity,
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that its author may have also composed the Skurnismal and possibly Baldur's Draumer.
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There is also some resemblance between the Thrymskvitha and the Locasinna.
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Note in this connection, Bukes' suggestion that the Skurnismal and the Locasinna may have been by the same men.
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And it is not impossible that all four poems have a single authorship.
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The Thrymskvitha has been preserved in excellent condition, without any serious gaps or interpolations.
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In striking contrast to many of the poems, it contains no prose-narrative links,
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the story being told in narrative-verse, a rare phenomenon, in the poems of the Edda.
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Wild was Vingthor when he awoke, and when his mighty hammer he missed.
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and shook his beard his hair was bristling as the son of yord about him sought hear now the speech
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that first he spake hearken loki and heed my words nowhere on earth is it known to man
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nor in heaven above our hammer is stolen to the dwelling fair of freya they went
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Wilt thou, Freya, thy feathered dress lend me
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And would I give it, though twiller of gold?
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Then Loki flew, and the feathered dress whirled
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Thrym sat on a mound, a giant's master. Leashes of gold he slayed for his dogs, and stroked
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Thrym spake, How fair are the gods, how fair are the elves! Why scomst thou alone to the
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Loki spake, ill fair the gods, ill fair the elves, hast thou hidden Hylrothi's hammer?
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Thrym spake, I have hidden Hylrothi's hammer, eight miles down deep in earth,
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and back again shall no man bring it, if Thraea would not be my wife.
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and lies he speaks who lays himself down Loki spake trouble I have in tidings as
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well Threm king of giants keeps thy hammer and back again shall no man
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bring it if Freya he wins not to be his wife Freya the fair then what they find
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Bind on, Freya, the bridal veil, for we two must haste to the giant's home.
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Wrathful was Freya, and fiercely she snorted, and the dwelling grate of the gods was shaken,
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and burst was the mighty Blissing's necklace.
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and let him bear the mighty blessing's necklace.
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be silent thor and speak not thus else so the giants in asgard dwell if the hammer is brought not home to thee then bound they on thor the bridal veil and next the mighty brissing's necklace
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keys around him let they rattle and down to his knees hung woman's dress with jim's full bra upon his breast and a pretty cap to crown his head
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As thy maid-servant, hither I go with thee.
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They retched at the halters, swift were they to run.
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Besteria, ye giants, put straw on the benches, now Freya they bring to be my bride, the
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Goldhorn cattle, go to my stables, jet black oxen, the giant's joy, many my gems and many
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it was to evening come, and forth was born the beer for the giants.
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Dor alone ate an ox and ate salmon, all the dainties as well that were set for the women,
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Then aloud spake Thrym, the giant's leader,
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I ne'er saw bride with a broader bite, nor a maiden who drank more mead than this.
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hard by the set the serving-maid wise so well she answered the giant's words from food has freya eight nights fasted so hot was her longing for liotenhayn
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Thrym looked beneath the veil, for he longed to kiss, but back he leaped the length of
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Hard by there sat the serving maid wise, so well she answered the giant's words.
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Soon came the giant's luckless sister, Who fared not to ask the bridal fee.
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From thy hands the rings of red gold take, If thou wouldst win my willing love,
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Then loud spake Thrym the giant's leader, Bring in the hammer to hollow the bride,
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On the maiden's knees let Mjolnir lie, That us both the band of Vol may bless.
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The heart and the breast of the Hrothi laughed When the hard-sold one his hammer beheld.
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First threatened the king of the giants he killed, Then all the folk of the giants he
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The giant's sister old he slew, She would beg the bridal fee.
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A stroke she got in the stealing steed, And for many rings the might of the hammer,