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Rígsþula The Lay of Rig From The Poetic Edda Translated by Lee. M. Hollander Introduction |
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It is told by men in olden tales that one of the gods whose name was Heimdall, fared forth along the seashore until he came to a farm. There he called himself Ríg. The following poem treats of the this tale. In olden times, say they, on earth-paths green there wended his way a wise god ancient, rugged and mighty - Ríg 2 was he hight. Walked unwearied (in middle ways); 3 to a dwelling he came, was the door bolted. In gan he go, on the ground was a fire, 4 at the hearth, hoary, sate husband and wife - Ái and Edda, 5 in old headgear. Well knew Ríg wisely to counsel; on middle seat he sat him down, betwixt the twain of the toft benched him. Then took Edda a thick loaf heavy of bread hard-baked and full of bran; a bowl then bore on the board Edda, filled with the broth of boiled calf-meat. Well knew Ríg wisely to counsel; he rose up thence, ready for sleep; on middle bedstead his berth he made, betwixt the twain of the toft laid him. 6 And there stayed he three days together; 7 then walked unwearied in middle ways. Moons full nine went meanwhile by. Gave Edda birth to a boy child then, (in clouts she swathed) 8 the swarthy-skinned one. Thrall they called him, and cast on him water 9 (dark was his hair and dull his eyes.) 10 On his hand the skin was scraggy and wrinkled, (nasty his nails), 11 his knuckles gnarled, his fingers thick, his face ugly, his back hulky, his heels were long. He gan to grow and gain in strength, 12 betimes took him to try his might: to bind bast ropes, burdens to pack, to bear faggots home the whole day long. Came to his cot a crook-legged wench - were her soles dirty, and sunburnt her arms, her nose bent downward; her name was Thír. 13 On middle seat she sate her down, by her side did sit the son of the house; whispered and laughed and lay together Thrall and Thír whole days through. In their hut, happy, they had a brood: I ween they were hight 14 Hay-Giver, Howler, Bastard, Sluggard, Bent-Back and Paunch, Stumpy, Stinker, Stableboy, Swarthy, Longshanks and Lout: they laid fences, put dung on fields, fattened the swine, herded the goats, and grubbed up peat. 15 Their daughters were Drudge and Daggle-Tail, Slattern, Serving-Maid, and Cinder-Wench, Stout-Leg, Shorty, Stumpy and Dumpy, Spinkleshanks eke, and Sputterer: thence are sprung the breed of thralls. At his staff Ríg strode, and straight forth fared; to a dwelling he came, was the door ajar. In gan he go, on the ground was a fire, sate husband and wife there with their work busy. A weaver's beam out of wood he shaped - his beard was brushed, and banged, his hair - in kirtle tight-fitting; were planks on the floor. The good wife sate and swayed her distaff, braided the yarn to use for weaving, with a snood 16 on her head and a smock on her breast, on her neck, a kerchief, and clasps 17 on her shoulders. Afi and Amma owned that house. Well knew Ríg wisely to counsel, (18 on middle seat he sate him down, betwixt the twain of the toft benched him). (Then took Amma .... .. .... ... .......... ....... ...... ........ ... .. (a full trencher on the table she put with boiled calf-meat, the best she had.) (Well knew Ríg wisely to counsel), he rose up thence, ready for sleep; on middle bedstead his berth he made, betwixt the twain of the toft laid him. And there stayed he three days together (then walked unwearied in the middle ways). Moons full nine went meanwhile by. Gave Amma birth to a boy child then. Karl 19 they called him, clothed in linen; ruddy his hue, and rapid his eyes. Then gan he grow and gain in strength, tamed the oxen and tempered ploughshares, timbered houses, and barns for the hay, fashioned carts, and followed the plough. A bride they brought him with a bunch of keys dangling, in goatskin kirtle, gave her to Karl. Snær 20 was she hight and sate under veil, (a house they reared them and rings bestowed,) 21 their linen they spread, and the larder stocked. In their homestead, happy, they had a brood, hight Man and Yeoman, Master, Goodman, Husbandman, Farmer, Franklin, Crofter, Bound-Beard, Steep-Beard, 22 Broad, 23 Swain, and Smith. By other names were known their daughters: Woman, Gentlewoman, Wife, Bride, Lady, Haughty, Maiden, Hussif and Dame: thence are come the kin of carls. At his staff Ríg strode steadfastly on; a hall he saw then, was southward 24 the door, raised on high, with a ring in the doorpost. He strode in straightway, was straw on the floor. Sate there the good folk, gazed at each other, Father and Mother, with their fingers playing. 25 On the bench he sate, a bowstring twining, bent the elmwood, 26 and arrows shafted. Sate the lady, looked at her arms, stroked the linen, straightened her sleeves. Was a brooch on her breast, and a bonnet on her head, a long train of silk, 27 and sark all blue. Was her brow brighter, her breast lighter, her neck whiter, 28 than whitest snow. Well knew Ríg wisely to counsel, on middle seat he sate him down, betwixt the twain of the toft he benched him. Of bleached flax then a broidered cloth did Mother take, and the table covered; a light-baked loaf she laid on the table, of wheaten meal, white and thin. A full trencher on the table she put, silver-plated, and set forth then flitches of bacon and steaked fowl also; there was wine in a crock, were the cups gold-plated; they drank and chatted till the day was ended. Well could Ríg wisely counsel; he rose up thence, ready for sleep; 29 (on middle bedstead his berth he made, betwixt the twain of the toft he laid him.) And there stayed he three days together; then walked unwearied in middle ways. Full nine months went meanwhile by. A son bore Mother, in silk they swathed him, sprinkled water on him and called him Earl. Was his hair flaxen, and fair-hued his cheek, his eyes awfully like an adder's, blazed. 30 Up grew Earl within the hall, gan bucklers wield and the bowstring fasten, gan the elmwood bend and arrows shaft; gan hurl the spear and speed the lance, gan hunt with hounds, and horses ride, gan brandish swords and swim in the sea. Out of woodlands came Ríg walking, came Ríg walking, and taught him runes; his own name gave him as heir and son, bade him make his own the udal lands, 31 the udal lands and olden manors. He dauntless rode through darkling woods, over frosty fells, to a faraway hall. Shields he shattered and shafts he hurled, brandished his sword and swiftly rode; he wakened war and warriors slew, with wound-red weapons he won him land. He made himself master of manors eighteen, gan share his wealth and shower it on all: silver and gold and slender steeds; squandered arm rings and scattered gold. 32 His heralds drove on dew-wet paths, and came to the hall where Hersir 33 dwelled; a daughter had he, dainty-fingered, fair-haired and wise, was she hight Erna. 34 For her hand they asked, and home drove her, gave her to Earl, gowned in linen; they lived together and loved each other, had many children, and lived cheerfully. Boy was the oldest, Bairn the second, then Issue and Child, Heir, Youth, and Squire, Offspring and Lad - they sports did learn - Son and Scion - swimming and "tables"; 35 Kund one was called, was Kon 36 the youngest. Up within hall grew Earl's children; spearshafts they shook, with shields they fended, swift steeds bestrode, and straightened arrows. But Kon only could carve runes, 37 runes lasting ay, life-keeping runes: to bring forth babes birth runes he knew, to dull sword edges and to calm the sea. Fowls' speech he knew, and quenched fires, could soothe (sorrows) 38 and the sick mind heal; in his arms the strength of eight men had. In runes he rivaled Ríg the Earl; 39 with wiles he warred, outwitting him; thus got for himself, and gained to have, the name of Ríg and runic lore. Rode Kon the young through copse and woods, birds he snared, used bow and arrow. Then quoth a crow, croaking on branch: "Why snarest thou birds, scion of kings? Rather should'st thou ride swift horse, (brandish swords) 40 and slay foemen. "Have Dan and Danp 41 a dwelling richer, and lands larger, than are left to thee; are they skilled in steering on stormy seas, in trying swords and slaying heroes." 42 __________________________________________________ From The Poetic Edda Translated by Lee M. Hollander Univ. of Texas Press, Austin, 1962 ISBN 0-292-76499-5 Purchase this book Introduction: "The Lay of Ríg" as preserved fills exactly the last sheet of the Codex Wormianus of Snorri's Edda. The lost conclusion evidently stood on a following one. However, notwithstanding this fragmentary condition, it is clear that the lay was intended as a glorification of the existing aristocratic order in the Scandinavian homeland - not in the republican Iceland - whether in Denmark or Norway, and more specially as a vindication of the divine origin of kingship. But this is as far as agreement among scholars goes: about few Eddic poems has there been such a diversity of opinion in almost every other respect. Thus, one famous scholar is convinced that the author had Norwegian condition in mind, that the lay is therefore Norwegian, that it dates from the tenth century, that the young Kon may represent Harald Fairhair himself. Another scholar agrees that it was composed early in the tenth century, since the poem seems to presuppose heathendom undisturbed, but holds that it is by some Icelandic skald celebrating the Danish royal house, perhaps King Gorm the Old or Harald Bluetooth 1. Still another holds the view that the lay had its origin on one of the Scottish islands and it has also been urged that it mirrors Old Irish conditions. However that may be, God as the progenitor of all three estates definitely is a medieval Christian conception. Again, until recently the
lay had been universally regarded as a valuable source of information
on social conditions in the earliest times; but this now seems
open to doubt with the growing feeling that it may be the didactic,
antiquarian effort of a learned skald. At any rate, in its lists
of names (like the whole lay, in free fornyrðislag)
there is a suspicious similarity to the nafnaþulur
(rigmaroles) and the heitatol of the thirteenth century, and
to such a poem as the "Alíssmál,"; so
that we may not be far wrong in assigning the lay to the eleventh
or twelfth century. However, it could hardly belater, because
serfdom was abolished in Norway at the end of the twelfth century. _________________________________________________________ Notes 1. See
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