Win Challenge

Odin said:
1 ‘Advise me now, Frigg, for I long to journey
to visit Vafthrudnir;
I’ve a great curiosity to contend
in ancient matters
with that all-wise giant.’

Frigg said:
2 ‘I’d rather keep the Father of Hosts
at home in the courts of the gods,
for I know no giant to be as powerful
as Vafthrudnir is.’

Odin said:
3 ‘Much I have travelled, much have I tried out,
much have I tested the Powers;
this I want to know: what kind of company
is found in Vafthrudnir’s hall.’

Frigg said:
4 ‘Journey safely! Come back safely!
Be safe on the way!
May your mind be sufficient when, Father of Men,
you speak with the giant.’

5 Then Odin went to try the wisdom
of the all-wise giant;
to the hall he came which Im’s father owned;*
Odin went inside.

Odin said:
6 ‘Greetings, Vafthrudnir! Now I have come into the hall
to see you in person;
this I want to know first, whether you are wise
or very wise, giant.’

Vafthrudnir said:
7 ‘What man is this who addresses me in hostile fashion
in my hall?
May you not come out of our halls alive
unless you should be the wiser one.’

Odin said:
8 ‘Gagnrad I am called; now I have come walking,
thirsty to your hall;
in need of hospitality and of your welcome,
I have journeyed long, giant.’

Vafthrudnir said:
9 ‘Why, Gagnrad, do you speak thus from the floor?
Come take a seat in the hall!
Then we shall test which one knows more,
the guest or the old sage.’

Odin said:
10 ‘The poor man who comes to the wealthy one
should speak when needful or be silent;
to be too talkative I think will bring bad results
when one comes to the cold-ribbed man.’

Vafthrudnir said:
11 ‘Tell me, Gagnrad, since on the hall-floor
you want to try your skill,
what that horse is called who draws every
day over mankind.’

Odin said:
12 ‘Shining-mane, the shining one is called
who draws day over mankind;
the best of horses he is held to be among the Hreid-Goths,*
always that horse’s mane gleams.’

Vafthrudnir said:
13 ‘Tell me, Gagnrad, since on the hall-floor
you want to try your skill,
what that horse is called who from the east draws night
to the beneficent Powers.’

Odin said:
14 ‘Frost-mane he is called, who draws every night
to the beneficent Powers;
foam from his bit he lets fall every morning;
from there dew comes to the valleys.’

Vafthrudnir said:
15 ‘Tell me, Gagnrad, since on the hall-floor
you want to try your skill,
what that river is called which divides the land
between the sons of giants and the gods.’

Odin said:
16 ‘Ifing the river is called, which divides the land
between the sons of giants and the gods;
freely it will flow through all time,
ice never forms on the river.’

Vafthrudnir said:
17 ‘Tell me, Gagnrad, since on the hall-floor
you want to try your skill,
what that plain is called where in battle
Surt and the good-tempered gods will meet.’

Odin said:
18 ‘Vigrid the plain is called, where in battle
Surt and the good-tempered gods will meet;
a hundred leagues it is in each direction;
that is the field ordained for them.’

Vafthrudnir said:
19 ‘Wise you are, guest, come to the giant’s bench,
and we will speak together in the seat;
we shall wager our heads in the hall,
guest, on our wisdom.’

Odin said:
20 ‘Tell me this one thing if your mind is sufficient
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
from where the earth came or the sky above,
first, O wise giant.’

Vafthrudnir said:
21 ‘From Ymir’s flesh the earth was shaped,*
and the mountains from his bones;
the sky from the skull of the frost-cold giant,
and the sea from his blood.’

Odin said:
22 ‘Tell me this second thing if your mind is sufficient
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
from where the moon came, so that it journeys over men,
and likewise the sun.’

Vafthrudnir said:
23 ‘Mundilfaeri he is called, the father of Moon
and likewise of Sun;
they must circle through the sky, every day
to count the years for men.’

Odin said:
24 ‘Tell me this third thing, since you are said to be wise,
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
where day comes from, he who passes over mankind,
or night with its new moons.’

Vafthrudnir said:
25 ‘Delling he is called, he is Day’s father,
and Night was born of Norr;
new moon and dark of the moon the beneficent Powers made
to count the years for men.’

Odin said:
26 ‘Tell me this fourth thing, since you are said to be wise,
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
from where winter came or warm summer,
first among the wise Powers.’

Vafthrudnir said:
27 ‘Wind-cool he is called, Winter’s father,
and Mild One, the father of Summer.’

Odin said:
28 ‘Tell me this fifth thing, since you are said to be wise,
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
who was the eldest of the Æsir or of Ymir’s descendants
in bygone days.’

Vafthrudnir said:
29 ‘Uncountable winters before the earth was made,
then Bergelmir was born,
Thrudgelmir was his father,
and Aurgelmir his grandfather.’

Odin said:
30 ‘Tell me this sixth thing, since you are said to be wise,
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
from where Aurgelmir came among the sons of giants,*
first, the wise giant.’

Vafthrudnir said:
31 ‘Out of Elivagar sprayed poison-drops,*
so they grew until a giant came of them;
[from there arose all our clan,
thus they are all always terrifying.’]*

Odin said:
32 ‘Tell me this seventh thing, since you are said to be wise,
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
how he got children, that fierce giant,
when he had no sport with giantesses.’

Vafthrudnir said:
33 ‘They said that under the frost-giant’s arms
a girl and boy grew together;
one foot with the other, of the wise giant,
begot a six-headed son.’

Odin said:
34 ‘Tell me this eighth thing, since you are said to be wise,
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
what you first remember or what you know to be earliest,
you are all-wise, giant.’

Vafthrudnir said:
35 ‘Uncountable winters before the world was made,
then Bergelmir was born;
that I remember first when the wise giant
was first laid in his coffin.’*

Odin said:
36 ‘Tell me this ninth thing, since you are said to be wise,
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
where the wind comes from which blows over the waves,
which men never see itself.’

Vafthrudnir said:
37 ‘Carrion-swallower he is called, who sits at heaven’s end,
a giant in eagle’s shape;
from his wings, they say, the wind blows
over all men.’

Odin said:
38 ‘Tell me this tenth thing, since all the fate of the gods
you, Vafthrudnir, know,
from where Niord came to the sons of the Æsir;
he rules over very many temples and sanctuaries
and he was not raised among the Æsir.’

Vafthrudnir said:
39 ‘In Vanaheim the wise Powers made him
and gave him as hostage to the gods;
at the doom of men he will come back
home among the wise Vanir.’*

Odin said:
40 ‘Tell me that eleventh thing, where men fight
in the courts every day.’

Vafthrudnir said:
41 ‘All the Einheriar fight in Odin’s courts*
every day;
they choose the slain and ride from the battle;
then they sit the more at peace together.’

Odin said:
42 ‘Tell me this twelfth thing, why all the fate of the gods
you, Vafthrudnir, know;
of the secrets of the giants and of all the gods
tell most truly,
all-wise giant.’

Vafthrudnir said:
43 ‘Of the secrets of the giants and of all the gods,
I can tell truly,
for I have been into every world;
nine worlds I have travelled through to Mist-hell,
there men die down out of hell.’

Odin said:
44 ‘Much I have travelled, much have I tried out,
much have I tested the Powers;
which humans will survive when the famous
Mighty Winter is over among men?’

Vafthrudnir said:
45 ‘Life and Lifthrasir, and they will hide
in Hoddmimir’s wood;*
they will have the morning dew for food;
from them generations will spring.’

Odin said:
46 ‘Much I have travelled, much have I tried out,
much have I tested the Powers;
from where will a sun come into the smooth heaven
when Fenrir has destroyed this one?’

Vafthrudnir said:
47 ‘Elf-radiance will bear a daughter,
before Fenrir destroys her;
she shall ride, when the Powers die,
the girl on her mother’s paths.’

Odin said:
48 ‘Much I have travelled, much have I tried out,
much have I tested the Powers;
who are those girls who glide over the sea,*
wise in spirit, they journey?’

Vafthrudnir said:
49 ‘Three mighty rivers flow over the settlement*
of Mogthrasir’s girls;*
theirs are the only protective spirits in this world,*
although they were raised among giants.’

Odin said:
50 ‘Much I have travelled, much have I tried out,
much have I tested the Powers;
which Æsir will rule over the gods’ possessions,
when Surt’s fire is slaked?’

Vafthrudnir said:
51 ‘Vidar and Vali will live in the gods’ sanctuaries,
when Surt’s fire is slaked;
Modi and Magni shall have Miollnir*
and demonstrate battle-strength.’

Odin said:
52 ‘Much I have travelled, much have I tried out,
much have I tested the Powers;
what will Odin’s life’s end be,
when the Powers are torn apart?’

Vafthrudnir said:
53 ‘The wolf will swallow the Father of Men,
Vidar will avenge this;
the cold jaws of the wolf
he will sunder in battle.’

Odin said:
54 ‘Much I have travelled, much have I tried out,
much have I tested the Powers;
what did Odin say into his son’s ear*
before he mounted the pyre?’

Vafthrudnir said:
55 ‘No man knows what you said in bygone days
into your son’s ear;
with doomed mouth I’ve spoken my ancient lore
about the fate of the gods;
I’ve been contending with Odin in words of wisdom;
you’ll always be the wisest of beings.’


- Poetic Edda, Vafthrudnismal