Gylfaginning Frame Story

King Gylfi was ruler in what is now called Sweden. Of him it is
said that he gave a certain vagrant woman, as a reward for his
entertainment, one plough-land in his kingdom, as much as four
oxen could plough up in a day and a night. Now this woman was
one of the race of the Æsir. Her name was Gefiun. She took four
oxen from the north, from Giantland, the sons of her and a certain
giant, and put them before the plough. But the plough cut so hard
and deep that it uprooted the land, and the oxen drew the land out
into the sea to the west and halted in a certain sound. There
Gefiun put the land and gave it a name and called it Zealand.
Where the land had been lifted from there remained a lake; this is
now called Lake Malar in Sweden. And the inlets in the lake
correspond to the headlands in Zealand. Thus says the poet Bragi
the Old:

Gefiun drew from Gylfi, glad, a deep-ring of land [the island
of Zealand] so that from the swift-pullers [oxen] steam
rose: Denmark’s extension. The oxen wore eight brow-stars
[eyes] as they went hauling their plunder, the wide island of
meadows, and four heads.

King Gylfi was clever and skilled in magic. He was quite
amazed that the Æsir-people had the ability to make everything
go in accordance with their will. He wondered whether this could
be as a result of their own nature, or whether the divine powers
they worshipped could be responsible. He set out to Asgard and
travelled in secret and assumed the form of an old man and so
disguised himself. But the Æsir were the wiser in that they had the
gift of prophecy, and they saw his movements before he arrived,
and prepared deceptive appearances for him. When he got into
the city he saw there a high hall, so that he could scarcely see over
it. Its roof was covered with gilded shields like tiles. Thiodolf of
Hvinir refers thus to Val-hall being roofed with shields:

On their backs they let shine — they were bombarded with
stones — Svafnir’s [Odin’s] hall-shingles [shields], those
sensible men.

In the doorway of the hall Gylfi saw a man juggling with knives,
keeping seven in the air at a time. This man spoke first and asked
him his name. He said it was Gangleri and that he had travelled
trackless ways; he requested that he might have a night’s lodging
there and asked whose hall it was. The man replied that it
belonged to their king.

‘And I can take you to see him. Then you can ask him his name
yourself.’

And the man turned ahead of him into the hall. Gylfi followed,
and the door immediately shut on his heels. He saw there many
apartments and many people, some engaged in games, some were
drinking, some were armed and were fighting. He looked around
and thought many of the things he saw were incredible. Then he
said:

‘Every doorway, before you go through, should be peered
round, for you cannot know for certain where enemies may
be sitting waiting inside.’

He saw three thrones one above the other, and there were three
men, one sitting in each. Then he asked what the name of their
ruler was. The man who had brought him in replied that the one
that sat in the lowest throne was king and was called High, next to
him the one called Just-as-high, and the one sitting at the top was
called Third. Then High asked the newcomer whether he had any
further business, though he was welcome to food and drink like
everyone else there in the High one’s hall. He said that he wished
first to find out if there was any learned person in there. High said
he would not get out unscathed unless he was more learned, and

‘Stand out in front while you ask: he who tells shall sit.’

Gangleri began his questioning thus:

‘Who is the highest and most ancient of all gods?’


- Prose Edda, Gylfaginning