Illusion Alternate Translation

King Gylfi was a wise man skilled in magic. He was amazed that the Æsir knew so much that everything went according to their wishes. He wondered whether this was because of their own nature or whether it came from the divine power of the gods they worshipped. He set out on a secret trip to Asgard and changed into the likeness of an old man to disguise himself. But the Æsir, because they had the gift of prophecy, were the wiser in such matters. Before his arrival they foresaw his coming and, in preparation for him, they conjured up visual illusions.* When he entered the fortress, he saw a hall. It was so high that he could scarcely see over it, and golden shields covered its roof like shingles. As Thjodolf of Hvin says, Valhalla [Hall of the Slain] was roofed with shields:

On their backs they let shine
hall shingles of Svafnir [Odin],
when bombarded with stones,
those resourceful men.

[...]

A man was named Ægir or Hler. He lived on the island now called Hlesey, and was greatly skilled in magic. He set off on a trip to Asgard. The Æsir knew he was coming and they received him well, but much of what they showed him was fashioned through spells and shape-changings. In the evening when it was time to drink, Odin had swords brought into the hall. These shone so brightly that no other light was used while they sat at the drinking. The Æsir then went to their feast, and the twelve Æsir who were to be judges sat in their high seats. They were named Thor, Njord, Frey, Tyr, Heimdall, Bragi, Vidar, Vali, Ull, Hoenir, Forseti and Loki. The goddesses, who did likewise, were Frigg, Freyja, Gefjun, Idunn, Gerd, Sigyn, Fulla and Nanna. To Ægir it seemed that everything he saw around him was noble. Magnificent shields hung on all the wallboards. Strong mead was served and the drinking was heavy. Next to Ægir sat Bragi.1 They drank together and exchanged stories. Bragi told Ægir about the many things that had happened to the Æsir.



- Prose Edda, Gylfaginning and Skaldskaparmal (Jesse L. Byock translation)


("conjured up visual illusions: The text employs the word sjónhverfing (pl. sjónhverfingar), with the sense of an optical illusion. In medieval Iceland sjónhverfing was understood to be the result of spells, part of a popular form of magic called galdr." - Footnote included with translation)