Alvissmol

The Ballad of Alvis

Introductory Note

No better summary of the Alvissmol can be given than Gering’s statement that “it is a versified chapter from the skaldic Poetics.” The narrative skeleton, contained solely in stanzas 1–8 and in 35, is of the slightest; the dwarf Alvis, desirous of marrying Thor’s daughter, is compelled by the god to answer a number of questions to test his knowledge. That all his answers are quite satisfactory makes no difference whatever to the outcome. The questions and answers differ radically from those of the Vafthruthnismol. Instead of being essentially mythological, they all concern synonyms. Thor asks what the earth, the sky, the moon, and so on, are called “in each of all the worlds,” but there is no apparent significance in the f act that the gods call the earth one thing and the giants call it another; the answers are simply strings of poetic circumlocutions, or “kennings.” Concerning the use of these “kennings” in skaldic poetry, cf. introductory note to the Hymiskvitha.

Mogk is presumably right in dating the poem as late as the twelfth century, assigning it to the period of “the Icelandic renaissance of skaldic poetry.” It appears to have been the work of a man skilled in poetic construction,—Thor’s questions, for instance, are neatly balanced in pairs,—and fully familiar with the intricacies of skaldic diction, but distinctly weak in his mythology. In other words, it is learned rather than spontaneous poetry. Finnur Jonsson’s attempt to make it a tenth century Norwegian poem baffles logic. Vigfusson is pretty sure the poem shows marked traces of Celtic influence, which is by no means incompatible with Mogk’s theory (cf. introductory note to the Rigsthula).

The poem is found only in Regius, where it follows the Thrymskvitha. Snorri quotes stanzas 2c, and 30, the manuscripts of the Prose Edda giving the name of the poem as Alvissmol, Alsvinnsmol or Olvismol. It is apparently in excellent condition, without serious errors of transmission, although interpolations or omissions in such a poem might have been made so easily as to defy detection.

The translation of the many synonyms presents, of course, unusual difficulties, particularly as many of the Norse words can be properly rendered in English only by more or less extended phrases. I have kept to the original meanings as closely as I could without utterly destroying the metrical structure.

Alvis spake:
“Now shall the bride my benches adorn,
And homeward haste forthwith;
Eager for wedlock to all shall I seem,
Nor at home shall they rob me of rest.”^[1]

Thor spake:
“What, pray, art thou? Why so pale round the nose?
By the dead hast thou lain of late?
To a giant like dost thou look, methinks;
Thou wast not born for the bride.”^[2]

Alvis spake:
“Alvis am I, and under the earth
My home ’neath the rocks I have;
With the wagon-guider a word do I seek,
Let the gods their bond not break.”^[3]

Thor spake:
“Break it shall I, for over the bride
Her father has foremost right;
At home was I not when the promise thou hadst,
And I give her alone of the gods.”^[4]

Alvis spake:
“What hero claims such right to hold
O’er the bride that shines so bright?
Not many will know thee, thou wandering man!
Who was bought with rings to bear thee?”^[5]

Thor spake:
“Vingthor, the wanderer wide, am I,
And I am Sithgrani’s son;
Against my will shalt thou get the maid,
And win the marriage word.”^[6]

Alvis spake:
“Thy good-will now shall I quickly get,
And win the marriage word;
I long to have, and I would not lack,
This snow-white maid for mine.”

Thor spake:
“The love of the maid I may not keep thee
From winning, thou guest so wise,
If of every world thou canst tell me all
That now I wish to know.^[7]

“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the earth, that lies before all,
In each and every world?”

Alvis spake:
“‘Earth’ to men, ‘Field’ to the gods it is,
‘The Ways’ is it called by the Wanes;
‘Ever Green’ by the giants, ‘The Grower’ by elves,
‘The Moist’ by the holy ones high.”^[8]

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the heaven, beheld of the high one,
In each and every world?”^[9]

Alvis spake:
“‘Heaven’ men call it, ‘The Height’ the gods,
The Wanes ‘The Weaver of Winds’;
Giants ‘The Up-World,’ elves ‘The Fair-Roof,’
The dwarfs ‘The Dripping Hall.’”

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men.:
What call they the moon, that men behold,
In each and every world?”

Alvis spake:
“‘Moon’ with men, ‘Flame’ the gods among,
‘The Wheel’ in the house of hell;
‘The Goer’ the giants, ‘The Gleamer’ the dwarfs,
The elves ‘The Teller of Time.’”^[10]

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the sun, that all men see,
In each and every world?”

Alvis spake:
“Men call it ‘Sun,’ gods ‘Orb of the Sun,’
‘The Deceiver of Dvalin’ the dwarfs;
The giants ‘The Ever-Bright,’ elves ‘Fair Wheel,’
‘All-Glowing’ the sons of the gods.”^[11]

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the clouds, that keep the rains,
In each and every world?”

Alvis spake:
“‘Clouds’ men name them, ‘Rain-Hope’ gods call them,
The Wanes call them ‘Kites of the Wind’;
‘Water-Hope’ giants, ‘Weather-Might’ elves,
‘The Helmet of Secrets’ in hell.”

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the wind, that widest fares,
In each and every world?”

Alvis spake:
“‘Wind’ do men call it, the gods ‘The Waverer,’
‘The Neigher’ the holy ones high;
‘The Wailer’ the giants, ‘Roaring Wender’ the elves,
In hell ‘The Blustering Blast.’^[12]

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the calm, that quiet lies,
In each and every world?”

Alvis spake:
“‘Calm’ men call it, ‘The Quiet’ the gods,
The Wanes ‘The Hush of the Winds’;
‘The Sultry’ the giants, elves ‘Day’s Stillness,’
The dwarfs ‘The Shelter of Day.’^[13]

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the sea, whereon men sail,
In each and every world?”

Alvis spake:
“‘Sea’ men call it, gods ‘The Smooth-Lying,’
‘The Wave’ is it called by the Wanes;
‘Eel-Home’ the giants, ‘Drink-Stuff’ the elves,
For the dwarfs its name is ‘The Deep.’^[14]

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the fire, that flames for men,
In each of all the worlds?”

Alvis spake:
“‘Fire’ men call it, and ‘Flame’ the gods,
By the Wanes is it ‘Wildfire’ called;
‘The Biter’ by giants, ‘The Burner’ by dwarfs,
‘The Swift’ in the house of hell.”^[15]

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the wood, that grows for mankind,
In each and every world?”

Alvis spake:
“Men call it ‘The Wood,’ gods ‘The Mane of the Field,’
‘Seaweed of Hills’ in hell;
‘Flame-Food’ the giants, ‘Fair-Limbed’ the elves,
‘The Wand’ is it called by the Wanes.”^[16]

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the night, the daughter of Nor,
In each and every world?”^[17]

Alvis spake:
“‘Night’ men call it, ‘Darkness’ gods name it,
‘The Hood’ the holy ones high;
The giants ‘The Lightless,’ the elves ‘Sleep’s joy’
The dwarfs ‘The Weaver of Dreams.’”^[18]

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the seed, that is sown by men,
In each and every world?”

Alvis spake:
“Men call it ‘Grain,’ and ‘Corn’ the gods,
‘Growth’ in the world of the Wanes;
‘The Eaten’ by giants, ‘Drink-Stuff’ by elves,
In hell ‘The Slender Stem.’^[19]

Thor spake:
“Answer me, Alvis! thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of men:
What call they the ale, that is quaffed of men,
In each and every world?”

Alvis spake:
“‘Ale’ among men, ‘Beer’ the gods among,
In the world of the Wanes ‘The Foaming’;
‘Bright Draught’ with giants, ‘Mead’ with dwellers in hell,
‘The Feast-Draught’ with Suttung’s sons.”^[20]

Thor spake:
“In a single breast I never have seen
More wealth of wisdom old;
But with treacherous wiles must I now betray thee:
The day has caught thee, dwarf!
(Now the sun shines here in the hall.)”^[21]