Grimnismal is similar to Vafthruthnismal, being mostly a compilation of mythological lore and having a frame story involving Odin. In this case, Odin disguises himself under the name “Shadowed-Face” (Old Norse Grimnir, literally the “Cloaked One”). He is held captive in the court of a king he once favored, and delivers his mythic lore to the king’s merciful young son after eight nights of being starved between two bonfires. The prose prologue and epilogue are original. Grimnismal appears in both the Codex Regius and in the manuscript AM 748 I 4to.
Concerning the sons of King Hrauthung
King Hrauthung had two sons. One was named Agnar and the other Geirroth. Agnar was ten years old, and Geirroth was eight. The two of them rowed out in a boat with their fishing tackle and hoped to catch some small fish, but the wind drove them far out into the sea. In the dark night they wrecked and went up on to the land, where they met a poor farmer, and they stayed there with him over the winter. The farmer’s old wife fostered Agnar, but the farmer fostered Geirroth and tutored him. Early in the spring the man gave them a boat, and when he and his wife followed them down to the shore, the man spoke to Geirroth in secrecy.
The boys departed, and the wind was favorable. They came to their father’s harbor, and then Geirroth, who stood foremost in the boat, sprang up on land and shoved the boat back out to sea and said: “Go wherever the trolls take you!”
The boat drifted far out to sea with Agnar, but Geirroth went inland to his father’s hall. He was received well, but he learned that his father had died. So Geirroth was taken as king, and he became a famous man.
Odin and Frigg sat in Hlithskjalf and looked out over all the worlds. Odin said, “Look how your foster-son Agnar sits and fathers children on a trollwoman in a cave, while my foster-son Geirroth is king and rules the land.”
Frigg said, “But Geirroth is so stingy with food that he starves his guests, if he thinks there are too many.”
Odin said that this was a tremendous lie, and so he and Frigg made a wager about it. Then Frigg sent her servant Fulla to Geirroth, and had Fulla warn him that a sorceror had come to the land, but that this sorceror could be recognized by the fact that even the fiercest dog would not attack him.
It was, in fact, an idle rumor that Geirroth was miserly with his food. All the same, he ordered any man who would not be attacked by any dog to be apprehended. Odin came wearing a blue cape, and called himself Shadowed-Face, but said nothing more of himself even when asked, so the king had him tortured in an effort to extract more information from him, and had him placed between two burning fires, where he sat for eight nights.
King Geirroth had a ten-year-old son, named Agnar after the king’s brother. Agnar went to this “Shadowed-Face” and gave him a full horn to drink and said he thought his father was behaving poorly, to torture a man without cause. Shadowed-Face drank, and by then the fire had grown so large that it had begun to burn his cloak. Then Shadowed-Face said:
“YOU’RE HOT, FIRE, and much too big— get away from me, flames! My coat is getting burned, even though I’m holding it up! My clothing is on fire!
“I’ve sat between the fires here for eight nights, and no one offered or gave me food, except Agnar alone. Now Agnar will be the sole ruler of the land of the Goths.
“Hail, Agnar, it’s the chief of the gods who’s wishing you well! You will never be repaid so well for one drink, no matter how long you live.
“I see a holy land which lies near those of the gods and the elves. In that place, Thruthheim, Thor will live till Ragnarok.
“Ull has built good halls for himself in Ydalir. The gods gave Frey the land of Alfheim long ago, as a gift in his youth.”
“I know a third place where happy gods live beneath a silver roof. It’s called Valaskjalf— the place Odin made himself in the old days.
“A fourth hall is Sokkvabekk, which the cool waves crash upon. There Odin and Saga drink happily every day from golden cups.
“A fifth land is Gladsheim, where gold-bright, wide Valhalla stands. That is where Odin chooses from the men killed by weapons every day.
“Valhalla is easily recognized if one comes to see it. The hall is held up by spearshafts, it is roofed by shields, chainmail is on the benches.
“Valhalla is easily recognized if one comes to see it. A wolf hangs above the western door, and an eagle above him.
“Thjassi, the mighty giant, once lived in the sixth hall, now known as Thrymheim. And now Skathi, bright bride of the gods, lives in her father’s old home.
“Balder built himself a hall, and it is called Breithablik. That’s a place where I know you’ll find little grief.
“Heimdall inhabits the eighth hall, Himinbjorg, that is where he is the master. In that pleasant house, the watchman of the gods happily drinks his good mead.
“Freyja rules in the ninth land, Folkvang— that is where she arranges the seats. She chooses half the dead who die in battle, and Odin takes the other half.
“The tenth hall is Glitnir, with gold walls and a silver roof. The god named Forseti is there on most days, and he settles disputes.
“The eleventh hall is Njorth’s, which he built and named Noatun. That flawless lord of men rules that high-timbered temple.
“The wide land of Vithar is overgrown with high grass and weeds. That bold son of Odin is preparing himself to avenge his father on horseback.
“Andhrimnir the cook lets the pork from Saehrimnir cook in the cauldron Eldhrimnir. There is no better meat, and there are few who know what the Einherjar eat.
“Battle-winning Odin feeds his tamed wolves, Geri and Freki. But for his part, weapon-loving Odin lives on wine alone.
“Thought and Memory, my ravens, fly every day the whole world over. Each day I fear that Thought might not return, but I fear more for Memory.”
“The waves thunder, and the Midgard-serpent makes his home in Fenrir’s sea. Dead men will find that sea passage too wide to wade.
“Valgrind is a holy hall with holy doors, upon a field. The gate is old, and there are few who know how it is locked.
“Thor’s hall, Bilskirnir, has six-hundred and forty rooms, if all are counted. I am certain that of all roofed houses, Thor’s is the largest.
“I think Valhalla has six-hundred and forty doors, if all are counted. Eight hundred Einherjar will walk through each, when the day comes to fight Fafnir.
“There is a goat named Heithrun who stands on Odin’s hall and gnaws the limbs of the tree Laerath. That goat fills Valhalla’s cups with bright mead from her udders, and that drink will never diminish.
“There is a stag named Eikthyrnir who stands on Odin’s hall and gnaws the limbs of the tree Laerath. Drops fall from his horns into the well of Hvergelmir; that is the origin of all the rivers:
“The rivers Sith and Vith, Saekin and Eikin, Svol and Gunnthro, Fjorm and Fimbulthul, Rhine and Rennandi, Gipul and Gopul, Gomul and Geirvomul, Thyn and Vin, Tholl and Holl— these conceal the gods’ riches.
“Another river is Vina, another Vegsvinn, a third is Thjothnuma, and also Nyt and Not, Nonn and Hronn, Slith and Hrith, Sylg and Ylg, Vith and Von, Vond and Strond, Gjoll and Leipt— these rivers flow near the men who die and go to Hel.
“Thor will wade four rivers every day— the ones called Kormt and Ormt, and the two rivers Kerlaug— when he goes to meetings at the tree Yggdrasil. Bifrost, bridge of the gods, burns in bright flame, and the holy waters seethe.
“The rivers Glath and Gyllir, Gler and Skeithbrimir, Silfrintopp and Sinir, Gisl and Falhofnir, Gulltopp and Lettfeti, the gods of Asgard ride their horses every day over these when they go to meet at the tree Yggdrasil.
“Beneath the tree Yggdrasil are three roots, which grow in three directions. Hel is beneath one, Jotunheim beneath another, Midgard is beneath the third.
“A squirrel is named Ratatosk, he runs along the trunk of Yggdrasil. He takes the words of the eagle, tells his insults to Nithhogg below.
“There are four deer who stretch out their necks and eat the leaves of Yggdrasil: Dain and Dvalin, Duneyr and Durathror.
“No fool has ever guessed how many serpents lie beneath Yggdrasil. I think that Goin and Moin, Grabak and Grafvolluth, Ofnir and Svafnir, sons of the snake Grafvitnir, will always gnaw that tree’s roots.
“The tree Yggdrasil endures more pain than any men guess. It’s eaten from above by the deer, on the side by rot, from beneath by serpents.
“They bring my horn, my Valkyries! Hrist and Mist, Skeggjold and Skogul, Hild and Thruth, Hlokk and Herfjot, Goll and Geirolul, Randgrith, Rathgrith, and Reginleif— they bring the Einherjar beer.
“Those slender horses, Arvak and Alsvith, lead the sun across the sky. And the gods have hidden cooling bellows beneath their legs.
“There is a shield named Svol. It is set between Midgard and the sun, in front of the shining sun. I know the mountains and the sea would burn up entirely if that shield ever fell down from there.
“Skol is the name of the wolf who chases the sun till it sets at evening in the woods. Another wolf named Hati is Hrothvitnir’s son; he runs in front of the sun, behind the moon.
“The earth was formed from Ymir’s flesh, and the sea from his blood, the rocks from his bones, the trees from his hair, and the sky from his skull.
“The happy gods formed Midgard for humans from Ymir’s eyelashes. They formed all the grim clouds from his brains.
“Whoever first puts out the fire will have the help of Ull and all the gods. The realms will be open to all the gods, when the kettles are cooled.
“In ancient days the dwarves made Skithblathnir, the best of ships, for handsome Frey, the strong son of Njorth.
“The tree Yggdrasil is the best of trees. Skithblathnir is the best ship, Odin the best god, Sleipnir the best horse, Bifrost the best bridge, Bragi the best poet, Habrok the best hawk, Garm the best dog.
“I have shown my face in the presence of gods, now help is on its way. It will come to all the gods on Aegir’s benches, when they drink at Aegir’s place.
“I have called myself Grim, I have called myself Wanderer, Warrior and Helmet-Wearer, Famed One and Third One, Thunder and Wave, Hel-Blind and One-Eye,
“Truth, and Swift, and True Father, Battle-Merry, Battle-Stirrer, Curse-Eye and Fire-Eye, Evildoer, Spellcaster, Masked and Shadowed-Face, Fool and Wise Man,
“Long-Hat and Long-Beard, Victory-Father and War-Ready, Allfather, War-Father, Rope-Rider and Hanged-God. I have never been known by just one name since I first walked among men.
“They called me Shadowed-Face here at Geirroth’s place, but Gelding at Asmund’s, they called me Driver when I pulled the sleds, and Mighty at the assembly. Among the gods I’m called Wish-Granter, Speaker, Just-as-High, Shield-Shaker, Wand-Bearer, Graybeard.
“Wise and Wisdom-Granter were my names at Sokkmimir’s hall, when I deceived that old giant and I killed his famous son. I was his killer.
“You are drunk, Geirroth! You have drunk too much. You have lost too much when you have lost my favor; you’ve lost the favor of Odin and all the Einherjar.
“I’ve told you much, and you’ll remember little— your friends will deceive you— I see the sword of my friend dripping with blood.
“Now Odin will have a weapon-killed man— I know your life has ended. Your guardian spirits are anxious, they see Odin here before you. Approach me, if you can.
“Odin is my name. But before they called me Terror, and Thunder before that, and Waker and Killer, and Confuser and Orator-God, Heat-Maker, Sleep-Maker, both Gelding and Father! I think all these names were used for me alone.”
King Geirroth sat with his sword on his knees, halfway drawn. When he understood that this was Odin who had come to his hall, he stood up and wanted to take Odin out of the flames. But the sword fell out of his hand and fell hilt-first to the ground. The king tripped and fell upon it, so that the sword pierced him through and he died. Then Odin left, and Agnar was the king of that land for a long time afterward.