Skald [English translation]

They call me "troll":

"dwelling-Hrungnir's moon",

"the giant's wealth-sucker",

"bale of the storm-sun",

"the seeress' delightful company",

"guard of the corpse-fjord",1

"swallower of the heavenly wheel".2

What's a troll, but this?

They call me "poet":

"smith of Viðurr's ship",3

"finder of Gautr's gift",4

"unscanty man",

"bearer of Yggr's beer",5

"Móði's creator in poetry",6

"skilled smith of verses".

What's a skald, but this?

What's a skald, but this?

1. "Corpse-fjord": kenning for "grave".2. "Heavenly wheel": kenning for "sun".3. Viðurr is one of Odin's many names, often used in kennings that indicate scaldic poetry. It is said that Odin, lord of poetry (an art which doesn't astray much from magic and prophecy), would always speak in verses.4. Another of Odin's names, and in this case too, "Gautr's gift" is scaldic poetry, as it was Odin who bestowed it to mankind.5. Yggr is yet another of Odin's names. Mead (and not beer) was considered the skalds' beverage, as anyone who drank it would become poet. It is possible that here the beer is substituting mead.6. Móði is one of Thor's sons. He is sometimes named in kennings that actually indicate his father (e.g. "Móði's father"). It's possible that this kenning calls the poet "Thor of poetry".