Odin's Self-Sacrifice

Now are Hor's words spoken in the hall, Kind for the kindred of men, Cursed for the kindred of giants: Hail to the speaker, and to him who learns! Profit be his who has them! Hail to them who hearken! * * *

I ween that I hung on the windy tree, Hung there for nights full nine; With the spear I was wounded, and offered I was To Othin, myself to myself, On the tree that none may ever know What root beneath it runs. [138. In the manuscript this stanza comes at the end of the entire poem, following stanza 165. Most recent editors have followed Müllenhoff in shifting it to this position, as it appears to conclude the passage introduced by the somewhat similar stanza 111.

None made me happy with loaf or horn, And there below I looked; I took up the runes, shrieking I took them, And forthwith back I fell. file:///C|/WINDOWS/Desktop/sacred-texts/neu/poe/poe04.htm (21 of 26) [4/8/2002 10:06:48 PM] Hovamol

Nine mighty songs I got from the son Of Bolthorn, Bestla's father; And a drink I got of the goodly mead Poured out from Othrörir.

Then began I to thrive, and wisdom to get, I grew and well I was; Each word led me on to another word, Each deed to another deed.

Runes shalt thou find, and fateful signs, That the king of singers colored, And the mighty gods have made; [141. This stanza, interrupting as it does the account of Othin's winning the runes, appears to be an interpolation. The meaning of the stanza is most obscure. Bolthorn was Othin's grandfather, and Bestla his mother. We do not know the name of the uncle here mentioned, but it has been suggested that this son of Bolthorn was Mimir (cf. Voluspo, 27 and note, and 47 and note). In any case, the nine magic songs which he learned from his uncle seem to have enabled him to win the magic mead (cf. stanzas 104-110). Concerning Othrörir, here used as the name of the vessel containing the mead, cf. stanza 107 and note.

Othin for the gods, Dain for the elves, And Dvalin for the dwarfs, Alsvith for giants and all mankind, And some myself I wrote.

Knowest how one shall write, knowest how one shall rede? Knowest how one shall tint, knowest how one makes trial? Knowest how one shall ask, knowest how one shall offer? Knowest how one shall send, knowest how one shall sacrifice? [144. Dain and Dvalin: dwarfs; cf. Voluspo, 14, and note. Dain, however, may here be one of the elves rather than the dwarf of. that name. The two names also appear together in Grimnismol, 33, where they are applied to two of the four harts that nibble at the topmost twigs of Yggdrasil. Alsvith ("the All Wise") appears nowhere else as a giant's name. Myself: Othin. We have no further information concerning the list of those who wrote the runes for the various races, and these four lines seem like a confusion of names in the rather hazy mind of some reciter.