Stanza 146

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Ljóð ek þau kann er kannat þjóðans kona ok mannskis mögr hjálp heitir eitt en þat þér hjálpa mun við sökum ok sorgum ok sútum görvöllum	The first charm I know is unknown to rulers Or any of human kind; Help it is named, for help it can give In hours of sorrow and anguish.	147. The songs I know | that king's wives know not, Nor men that are sons of men; The first is called help, | and help it can bring thee In sorrow and pain and sickness.	145. Those songs I know, which nor sons of men nor queen in a king's court knows; the first is Help which will bring thee help in all woes and in sorrow and strife.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
I know those magical songs, not known by the wives of kings, or any human. One is called help and will help you in all sickness, sorrow and affliction.	Those spells I know which the spouses of kings wot not, nor earthly wight: "Help" one is hight, with which holpen thou'lt be in sorrow and care and sickness.	I know spells no king's wife can say and no man has mastered; one is called "Help" because it can comfort the sick and careworn, relieve all sorrows.	148. Those songs I know which the king’s wife knows not nor son of man. Help the first is called, for that will help thee against strifes and cares.
With this stanza begins the Ljothatal, or list of charms. The magic songs themselves are not given, but in each case the peculiar application of the charm is explained. The passage, which is certainly approximately complete as far as it goes, runs to the end of the poem. In the manuscript and in most editions line 4 falls into two half-lines, running: "In sickness and pain | and every sorrow."

Stanza 145

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Betra er óbeðit en sé ofblótit ey sér til gildis gjöf betra er ósent en sé ofsóit svá Þundr um reist fyr þjóða rök þar hann upp um reis er hann aptr of kom	Better not to ask than to over-pledge As a gift that demands a gift"; Better not to send than to slay too many,	146. Better no prayer | than too big an offering, By thy getting measure thy gift; Better is none | than too big a sacrifice, . . . . . . . . . . So Thund of old wrote | ere man's race began, Where he rose on high | when home he came.	144. Better ask for too little than offer too much, like the gift should be the boon; better not to send than to overspend. ........ Thus Odin graved ere the world began; Then he rose from the deep, and came again.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
It is better not to ask, than to sacrifice too much. A gift always looks for a gift. It is better unsent, than over sacrificed. So Thund carved before the doom of mankind. He rose up and came back after that.	'Tis better unasked than offered overmuch; for ay doth a gift look for gain; 'tis better unasked than offered overmuch: thus did Othin write ere the earth began, when up he rose in after time.	Better no prayers than too many presents, gift ever looks for gift; rather be forgotten than fed too much. Thus wrote Odin before the world began, where he rose up when he returned.	147. ‘Tis better not to pray than too much offer; a gift ever looks to a return. ‘Tis better not to send than too much consume. So Thund graved before the origin of men, where he ascended, to whence he afterwards came.
This stanza as translated here follows the manuscript reading, except in assuming a gap between lines 3 and 5. In Vigfusson and Powell's Corpus Poeticum Boreale the first three lines have somehow been expanded into eight. The last two lines are almost certainly misplaced; Bugge suggests that they belong at the end of stanza 144. Thund: another name for Othin. When home he came: presumably after obtaining the runes as described in stanzas 139 and 140.

Stanza 144

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Veiztu hvé rísta skal? Veiztu hvé ráða skal? Veiztu hvé fá skal? Veiztu hvé freista skal? Veiztu hvé biðja skal? Veiztu hvé blóta skal? Veiztu hvé senda skal? Veiztu hvé sóa skal?	Know how to cut them, know how to read them, Know how to stain them, know how to prove them, Know how to evoke them, know how to score them, Know how to send them"; know how to send them,	145. 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?	143. Dost know how to write, dost know how to read, dost know how to paint, dost know how to prove, dost know how to ask, dost know how to offer, dost know how to send, dost know how to spend?
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
Know how to carve them, know how to read them, know how to stain them, know how to wield them, know how to ask them, know how to bloody them, know how to send them, know how to sacrifice them.	Know'st how to write, know'st how to read, know'st how to stain, how to understand, know'st how to ask, know'st how to offer, know'st how to supplicate, know'st how to sacrifice?	Do you know how to write? Do you know how to read? Do you know how to paint? Do you know how to prove? Do you know how to wish? Do you know how to worship? Do you know how to summon? Do you know how to sacrifice?	146. Knowest thou how to grave them? knowest thou how to expound them? knowest thou how to depict them? knowest thou how to prove them? knowest thou how to pray? knowest thou how to offer? knowest thou how to send? knowest thou how to consume?
This Malahattr stanza appears to be a regular religious formula, concerned less with the runes which one "writes" and "tints" (cf. stanza 79) than with the prayers which one "asks" and the sacrifices which one "offers" and "sends." Its origin is wholly uncertain, but it is clearly an interpolation here. In the manuscript the phrase "knowest?" is abbreviated after the first line.

Stanza 143

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Óðinn með ásum en fyr álfum Dáinn ok Dvalinn dvergum fyrir Ásviðr jötnum fyrir ek reist sjálfr sumar	For the gods by Odhinn, for the elves by Dain, By Dvalin, too, for the dwarves, By Asvid for the hateful giants, And some I carved myself: Thund, before man was made, scratched them, Who rose first, fell thereafter	144. Othin for the gods, | Dain for the elves, And Dvalin for the dwarfs, Alsvith for giants | and all mankind, And some myself I wrote.	For gods graved Odin, for elves graved Daïn, Dvalin the Dallier for dwarfs, All-wise for Jötuns, and I, of myself, graved some for the sons of men.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
Odin among the Aesir, but Dain for the elves, Dvalinn for the dwarves, Asvith for the ettins. I carved some myself.	Othin among Æsir, for alfs, Dain, Dvalin for the dwarfs, Alsvith among etins, (but for earth-borne men) wrought I some myself.	Odin for the Æsir, Dain for the elves, Dvalin for the dwarfs, Asvid for the giants, I made some myself.	145. Odin among the Æsir, but among the Alfar, Dáin, and Dvalin for the dwarfs, Ásvid for the Jötuns: some I myself graved.
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.

Stanza 142

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Rúnar munt þú finna ok ráðna stafi mjök stóra stafi mjök stinna stafi er fáði fimbulþulr ok gørðu ginnregin ok reist Hroptr rögna	Runes you will find, and readable staves, Very strong staves, Very stout staves, Staves that Bolthor stained, Made by mighty powers, Graven by the prophetic god,	143. Runes shalt thou find, | and fateful signs, That the king of singers colored, And the mighty gods have made; Full strong the signs, | full mighty the signs That the ruler of gods doth write.	141. Hidden Runes shalt thou seek and interpreted signs, many symbols of might and power, by the great Singer painted, by the high Powers fashioned, graved by the Utterer of gods.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
You will find runes, meaningful staves, very powerful staves, very strong staves, that Fimbul dyed, that the Ginnregin shaped, that the God Hropt carved.	Runes wilt thou find, and rightly read, of wondrous weight, of mighty magic, which that dyed the dread God, which that made the holy hosts, and were etched by Othin.	You will find runes and read staves rightly, the strong magic, the mighty spells that the sage set down, that the great gods made, wisdom of Odin.	144. Runes thou wilt find, and explained characters, very large characters, very potent characters, which the great speaker depicted, and the high powers formed, and the powers’ prince graved:
This and the following stanza belong together, and in many editions appear as a single stanza. They presumably come from some lost poem on the authorship of the runes. Lines 2 and 3 follow line 4 in the manuscript; the transposition was suggested by Bugge. The king of singers: Othin. The magic signs (runes) were commonly carved in wood, then colored red.

Stanza 141

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Þá nam ek frævask ok fróðr vera ok vaxa ok vel hafask orð mér af orði orðs leitaði verk mér af verki verks leitaði	Waxed and throve well; Word from word gave words to me, Deed from deed gave deeds to me,	142. 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.	140. Ere long I bare fruit, and throve full well, I grew and waxed in wisdom; word following word, I found me words, deed following deed, I wrought deeds.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
Then I began to grow and waxed well in wisdom. One word led me to another, one work led me to another.	Then began I to grow and gain in insight, to wax eke in wisdom: One verse led on to another verse, one poem led on to the other poem.	Thus I learned the secret lore, prospered and waxed in wisdom; I won words from the words I sought, verses multiplied where I sought verse.	143. Then I began to bear fruit, and to know many things, to grow and well thrive: word by word I sought out words, fact by fact I sought out facts
Drinking the mead opened his mind to learn. For eons, medicine man and magic users have used psychotropic substances to unlock their minds and open themselves to knowledge. The Norse gods were no different.

Stanza 140

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Fimbulljóð níu nam ek af inum frægja syni Bölþórs Bestlu föður ok ek drykk of gat ins dýra mjaðar ausinn Óðreri	Nine lays of power I learned from the famous Bolthor, Bestla' s father: He poured me a draught of precious mead, Mixed with magic Odrerir.	141. 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.	142. Potent songs nine from the famed son I learned of Bölthorn, Bestla’s sire, and a draught obtained of the precious mead, drawn from Odhrærir.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
Fimbul spells I got from the famous Son of Bolthor the father of Bestla. I had a drink of the dear mead that was drawn from Othroerir.	From the son of Bolthorn, Bestla's father, I mastered mighty songs nine, and a drink I had, of the dearest mead, got from out of Óthrærir.	Nine mighty songs I learned from the son of Bolthorn, Bestla's father, and I came to drink of that costly mead the holy vessel held.	139. Nine mighty songs I learned from the great son of Bale-thorn, Bestla's sire; I drank a measure of the wondrous Mead, with the Soulstirrer's drops I was showered.
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.