THE SPELL OF
GROA
Grogaldr
(Svipdag{3} said:)
1. "Awake, Groa,
(4) good woman, awake!
At the door of the
dead (5) I wake thee:
dost bear in mind how
thou badest thy son
to thy grave-hill to
go?"
3.
"He Whose Countenance Shines Like the Day" (?)
4. [From
Cymric groach, "witch."] Like Heith in
"Voluspa," St. 22 and "Voluspa en
skamma," St. 5) this is a typical name for a witch
or seeress.
5. That
is, her grave
(Groa said:)
2. "What aileth
now my only son,
what maketh heavy thy
heart,
that thy mother thou
callest under mould who lieth,
and hath left the
world of the living?"
(Svipdag said:)
3. "To a cursed
task called me the crafty woman (6)
in her arms who folded
my father:
where come one cannot,
to come she bade me,
fair Mengloth (7) to
meet."
6. His
stepmother.
7.
"Glad in Her Necklace."
(Groa said:)
4. "Long is the
way and wearisome,
but longer man's love
doth last;
if thou winn'st what
thou wishest 'tis well for thee,
but the norns work
natheless." (8)
8. The
interpretation in not certain. The meaning seems to be
that, betide what may, or whatever help I may give, you
will succeed only if you are fated to succeed: which is,
indeed, the gist of the fairy story.
(Svipdag said:)
5. "Speak thou
such spells as will speed my way!
Shield and shelter thy
son!
Full of danger, ween
I, the dreaded journey
for one so young in
years."
(Groa said:)
6. "That first
then heed, which most helpful I know,
the which Rind spoke
for Ran: (9)
from thy shoulders
shake what shocking seemeth;
seek thou thy way
thyself!
9. In
explanation of the names, Gering suggests that the Rind
here referred to is Vali's mother (See "Baldrs draumar," St. 11),
and that, hence, Ran stands for Vali, the avenger of
Baldr.
7. "This other
heed thou: if ever thou
must wearily wend thy
way:
may Urth's magic songs
(10) on all sides guard thee,
when with mocking
words thou art met.
10.
Doubtful.
8. "This third
heed thou: if in threat'ning waters
thou fearest to find
thy death:
to Hel hence let fare
Hronn and Uth, (11)
may be dry the deeps
for thee!
11.
Following Bugge's emendation of these names:
Hronn----possibly also Uth, "Wave"---is one of
the rivers flowing to Hel (Grimnismal," St. 28).
9. "This fourth
heed thou: if foemen beset thee,
ready to do thee to
death:
let their hearts
withhold their hands from thee,
and be made to meet
thee halfway.
10. "This fifth
heed thou: if fettered thou art,
fastened hand and
foot:
a loosening spell I
will speak o'er thy limbs,
so the locks will
burst off thy legs,
the fetters from off
thy feet. (12)
12. For
this spell, see Havamal, St. 149, and the
first Merseburg Charm.
11. "This sixth
heed thou: if on sea riseth
weather more wild than
men wot:
wind and water will my
witchcraft lull;
then fearlessly fare
thou forth! (13)
13. The
same charm occurs in "Havamal," St. 154.
12. "This seventh
heed thou: if searing frost
beset thee on fell
high faring:
may the deadly cold
not o'ercome thee ever,
nor rob thy limbs of
their litheness.
13. "This eighth
heed thou, if without find thee
a misty night on the
moors,
lest ill overtake
thee, or untowardness,
from the wraith of a
Christian wretch! (14)
14. In the
original, "Christian Woman." The line certainly
points to the conception that the ghosts of Christian
women are especially dangerous to a heathen hero.
14. "This ninth
heed thou: if with haughty thurs
thou wouldest war with
words: (15)
wit nor words be
wanting ever,
at behest of thy
heart!
15. See
the situation in "Vafthrudhnismal."
15. "May thy
errand no longer seem evil to thee,
nor let thee from thy
love:
on earth-fast stone
(16) I stood within doors,
these spells while I
spoke for thee!
16.
Instanced also elsewhere as a practice of sympathetic
magic: the spells are as trustworthy as bedrock.
16. "Of thy
mother's words mindful thou be,
in thy heart let,
darling, them dwell:
luck-everlasting in
life shalt have,
the while my words
thou heedest!"
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