THE LAY OF
HARBARTH
Harbarzljodh
 The two main
divinities in the North are here made to confront each
other in a senna (or flyting) and a mannjafnadhr (or
matching of men against one another with respect to
accomplishments and prowess): Othin (Harbarth), the god
of the toil-abhorring, restless viking----warlike, cruel,
amative, haughty: and Thor, the good-natured,
mighty-thewed, and impetuous but somewhat simple, god of
the yeoman. In keeping with their characters, the
exploits boasted of are, with Othin, gallant adventures
with giantesses, whose spouses or fathers he overmasters
by strength or cunning, and warfare for its own sake,
with Thor, rather monotomously, the slaying of the giant
brood, to make the earth habitable for men.
We do not
long remain in doubt where lie the sympathies of the
poet: in the battle of words, from first to last, Thor
loses out when his slow wits are pitted against the
superior irony and smooth readiness of speech of the god
of runic wisdom. Also, Thor's unquestionably useful
activities are made to appear a bit prosy, and his plight
after arduous combats a bit ridiculous, when compared
with the more knightly pursuits and bearing of Othin. The
laughs are always on Othin's side, especially when we
consider that the meanings of a number of the insulting
flings which so incense Thor completely elude us.
For a not
too squeamish taste the effect, though a little
burlesque, is sprightly and entertaining, which was
probably the aim of the gifted improviser.
The lay is
notable among the poems of the Edda for the absence of
any recognizable verse scheme. For all we know, it was
conceived, in the main, as we now have it: there are
absolutely no reliable criteria by which to recognize
omissions or interpolations.
The text
is preserved completely in Codex Regius, whereas Codex
Arnamagnoeanus contains only the latter part of it, from
Stanza 19 to the end. It is generally assumed that the
poem belongs to the tenth century and was composed in
Norway, mainly, because the opposition between nobility
and yeomanry which is apparent in it never existed in
Iceland.
Thor was on his way back
from the east (1) and came to a sound. On the other shore
there was the ferryman(2) with his boat.
1. That
is, from the giant-world, whither he goes frequently
"to slay trolls." See St. 23.
2. Note
that here, as in "Fra daudha Sinfjotla," Othin
appears as a ferryman (for the dead). Compare to
Hermes-Mercurius.
Thor called out:
1. "Who is the
fellow there by the ferry who stands?"
The ferryman said:
2. "Who is the
fellow there over the firth who calls?"
Thor said:
3. "Ferry me over
the firth! I shall feed thee this morn:
in the basket on my
back is the best of foods.
My fill of it had I by
my fireside,
of herrings and oats,
(3) ere from home I fared."
3. The
homely fare of the yeoman's god.
The ferryman said:
4. "An early deed
thou deem'st thy meal; but dost thou know
that downhearted thy
home folks? Dead, I ween, is thy mother." (4)
4. Thor's
mother is Fjorgyn, "the Earth" (See St. 56
below and "Voluspa," St. 55), whose death would
fill everyone with dismay.
Thor said:
5. "That sayest
thou now which would seem to all
most mournful to hear:
that my mother be dead."
The ferryman said:
6. "Yet methinks
unlikely that three farms thou ownest (5)
for barefoot thou art,
and in beggar's clothes;
scarce whole are the
breeks on thy buttocks."
5. The
connection is probably this: you are of too little
account for the death of your mother to make such a stir.
Thor said:
7. "Steer hither
the dugout, the haven I shall show thee;
but who owns the boat
which thou hast yonder?"
The ferryman said:
8. "He is Hildolf
(6) hight who bade me helmsman be,
the dodgeful chief who
dwells by Rathsey Sound.
He bade me haul no
horse thieves or robbers,
but goodly men only
whose goings I knew.
Now say thy name if
over the sound thou wilt."
6.
"Battle-Wolf"; that is, "Warrior."
Thor said:
9. "I should
utter my name though outlawed I were,
and that of all my
kin: I am Othin's son,
Meili's brother,
Magni's (7) father,
a god strong in thews:
'tis with Thor thou speakest.
This now I ask, what
thy name be."
7.
"Strength." The name and functions of Meili
remain unexplained.
The ferryman said:
10. "I am
Harbarth (8) hight, I hide my name but seldom."
8.
"Hoar-Beard," that is, Othin. See
"Grimnismal," St. 50.
Thor said:
11. "Why
should'st thou hide thy name but thou had'st good
cause?"
The ferryman said:
12. "Even though
sought (9) I were: from such as thee
I would fend my life
but I were fey and doomed.
9. That
is, for some misdeed; outlawed.
Thor said:
13. "A weary
thing it were to me
to wade through the
water to thee, and so wet my nether parts;
I would maul thee,
tot, for thy mocking speech
if I could but cross
the sound."
The ferryman said:
14. "Here shall I
stand till thou hither comest;
no hardier foe shalt
find, now Hrungnir (10) is dead."
10. A
mountain giant, the largest of the tribe. He challenges
Thor to single combat and is felled by the hammer
("Skaldskaparmal," Chap. 17)
Thor said:
15. "That
Hrungnir I fought thou hast heard aright,
the stouthearted who a
stone bore as head;
yet I did him to death
and he bit the dust.
What didst thou
meanwhile, Harbarth?"
The ferryman said:
16. "Was I with
Fjolvar full five winters
on that island which
is Algroen hight
there war we waged and
waded in blood,
tried many deeds, and
maidens lured." (11)
11.
Nothing is known about this myth. Is it merely a hoax to
satisfy Thor's curiosity? At any rate, the names Fjolvar,
"The very Cautious," and Algroen,
"All-Green," that is, the Earth, seem gotten up
ad hoc.
Thor said:
17. "Did you win
the love of the woman?"
The ferryman said:
18. "Merry had
been the maids, if but meek they had been;
friendly had been the
women, if (12) but fond they had been:
of sand under waves
they wound their ropes,
out of deep dales they
dug forth the ground. (13)
With wily words I
outwitted them all,
with the sisters seven
I slept,
my will I worked with
them all.
What didst thou
meanwhile, Thor?"
12. Othin
is still teasing Thor with his "if's."
13. These
activities seem to have reference to river or sea
goddesses. The ropes of sand are the ripple marks in the
sand near the shore of the sea and in rivers; the
mountain torrents dig deep gashes.
Thor said:
19. "Strong
Thjatsi, (14) the thurs, I overthrew in battle,
and the awful eyes of
Alvaldi's son (15)
I cast on the
cloudless sky.
Those be the mighty
marks of my great works,
which all men since
may see.
What didst thou
meanwhile, Harbarth?"
14.
According to "Skaldskaparmal," Chap. 1, all the
gods slew him. See also "Lokasenna," St. 50,
and "Grimnismal," St. 11.
15.
Thjatsi's eyes were cast up to the sky (by Othin
according to "Skaldskaparmal," Chap. 1) and
transformed into stars, to appease his daughter Skathi.
The ferryman said:
20. "With love
spells mighty I lured witchwomen,
and made them forsake
their mates;
a hardy thurs Hlebarth
me seemed:
a magic wand he gave
me,
but I wiled him out of
his wits." (16)
16.
Nothing is known of the exploits referred to in this
stanza.
Thor said:
21. "Then thou
gavest back ill for good."
The ferryman said:
22. "One man's
ill is the other man's luck;
in such things, each
for himself!
What didst thou
meanwhile, Thor?"
Thor said:
23. "In Eastland
was I and slew etins,
wanton wenches who
warred on mountains:
much might had the
etins if all did live;
little might had men
then in Mithgarth's round.
What didst thou
meanwhile, Harbarth?"
The ferryman said:
24. "In Valland
(17) was I and waged battles,
urged on the
athelings, nor ever made peace. (18)
Gets Othin all earls
slain by edge of swords,
but Thor, the breed of
thralls." (19)
17.
"Land of the Battlefields."
18. This
is the prevailing conception of Othin's activities.
19. As
this assertion is not borne out elsewhere, it seems made
to twit Thor.
Thor said:
25. "Uneven
would'st thou deal to Aesir their followers,
if too great might
were given thee."
The ferryman said:
26. "Enough
strength hath Thor, but a stout heart nowise:
in fainthearted fear
wast fooled in a mitten,
nor seemed then Thor
himself:
in utter dread thou
didst not dare
to fart or sneeze,
lest Fjalar heard it." (20)
20. The
reference (see also "Lokasenna." Sts. 60, 62)
is to Thor's unlucky expedition to the giant-world, when
he and his companions found shelter for the night in the
mitten of the huge giant Skrymir (here called Fjalar
"the Allwise"). See "Gylfaginning,"
Chap. 44.
Thor said:
27. "Harbarth,
thou coward, to Hel I would send thee,
if but over the sound
I could reach."
The ferryman said:
28. "Why
should'st thou reach over the sound, as I slighted
thee nowise?
What didst thou
meanwhile, Thor?"
Thor said:
29. "In the East
was I and Ifing (21) guarded,
when Svarang's sons
sought to kill me:
huge stones they
hurled, yet they strove in vain,
they begged for peace
when overborne they were.
What didst thou,
meanwhile Harbarth?"
21. See
"Vafthrudhnismal," St. 16. In the original,
"the river." Svarang's sons are the giants.
The ferryman said:
30. "In the East
was I, in my arms I held
the white-armed
maiden, with wheedling words,
gladdened the
gold-dight one till she gave me her love."
Thor said:
31. "Good was
then the wench to thee!"
The ferryman said:
32. "Of thy help
then had I great need, to hold fast the white-armed
maiden."
Thor said:
33. "I would have
given it gladly, if on the ground I had been."
The ferryman said:
34. "And I would
trutst thee, if thou didst not betray me."
Thor said:
35. "No
heel-biter am I, like an old hide shoe in
spring!"
The ferryman said:
36. "What didst
thou meanwhile, Thor?"
Thor said:
37. "Against
beserk (22) women I warred on Hles Isle;
with wickedness they
bewitched all men."
22. A
beserk(er) is a wild warrior who fights with paroxysmal
fury in his bare sark (shirt), insensitive to pain. The
reference to berserk women on the island of Hlesey (the
sea god Hler's island in the middle of the Kattegat)
seems to point to sea goddesses (see St. 39) whose iron
clubs are the breakers on the shore.
The ferryman said:
38. " 'Twas
unworthy of thee to war on women."
Thor said:
39. "She-wolves
were they, not women, indeed;
they shivered my ship
which was shored on land,
threatened me with
iron clubs, and drove off Thjalfi (23)
What didst thou
meanwhile, Harbarth?"
23. Thor's
servitor.
The ferryman said:
40. "On the
harrying was I which was hither made,
to raise the war flag
and redden spears."
Thor said:
41. "To my mind
thou callest that thou camest to war on us."
The ferryman said:
42. "I shall make
up for that with a mickle ring,
as daysmen may deem in
dooming between us." (24)
24.
"Harbarth has done harm to Thor by disturbing the
work of the farmers" (Gering). Now Harbarth offers a
ring in atonement. Or, as has been suggested, the word
for "ring" in the original may also be
understood in malam partem, which may account for Thor's
indignation in St. 43.
Thor said:
43. "Whence hast
thou these hateful words,
for more hateful ones
heard I never."
The ferryman said:
44. "My words I
have from wights so old
who dwell in the
howes-of-the-home!" (25)
25. The
"home" is the world of men, the
"howes-of-the-home," hence "graves".
(Bugge's emendation). Othin gathers wisdom from the dead.
See "Havamal," St. 157, Note 87.
Thor said:
45. "A good name
givest thou to the graves, indeed,
when thou callest them
howes-of-the-home!"
The ferryman said:
46. "Thus think I
of such things."
Thor said:
47. "Thy glibness
of tongue I would gag full soon,
so soon as I wade o'er
the water;
than the wolf louder I
ween thou would'st howl,
if the hammer struck
thy head."
The ferryman said:
48. "With Sif
(26) someone sleeps in her bower;
thy strength thou
should'st stake against his!"
26.
"Sib," "kin," Thor's wife. See
"Lokasenna," Sts. 53-54.
Thor said:
49. "With wicked
words sayst thou what worst would seem to me;
but, craven knave, I
know that thou liest."
The ferryman said:
50. "No lie I
tell thee. Full late art thou now;
far had'st thou been
had I ferried thee over." (27)
27. A much
debated passage.
Thor said:
51. "Cowardly
Harbarth, thou hast held me here overlong."
The ferryman said:
52. "Never had I
thought that Thor would brook
a ferryman to fleer at
him."
Thor said:
53. "Now give
heed to my words and row hither thy boat;
let mocking be and
fetch Magni's father over."
The ferryman said:
54. "Get thee
from the firth! I shall not ferry thee over."
Thor said:
55. "Then show me
the way since thou wilt not ferry me over the
firth."
The ferryman said:
56. " 'Tis not
long to show, all the longer to fare:
a while to the stock,
and a while to the stone;
then take thy way to
the left till to Verland (28) thou comest.
Will Fjorgyn there
meet Thor her son,
and show her kinsman
the road, how he may come to Othin."
28.
"Land of Men," where the earth goddess,
Fjorgyn, will show him the way to Valholl. Othin is, of
course, sending Thor on a fool's errand.
Thor said:
57. "Will I get
thither today?"
The ferryman said:
58. "With toil
and moil thou mayest at sunrise
get thither, since
it's thawing." (29)
29. Which
would make travelling especially arduous----if we accept
Egilsson's and Bugge's interpretation of this difficult
line.
Thor said:
59. "Scant now be
our speech, since thou but scoffest at me;
my might thou shalt
feel if we meet again."
The ferryman said:
60. "Get thee
gone now where all trolls may take thee!"
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