Völuspá

Völuspá ("Prophecy of the Seeress") is the first poem of the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems. It is preserved whole in two manuscripts, the Codex Regius and the Hauksbók, and partially in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda. J.R.R. Tolkien was influenced greatly by the saga, most obviously in the fact that most of the names of his Dwarves were drawn from it. Christopher Tolkien suggests that "those Dwarf-names in The Hobbit provided the whole starting-point for the Mannish languages in Middle-earth."[1][2]

Almost all of the names of the Dwarves of Middle-earth, as well as Gandalf's, are taken from a section of the Völuspá called the Dvergatal (the "Catalogue of Dwarves").[3][note 1] The Dvergatal is contained in stanzas 10–16:

Original Bellows translation 10. Þar var Móðsognir mæztr of orðinn

dverga allra, en Durinn annarr;

þeir mannlíkun mörg of gerðu

dvergar í jörðu, sem Durinn sagði.



11. Nýi, Niði, Norðri, Suðri,

Austri, Vestri, Alþjófr, Dvalinn,

Nár ok Náinn Nípingr, Dáinn

Bívurr, Bávurr, Bömburr, Nóri,

Ánn ok Ánarr, Óinn, Mjöðvitnir.



12. Veggr ok Gandalfr, Vindalfr, Þorinn,

Þrár ok Þráinn, Þekkr, Litr ok Vitr,

Nýr ok Nýráðr, nú hefi ek dverga,

Reginn ok Ráðsviðr, rétt of talða.



13. Fíli, Kíli, Fundinn, Náli,

Hefti, Víli, Hannar, Svíurr,

Billingr, Brúni, Bíldr ok Buri,

Frár, Hornbori, Frægr ok Lóni,

Aurvangr, Jari, Eikinskjaldi.



14. Mál er dverga í Dvalins liði

ljóna kindum til Lofars telja,

þeir er sóttu frá salar steini

Aurvanga sjöt til Jöruvalla.



15. Þar var Draupnir ok Dolgþrasir,

Hár, Haugspori, Hlévangr, Glóinn,

Dóri, Óri Dúfr, Andvari

Skirfir, Virfir, Skáfiðr, Ái.



16. Alfr ok Yngvi, Eikinskjaldi,

Fjalarr ok Frosti, Finnr ok Ginnarr;

þat mun æ uppi meðan öld lifir,

langniðja tal Lofars hafat. 10. There was Motsognir | the mightiest made

Of all the dwarfs, | and Durin next;

Many a likeness | of men they made,

The dwarfs in the earth, | as Durin said.



11. Nyi and Nithi, | Northri and Suthri,

Austri and Vestri, | Althjof, Dvalin,

Nar and Nain, | Niping, Dain,

Bifur, Bofur, | Bombur, Nori,

An and Onar, | Óin, Mjothvitnir.



12. Vigg and Gandalf | Vindalf, Thorin,

Thror and Thrain | Thekk, Lit and Vit,

Nyr and Nyrath,-- | now have I told--

Regin and Rathsvith-- | the list aright.



13. Fili, Kili, | Fundin, Nali,

Hepti, Vili, | Hannar, Sviur,

(Billing, Bruni, | Bildr and Buri,)

Frar, Hornbori, | Fræg and Loni,

Aurvang, Jari, | Eikinskjaldi. [note 2]



14. The race of the dwarfs | in Dvalin's throng

Down to Lofar | the list must I tell;

The rocks they left, | and through wet lands

They sought a home | in the fields of sand.



15. There were Draupnir | and Dolgthrasir,

Hor, Haugspori, | Hlevang, Gloin,

Dori, Ori, | Duf, Andvari,

Skirfir, Virfir, | Skafith, Ai.



16. Alf and Yngvi, | Eikinskjaldi,

Fjalar and Frosti, | Finn and Ginnar;

So for all time | shall the tale be known,

The list of all | the forbears of Lofar.

edit] Notes

↑ The Dvergatal is now considered a later interpolation, and is often omitted from newer editions of Völuspá. ↑ Eikinskjaldi is directly translated to "Oakenshield"

References