Hey :)
In the days of the Peace of Frodi, King Frodi was invited to stay with King Fjolnir of Sweden. There he purchased two women slaves, who were big and strong, called Fenja and Menja. In Denmark at this time there were two millstones so huge that no one had the strength to turn them. These millstones were also magic, and would grind whatever the miller desired. The mill was called Grotti ("the crusher"), and the name of the man who had given it to King Frodi was Hangjaw. King Frodi, being wise, saw that his two new slaves were likely candidates to turn the mill, so he sent them to grind. He instructed them to grind out peace and prosperity for his people. But in one thing Frodi was not wise: in his desire to see his people happy, peaceful, and prosperous, he drove the two slaves day and night to turn the mill, and would not allow them to rest or sleep for longer than the cuckoo stops its calling.
The two women knew some magic, and they composed a magical song they calld Grotti's Song. Singing this song, they caused the mill Grotti to grind out an army to slay the people of King Frodi. The army was led by a viking named Mysing, who slew King Frodi.
Among the plunder that Mysing took was the mill Grotti, and the two mill-slaves with it. When he had the mill and the women aboard his ship, Mysing ordered the women to grind from the mill. This they did, until midnight came and they were tired. They asked to rest, but like Frodi, Mysing insisted that they keep grinding.
This angered the maidens, and they began this time to grind salt. The salt heaped up over the stone, and fell to the hold of the ship, and finally rose up past the decking, and soon, in only a short while, the ship sank into the ocean, and where the sea poured into the eye of the handmill was a whirlpool there afterwards in the ocean. And to this day Fenja and Menja are still there at the bottom of the sea, grinding salt, and it is this which has made the oceans salty.
(1) Nú eru komnar til konungs húsa,
framvísar tvær, Fenja ok Menja,
þær ro at Fróða Friðleifssonar
máttkar meyjar at mani hafðar.
(2) Þær at lúðri leiddar váru
ok grjóts gréa gangs of beiddu;
hét hann hvárigri hvílð né ynði,
áðr hann heyrði hljóm ambátta.
(3) Þær þyt þulu þögnhorfinnar;
"leggjum lúðra, léttum steinum."
Bað hann enn meyjar, at þær mala skyldu.
(4) Sungu ok slungu snúðga-steini,
svá at Fróða man flest sofnaði;
þá kvað þat Menja, var til meldrs komin:
(5) "Auð mölum Fróða, mölum alsælan,
mölum fjölð féar á feginslúðri;
siti hann á auði, sofi hann á dúni,
vaki hann at vilja; þá er vel malit.
(6) Hér skyli engi öðrum granda,
til böls búa né til bana orka,
né höggva því hvössu sverði,
þó at bana bróður bundinn finni."
(7) En hann kvað ekki orð it fyrra:
"Sofið eigi meir en of sal gaukar,
eða lengr en svá ljóð eitt kveðak."
(8) "Var-at-tu, Fróði fullspakr of þik,
málvinr manna, er þú man keyptir;
kaustu at afli ok at álitum,
en at ætterni ekki spurðir.
(9) Harðr var Hrungnir ok hans faðir,
þó var Þjazi þeim öflgari,
Iði ok Aurnir, okkrir niðjar,
brœðr bergrisa, þeim erum bornar.
(10) Kœmi-a Grótti ór gréa fjalli,
né sá inn harði hallr ór jörðu,
né mœli svá mær bergrisa,
ef vissim vit vætr til hennar.
(11) Vér vetr níu várum leikur
öflgar alnar fyr jörð neðan,
stóðu meyjar at meginverkum,
fœrðum sjalfar setberg ór stað.
(12) Veltum grjóti of garð risa,
svá at fold fyrir fór skjalfandi;
svá slöngðum vit snúðga-steini,
höfga-halli, at halir tóku.
(13) En vit síðan á Svíþjóðu
framvísar tvær í folk stigum,
beiddum björnu, en brutum skjöldu,
gengum í gögnum gráserkjat lið.
(14) Steypðum stilli, studdum annan,
veittum góðum Gotþormi lið;
var-a kyrrseta, áðr Knúi felli.
(15) Fram heldum því þau misseri,
at vit at köppum kenndar várum,
þar sorðum vit skörpum geirum
blóð ór benjum ok brand ruðum.
(16) Nú erum komnar til konungs húsa
miskunnlausar ok at mani hafðar;
aurr etr iljar, en ofan kulði;
drögum dolgs sjötul, daprt er at Fróða.
(17) Hendr skulu hvílask, hallr standa mun,
malit hefi ek fyr mik; mitt of leiti;
nú mun-a höndum hvílð vel gefa,
áðr fullmalit Fróða þykki.
(18) Hendr skulu höndla harðar trjónur,
vápn valdreyrug, vaki þú Fróði,
vaki þú Fróði, ef þú hlýða vill
söngum okkrum ok sögnum fornum.
(19) Eld sé ek brenna fyr austan borg,
vígspjöll vaka, þat mun viti kallaðr,
mun herr koma hinig af bragði
ok brenna bœ fyr buðlungi.
(20) Mun-at þú halda Hleiðrar stóli,
rauðum hringum né regingrjóti,
tökum á möndli mær, skarpara,
erum-a varmar í valdreyra.
(21) Mól míns föður mær rammliga,
því at hon feigð fira fjölmargra sá;
stukku stórar steðr frá lúðri
járni varðar, mölum enn framar.
(22) Mölum enn framar. Mun Yrsu sonr,
niðr Halfdanar, hefna Fróða;
sá mun hennar heitinn verða
burr ok bróðir, vitum báðar þat."
(23) Mólu meyjar, megins kostuðu,
váru ungar í jötunmóði,
skulfu skaptré, skauzk lúðr ofan,
hraut inn höfgi hallr sundr í tvau.
(24) En bergrisa brúðr orð of kvað:
"Malit höfum, Fróði, sem munum hætta,
hafa fullstaðit fljóð at meldri."
(1) Now then are come to the king's high hall
the foreknowing twain, Fenja and Menja;
in bondage by Frodi, Fridleif's son,
these sisters mighty as slaves are held.
(2) To moil at the mill the maids were bid,
to turn the grey stone as their task was set;
lag in their toil he would let them never,
the slaves' song he unceasing would hear.
(3) The chained ones churning ay chanted their song:
"Let us right the mill and raise the millstones."
He gave them no rest, to grind on bade them.
(4) They sang as they swung the swift-wheeling stone,
till of Frodi's maids most fell asleep.
Then Menja quoth, at the quern standing:
(5) "Gold and good hap we grind for Frodi,
a hoard of wealth on the wishing-mill;
he shall sit on gold, he shall sleep on down,
he shall wake to joy; well had we ground then!
(6) Here shall no one harm his neighbor,
nor bale-thoughts brew for others' bane,
nor swing sharp sword to smite a blow,
though his brother's banesman bound he should find."
(7) This word first then fell from his lips:
"Sleep shall ye not more than cock in summer,
or longer than I a lay may sing."
(8) Menja said: "A fool wert, Frodi, and frenzied of mind,
the time thou, men's friend, us maidens did buy;
for strength did you choose us, and sturdy looks,
but you didn't reck of what race we sprang."
(9) "Hardy was Hrungnir, but his sire even more;
more thews than they old Thjatsi had.
Ithi and Aurnir are of our kin:
are we both born to brothers of jotuns!"
(10) "Scarce had Grotti come out of grey mountain,
from out of the earth the iron-hard slab,
nor had mountain-maids now to turn the mill-stone,
if we had not first found it below."
(11) "Winters nine we grew beneath the ground;
under the mountains, we mighty playmates
did strive to do great deeds of strength:
boulders we budged from their bases.
(12) "Rocks we rolled out of jotun's realm:
the fields below with their fall did shake;
we hurled from the heights the heavy quernstone,
the swift-rolling slab, so that men might seize it."
(13) "But since then we to Sweden fared,
we foreknowing twain, and fought among men;
byrnies we broke, and bucklers shattered,
we won our way through warriors' ranks."
(14) "One king we overthrew, enthroned the other.
To good Guthorm we granted victory;
stern was the struggle ere Knui was struck."
(15) "A full year thus we fared among men;
our name was known among noble heroes.
Through linden shields sharp spears we hurled,
drew blood from wounds, and blades reddened."
(16) Now we are come to the king's high hall,
without mercy made to turn the mill;
mud soils our feet, frost cuts our bones;
at the peace-quern we drudge: dreary is it here."
(17) "The stone now let stand, my stint is done;
I have ground my share, grant me a rest."
Fenja said: "The stone must not stand, our stint is not done,
before to Frodi his fill we ground."
(18) "Our hands shall hold the hard spearshafts,
weapons gory: Awake Frodi!
Awake Frodi!, if listen thou wilt
to our olden songs, to our ancient lore."
(19) "My eye sees fire east of the castle
battle cries ring out, beacons are kindled!
Hosts of foemen hither will wend
to burn down the hall over thy head."
(20) "No longer thou Leire shall hold,
have rings of red gold, nor the mill of riches.
Harder the handle, let us hold sister;
our hands are not warm yet with warriors' blood."
(21) "My father's daughter doughtily ground,
for the death of hosts did she foresee;
even now the strong booms burst from the quern,
the stanch iron stays -- yet more strongly grind!"
(22) Menja said: "Yet more swiftly grind: the son of Yrsa
Frodi's blood wil crave for the bane of Halfdan --
he Hrolf is hight and is to her
both son and brother as both of us know."
(23) The mighty maidens, they ground amain,
strained their young limbs of giant strength;
the shaft tree quivered, the quern toppled over,
the heavy slab burst asunder."
(24) Quoth the mighty maiden of the mountain giants:
"Ground have we Frodi, now fain would cease.
We have toiled enough at turning the mill!"
That's it, tomorrow post will be about music ♪
Sorry, I didn't post anything yesterday, I spent the whole day studying maths and my cousin is here and all.
BUT at least I already know what I'll write about tomorrow :D and, maybe, the day after.
Today I was looking for Nordic myths to post here and I found this and this. I'll copy because I don't want to screw it all up, right? XD
In the days of the Peace of Frodi, King Frodi was invited to stay with King Fjolnir of Sweden. There he purchased two women slaves, who were big and strong, called Fenja and Menja. In Denmark at this time there were two millstones so huge that no one had the strength to turn them. These millstones were also magic, and would grind whatever the miller desired. The mill was called Grotti ("the crusher"), and the name of the man who had given it to King Frodi was Hangjaw. King Frodi, being wise, saw that his two new slaves were likely candidates to turn the mill, so he sent them to grind. He instructed them to grind out peace and prosperity for his people. But in one thing Frodi was not wise: in his desire to see his people happy, peaceful, and prosperous, he drove the two slaves day and night to turn the mill, and would not allow them to rest or sleep for longer than the cuckoo stops its calling.
The two women knew some magic, and they composed a magical song they calld Grotti's Song. Singing this song, they caused the mill Grotti to grind out an army to slay the people of King Frodi. The army was led by a viking named Mysing, who slew King Frodi.
Among the plunder that Mysing took was the mill Grotti, and the two mill-slaves with it. When he had the mill and the women aboard his ship, Mysing ordered the women to grind from the mill. This they did, until midnight came and they were tired. They asked to rest, but like Frodi, Mysing insisted that they keep grinding.
This angered the maidens, and they began this time to grind salt. The salt heaped up over the stone, and fell to the hold of the ship, and finally rose up past the decking, and soon, in only a short while, the ship sank into the ocean, and where the sea poured into the eye of the handmill was a whirlpool there afterwards in the ocean. And to this day Fenja and Menja are still there at the bottom of the sea, grinding salt, and it is this which has made the oceans salty.
*The song:
(1) Nú eru komnar til konungs húsa,
framvísar tvær, Fenja ok Menja,
þær ro at Fróða Friðleifssonar
máttkar meyjar at mani hafðar.
(2) Þær at lúðri leiddar váru
ok grjóts gréa gangs of beiddu;
hét hann hvárigri hvílð né ynði,
áðr hann heyrði hljóm ambátta.
(3) Þær þyt þulu þögnhorfinnar;
"leggjum lúðra, léttum steinum."
Bað hann enn meyjar, at þær mala skyldu.
(4) Sungu ok slungu snúðga-steini,
svá at Fróða man flest sofnaði;
þá kvað þat Menja, var til meldrs komin:
(5) "Auð mölum Fróða, mölum alsælan,
mölum fjölð féar á feginslúðri;
siti hann á auði, sofi hann á dúni,
vaki hann at vilja; þá er vel malit.
(6) Hér skyli engi öðrum granda,
til böls búa né til bana orka,
né höggva því hvössu sverði,
þó at bana bróður bundinn finni."
(7) En hann kvað ekki orð it fyrra:
"Sofið eigi meir en of sal gaukar,
eða lengr en svá ljóð eitt kveðak."
(8) "Var-at-tu, Fróði fullspakr of þik,
málvinr manna, er þú man keyptir;
kaustu at afli ok at álitum,
en at ætterni ekki spurðir.
(9) Harðr var Hrungnir ok hans faðir,
þó var Þjazi þeim öflgari,
Iði ok Aurnir, okkrir niðjar,
brœðr bergrisa, þeim erum bornar.
(10) Kœmi-a Grótti ór gréa fjalli,
né sá inn harði hallr ór jörðu,
né mœli svá mær bergrisa,
ef vissim vit vætr til hennar.
(11) Vér vetr níu várum leikur
öflgar alnar fyr jörð neðan,
stóðu meyjar at meginverkum,
fœrðum sjalfar setberg ór stað.
(12) Veltum grjóti of garð risa,
svá at fold fyrir fór skjalfandi;
svá slöngðum vit snúðga-steini,
höfga-halli, at halir tóku.
(13) En vit síðan á Svíþjóðu
framvísar tvær í folk stigum,
beiddum björnu, en brutum skjöldu,
gengum í gögnum gráserkjat lið.
(14) Steypðum stilli, studdum annan,
veittum góðum Gotþormi lið;
var-a kyrrseta, áðr Knúi felli.
(15) Fram heldum því þau misseri,
at vit at köppum kenndar várum,
þar sorðum vit skörpum geirum
blóð ór benjum ok brand ruðum.
(16) Nú erum komnar til konungs húsa
miskunnlausar ok at mani hafðar;
aurr etr iljar, en ofan kulði;
drögum dolgs sjötul, daprt er at Fróða.
(17) Hendr skulu hvílask, hallr standa mun,
malit hefi ek fyr mik; mitt of leiti;
nú mun-a höndum hvílð vel gefa,
áðr fullmalit Fróða þykki.
(18) Hendr skulu höndla harðar trjónur,
vápn valdreyrug, vaki þú Fróði,
vaki þú Fróði, ef þú hlýða vill
söngum okkrum ok sögnum fornum.
(19) Eld sé ek brenna fyr austan borg,
vígspjöll vaka, þat mun viti kallaðr,
mun herr koma hinig af bragði
ok brenna bœ fyr buðlungi.
(20) Mun-at þú halda Hleiðrar stóli,
rauðum hringum né regingrjóti,
tökum á möndli mær, skarpara,
erum-a varmar í valdreyra.
(21) Mól míns föður mær rammliga,
því at hon feigð fira fjölmargra sá;
stukku stórar steðr frá lúðri
járni varðar, mölum enn framar.
(22) Mölum enn framar. Mun Yrsu sonr,
niðr Halfdanar, hefna Fróða;
sá mun hennar heitinn verða
burr ok bróðir, vitum báðar þat."
(23) Mólu meyjar, megins kostuðu,
váru ungar í jötunmóði,
skulfu skaptré, skauzk lúðr ofan,
hraut inn höfgi hallr sundr í tvau.
(24) En bergrisa brúðr orð of kvað:
"Malit höfum, Fróði, sem munum hætta,
hafa fullstaðit fljóð at meldri."
(1) Now then are come to the king's high hall
the foreknowing twain, Fenja and Menja;
in bondage by Frodi, Fridleif's son,
these sisters mighty as slaves are held.
(2) To moil at the mill the maids were bid,
to turn the grey stone as their task was set;
lag in their toil he would let them never,
the slaves' song he unceasing would hear.
(3) The chained ones churning ay chanted their song:
"Let us right the mill and raise the millstones."
He gave them no rest, to grind on bade them.
(4) They sang as they swung the swift-wheeling stone,
till of Frodi's maids most fell asleep.
Then Menja quoth, at the quern standing:
(5) "Gold and good hap we grind for Frodi,
a hoard of wealth on the wishing-mill;
he shall sit on gold, he shall sleep on down,
he shall wake to joy; well had we ground then!
(6) Here shall no one harm his neighbor,
nor bale-thoughts brew for others' bane,
nor swing sharp sword to smite a blow,
though his brother's banesman bound he should find."
(7) This word first then fell from his lips:
"Sleep shall ye not more than cock in summer,
or longer than I a lay may sing."
(8) Menja said: "A fool wert, Frodi, and frenzied of mind,
the time thou, men's friend, us maidens did buy;
for strength did you choose us, and sturdy looks,
but you didn't reck of what race we sprang."
(9) "Hardy was Hrungnir, but his sire even more;
more thews than they old Thjatsi had.
Ithi and Aurnir are of our kin:
are we both born to brothers of jotuns!"
(10) "Scarce had Grotti come out of grey mountain,
from out of the earth the iron-hard slab,
nor had mountain-maids now to turn the mill-stone,
if we had not first found it below."
(11) "Winters nine we grew beneath the ground;
under the mountains, we mighty playmates
did strive to do great deeds of strength:
boulders we budged from their bases.
(12) "Rocks we rolled out of jotun's realm:
the fields below with their fall did shake;
we hurled from the heights the heavy quernstone,
the swift-rolling slab, so that men might seize it."
(13) "But since then we to Sweden fared,
we foreknowing twain, and fought among men;
byrnies we broke, and bucklers shattered,
we won our way through warriors' ranks."
(14) "One king we overthrew, enthroned the other.
To good Guthorm we granted victory;
stern was the struggle ere Knui was struck."
(15) "A full year thus we fared among men;
our name was known among noble heroes.
Through linden shields sharp spears we hurled,
drew blood from wounds, and blades reddened."
(16) Now we are come to the king's high hall,
without mercy made to turn the mill;
mud soils our feet, frost cuts our bones;
at the peace-quern we drudge: dreary is it here."
(17) "The stone now let stand, my stint is done;
I have ground my share, grant me a rest."
Fenja said: "The stone must not stand, our stint is not done,
before to Frodi his fill we ground."
(18) "Our hands shall hold the hard spearshafts,
weapons gory: Awake Frodi!
Awake Frodi!, if listen thou wilt
to our olden songs, to our ancient lore."
(19) "My eye sees fire east of the castle
battle cries ring out, beacons are kindled!
Hosts of foemen hither will wend
to burn down the hall over thy head."
(20) "No longer thou Leire shall hold,
have rings of red gold, nor the mill of riches.
Harder the handle, let us hold sister;
our hands are not warm yet with warriors' blood."
(21) "My father's daughter doughtily ground,
for the death of hosts did she foresee;
even now the strong booms burst from the quern,
the stanch iron stays -- yet more strongly grind!"
(22) Menja said: "Yet more swiftly grind: the son of Yrsa
Frodi's blood wil crave for the bane of Halfdan --
he Hrolf is hight and is to her
both son and brother as both of us know."
(23) The mighty maidens, they ground amain,
strained their young limbs of giant strength;
the shaft tree quivered, the quern toppled over,
the heavy slab burst asunder."
(24) Quoth the mighty maiden of the mountain giants:
"Ground have we Frodi, now fain would cease.
We have toiled enough at turning the mill!"
That's it, tomorrow post will be about music ♪
Take care
No comments:
Post a Comment