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Poetic Edda

love-sickness. Skirnir was the name of Freyr’s servant; Njorth bade him ask speech of Freyr. He said[1]:

1.[2] "Go now, Skirnir!  and seek to gain
 Speech from my son;
And answer to win,  for whom the wise one
 Is mightily moved."

  Skirnir spake:
2. "Ill words do I now  await from thy son,
 If I seek to get speech with him,
And answer to win,  for whom the wise one
 Is mightily moved."

    Prose.

    Freyr: concerning his father, Njorth, and the race of the Wanes in general, cf. Voluspo, 21 and note. Snorri thus describes Njorth's family: "Njorth begat two children in Noatun; the son was named Freyr, and the daughter Freyja; they were fair of aspect and mighty. Freyr is the noblest of the gods; he rules over rain and sunshine, and therewith the fruitfulness of the earth; it is well to call upon him for plenty and welfare, for he rules over wealth for mankind. Freyja is the noblest of the goddesses. When she rides to the fight, she has one-half of the slain, and Othin has half. When she goes on a journey, she drives her two cats, and sits in a cart. Love-songs please her well, and it is good to call on her in love-matters."

    Hlithskjolf: Othin's watch-tower; cf. Grimnismol, introductory prose.

  1. ↑ He said: both manuscripts have "Then Skathi said:" (Skathi was Njorth's wife), but Bugge's emendation, based on Snorri's version, is doubtless correct.
  2. ↑ My son: both manuscripts, and many editors, have "our son," which, of course, goes with the introduction of Skathi in the prose. As the stanza is clearly addressed to Skirnir, the change of pronouns seems justified. The same confusion occurs in stanza 2, where Skirnir in the manuscripts is made to speak of Freyr as

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