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Poetic Edda

Before the days  of Kari was Frothi,
And born of Hild  was Hoalf then.

20.[1] "Next was Nanna,  daughter of Nokkvi,
Thy father's kinsman  her son became;
Old is the line,  and longer still,
And all are thy kinsmen,  Ottar, thou fool!

21.[2] "Isolf and Osolf,  the sons of Olmoth,
Whose wife was Skurhild,  the daughter of Skekkil,
Count them among  the heroes mighty,
And all are thy kinsmen,  Ottar, thou fool!

22.[3] "Gunnar the Bulwark,  Grim the Hardy,
Thorir the Iron-shield,  Ulf the Gaper,
Brodd and Hörvir  both did I know;
In the household they were  of Hrolf the Old.


  1. Nanna: the manuscript has "Manna." Of Nanna and her father, Nokkvi, we know nothing, but apparently Nanna's son married a sister of Instein, Ottar's father.
  2. Olmoth: one of the sons of Ketil Hortha-Kari. Line 4: here, and generally hereafter when it appears in the poem, this refrain-line is abbreviated in the manuscript to the word "all."
  3. An isolated stanza, which some editors place after stanza 24, others combining lines 1-2 with the fragmentary stanza 23. In the manuscript lines 3-4 stand after stanza 24, where they fail to connect clearly with anything. Hrolf the Old: probably King Hrolf Gautreksson of Gautland, in the saga relating to whom (Fornaldar sögur III, 57 ff.) appear the names of Thorir the Iron-shield and Grim Thorkelsson.

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