Æsir

This intermediate dialogue, called Bragarreidur, or Bragi's Discourses, strikes the keynote of the entire book, and really reconciles the first section to the second and third, whose dissimilarity to Gylfaginning had led some scholars to believe that one or the other is not Snorri's work.

The god relates several adventures of the Aesir of the same character as those recounted in Gylfaginning, and concludes with a myth concerning the origin of the poetic art.

From this point on, barely maintaining the fiction of the dialogue, Snorri makes his work a treatise on the conventional vocabulary and phraseology of skaldship, for the guidance of young skalds.

The third section of the Edda is the Hattatal, or enumeration of meters, and combines three separate songs of praise, one on King Hakon, a second on Skuli Bardsson, the king's father-in-law and most powerful vassal, and a third celebrating both.

The kings of Norway trace their lineage from him, and so also do the jarls and other mighty men, as is said in the Halegatal.

Odin had with him one of his sons called Yngvi, who was king in Sweden after him, and those houses come from him that are called Ynglings.

The Aesir took wives of the land for themselves and some also for their sons.

And these kindreds became many in number, so that throughout Saxland and thence all over the region of the north they spread out until their tongue, even the speech of the men of Asia, was the native tongue over all these lands.

This intermediate dialogue, called Bragarreidur, or Bragi's discourses, strikes the keynote of the entire book, and really reconciles the first section to the second and third, whose dissimilarity to Gylfaginning had led some scholars to believe that one or the other is not Snorri's work.

The god relates several adventures of the Aesir of the same character as those recounted in Gylfaginning, and concludes with a myth concerning the origin of the poetic art.

From this point on, barely maintaining the fiction of the dialogue, Snorri makes his work a treatise on the conventional vocabulary and phraseology of skaldship, for the guidance of young skalds.

The third section of the Edda is the Hattatal, or enumeration of meters, and combines three separate songs of praise, one on King Hakon, a second on Skuli Bardsson, the king's father-in-law and most powerful vassal, and a third celebrating both.

The kings of Norway trace their lineage from him, and so also do the jarls and other mighty men, as is said in the Halegatal.

Odin had with him one of his sons called Yngvi, who was king in Sweden after him, and those houses come from him that are called Ynglings.

The Aesir took wives of the land for themselves, and some also for their sons.

And these kindreds became many in number, so that throughout Saxland and thence all over the region of the north, they spread out until their tongue, even the speech of the men of Asia, was the native tongue over all these lands.

Part one, chapter four, Sif's Golden Hair, How Loki Wrought Mischief in Asgard.

All who dwelt in Asgard, the Aesir and the Asunir, who were the gods and goddesses, and the Vanir, who were the friends of the gods and goddesses, were wroth with Loki.

It was no wonder they were wroth with him, for he had let the giant Thiassi carry off Iduna and her golden apples.

Still it must be told that the show they made of their wrath made Loki ready to do more mischief in Asgard.

But before we tell you of what Loki did to restore the beauty of Sif's golden hair, we must tell you of the other beings besides the gods and the goddesses who were in the world at the time.

First there was the Vanir.

When the gods who were called the Aesir came to the mountain on which they built Asgard, they found other beings there.

These were not wicked and ugly like the giants.

And so for all the time that I was at the ship, and until I came home.

There is a sacrifice to the Aesir somewhere, I said, for the birds of Odin and Thor have always their share.

My father shook his head.

The birds cry to one another, as I think, and say when the feast is but enough for those that have gathered.

What are you doing here? I came forward then, for it was plain that the child feared nothing, so that I was put to shame.

And as I came I asked once more what he was doing in this place.

The jarl has surely forgotten the sacrifice to the Aesir before the warriors went to fight, and they will be angry, he answered very calmly.

It is right that one should remember, and I feared for father, and therefore He pointed to the altar, and I saw that he had laid his own untasted supper on the fire that he had lighted, and I had naught to say.

And as I came I asked once more what he was doing in this place.

"The jarl has surely forgotten the sacrifice to the Aesir before the warriors went to fight, and they will be angry," he answered very calmly.

It is right that one should remember, and I feared for father, and therefore he pointed to the altar, and I saw that he had laid his own untasted supper on the fire that he had lighted.

And I had naught to say.

After a long silence she said, Strange things and good come into the mind of a child, and one may learn what his fate shall be in the days to come.

I am sure from this that Withelm will be a priest.

Now as one may buy the place of a godar, with the right to have a temple for the Aesir for a district, and the authority that goes therewith, if so be that one falls vacant or is to be given up by the holder, this did not seem unlikely, seeing how rich we were fast growing.

And indeed my mother's saying came to pass hereafter, though not at all in the way of which we both thought.

Are you ready to pay the price which I must demand? Yes, said Odin cheerfully.

I will give you all the gold and silver of Asgard and all the jeweled shields and swords of the Aesir.

More than all, I will give up my eight-footed horse, Sleipnir, if that is needed to win the reward.

And do you suppose that these things will buy wisdom? said Mimma.

Everyone feared his fierce anger.

Who could have done this wicked deed, thought he.

There is only one among all the Asia who would think of doing such a thing.

Thor lost no time in finding Loki, and that mischief god had to admit that he was the guilty one.

odin with a nod of deep gratitude felt the gentle power of harmony here a reminder that even in this vast and interconnected cosmos balance and peace whispered through the low hum of everything alive Sleipnir's eight legs moved like a whisper on a summer night as their journey continued, folding smoothly through the layers of existence that stretched infinitely beyond sight.

Rising now toward the calm glow of Asgard, the realm of the Aesir gods sheltered in the warmth of the World Tree's highest branches, the echo of distant laughter and soft song flows subtly through the air.

This was a place of wisdom and celebration, where the warmth of fellowship mixed with the divine mysteries of the ages.

Odin's gaze drifted across the golden halls and radiant fields, the soft gleam of ancient runes shimmering faintly in the twilight, each a story written in the language of stars.