Völuspá Prophecies All Prophecies 18 Q&A entries in total
Stanzas 1-2: The Seeress's Opening
Anonymous Norse Poet: Hljóðs bið ek allar helgar kindir, meiri ok minni, mögu Heimdallar...
Hear me, all ye hallowed beings, both high and low, sons of Heimdall. Odin, you wish me to tell of the oldest things I can remember.
Stanzas 3-5: Creation — Born from the Void
Anonymous Norse Poet: Ár var alda, þat er ekki var, var-a sandr né sær né svalar unnir; jörð fannsk æva né upphiminn, gap var ginnunga, en gras hvergi.
In the beginning there was nothing — no sand, no sea, no cool waves; no earth, no sky above, only Ginnungagap yawning wide, and grass nowhere. The sons of Burr raised up the land and shaped glorious Midgard.
Stanzas 6-8: The Golden Age
Anonymous Norse Poet: Hittusk æsir á Iðavelli, þeir er hörg ok hof há timbruðu...
The Æsir met on Iðavöllr, where they built temples and altars high. They set up forges, smithed treasures, made tongs and fashioned tools. In their courts they played at tables — nor did they lack for gold.
Stanzas 9-16: Creation of the Dwarves
Anonymous Norse Poet: Þá gengu regin öll á rökstóla, ginnheilög goð, ok um þat gættusk, hverr skyldi dverga dróttir skepja...
The gods gathered on their thrones of fate and deliberated who should create the race of dwarves. From Brimir's blood and Bláinn's bones, the dwarves were fashioned. The poem lists many dwarf names, including Gandálfr and Durinn — later borrowed by Tolkien.
Stanzas 17-18: Birth of Humanity
Anonymous Norse Poet: Unz þrír kvámu ór því liði öflgir ok ástgir æsir at húsi, fundu á landi lítt megandi Ask ok Emblu, örlöglausa.
Three mighty and gracious Æsir came forth from the host. On the shore they found Ask and Embla — feeble and fateless. Odin gave soul, Hœnir gave sense, Lóðurr gave warmth and living hue — thus were the first humans born.
Stanzas 19-20: Yggdrasil, the World Tree
Anonymous Norse Poet: Ask veit ek standa, heitir Yggdrasill, hár baðmr, ausinn hvíta auri...
I know an ash tree standing, called Yggdrasil — a tall tree, sprinkled with white clay. From it come the dews that fall in the valleys. It stands ever green over Urðr's well. Three wise maidens come from the hall beside that spring — Urðr, Verðandi, Skuld — they carve out fate.
Stanzas 21-24: The First War
Anonymous Norse Poet: Þat man hon fólkvíg fyrst í heimi, er Gullveigu geirum studdu ok í höll Hárs hána brendu; þrysvar brendu, þrysvar borna, opt, ósjaldan, þó hon enn lifir.
She remembers the first war in the world — when Gullveig was pierced with spears and burned in the hall of the High One. Thrice burned, thrice reborn, again and again, yet she still lives. The Vanir then declared war on the Æsir. Odin hurled his spear over the host — the world's first war had begun.
Stanzas 25-26: Odin's Sacrifice
Anonymous Norse Poet: Einn sat hon úti, þá er inn aldni kom, Yggjungr ása, ok í augu leit: Hvers fregnið mik? Hví freistið mín? Allt veit ek, Óðinn, hvar þú auga falt: í inum mæra Mímisbrunni.
Alone she sat outside when the ancient one came, lord of the Æsir, and looked into her eyes: 'Why do you ask me? Why do you test me? I know everything, Odin — where you hid your eye: in the famed well of Mímir.' Odin sacrificed one eye for a drink from the well of wisdom.
Stanzas 27-29: Valkyries and Fate
Anonymous Norse Poet: Sá hon valkyrjur vítt of komnar, görvar at ríða til Goðþjóðar. Skuld helt skildi, en Skögul önnur, Gunnr, Hildr, Göndul ok Geirskögul.
She saw valkyries coming from afar, ready to ride to the realm of the gods. Skuld bore the shield, then Skögul, Gunnr, Hildr, Göndul, and Geirskögul. These are the shield-maidens of the battlefield, choosing the slain at Odin's command.
Stanzas 31-35: The Death of Baldr
Anonymous Norse Poet: Ek sá Baldri, blóðgum tívur, Óðins barni, örlög fólgin: stóð um vaxinn, völlum hæri, mjór ok mjök fagr, mistilteinn.
I saw for Baldr, the bleeding god, Odin's son, his destiny hidden: the mistletoe grew slender and fair, tall above the field. From that seeming-harmless branch, Höðr shot the fatal shaft, and Baldr's brother fell. This is the first omen of Ragnarök.
Stanzas 36-39: Loki's Punishment
Anonymous Norse Poet: Hapt sá hon liggja und Hveralundi, lægjarns líki Loka áþekkjan. Þar sitr Sigyn, þeygi of sínum ver velglýjuð.
She saw a captive lying beneath the grove of hot springs — a treacherous face, the likeness of Loki. Sigyn sits beside him, yet takes no joy in her husband's fate. A serpent drips venom above Loki's head; Sigyn catches it in a bowl, but when she turns to empty it, the drops burn his face and his writhing shakes the earth.
Stanzas 40-41: Signs of Ragnarök
Anonymous Norse Poet: Fyllisk fjörvi feigra manna, rýðr ragna sjöt rauðum dreyra. Svört verða sólskin of sumur eftir, veðr öll válynd.
The life-blood of doomed men fills the earth, the gods' dwelling stained with crimson gore. Black turns the sun in summers after, all weather grows treacherous. Brothers shall fight and slay each other; sisters' sons shall kinship stain — an age of axes, an age of swords, shields cloven; an age of storms, an age of wolves, ere the world falls.
Stanzas 44-49: Fenrir and the Monsters
Anonymous Norse Poet: Hrymr ekr austan, hefisk lind fyrir, snýsk Jörmungandr í jötunmóði. Ormr knýr unnir, en ari hlakkar, slítr nái niðfölr, Naglfar losnar.
Hrymr drives from the east, shield held high. Jörmungandr, the Midgard Serpent, writhes in giant fury. The serpent churns the waves, the eagle screams, the pale-beaked corpse-tearer rends the dead. Naglfar, the ship of dead men's nails, breaks free. Fenrir gapes wide — jaw reaching from earth to sky. Surtr advances from the south with his flaming sword.
Stanzas 50-53: Ragnarök — The Final Battle
Anonymous Norse Poet: Þá kømr Hlínar harmr annarr fram, er Óðinn ferr við úlf vega... Víðarr vegr at valdýri, lætr hann megi Hveðrungs mundum standa hjör til hjarta.
Odin fights the great wolf Fenrir and is swallowed whole. Víðarr avenges his father, tearing the wolf's jaw apart and driving his sword into its heart. Thor battles the Midgard Serpent, slays it, then staggers back nine paces and falls to the serpent's venom. The sun darkens, earth sinks into the sea, stars fall from the sky, steam and flame consume all.
Stanzas 54-58: The World Reborn
Anonymous Norse Poet: Sér hon upp koma öðru sinni jörð ór ægi, iðjagrœna. Falla forsar, flýgr örn yfir, sá er á fjalli fiska veiðir.
She sees the earth rise a second time from the sea, green once more. Waterfalls cascade, eagles soar over mountains, catching fish. Unsown fields bear fruit. Baldr returns — Höðr and Baldr reconciled, dwelling together in Odin's hall. Víðarr and Váli survive. The new gods meet again on Iðavöllr, speaking of mighty deeds past, and find the ancient runes.
Stanzas 59-64: New Order and Judgment
Anonymous Norse Poet: Þar kømr inn dimmi dreki fljúgandi, naðr fránn, neðan frá Niðafjöllum. Berr sér í fjöðrum — flýgr völl yfir — Níðhöggr nái. Nú mun hon søkkvask.
A hall stands, fairer than the sun, roofed with gold at Gimlé. There the righteous shall dwell and enjoy bliss evermore. Then comes the dark dragon flying — Níðhöggr rising from Niðafjöll, bearing corpses in its wings, soaring over the plain. And now the seeress sinks down — her prophecy is ended.
Stanza 57: Nature's Renewal After the End
Anonymous Norse Poet: Munu ósánir akrar vaxa, böls mun alls batna, Baldr mun koma.
Unsown fields shall bear fruit, all evil shall be healed, Baldr shall return. This depicts nature's spontaneous recovery after Ragnarök — the earth yields abundance without human toil, symbolizing the dawn of a pure new age.
Stanza 65: The Mighty One
Anonymous Norse Poet: Þá kømr inn ríki at regindómi, öflugr, ofan, sá er öllu ræðr.
Then comes the mighty one to the great judgment, powerful, from above, he who rules over all. This is one of the poem's most enigmatic stanzas. The identity of 'he who rules all' has long been debated — some scholars see it as Christian influence on pagan Norse poetry, while others argue it represents a primordial supreme being beyond the gods.
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