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Poetic Edda

52.[1] "At anchor lying  off GnipalundAre fire-beasts black,  all fitted with gold;There wait most  of the foeman's men,Nor will Helgi long  the battle delay."
  Hothbrodd spake:53.[2] "Bid the horses run  to the Reginthing,Melnir and Mylnir  to Myrkwood now,(And Sporvitnir  to Sparinsheith;)Let no man seek  henceforth to sitWho the flame of wounds  knows well to wield.
54.[3] "Summon Hogni,  the sons of Hring,Atli and Yngvi  and Alf the Old;Glad they are  of battle ever;Against the Volsungs  let us go."
  1. ↑ The manuscript indicates line 3 as beginning a new stanza; some editors combine lines 3-4 with all or part of stanza 53, while others assume the loss of two lines following line 4. Fire-beasts: dragons, i.e., ships. The Norse ships of war, as distinguished from merchant vessels, were often called dragons because of their shape and the carving of their stems.
  2. ↑ The manuscript does not indicate the speaker, and a few editors assume the loss of one or two lines embodying the phrase "Hothbrodd spake." In the manuscript line 3, which many editors have suspected of being spurious, stands before line 2. Possibly lines 4-5 are the remains of a separate stanza. Reginthing ("The Great Council"): apparently the council-place for the whole country, as distinct from the local council, or "herathsthing." Melnir ("Bit-Bearer"), Mylnir ("The Biter") and Spornvitnir ("Spur-Wolf"): horses' names. Myrkwood: a not uncommon name for a dark forest; cf. Lokasenna, 42, and Atlakvitha, 3. Sparinsheith ("Sparin's Heath"): nothing more is known of Sparin or his heath. Flame of wounds: sword.
  3. ↑ Hogni: the father of Sigrun; cf. Helgakvitha Hundings-

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