Page:Poeticedda00belluoft.djvu/397

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

Reginsmol

he had brought forth all the gold, he held back one ring, and Loki took this from him. The dwarf went into his rocky hole and said:^[1]

5.^[2] "Now shall the gold that Gust once hadBring their death to brothers twain,And evil be for heroes eight;Joy of my wealth shall no man win."

^[3]The gods gave Hreithmar the gold, and filled up the otter-skin, and stood it on its feet. Then the gods had to heap up gold and hide it. And when that was done, Hreithmar came forward and saw a single whisker, and bade them cover it. Then Othin brought out the ring Andvaranaut^[4] and covered the hair. Then Loki said:

6.^[5] "The gold is given, and great the price Thou hast my head to save;

↑ Prose. Snorri says Andvari's ring had the power to create new gold. In this it resembled Baldr's ring, Draupnir; c.f. Skirnismol, 21 and note.
↑ This stanza apparently comes from a different source from stanzas 1-4 (or 1-2 if 3-4 are interpolated) and 6-10; cf. Introductory Note. In the Volsungasaga Andvari lays his curse particularly on the ring. Gust: possibly a name for Andvari himself, or for an earlier possessor of the treasure. Brothers twain: Fafnir and Regin. Heroes eight: the word "eight" may easily have been substituted for something like "all" to make the stanza fit the case; the "eight" in question are presumably Sigurth, Gotthorm, Gunnar, Hogni, Atli, Erp, Sorli and Hamther, all of whom are slain in the course of the story. But the stanza may originally not have referred to Andvari's treasure at all.
↑ Prose.
↑ Andvaranaut: "Andvari's Gem."
↑ Snorri quotes this stanza, introducing it, as here, with "Then Loki said" in the prose. Regius omits this phrase, but inserts "said Loki" in line 1.

[361]

[Reginsmol_4-a-b-1] Prose. Snorri says Andvari's ring had the power to create new gold. In this it resembled Baldr's ring, Draupnir; c.f. Skirnismol, 21 and note.

[Reginsmol_5-2] This stanza apparently comes from a different source from stanzas 1-4 (or 1-2 if 3-4 are interpolated) and 6-10; cf. Introductory Note. In the Volsungasaga Andvari lays his curse particularly on the ring. Gust: possibly a name for Andvari himself, or for an earlier possessor of the treasure. Brothers twain: Fafnir and Regin. Heroes eight: the word "eight" may easily have been substituted for something like "all" to make the stanza fit the case; the "eight" in question are presumably Sigurth, Gotthorm, Gunnar, Hogni, Atli, Erp, Sorli and Hamther, all of whom are slain in the course of the story. But the stanza may originally not have referred to Andvari's treasure at all.

[Reginsmol_5-a-3] Prose.

[Reginsmol_5-b-4] Andvaranaut: "Andvari's Gem."

[Reginsmol_6-5] Snorri quotes this stanza, introducing it, as here, with "Then Loki said" in the prose. Regius omits this phrase, but inserts "said Loki" in line 1.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]