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Fafnismol

 Thou findest, and doom of a fool;In the water shalt drown  if thou row 'gainst the wind, All danger is near to death."
  Sigurth spake:12.[1] "Tell me then, Fafnir,  for wise thou art famed, And much thou knowest now:Who are the Norns  who are helpful in need, And the babe from the mother bring?"
  Fafnir spake:13.[2] "Of many births  the Norns must be, Nor one in race they were;Some to gods, others  to elves are kin, And Dvalin's daughters some."
  Sigurth spake:14.[3] "Tell me then, Fafnir,  for wise thou art famed, And much thou knowest now:

    a poem similar to Vafthruthnismol. The headland: Fafnir is apparently quoting proverbs; this one seems to mean that disaster ("the fate of the Norns") awaits when one rounds the first headland (i. e., at the beginning of life's voyage, in youth). The third line is a commentary on obstinate rashness. The Volsungasaga paraphrases stanzas 11-15 throughout.

  1. ↑ Norns: cf. stanza 13 and note. Sigurth has no possible interest in knowing what Norns are helpful in childbirth, but interpolations were seldom logical.
  2. ↑ Snorri quotes this stanza. There were minor Norns, or fates, in addition to the three great Norns, regarding whom cf. Voluspo, 20. Dvalin: chief of the dwarfs; cf. Voluspo, 14.
  3. ↑

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