The Poetic Edda - Voluspo: Stanzas 12, 13, 14,15 and 16

  To continue on our Voluspo journey and the name of the dwarves. These stanzas make me smile and if you are a J.R.R. Tolkien fan or even a fan of the movie The Hobbit trilogy  these will should make you smile as well. As usual this is from the translation of Poetic Edda.

12. Vigg and Gandalf   Vildaf and Thrain
       Thekk and Thorin  Thror, Vit and Lit
       Nyr and Nyrath, --  Now I have told --
       Regin and Rathsvith --  the list aright.

13. Fili, Kili,   Fundin, Nali
      Heptifili    Hannar, Sviur
      Frar, Hornboi,  Fraeg and Loni,
      Aurvang, Jari,    Eikinskjaldi.

14. The race of dwarfs  in Dvalin'sthrong
      Down to Lofar  the list I must tell;
      The rocks they left,  and through wet lands  
      They sought a home in the fields of sand.

15. There were Draupnir,   and Dolgthrasir,
      Hor, Haugspori,  Hlevang, Gloin,
      Dori, Ori,  Duf, Andvari,
      Skirfir, Virfir,  Skafith, Ai.

16.  Alf and Yngvi,  Eikinskjaldi,
       Fjalar and Frosti  Fith, and Ginnar;
       So for all time  shall the tale be known,
       The list of all the forebears of Lofar.

Dvalinn

  Dvalinn of Norse mythology was a dwarf who appears in many Old Norse tales and kennings . Dvalinn translates as "the slumbering one" or "the dormant one".

  In Grimnismal, the fourth of the poems in the Poetic Edda, and in Gylfaginning, the first poem of the Prose Edda, Dvalin is listed as one of he four stags that eat among the branched of the World Tree Yggdrasill. There is speculation as to why the stags exist and what is their value.

 Also in Voluspa, the Poetic Edda first poem, is mentioned in a listing of dwarves names and then in a later stanza as a leader taking a host of dwarves from the mountain to look for a new place to live.

"The rocks they left, and through the wet lands

They sought a home, in fields of sand" 

  In Havamal, a single poem in the Poetic Edda that is mainly made up of meaningful and wise sayings put to verse to help the memory, Dvalinn is said to have introduced the writing of runes to the dwarves, as Dain had done for the elves and Odin for the gods.

  In Alvissmal, a kenning for the sun that is listed as the "deceiver of Dwalinn", referring to the power from the sun can turn a dwarf into stone. In skaldic poetry, "Dvalinn's drink" is used as a kenning of poetry, since the mead of poetry was originally created my the dwarves.

  In Fafnismal , an Eddic poem, found in the Codex Regius, during a discussion between Sigurd and Fafnir concerning the minor Norns, (apart from the three great Norns), female beings who govern the lives of men and gods. Those that govern the lives of dwarves are known as "Dvalinn's daughters".


  In Hervarar saga, Dvalinn , along with Dain, is one of the pair of dwarves to make the magic sword Tyrfing.

  In the late 14th to early 15th century Icelandic short story, written by two Christian priest, Magnus Thorhalson and Jon Thordson, Dvalinn is the name of one of the four dwarves who made a necklace that was later obtained by a woman named Freyja, who is  King Odin's concubine, after she agreed to spend the night with each of the dwaves.

  Of course, J.R.R. Tolkien took the name Dvalinn for Dwalin  for his book The Hobbit.

Grahm McTavish - Dwalin