Grottasöngr

The Song of Grotti

Grottas sång

24 stanzas

Summary

A

Grottasöngr tells of King Fróði who acquires two giantesses, Fenja and Menja, and a magic mill called Grotti that can grind anything its owner wishes.

He sets them to grind gold, peace, and prosperity. He refuses to let them rest longer than a cuckoo's silence. The giantesses grow angry.

They grind out an army (Mýsingr's host) that destroys Fróði. The poem deals with exploitation and rebellion, greed and its consequences. It is preserved in Snorri's Edda.

The story

Nú er kominntil konungs húsasá er fregit hefirforn ala vísa;þar lét hann Fenjaok Menju finna,Fróða meyjarok mikilar þrár.
Now he has cometo the king's dwelling,he who sought outancient lore;there he had foundFenja and Menja,Fróði's giant-maids,mighty and massive.

English translation: own translation.

Þær váru meyjarat miklum krafti,þær létu liggjaá lagar botnigrjót hit miklaGrotta steins;þær váru gefnargoðum Fróða.
They were maidensof mighty power,they who had leftupon the sea-bottomthe great boulderof Grotti-stone;they were givento golden Fróði.

English translation: own translation.

Þá váru leiddarat lygni steini,beiddust meyjarat bera eigi;hann bað þær malaok munn at þegja,mala gull ok friðok Fróða dýrð.
Then they were ledto the smooth stone,the giantess-maids beggedto be spared the burden;he bade them grindand keep silence,grind gold and peaceand Fróði's glory.

English translation: own translation.

Mulu þær á Grottagull at Fróða,luktu þær konungikvæðum sínum;hlóðu stáliok sterkari grjótienn þær kvólurof kvámu þangat.
They ground on Grottigold for Fróði,they promised the kingthrough their songs;they loaded steeland heavier stonesthan the tormentsthat had driven them there.

English translation: own translation.

Grunnu þær kvikok gengu í hring,réðu rúnarok ráðgjafar;melu þær mörgen minna hvíldu,beiddu at brotnabreiðar rúnar.
They ground the livingand walked in circles,they counseled runesand guidance for days ahead;they ground for longbut rested little,asked that the broadrunes might shatter.

English translation: own translation.

Þær hlupu at steiniok hlóðu fast,þær spurðu Fróðaaf frjálsri grein:'Hví gefr þú okkreigi hvíld né ynði,Fróði konungr,nema fúss gangi?'
They rushed to the stoneand loaded it hard,they asked Fróðiin a free voice:'Why do you give usneither rest nor ease,king Fróði,unless we choose to go?'

English translation: own translation.

Skalt þú okkr hvíldné hvíl gefa,Fróði konungr,nema fúss gangi,meðan galará gný heiðargagl yfir garðieða gǫgl fljúga.
You shall give us restand respite, king Fróði,if we are not to go,grind no longerthan the cuckoo's silenceon the heath lastsor the geese flyover the yard.

English translation: own translation.

Fenja ok Menjafundu at mala,þær váru þreytar,þungar ok reinar;hlupu at steiniharðliga báðar,spunnu samanok spunnu fast.
Fenja and Menjafound themselves grinding,they were weary,heavy and bitter;both rushedhard to the stone,spun togetherand spun without pause.

English translation: own translation.

Nú munu vér mala,en munn at þegja,myrk ok myrkvanmjöll ok fjöll;hlóðum hérharðan grjót,af þeim meiner munu Fróða kveljа.
Now we shall grindbut keep silent in the mouth,dark and ever darker,mist and mountains;we loaded herethe hard stonewith the evilthat shall torment Fróði.

English translation: own translation.

Gullz líkar þikkigoðum Fróðaat rúna leikaok at ríki þverra;kyndusk þá klærþær keimlegar,ok váru þæraf vífi þurfar.
It gleams like goldfor golden Fróði,to play with runesand let the realm dwindle;then the claws were kindled,those secret and fierce,and they wereof woman's making.

English translation: own translation.

Þær ótu œritáðr Fróðr kvæmiðaf þeim fíkjumer þær fundu;sátu þærok sungit höfðu,hlupu at steiniok hlóðu fast.
They had eaten enoughbefore Fróði camefrom the fruitsthat they had found;they had satand had sung,then rushed to the stoneand loaded it hard.

English translation: own translation.

Munu vér malameðan mál er,ok ganga í hringá gný steins;lát okkr hvíla,Hrólfr konungr,ganga frjálsará gní þessa.
We shall grindwhile the time is right,and walk in circlesat the stone's roar;let us rest,king Hrólf,walk freefrom this mill's thunder.

English translation: own translation.

Ek man jötnaárdaga forna,þá er ek var aliní ár löngu;níu man ek heimaníu í viði,mér var þat líflöngu síðan.
I remember the giantsin the ancient days of old,when I was raisedlong ago;nine worlds I remember,nine in the forest,that was my lifelong ago.

English translation: own translation.

Vér höfum þjáðarþjóðkonungar,drifnar at drifnudrengskapar veði;skulum vér nú malameðan máttum kveðinnok ríki Fróðaaf rúnum vinna.
We have servedmighty kings,driven through driventrials of courage;now we shall grindwhile we can still singand win Fróði's realmthrough runes.

English translation: own translation.

Þær lugu at steiniok lítt hvíldu,unz fell af náttmálFróði þræll;þá mælti Menjaok Fenja ok öll:'Vér munum malameir en þú vilt.'
They lay at the stoneand rested little,until Fróði's thrallfell in the night's darkness;then Menja spokeand Fenja and all:'We shall grindmore than you wish.'

English translation: own translation.

Mulum vér þater mál er at mala,at komi herrá hús Fróða;sjám þar svárasverð ok brynjurok blóðug vápná beinleggjum.
We grind whatis right to grind,that a host shall cometo Fróði's house;we see there heavyswords and mail-shirtsand bloody weaponson bone-clad limbs.

English translation: own translation.

Mulum vér at Fróðafrjálsar ok görvar,munum vér malameðan mál er,þat er Mýsingrmun koma hingatok Fróðr konungrfær fall sitt.
We grind against Fróði,free and ready,we shall grindwhile the time is right,until Mýsingrcomes hereand king Fróðimeets his fall.

English translation: own translation.

Þær gengu ekkiá gný þessa,þær hlóðu stáliá sterkum höndum;enn mun Fróðrfinna þetta,er hann veit hvarvéar hans liggja.
They walked no moreat the mill's thunder,they loaded steelwith strong hands;Fróði shallfind this out,when he knows wherehis warriors lie.

English translation: own translation.

Stóðu þær þásterkari ok görvar,mulu þær at Fróðafólk ok ríki;ok af Fenjafell þat fyrst,er Fróðr konungrfrjálsliga þótti.
They stood thenstronger and ready,they ground against Fróðipeople and realm;and from Fenjait fell first,what king Fróðithought was free.

English translation: own translation.

Mulu vér at þúmunt aldri þiggjagulli né gróðriné góðu lífi;þeir munu komaþjóðkonungarer þér munu ljótalíf ok ríki.
We grind that youshall never receivegold or growthor a good life;they shall come,mighty kingswho shall take from youyour life and realm.

English translation: own translation.

Þær lugu at steiniok lítt hvíldu,mulu þær at morniMýsings for;melu þær þará mjóum steiniþar til fellFróðr af ríki.
They lay at the stoneand rested little,they ground until morningMýsingr's journey;they ground thereat the slender stoneuntil Fróðifell from his realm.

English translation: own translation.

Þá kom á skipok þjóðkonungar,Mýsingr ríkrok margt lið hans;lét þá drepadrengi Fróða,en Fenja ok Menjafluðu á braut.
Then to the shipsand the mighty kingscame powerful Mýsingrand his great host;he had then slainFróði's warriors,but Fenja and Menjafled away.

English translation: own translation.

Tók þá Mýsingrat mala salt,hann mál þeiramanngi spurði;mulu þær þará miðju skipiþar til brotnaðibrim-kaldr steinn.
Then Mýsingr tookthem to grind salt,he asked nobodyabout their measure;they ground thereamid the shipuntil the sea-coldstone cracked.

English translation: own translation.

Á botni hafsinsbrotnaði steinninn,þar liggr ennlyngvi fiskr;þar mun saltr særsíðan munu kalla,Menja ok Fenjamál þeira vann.
On the sea's bottomthe stone cracked,there still liesthe heather among fish;there the salt seashall thereafter be called,Fenja and Menjaachieved their measure.

English translation: own translation.

Key concepts

  • Fróði , the greedy peace-king whose exploitation of the giantesses leads to his fall
  • Grotti , the magic mill that can grind anything, a mythic symbol of wealth's and power's price

Interpretive traditions

A What we know

Grottasöngr is preserved in Snorri's Edda (Skáldskaparmál) as illustration of the kenning 'Fróði's meal' for gold.

The poem preserves a mythic aetiology: why the sea is salt (Mýsingr set the giantesses to grind salt until the ship sank).

B What we think we know

Whether the poem originally belonged to a larger mythic cycle about Fróði's peace or was an independent composition is debated.

The giantesses' self-presentation (stanzas 9-12) with references to their giant origins and battle experience has been interpreted as a reminiscence of an older giant myth.

C What we do not know

The exact relationship between the Norse Grotti myth and the widely distributed folkloristic motif of 'the magic mill that grinds salt' cannot be established with current evidence.

Sources and further reading

Primary sources

  • Neckel, Gustav, och Hans Kuhn. 1983. Edda: Die Lieder des Codex Regius nebst verwandten Denkmälern. 5. uppl. Heidelberg: Winter.

Translations

  • Bellows, Henry Adams (trans.). 1923. The Poetic Edda. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation. (PD)
  • Larrington, Carolyne (trans.). 2014. The Poetic Edda. Rev. ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Scholarly works

  • Lindow, John. 2001. Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Simek, Rudolf. 1993. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Translated by Angela Hall. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.
  • de Vries, Jan. 1956–1957. Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte. 2 vols. Berlin: de Gruyter.
  • Turville-Petre, E. O. G. 1964. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.