“39. The sun I saw, true star of day,
Sink in its roaring home; but Hell’s grated doors
On the other side I heard heavily creaking.
51. In the Norn’s seat nine days sat I,
Thenre was I mounted on a horse:
There the giantess’s sun shone grimly
Through the dripping clouds of heaven.
52. Without and within, I seemed to traverse
All the seven nether worlds; up and down,
I sought an easier way
Where I might have the readiest paths.”
He comes to a torrent about which flew “scorched birds, which were souls, numerous as flies.” Then the wind dies away, and he comes to a land where the waters do not flow. There false-faced women grind earth for food.
“58. Gory stones these dark women
Turned sorrowfully; out of their breasts
Hung bleeding hearts, faint with much affliction.”
He saw men with faces bloody, and heathen stars above their heads, painted with deadly characters; men who had envied others had bloody runes cut in their breasts. Covetous men went to Castle Covetous dragging weights of lead, murderers were consumed by venomous serpents, sabbath-breakers were nailed by their hands to
