Page:Norse mythology or, the religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted with an introduction, vocabulary and index.djvu/263

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To grow and well thrive:
Word by word
I sought out words,
Fact by fact
I sought out facts.

Runes thou wilt find
And explained characters,
Very large characters,
Very potent characters,
Which the great speaker depicted
And the high powers formed
And the powers' prince graved.

Odin among the asas,
But among the elves, Daain;
Odin as inventor of runes
And Dvalin for the dwarfs;
Aasvid for the giants runes risted,
Some I myself risted.

Knowest thou how to rist them?
Knowest thou how to expound them?
Knowest thou how to depict them?
Knowest thou how to prove them?
Knowest thou how to pray?
Knowest thou how to offer?
Knowest thou how to send?
Knowest thou how to consume?

'T is better not to pray
Than too much offer;
A gift ever looks to a return.
'T is better not to send
Than too much consume.
So Thund risted
Before the origin of men,
There he ascended
Where he afterwards came.

Those songs I know
Which the king's wife knows not.