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2008-05-17 21:34:42
Snorri Edda 节选
Of Ymir and the Frost-Ogres
Gangleri asked, ‘How were things arranged before families came into existence or mankind inceased?’
High One Said, ‘When those rivers which are called Elivagar came so far from their source that the yeasty venom accompanying them hardened like slag, they turned into ice.Then when that ice formed and was firm, a drizzling rain that arose from the venom poured over it and cooled into rime, and one layer of ice formed on top of the othere throughout Ginnungagap.’
Then Juse-as high said, “That part of Ginnungagap which turned northwards became full of the ice and the hoar frost’s weight and heaviness, and within there was drizzling rain and gusts of winds. But the southern part of Ginnungagap became light by meeting the sparks and glowing embers which flew out of the world of Muspell.”
Then Third said, “Just as cold and all harsh things emanated from Niflheim, so everything in the region of Muspell was warm and bright. Ginnungagap was as mild as windless air. Where the soft air of the heat met the frost so that it thawed and dripped, then ,by the might of that which sent the heat, life appeared in the drops of runing fluid and grew into the likeness of a man. He was given the name Ymir, but the frost ogres call him aurgelmir, and that is where the families of frost ogres come from,as is said in the Shorter Prophecy(Voluspa):
All the sibyls
Are from Vidolf,
All the wizards from Vilmeid,
But the sorcerers from Svarthofdi,
All the giant have come
From Ymir.
And here is What the giant Vafthrudnir said in answer to Odin’s question:
Whence first from giant-kin
Came Aurgelmir the well-informed?
From the Elivagar
Oozed drops of venom
That grew till they fashioned a giant,
All our kindred came from thence,
Because of this birth
They are aye far too barbarous.”
Then Gangleri asked, “How did families grow thence?”How was it arranged that men became numerous? Do you believe it was a god you were speaking about just now?”
High One replied, “In no wise do we consider he was a god. He and all his family were evil; we call them frost ogres, But it is said that while he slept he fell into a sweat and under his left arm there grew a man and woman,and one of his legs got a son with the other, and that is where the families of frost come from.We call that old frost ogre Ymir.”
