428 



VALHOLL-VALHALLA. 



The warriors in Valhalla appear to have divided their time 

 In -tween drinking and fighting. 



Odin. 



Tell me, . . . 



Where men in the grass-plot 



Fight every day? 



They slay whom they choose 



And ride from the fight 



And sit together well agreeing. 



Vaft.hrudnir. 



All the Einherjar 

 In the grass-plot of Odin 

 Fight every day ; 

 They slay whom they choose 

 And ride from the fi^ht 

 And sit together well agreeing. 

 (Yafthrudnismal.) 



In Grrimnismal we are told that the cook in Valhalla was. 

 called Andhrimnir, and the cauldron Eldhrininir : 



Andhrimnir does 

 Cook Saehrimnir 

 In Eldhrininir ; 



The best of pork, 



But few know 



By what the Einherjar live. 



" Then Gangleri said : ' A great many men are there in 

 Valhalla ; surely Odin is a very great chief, as he rules over 

 such a host. What is the entertainment of the Einherjar when 

 they are not drinking ? ' Har answered : ' Every day after 

 having dressed they put on their war clothes, and go out into 

 the enclosure and tight and slay each other. This is their 

 game ; near day-meal 1 they ride home to Valhalla and sit down 

 to drink 2 ' (Later Edda, c. 40). 



Odin did not eat, for wine was to him both food and drink. 



" Then said Gangleri : ' Has Odin the same fare as the 

 Einherjar ? ' Har : ' The food which stands on his board he 

 gives to his two wolves, Geri and Freki ; 3 he needs no food, 

 for wine is both drink and food to him. 



" King Eirek (blood-axe of Northumberland), son of Harald 

 Fairhair, one summer made warfare west of Scotland, and in 

 Ireland, and in Bretland (Wales), and did not stop before he 

 came south to England, and ravaged there as in other places, 

 because King Adalstein (Ethelstan) was then dead, and his 

 son Jatmund ruled England " (Fagrskinna, c. 27). 



" Eirik had a host so large that five kings followed him. 

 As he was a man of great bravery and a victorious man he 



1 Chief meal, corresponding in time to 

 breakfast. 



2 Cf. also Vafthrudnismal, 41. 



3 Cf. also Grimnismal, 19 : 



" Geri and Freki 

 Does the battle-tamer feed, 



The famous Herjafodr (father 



of hosts of Odin) ; 

 But by wine only 

 The weapon-famous 

 Odin always lives." 



