SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

Voluspa 97
With st. 65 the prophecy is over. The stanza about
hinn riki describes the furthest and the highest that the
sibyl can see. Thereafter it is as if her eyes are blinded
by too much brightness, and she has to calm herself
before she completes her speech. Her far-sight stretches
over space as well as time (d. st. 2 and 29) and now she
searches with her eyes for something which will
describe the present state of the world, in order to focus
her sight on it. She sees Nitihoggr and draws an unforgettable
picture of it. Thereafter she says "Now she
(I) will sink", i.e. "I have spoken". So Bugge explained it
in his editions! and so later did Finnur Jonsson, 42 except
that he accepted Miillenhoft's emendation hann (i.e.
NitihOggr) for hon in the last line. But it is imprudent
to depart from both manuscripts here, and anyway not
necessary. Even though the sibyl is living (i.e. not
awakened from the dead to deliver her poem), there is
nothing to preclude her disappearing from the scene in
this manner.
What can we deduce about the sibyl from the poem?
(1) She is very ancient and fostered by giants; (2) she "sits
outside" and thus speaks to 6tiinn, who seeks knowledge
from her; (3) she knows the secrets and fates of all gods
and men. From this it is obvious that we are dealing
with no ordinary travelling spae-wife, nor can she be
measured by their measure. The poet has made her
gigantic in knowledge and inspiration; has given her the
wisdom of the giants and set her foresight no bounds.
This must be understood if one wants to avoid misunderstanding
various points in the text. Such a sibyl could
well speak contemptuously of a travelling spae-wife like
Heirir (st. 22). She could permit herself the solemn
form of address to gods and men which some scholars
have found shocking; they have felt that they had to
.. ed. cit., 392.
.. Finnur ]6nsson, Viiluspa (I9II), 33-4.