Chapters 44-95 - Germanic Mythology

The author of the second song about Helgi Hundingsbani has known of dýrar
veigar, precious liquids, of which those who have gone to Hel partake. The dead Helgi
says that when his beloved Sigrun is to share them with him, then it is of no consequence
that they have lost earthly joy and kingdoms, and that no one must lament that his breast
was tortured with wounds (Helg. Hund., II. 46). The touching finale of this song, though
preserved only in fragments, and no doubt borrowed from a heathen source, shows that
the power of the subterranean potion to allay longing and sorrow had its limits. The
survivors should mourn over departed loved ones with moderation, and not forget that
they are to meet again, for too bitter tears of sorrow fall as a cold dew on the breast of the
dead one and penetrate it with pain (str. 45).
73.
THE HADES-DRINK (continued).
THE HADES-HORN EMBELLISHED WITH SERPENTS.
In Sonatorrek 19, the skald (Egill Skalla-Grímsson) conceives himself with the
claims of a father to keep his children opposed to a stronger power which has also made a
claim on them. This power is firm in its resolutions against Egil (stendr í föstum þokk á
hendi mér); but, at the same time, it is lenient toward his children, and bestows on them
the lot of happiness. The mythic person who possesses this power is by the skald called
Fáns hrosta hilmir, "the lord of Fánn's brewing."
Fánn is a mythical serpent and dragon-name (Nafnaþulur, Orma heiti 2). The
serpent or dragon which possessed this name in the myths or sagas must have been one
which was engraved or painted somewhere. This is evident from the word itself, which is
a contraction of fáinn, engraved, painted (cp. Egilsson's Lex. Poet., and Vigfusson's Dict.,
sub voce 3 ). Its character as such does not hinder it from being endowed with a magic life
(see below). The object on which it was engraved or painted must have been a drinkinghorn,
whose contents (brewing) is called by Egil Fánn's either because the serpent
encircled the horn which contained the drink, or because the horn, on which it was
engraved, was named after it. In no other way can the expression, Fánn's brewing, be
explained, for an artificial serpent or dragon is neither the one who brews the drink nor
the malt from which it is brewed. 4
The possessor of the horn, embellished with Fánn's image, is the mythical person
who, to Egil's vexation, has insisted on the claim of the lower world to his sons. If the
skald has paraphrased correctly, that is to say, if he has produced a paraphrase which
refers to the character here in question of the person indicated by the paraphrase, then it
3 sub voce, under this word.
4 This passage can be explained in a number of ways. The fact that it refers to Odin, however, is not in
question. The manuscript reads fanst which requires an emendation to make sense. Today the text is
typically emended to fáns, and fáns hrosta interpreted as the genitive of fánn hrosti, meaning "pale brew",
"glistening brew." This is Vigfusson's definition of the phrase in his dictionary, with the explanation that it
refers to the mead brewed for the gods by Aegir. In Corpus Poeticum Boreale, however, Vigfusson
translates the same words in Sonnatorrek 18 as "the lord of the ancient mead," emending fanst to forns.
Egilsson's definition of the adjective fánn is "glistening," although he also notes that Fánn is the name of a
mythic serpent. Rydberg has combined the two ideas, as noted, but failed to note the required emendation.