Chapters 44-95 - Germanic Mythology

and rushed with his sword in the other against the dragon. They were seen to vanish between the
jaws of the monster. With the other companions, the Danish prince then returned by the same
route as he had come, and after many years he got back to his native land.
When Erik and his countryman had been swallowed by the dragon, they thought
themselves enveloped in smoke; but it disipated and they were unharmed, and saw before them a
great plain, sunlit and covered with flowers. There flowed rivers of honey. The air was still, but
just above the ground were perceived breezes that conveyed the fragrance of the flowers. It is
never dark in this country, and objects cast no shadow. Both the adventurers went far into the
country in order to find, if possible, inhabited parts. But the country seemed to be uninhabited.
Nevertheless, they saw a tower in the distance. They continued to travel in that direction, and on
coming nearer, they found that the tower was suspended in the air, without foundation or pillars.
A ladder led up to it. Within the tower there was a room, carpeted with velvet, and there stood a
beautiful table with delicious food in silver dishes and wine in golden goblets. There were also
splendid beds. Both the men were now convinced that they had come to Odainsakur, and they
thanked God that they had reached their destination. They refreshed themselves and laid
themselves to sleep. While Erik slept, a beautiful boy, who called him by name, came to him and
said that he was one of the angels who guarded the gates of Paradise, and also Erik's guardian
angel, who had been at his side when he vowed to go in search of Odainsakur. He asked whether
Erik wished to remain where he now was or to return home. Erik wished to return to report what
he had seen. The angel informed him that Odainsakur, or jörð lifandi manna, where he now was,
was not the same place as Paradise, for to the latter only spirits could come, and the land of the
spirits, Paradise, was so glorious that, in comparison, Odainsakur seemed like a desert. Still,
these two regions are on each other's borders, and the river which Erik had seen has its source in
Paradise. The angel permitted the two travellers to remain in Odainsakur for six days to rest
themselves. Then they returned by way of Mikligard to Norway, and there Erik was called
víðförli, the far-travelled.
In regard to Erik's genealogy, the saga (Hálfdanar Saga Eysteinssonar) states that his
father's name was Þrándr, that his aunt (mother's sister) was a certain Svanhvít [Swan-white],
and that he belonged to the race of Thjazi's daughter Skadi. 3 Further on in the domain of the real
3 This saga clearly identifies Eirekr (Erik) as the one who visited Odainsakur, however Skadi is not mentioned. Still,
they may be related as Ynglingasaga 8 informs us that Njörðr fékk konu þeirrar er Skaði hét. Hún vildi ekki við hann
samfarar og giftist síðan Óðni. Áttu þau marga sonu. Einn þeirra hét Sæmingur. …Til Sæmings taldi Hákon jarl
hinn ríki langfeðgakyn sitt. “Njorth married a woman who was called Skathi. She would not have intercourse with
him, and later married Othin. They had many sons. One of them was called Sæming. …Earl Hákon, the Mighty
reckoned his pedigree from Sæming.” [L. Hollander tr.]; Two names in this geneology also appear in the geneology
of the mythological Eirekr (Svipdag), although in different positions. In the mythology, Eirekr (Svipdag) is the son
of Völund's brother, Egil. Svanhvit is one of the swan-maidens in Völundarkvida, and a half-sister of Völund (see
no. 110). In this same geneology, the name of Eirekr's grandmother (his mother's mother) is Nauma, which is an
epithet of Idunn according to Forspallsljod (Hrafna Galdur Odins) 8. There Idunn is referred to as Nauma in most
manuscripts of the poem, or Nanna in others. The verse reads:
Sjá sigtívar
The divinities see
syrga Nauma (or Nönnu) Nauma grieving
viggjar að véum; in the wolf's home;
vargsbelg seldu given a wolfskin
lét í færast,
she clad herself therein,
lyndi breytti,
changed disposition,
litum skipti.
shifted her shape.