[Page 101]
THE DESCENT OF ODIN:
AN ODE.
1 UPROSE the King of Men with speed,
2 And saddled strait his coal-black steed;
3 Down the yawning steep he rode,
4 That leads toq
q Niflheimr, the hell of the Gothic nations, consisted of nine worlds, to which were devoted all such as died of sickness, old-age, or by any other means than in battle: Over it presided Hela, the Goddess of Death.
Hela's drear abode. 5 Him the Dog of darkness spied,
6 His shaggy throat he open'd wide,
7 While from his jaws, with carnage fill'd,
8 Foam and human gore distill'd:
9 Hoarse he bays with hideous din,
10 Eyes that glow, and fangs that grin;
11 And long pursues, with fruitless yell,
12 The Father of the powerful spell.
[Page 102]13 Onward still his way he takes,
14 (The groaning earth beneath him shakes,)
15 Till full before his fearless eyes
16 The portals nine of hell arise.
17 Right against the eastern gate,
18 By the moss-grown pile he sate;
19 Where long of yore to sleep was laid
20 The dust of the prophetic Maid.
21 Facing to the northern clime,
22 Thrice he traced the Runic rhyme;
23 Thrice pronounc'd, in accents dread,
24 The thrilling verse that wakes the Dead;
25 Till from out the hollow ground
26 Slowly breath'd a sullen sound.
PR.
27 What call unknown, what charms presume
28 To break the quiet of the tomb?
29 Who thus afflicts my troubled sprite,
30 And drags me from the realms of night?
31 Long on these mouldering bones have beat
32 The winter's snow, the summer's heat,
33 The drenching dews, and driving rain!
34 Let me, let me sleep again.
35 Who is he, with voice unblest,
36 That calls me from the bed of rest?
O.
37 A Traveller, to thee unknown,
38 Is he that calls, a Warriour's Son.
[Page 103]39 Thou the deeds of light shalt know;
40 Tell me what is done below,
41 For whom yon glittering board is spread,
42 Drest for whom yon golden bed.
PR.
43 Mantling in the goblet see
44 The pure beverage of the bee,
45 O'er it hangs the shield of gold;
46 'Tis the drink of Balder bold:
47 Balder's head to death is given.
48 Pain can reach the Sons of Heaven!
49 Unwilling I my lips unclose:
50 Leave me, leave me to repose.
O.
51 Once again my call obey.
52 Prophetess, arise, and say,
53 What dangers Odin's Child await,
54 Who the Author of his fate.
PR.
55 In Hoder's hand the Heroe's doom:
56 His brother sends him to the tomb.
57 Now my weary lips I close:
58 Leave me, leave me to repose.
O.
[Page 104]59 Prophetess, my spell obey,
60 Once again arise, and say,
61 Who th' Avenger of his guilt,
62 By whom shall Hoder's blood be spilt.
PR.
63 In the caverns of the west,
64 By Odin's fierce embrace comprest,
65 A wonderous Boy shall Rinda bear,
66 Who ne'er shall comb his raven-hair,
67 Nor wash his visage in the stream,
68 Nor see the sun's departing beam;
69 Till he on Hoder's corse shall smile
70 Flaming on the funeral pile.
71 Now my weary lips I close:
72 Leave me, leave me to repose.
O.
73 Yet a while my call obey.
74 Prophetess, awake, and say,
75 What Virgins these, in speechless woe,
76 That bend to earth their solemn brow,
77 That their flaxen tresses tear,
78 And snowy veils, that float in air.
79 Tell me whence their sorrows rose:
80 Then I leave thee to repose.
PR.
81 Ha! no Traveller art thou,
82 King of Men! I know thee now,
83 Mightiest of a mighty line —
O.
84 No boding Maid of skill divine
85 Art thou, nor prophetess of good;
86 But mother of the giant-brood!
PR.
87 Hie thee hence, and boast at home,
88 That never shall Enquirer come
[Page 105]89 To break my iron-sleep again;
90 Tillr
r Lok is the evil Being, who continues in chains till the Twilight of the Gods approaches, when he shall break his bonds; the human race, the stars, and sun, shall disappear; the earth sink in the seas, and fire consume the skies: even Odin himself and his kindred-deities shall perish. For a further explanation of this mythology, see Mallet's Introduction to the History of Denmark, 1755, Quarto.
Lok has burst his tenfold chain. 91 Never, till substantial Night
92 Has reassum'd her ancient right;
93 Till wrapp'd in flames, in ruin hurl'd,
94 Sinks the fabric of the world.
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About this text
Author: Thomas Gray
Themes:
prophecy
Genres:
ode; dialogue; Ossianic verse; prophecy
References:
DMI 32562
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Source edition
Pearch, G. A collection of poems in four volumes. By several hands. Vol. III. [The second edition]. London: printed for G. Pearch, 1770, pp. 101-105. 4v. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T116245; DMI 1136; OTA K093079.003) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [(OC) 280 o.790].)
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The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
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