SELECTIONS IN ENGLISH POETRY
At the chink'd fields of ice, the waste of snow;
And he must fare across the dismal ice i65
Northward, until he meets a stretching wall
Barring his way, and in the wall a grate.
But then he must dismount, and on the ice
Tighten the girths of Sleipner, Odin's horse,
And make him leap the grate, and come within 170
And he will see stretch round him Hela's realm,
The plains of Niflheim, where dwell the dead,
And hear the roaring of the streams of HelL
And he will see the feeble, shadowy tribes,
And Balder sitting crown'd, and Hela's throne. 175
Then must he not regard the wailful ghosts
Who all will flit, like eddying leaves, around;
But he must straight accost their solemn queen,
And pay her homage, and entreat with prayers,
Telling her all that grief they have in Heaven 180
For Balder, whom he holds by right below;
If haply he may rnelt her heart with words,
And make her yield, and give him Balder back,"
She spoke; but Hoder answer'd her and said :—
"Mother, a dreadful way is this thou show'st; 185
No journey for a sightless God to go!"
And straight the mother of the Gods replied :—
"Therefore thyself thou shalt not go, my son.
But he whom first thou meetest when thou com'st
To Asgard, and declar'st this hidden way, 190
Shall go; and I will be his guide unseen."
She spoke, and on her face let fall her veil,
And bow'd her head, and sate with folded hands,
But at the central hearth those women old,
Who while the Mother spake had ceased their toil, 195
Began again to heap the sacred fire.
Hoder turn'd, and left his mother's house,
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