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ating sounds underlined. Also half rhymes, see below, are italicized.)
Lætr sár Hákun heitir
(hann rekkir lid) bannat
(iörd kann frelsa) fyrdum
fridrofs (konungr) ofsa.
102 CHAPTER 9. RUNE MAGIC
Sjálfr rædr allt ok Elfar
ungr stillir sá milli
(gramr á gript at fremri)
Gandvikr iÃqfurr landi.
This verse form is called dróttkvætt, or court-meter. It consists of eight paired hexasylablic lines,
each with an internal rhyme or half-rhyme, where the vowel is different but the following consonant
is the same. The paired lines share a triple repitition of an alliteration which appears twice on the first
line and once on the second. Furthermore, the half-rhymes occur on the odd lines (where there are
two allitterating consonants) and the full rhymes (same vowel followed by same consonant) on the
even lines where one consonant continues the pattern of allitteration of the previous line.
This verse-form is particularly rigid as far as poetic rules are concerned, yet the listener is greeted
with a powerful poetic impact. The key to this impact is the allitteration, and it is not accidental that
the term Snorri gives the term "staffr," or stave, to the allitterative sounds. Note that this term also
refers to the runic symbols as well, and this is a key to harnacing their energy.
I consider the court-meter to be a good practice form for learning the basis of Germanic poetry.
However, its name implies, and it is born out in the literary record, that this form was primarily used
for honoring frineds and patrons, and so was not usually used in magic. However, the vast numbers
of memorial stones raised in the Viking age may have had some sort of magico-religious side, so this
poem could be used this way as well.
Furthermore, the verse form shows us some fundimental aspects of Germanic poetics: rhyme,
allitteration and meter. Each of these fundamental techniques is tightly controlled in very formal yet
unobtrusive ways. In fact the techniques seem designed to power of the poetry from the conscious
mind of the listener and hence make a more subtle yet powerful impact. The concept of hiding things
in poety is well attested to uin other Indo-European poetic traditions.4
As many scholars, including Dumezil and Watkins have pointed out, our corpus of Germanic
works are lacking in clear liturgical works so in many ways, and many Indo-European cultures used
different poetic techniques with sacred verses (or even lines within a verse).5 Because many of the
most impresive techniques, such as strophic forms are generally reserved for sacred poetry in Indo-
European culture, one may argue for the use of more elaborate poetic schemes for magical poetry.
This is a difficult argument to make because many of the other sacred poems in other Indo-
European traditions may be contianed in heroic epics or other non-liturgical works. We do have
episodes of magical poetry from the Viking age which is notably lacking in the great complexity of
the Greek, Irish, or Umbrian liturgy. However, one is forced to concede that the time difference be-
tween the period when the Eddas were written and the time when the Elder Futhark was in use was
great enough to warrant further investigation into this subject.
Each of the derivative Futharks tended to reflect the point of view of the diverging culture. The
Younger Futhark (used by the Norsemen during the Viking Age) ends the set with a rune which may
have neant death it tends to have a harshness to it which is notably lacking in the Anglo-Frisian
Futhorc. In many ways the structural changes to the Futhark destroyed some of the astounding
complexity of the Elder Futhard in order to accomodate new language. Because the complexity of
the structure of the Elder Futhark matches some of the poetic techniques rarely used in Germanic
poetry (such as merisms), it is conceivable that the Migration Age ritual poetry may have been more
complex in nature than it was in any of the decendent traditions.
4
Watkins 179-193
5
Watkins 183. The passage he is analyzing is from Alvismal, and he points out that the rules for allitteration are different in
the cases of the names that gods and men give things.
9.2. POETIC FORMULAS 103
In the end I will leave it up to the reader to decide whether or not to utilize more complex poetics
in their ritual poetry. The information is simply too incomplete for a decisive answer. For those who
intend to study this matter further, I highly recommend Watkins as an author. Furthermore, strophic
forms are extremely complex and well beyond the scope of this book.
9.2 Poetic Formulas
Watkins outlines two basic categories of formulas in poetry: simple and complex. As their name
implies, simple formulas contain all their meaning in the definitions of their words. For this reason
they are easier to master and will be covered first. These come in several forms, each of which will be
listed below along with an explenation.6
9.2.1 Simple Formulas
Argument + Negated Argument: In this form the argument is repeated un a negated form, for ex-
ample "Bound and unbound." This form is rarely found in Norse poetry because it does not conform
well to the strict poetic rules over internal rhymes in lines. However it is still a powerful device
and featured quite heavily in the magical litterature of other Indo-European peoples, so it should be
mentioned.
Argument + Counterargument: This is similar to the above type except that a form of the ar-
gument is not used in the phrase, though the sense of total inclusiveness generally remains. For
example, the seeress in Voluspa speaks to all of Heimdall-s children "great and small." Because this
form is more poetically flexible and unobtrusive it is to be preferred over the Argument + Negative
Argumenttype above. This formula is found in the Eddic poetry.
Argument + Synonymous Argument: Examples in Hollander s translation include "Hail and
whole [to/from battle]." The purpose here is to create a stronger emphasis on the argument by adding
synonyms. One example that Watkins gives as found in many Indo-European traditions is the Mod.
Eng. "Safe and Sound."
Argument + Negated Counter-Arguement: I am not aware of these appearing in the Eddic texts
however, they are common enough elsewhere to warrant some examples. Examples might include
"girt and not ungirt" or "true and not false." These are generally, in my view, a weaker form of the
Argument + Synonymous Argument type listed above.
The simple formulas provide an easy, clear way to focus the aim of the magical poetry, aand by
doing so provide form and definition. Perhaps it is for this reason that the archaic magical poetics
survived long after other forms of poetry had lost their conservatism.
9.2.2 Complex Formulas
A merism is a two part formula where the formula as a whole refers to a larger idea than the sum
of its parts. One traditional example found in many Indo-European poetic traditions is "goods and
chattels." Watkins argues that this originally represented the totality of movable and non-movable
wealth, and he makes a convincing argument.7 While this merism, to my knowledge, is not found
in the Old Norse poetry, it is found in the structure of the Elder Futhark itself, which begins with
Fehu (movable wealth) and ends with Othila (non-movable wealth). Thus goods and chattels form
6
For a complete discussion, see Watkins pg 41-49
7
See Watkins 9, but more information throughout the book.
104 CHAPTER 9. RUNE MAGIC
the "alpha and omega"8 of the Germanic magical system, which can be equated to mystical energy as
above regarding Fehu.
Another important merism in Indo-European traditions, most notably the Greek and Avestan
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