Auden's translation of Odin's (pronounced the same) poem most known as "The Windy Tree"
Learned I grew then, lore-wise,
Waxed and throve well:
Word from word gave words to me,
Deed from deed gave deeds to me
Odin is here taking the circumstances he has just encountered and using them to produce wisdom. What he has gone through has not been in vain; it is a story he can now tell. It is a lesson he can now teach. And then there are the runes themselves...and his attentive worshippers.
Auden's translation of Odin's work in italics, mine below.
| Runes you will find, and readable staves, |
| Very strong staves, |
| Very stout staves, |
| Staves that Bolthor stained, |
| Made by mighty powers, |
| Graven by the prophetic god. Odin is credited with creating the runic language. As his avid captors listen, he shows them the significance of the wood, rocks and symbols upon them that he was so vexed with finding. For the gods, by Odhinn, for the Elves by Dain, By Dvalin, too, for the dwarves, By Asvid for the hateful giants, And some I carved myself. Now in this stanza Odin admits he hasn't been the sole creator of these divining tools. He also relates the existence of other powerful beings who use them as well and know how to make them. Note the use of the Odhinn - which is a Scotch Gaelic variant of Odin, given as a clue to who his worshipers were. Some runes he ordered carved, and some he carved himself. |
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