Know how to send them, know how to destroy them,
| Better not to ask than to over-pledge |
| As a gift that demands a gift" |
| Better not to send than to slay too many, |
| [...] |
| Thund, before man was made, scratched them, |
Who rose first, fell thereafter
I love these two stanzas because they bring the power of Odin to the forefront. Yes, know how to cut the runes and how to read them; know how to stain them and try them to see how they work; know how to tap into the unseen forces for guidance and translate what they say into symbols...and then he cannot help but put a little fear into his listeners' (and readers') hearts with the gravity of the runes power - they must be safely transferred and possibly, in order from them falling into the wrong hands, destroyed.
This very last stanza is about Odin's creations, living included. It tints of war and also warns of alliances, both physical and spiritual. It also reveals a secret...that he made the runes before he made his human creations and used them to foil his enemies that had been in power before he was. It is interesting that a god would share this with his human audience.
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