Famous riddle's of Gestumblindi from the saga of Hervor king:
The Riddles Of Gestumblindi
Scandinavia
1. Q: I want to have
what I had yesterday--
work out what that was:
the mind-whacker,
the word-thwarter
and word up-raiser.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
2. Q: From home I went,
from home I made my way,
I saw a road of roads,
and a road under them,
and a road over them,
and a road on all sides.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
3. Q: What is that drink
I drank yesterday?
It wasn't wine or water;
not ale either
nor any food,
yet I left released from thirst.
Heidrek King,
think on that.
4. Q: Who is that shrill one,
who rides a hard road,
has fared that way before.
He kisses hard
who has two mouths
and goes only on gold.
Heidrek King,
think on that.
5. Q: What is that wonder
I saw outside
before the Doors of Day?
Two lifeless ones,
lacking breath;
they boiled the leak of wounds.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
6. Q: What is that wonder
I saw outside
before the Doors of Day?
Eight feet it has
and four eyes
and bears knees above its belly.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
7. Q: What is that wonder
I saw outside
before the Doors of Day?
Its head directed
down to hell,
feet flap sunward.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
8. Q: What is that wonder
I saw outside
before the Doors of Day?
Harder than horn,
blacker than raven,
whiter than egg-white,
straighter than shaft of spear?
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
9. Q: White-haired women,
servants two,
bore ale-tub to the larder.
No hand turned it
nor hammer beat it.
But there, outside the islands,
the upright one who made it.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
10. Q: Who are those troll-wives,
on the great mountain,
woman begets with woman,
a girl with a girl
till she gets a son.
But that's not to say they're women…
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
11. Q: I saw earth's
ground-dwellers go,
corpse sat on corpse.
The blind rode the blind
to the briny sea.
That steed was short of breath.
Heidrek King,
think on that
12. Q: Who are those thanes
who ride to the thing,8
sixteen guys together.
Across the land
they send their men
to seek a home for themselves.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
13. Q: What wives are they,
their weaponless lord
they smite down and slay.
All day long
the darker defend,
but the fairer ones go forward.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
14. Q: Who is the lone one
that lurks in the hearth
and stems from stone.
No father or mother
has Eager-to-Shine,
there will he spend his life.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
15. Q: Who is that great one
who grasps the earth,
swallowing wood and water.
Bad weather he dreads,
wind, but no man,
and picks a fight with the sun.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
16. Q: What beast is that
which butchers wealth,
is circled outside with iron.
It has eight horns
but never a head
and much hazard hangs upon it.
King Heidrek
guess my riddle.
17. Q: What creature is that
which cradles men,
it bears a bloody back,
and shelters fighters,
from shaft and point,
gives life to some,
and lays its self
inside a soldier's grasp?
King Heidrek
guess my riddle.
18. Q: What sisters at play
pa** over countries
through a father's wish to know.
A white shield
in winter they bear
and a black one in the summer.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
19. Q: Who are the women
who wistful go
through a father's wish to know.
To many men
they have done harm,
that's how they make a living.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
20. Q: Who are those maids
who go many together
through a father's wish to know.
White hair have they,
the white-bonnet ladies,
but that's not to say they're women.
21. Q: Which are the widows
who walk all together
through a father's wish to know.
They're seldom kind
to the sons of men,
and must wake in the wind.
22. Q: Long ago
a nose-goose grew
eager for offspring,
she who gathered
house-timber together;
they defended her,
bite-swords of straw,
though drink's bellow-rock
lay over her.
23. Q: Who is that great one
who gabbles much
and hoves to the hellward side;
defends men
but fights with earth,
if he's found a trusty friend?
24. Q: Who are those wives
who walk in the skerries
and take a trip along the firth?
Their bed is hard,
the white-bonnet women.
They can't play much in calm.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
25. Q: Four hang,
four sprang,
two point the way,
two to ward off dogs,
one dangles after,
always rather dirty.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
26. Q: What inhabits high fells?
What falls in deep dales?
What lives without breath?
What is never silent?
King Heidrek,
Guess my riddle.
27. Q: What is that wonder
I saw outside
before the Doors of Day?
White they whirl,
strike stone,
and bury themselves black in the sand.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
28. Q: A black boar I saw
in muck wallow,
and not a bristle grew on its back.
King Heidrek,
guess my riddle.
29. Q: I sat on a sail,
I saw dead men
bear a blood-hole
into the bark of a tree.
30. Q: What is that wonder
which whines on high,
the arm-lathe howls,
they're hard, chief.
Heidrek King,
think on that.
31. Q: What is that lamp
which lights up men,
but flame engulfs it,
and wargs grasp after it always.
32. Q: A horse I saw stand,
it struck a mare,
it shook its tail,
beat rump under belly;
out it shall draw
and waggle a good while.
Heidrek King,
think on that.
33. Q: In summer I saw them
in the sunset
(when I said goodbye
they were barely drunk),
jarls sipping
ale in silence,
but there howling
the horn just stood.
34. Q: What is that wonder
I saw outside
before the Doors of Day:
ten tongues it had,
twenty eyes,
forty feet,
forward marched the monster.
Heidrek King,
think on that.
35. Q: Maidens I saw
much like soil
they made their beds in the mountains;
sable and swarthy
in sunny weather,
but getting fairer
when they fetch themselves away.
King Heidrek,
Guess my riddle.
36. Q: Who are those two
who have ten feet,
three eyes
and one tail?
Heidrek King,
think on that.
37. Q: Then tell me this
one last thing if you can,
if you are
of all kings the wisest:
What did Odin say
In Baldr's ear
before he was raised on the pyre.