Opening is active, for the mind I must put aside is active. I take the active urge to be passive, to allow in the Full-Knowing of might1. Comes only in the active self – then puts itself aside. The opening I either do by act of will, or quite undo by unthinking – for the mind I know stands aside the path of might. By such paradoxes do I advance, for life is known by precept, but lived by riddle2, and so must be thought.
Three states has the life of man: youth, prime, and old. Three streams3 his time – for water comes down divided. One branch beneath the high sun dries fish, cuts peat, and herd to market drive. One branch the tales around fire tells, and at Þing tide4 – the boy give knife and rope, the girl give loom and ladle; to both to sit, to pray, to grind soot5 and stir. The third lie still in stream, its course of dreams, of quiet, of fire or moon gazing.
My Interpretations
You have to take a step back to see the pattern of life. The paradox of the mind’s knowledge of itself. The significance of threes.
Notes on Sprëhhan 7
- Wright notes that might is a quality of being, meaning “power, strength, ability, main, luck.” From Proto Indo-European *magh- “be able, have power”; seen in Old High German, maht. It is routinely used to describe Tívar, Altmâg, and Heroes. As an example: Seiðr is a path of might.
- Riddle, a common theme in Heathen lore. Wright references: Hervarar saga, the Third Book of Hávamál (Heilrœði, or the ‘Counsel of Stray-Singer’) and Vafþrúðnir (“to name a few”).
- The three streams of time is poetic for the three classes of men: herders/cultivators, warriors/rulers, and Godwise (those divinely inspired by the gods).
- At Þing tide denotes not just giving gifts during the Þing, but recognizing a level of responsibility; akin to an organized rite-of-passage, perhaps.
- Grind soot indicates the making of ink for writing.
lokis.dottir 