Kveðkat dul,
nema Dyggva hrør
Glitnis Gnô
at gamni hefr,
þvít jódís
Ulfs ok Narfa
konungmann
kjósa skyldi.
Ok allvald
Yngva þjóðar
Loka mær
of leikinn hefr.
Kveðkat dul, nema Gnô Glitnis hefr hrør Dyggva at gamni, þvít jódís Ulfs ok Narfa skyldi kjósa konungmann. Ok mær Loka hefr of leikinn allvald þjóðar Yngva.
I call it no secret, but the Gná <goddess> of Glitnir <horse> [= Hel] has the corpse of Dyggvi for [her] pleasure, for the sister of the Wolf and of Narfi [= Hel] had to choose the king . And the maiden of Loki [= Hel] has outplayed the sovereign of the people of Yngvi [= Svíar].
[4] gamni: ‘gafin’ R685ˣ
[4] hefr ... at gamni ‘has ... for [her] pleasure’: Most interpreters justifiably view this phrase as a reference to an erotic relationship between the dead and the goddess of death. However, it does not follow that Hel is depicted as an erotic, appealing woman (as suggested by Bergsveinn Birgisson 2008, 352); nor is it necessary to suppose that the motif as it appears here is humorous (so Krag 1991, 108). While the image of a death goddess having an erotic relationship with the dead is found only in Yt, the dead are often claimed by goddesses. The sea-goddess Rán receives the drowned (cf. prose introduction to Reg, HHj 18/5, Egill St 7/1V (Eg 78)), and Freyja receives half of the fallen (Grí 14/4-5).