Editing Völuspá (section)

== Synopsis ==
The poem starts with the [[völva]] requesting silence from "the sons of [[Heimdallr]]" (human beings) and she then asks [[Odin]] whether he wants her to recite ancient lore based on her memory. She says she remembers [[jötnar]] born in antiquity who reared her, nine worlds, and the tree of life (Mjötviður mær, or axis mundi).

The völva proceeds to recite a [[creation myth]], mentioning [[Ymir]] and that the world was nothing but the magical void, [[Ginnungagap]],<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Polomé |first1=Edgar Charles |author-link1=Edgar C. Polomé |last2=Turville-Petre |first2=E.O.G. |author-link2=Gabriel Turville-Petre |last3=Tikkanen |first3=Amy |date=2023-03-08 |title=Germanic religion and mythology |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Germanic-religion-and-mythology/Mythology |access-date=2023-04-30 |publisher=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]] |language=en}}</ref> until the sons of [[Borr|Burr]] lifted the earth out of the sea.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ginnungagap |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ginnungagap |access-date=2023-04-30 |publisher=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]] |language=en}}</ref> The [[Æsir]] then established order in the cosmos by finding places for the sun, the moon, and the stars, thereby starting the cycle of day and night. A golden age ensued in which the Æsir had plenty of gold and they happily constructed temples and made tools. But then three mighty maidens came from [[Jötunheimar]] and the golden age came to an end. The Æsir then created the [[Dwarf (folklore)|dwarfs]], of whom [[Mótsognir]] and [[Durinn]] are the mightiest.

{{anchor|Dvergatal}}
At this point ten of the poem's stanzas are considered complete. A section then appears in some versions that usually is considered an interpolation. It is entitled the "'''Dvergatal'''" ("Catalogue of Dwarfs") and it contains six stanzas with names of dwarves. The antiquity and role of this section in the poem is not clear and sometimes is omitted by editors and translators. 

The poem continues with the creations of the [[Ask and Embla|first humans]] that are recounted along with a description of the world-tree, [[Yggdrasil]]. The völva recalls the burning of [[Gullveig]] that led to the first "folk" war, where [[Heiðr]] is a name assumed by Gullveig in connection with the war of the deities,<ref>Price, Neil (2019). The Viking Way, Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia (2 ed.) Oxbow Books, Oxford and Philadelphia. ISBN 9781842172605.</ref> and what occurred in the struggle between the Æsir and [[Vanir]]. She then recalls the time the goddess [[Freyja]] was given to the jötnar, which is commonly interpreted as a reference to the [[Svaðilfari|myth of the jötunn builder]], as told in [[Gylfaginning]] 42.

The völva then reveals to [[Odin]] that she knows some of his own secrets and that he sacrificed an eye in pursuit of knowledge. She tells him that she knows [[Mímisbrunnr|where his eye is hidden]] and how he gave it up in exchange for knowledge. In several refrains she asks him whether he understands or whether he would like to hear more.

In the Codex Regius version, the völva goes on to describe the slaying of [[Baldr]], best and fairest of the deities and the enmity of [[Loki]], and of others. Then the völva prophesies the destruction of the deities where fire and flood overwhelm heaven and earth as the deities fight their final battles with their enemies. This is the "fate of the gods", [[Ragnarök]]. She describes the summons to battle, the deaths of many of the deities, including the death of Odin, who is slain by [[Fenrir]], the great wolf. The god of thunder and sworn protector of the earth, [[Thor]], faces the world serpent [[Jörmungandr]] and wins, but Thor is only able to take nine steps afterward before collapsing due to the serpent's venom. Víðarr faces Fenrir and kicks his jaw open before stabbing the wolf in the heart with his spear. The god [[Freyr]] fights the giant [[Surtr]], who wields a fiery sword that shines brighter than the sun, and Freyr falls. 

[[File:After Ragnarök by Doepler.jpg|thumb|The new world that rises after Ragnarök (depiction by [[Emil Doepler]])]]

Finally, the völva prophesies that a beautiful reborn world will rise from the ashes of death and destruction where [[Baldr]] and [[Höðr]] will live again in a new world and where the earth sprouts abundance without sowing seed. The surviving Æsir reunite with [[Hœnir]] and meet together at the field of [[Iðavöllr]], discussing Jörmungandr, great events of the past, and the runic alphabet. A final stanza describes the sudden appearance of the [[Germanic dragon|dragon]] [[Nidhogg]], bearing corpses in his wings, after which the völva emerges from her trance.