3
It was in the beginning of the year
when there was
neither sand nor sea
nor cool waves,
no Earth
nor the high heavens
the door (gap) was open
grass nowhere.
This verse is connected to Þursaz and Bölþorn, the serpent. The New Year's Eve was the first day of the year, or to be precise a day between all years, and thus a day beyond all worlds. It was a Middle Earth, Miðgarðr, a world between all other worlds. The chosen were about to enter the dark grave chamber, where he saw nothing; no sand nor sea, no cool waves, Earth or Heaven. The entrance to the grave mound was open, and there was no grass either in the realm of the dead.
4
Before the sons of the initiator
opened up the land
those who created the famous
world in the middle;
the Sunlight shone from the Sun
on stone halls
whereupon the ground grew
green growths.
This verse is connected to Ansuz and Óðinn. Before the chosen opened the entrances to the burial mounds, the world in between all worlds, while the Sun shone outside. On top of this stone hall the grass and other growths grew. Even the trees were allowed to grow freely on the burial mounds, and they were fenced in to make sure no animals grassed there. No herbs were ever gathered from the burial mounds either. The dead had themselves created (built) their own grave mounds (the world in the middle).
5
The Sun threw rays of Sunlight
on the Moon
the right hand
on the firmament;
Sun who did not know
where she belonged,
Moon who did not know
what power he had
stars who did not know
where they belonged.
This verse is connected to Raiþo and Kauna, Þórr, Loki and Svartr. The chosen went into the stone halls, the graves, where the Sun, Moon and stars had no power and could not be seen. Inside was only darkness, until Winter Solstice, when the Sunlight woke up the dead and showed them the way out.
6
Then all the powers went
to the seats of the end (i. e. the grave)
the sacred gods,
and agreed;
night and her descendants
were given names
morning was it
and midday
afternoon and evening
to count the years.
This verse is connected to Gebo and Heimdallr. The chosen went to the innermost chamber, where the dead were seated, as was the queen of the grave, and they were there for a long time; all night, the following morning, midday, afternoon and evening, right into the next day, when the new year began. I may add that in the Stone and Bronze Age the dead were usually buried sitting up, and not lying down, as is common today.
7
Met the spirits
in the field of stagnation
those who temples and mounds
built high;
built heaths
forged valuable objects,
created thongs
and made tools.
This verse is connected to Gebo and Wina, Heimdallr and Fjörgyn. In the burial mound they met the dead, their own ancestors, who at one point had built the burial mounds and temples, and they took the valuable items the dead had once crafted, that now lay in the grave with them.
4.3 Hagall's first Group of eight
8
They played in the yard,
were playful,
had no shape
were used to gold;
until three women,
noisy maidens
very powerful,
came from the world of hunger.
This verse is connected to Hagalaz and Nauþi, Ægir and the Norns. When they left the burial mounds they were still naked, their clothes still hanging in the world tree, and they were therefore without shape. They were initiated and brought with them the gold and other valuables from Hel, the world of hunger. The women playing the role of Hel/the Norns in the grave came out as well, still chanting sacred verses.
9
Then all the powers went
to the seats of the end (i. e. the grave)
the sacred gods,
and agreed;
who should create
the king of dwarves
from the blood of the sea
and from the legs of the blue.
This verse is connected to Ísaz and Hel. A dwarf (Nor. dvergr) is often misinterpreted as a small manlike creature, but the original meaning was “opening in the ground” or “entrance to the grave (or cave where the dead rest)”. This becomes obvious when we know the feminine form of the word; dyrgjá, from Nor. dyrr (“door”) and gjá (“opening in the ground”). The king of dwarves was in other words the initiated king, who had been in the grave. He was reborn as an initiate from the half blue and half white goddess of the grave. He was reborn from Hel's womb, from between her blue legs; the burial mound. The sea of blood was the blood of the cow that had been sacrificed on the burial mound, only to drip into the grave and turn the women waiting there red.
I can add that this explains how Loki could travel to the underworld and have the dwarves forge the wonderful gifts to the gods. All these items came from the openings in the ground; from the burial mounds of the forebears.
10
There was the one who drank himself to courage
had been most important,
amongst the dwarves,
and the two rested;
the manlike
many completed
dwarves from the Earth
like the rested said.
This verse is connected to Jera and Freyja, the protector of the burial mound. The man going into the ground drank the blood of the sacrificed animal and became initiated. One of the women slept (“rested”) with him several times the time he was there (over the course of three nights). She taught him how to procreate, what to do to make women pregnant, so that many (noble) children would come from her womb.
11
Waxing, waning,
north, south,
east, west,
steal everything, dwells by,
corpse and dead,
waiting for a wave, washed by a wave,
walk clumsily, narrow waters,
without and the other/second,
great grandfather, mead-wolf/heavy drinker.
This verse is connected to Íwaz and Skaði and Höðr. After they drank the blood of the sacrificed animal and slept with the woman in the grave they could participate in the hunt for Höðr. The hunt lasted for six (or nine) days, under a waxing and a waning Moon, in all directions and everywhere, until the clumsy bear (walking clumsily) had been killed and turned into a corpse or had been driven to the realm of the dead. They stole the life force of the animals, who then became without life force, and became berserks. They drank a lot of mead when out hunting because the mead was believed to elevate man to the heavens and enable them to see the spirits, because dew drops from the sacred tree had been mixed into the mead. All the initiated men participated in this hunt, even the old ones.
12
Wall and animated elf (white),
elf (white) wind, brave,
inflexible and defiance,
comfortable, colour and wise,
corpse and new mind,
I have now the dwarves
powers and good advice
correctly counted.
This verse is connected to Perþi and Váli and Sleipnir. The wall between the world of the living and the world of the dead was broken down, at Sunset on the Winter Solstice. All the elves (i. e. innocent and purified spirits of the dead) rose from the grave, as did the shadows of Hel – the negative traits of the dead. They came from the grave and stormed out to participate in the great Ragnarök taking place in the forest.