From The Bookes of Gíld-rac Manuscript, Skulváði Úlfr:The Epic Poem of The History of The Kingdom of Kerrigarðr (1051-1501), Book V (ca. 1450) written by King Kerrigan Iron Hand "The Fearless"

Kerrigan, frustrated by the illusiveness of his total rule over Muspell's Lands, turns to court advisor, Íva, to unravel a puzzle discovered at the Dragonþing runestone, only to find himself further entangled by the puzzles of Skulváði Úlfr's Books

T h e  R u l e  o f  T h e  G r a i n

hen I came home      from Dragonþing Crest —
from the ridge of spells —     the Reader of Sands,
Frowe of Ívaldi,     Mistress of Sands
waiting at my door,     whispered from the dark:

‘I hear the steps    of Kerrigarðr’s best,
       a great fighter of men
who comes too swiftly    upon the future —
       into the hands of Skuld.

‘Let me read the dust    that keeps you to the ground —
       the bread that keeps your feet hungry.
You need a message    that rides on your back —
       that spurs you from the past.’

‘I will give you leave    to Freyr’s shores
       to endless sandy beds,’ I said,
‘if you salve these lines    of their sly words:
“Below — the Blunted Sword,
Beneath — The Shifting Vale.
Guarding the Garth of Chills
Gíld-rac awaits a king.
Find The Wolf where she falls
fixed upon the third stave.
Ride upon The Wolf’s rule —
Rings of the Moving Wood.”’

       To this, the Sand Reader said:
‘Replies slip on paths    left by the Wolf —
       pressed by the pause of Skuld.
My answers lie    on music shadow
       dipping on blades of grass.’

       I demanded:
‘Before I reach down    and break your bowl,
       stamp lies from your lip,
I grant you one chance    to rescue your grains —
       to make your words plain.’

       But the priestess maintained:
‘Keep your weak ear    to the shifting stage —
       to the floor of the message.
Of The Wolf they say    staves forever lift
       where her feet meet the ground.’

       I pressed her again:
‘Is this a tale    for those born maimed,
       for the deaf and limping?
You compound this chill    with icy writ
       that you say is scribed on floorboards.’

       And so she agreed:
‘Then invite me in    to warm our ill will —
       freeze our disagreement.
I shall give you    the simplest rule —
       spare you the role of simpleton.’

       I gave the witch her due:
‘Come in and teach me    how to step lightly,
       how to ride the rule of the grain.
My warriors duel    while no one dies —
      no new blood upon our hands.’

       So Íva advised:
‘The grains flow freely    while your blood freezes —
        while you let Skulvaði roam.
She spared your house    while you speared The Rock —
       while you stalked The Stone.’

       When I pressed her for more:
‘Then you know the way    that she travels now —
       the place where she prowls.
Do you also know    the knowledge I seek
       that guides the way to Gíld-rac’,

       the priestess replied:
‘Look under her bed    for a book of letters —
       charts that fold a map of spells.
If you can follow    its winding paths
       your blood-wand will weep once more,
       your cloak will need no clasp.

‘You must be quick.    The sands quiver,
        between the false and true.
What you find in her room    will make you supreme,
       make you unmatched as King,
       make you “Kerrigan The Fearless’’.

‘Should Kerrigarðr    find shaded paths
       beyond the Modsog’s curse —
the world where toads    slide for spirit babies,
       where torrents come from snakes
       and Waterfall Men whine;

‘Where godmen fall    from stars of clay,
       and Freyr’s brides from manatí —
The Steel-fisted King    will climb again,
       the dreaded húracan in tow;
       his steed, Dagazar’s serpent.

‘In two seasons    The Council meets —
      ship-builders with heavy hearts.
How best to win them    but fitted with clues —
       with Bífrost to your breast,
       with Gíld-rac girthed.’

T h e  H e a r t  o f  T h e  B o o k

kulváði’s sheets    sang sweet brilliance
pulling Heiðr’s law   to pad her pillows.
My death cushioned   by The Wolf’s glamour
preferred such darkness,   its perfect pleasure.

And yet I betrayed   this sinking blame
upon her book   which shone with gold
circling its covers,   pressed open-lipped,
marked with blossoms    where she stopped to rest.

Its turned pages    tuned with beaten gold
were bound with sap.    From the secret hand
that clenched its covers     and dust-dyed leaves
trailed a hold of runes    to the heart of the book.

Within its pages,    it spoke of ways
in shapes and maps    hidden from the clans —
another scheme    The Maid denied me
with her wolfish guile    to haunt my game.

With Hulðra’s gift    I gained new art —
gilded deceits,    new devices
to ride The Wolf’s trail;    her careful pages
so ringed with the oils    of her sleep and rise.

But I dared not let    the lie ride me.
I meant to use it    on our Council,
Flame-haired’s pressing scents    held to my breast,
fitted with secrets —    ‘with Gíld-rac girthed.’

Hitsko’s wedding   still held Kerrigash,
riding their minds    in high spirits.
Any strange call    that I issued now
would swing on feasts,    sail on sumbl laws.

The book would track    my path to the east,
to forests and sea,    and to the power
that called The Wolf    closer to mounts
and beasts promising    a path to Gíld-rac.

With The Wolf's book    horns would pass again,
brimming mead would flow,    bridling victories —
all Kerrigarðr    eager to claim
the joy of weddings    with feasts for war.

[The Heart of The Book was first published as part of an essay, "Reading Postmodernist Runes in Skulváði Úlfr: A Journey of Puzzles", in SULFUR 44]

Above — the Dragonþing rune stone (from Almordozar’s letters). Muspell's Lands — or Muspellsheimr, Land of the Fire Giants, held by Norse myth to lie in the southern hemisphere where all things began and would end. The MS tells us that men of Muspell are the Carib Indians



Skuld — Mythic Norse norn, meaning literally "the Future"

spared your house — implying that Skulváði (The Wolf) was in fact in Kerrigarðr as Kerrigan had hoped, but that she did not visit his house









blood-wand — sword (‘your blood-wand will weep once more’ = your sword will drip with your enemies’ blood; ‘you will be victorious’





the Modsog’s curse — reference to the days of Viglid’s fateful reign and battles with etin-beasts (enemy warriors)
where godmen fall ... manatí — Kerrigash cosmology shows the influence of Old Norse and Ximacan cosmology (See Book III, Part 3, pp. 75-76 for Cebanex’s reply to Oþýla on Ximacan cosmology)
The Council — Dragonþing or The Dragon Assembly meets for 2 weeks’ at the end of the summer solstice
Bífrost — in Norse myth Trembling Roadway or the Rainbow Bridge made of flames lies between Ásgarðr and Jotunheimr and stretching to Miðgarðr; the “bridge” or Æsir global route (See Book VII).‘with Bífrost upon your breast’ — with tenuous paths ahead or fear of the future conquered. Gíld-rac— believed to be the 'El Dorado' sought after by Walter Raleigh








Heiðr’s law — immortality or indestructibility; Heiðr or Gullveigr (Gold or Seduction) was the giant (Vanir) whom could not be destroyed by the Æsir
The Wolf’s glamour — Skulvaði’s seductiveness; also a ref. to Wolf-fem magic associated with Wolffem use of hallucinogenic golden pollen









a hold of runes — a treasure of scripts (runic markings)






Hulðra’s gift — according to Norse myth, a song from the forest goddess, protector of domesticated animals, gifted with a beautiful singing voice; i.e. Kerrigan treats the discovery of Skulváði’s Book as the gift of a new method from the forest goddess to find Skulváði










sumbl laws — a law that a feast which antecedes another, held within the same season, extends the antecedent celebration into the second, so creating one long celebration

Above — sketch of the marked pages of Skulváði’s book found among Kerrigan’s poems; the illustration shows that her book was either incomplete or that Kerrigan did not complete his transcription of some pages. More importantly it shows that the Kerrigash probably wrote from the lower half to the top half of the page. Or, maybe the transcription was complete, and that the book was left with deliberate empty spaces, indicating gaps in the records of Skulváði’s puzzles at reading the landscapes she explored.