Gefjun

Þá sendi hann Gefjon norðr yfir sundit á landaleitan; þá kom hon til Gylfa, ok gaf hann henni eitt plógsland. Þá fór hon í Jötunheima, ok gat þar 4 sonu vit jötni nökkurum; hon brá þeim í yxna líki, ok fœrði þá fyrir plóginn ok dró landit út á hafit ok vestr gegnt Óðinsey, ok er þat kölluð Selund; þar bygði hon síðan. Hennar fékk Skjöldr, son Óðins; þau bjoggu at Hleiðru. Þar er vatn eða sjár eptir, þat er kallaðr Lögrinn. Svá liggja firðir í Leginum, sem nes í Selundi. Svá kvat Bragi hinn gamli:

Gefjon dró frá Gylfa

glöð, djúpröðuls öðla,

svá at af renniröknum

rauk, Danmarkar auka;

báru yxn, ok átta

ennitungl, þar er géngu

fyrir vineyjar víðri

valrauf, fjögur höfuð.[1]

Then he [Odin] sent Gefion across the sound to the north to discover new countries; and she came to King Gylve (Gylfi), who gave her a ploughgate of land. Then she went to Jotunheim, and bore four sons to a giant, and transformed them into a yoke of oxen. She yoked them to a plough, and broke out the land into the ocean right opposite to Odins. This land was called Sealand, and there she afterwards settled and dwelt. Skjöldr (Skjold), a son of Odin, married her, and they dwelt at Leidre. Where the ploughed land was is a lake or sea called Laage. In the Swedish land the fjords of Laage correspond to the nesses in Sealand. Brage the Old sings thus of it:

Gefion from Gylve drove away,

To add new land to Denmark's sway

Blythe Gefion ploughing in the smoke

That steamed up from her oxen-yoke:

Four heads, eight forehead stars had they,

Bright gleaming, as she ploughed away;

Dragging new lands from the deep main

To join them to the sweet isle's plain.[2]

Óðinn tók sér bústað við Löginn, þar sem nú eru kallaðar fornu Sigtúnir, ok gerði þar mikit hof ok blót eptir siðvenju Ásanna.[3]

Odin took up his residence at the Maelare ("Maleren") lake, at the place now called Old Sigtun (Old Sigtuna). There he erected a large temple, where there were sacrifices according to the customs of the Asaland people.[4]