"'That,' replied Har, 'which thou seest red in the bow, is burning fire; for the Frost-giants and the Mountain-giants would go up to heaven by that bridge if it were easy for everyone to walk over it. There are in heaven many goodly homesteads, and none without a celestial ward. Near the fountain, which is under the ash, stands a very beauteous dwelling, out of which go three maidens, named Und, Verdaudi, and Skuld. These maidens fix the life-time of all men and are called Norns. But there are indeed many other Norns, for when a man is born there is a Norn to determine his fate. Some are known to be of heavenly origin, but others belong to the races of the elves and dwarfs; as it is said-- "'Methinks the Norns were born far asunder, for they are not of the same race. Some belong to the Æsir, some to the elves, and some are Dvalin's daughters.' "'But if these Norns dispense the destinies of men,' said Gangler, 'they are, methinks, very unequal in their distribution; for some men are fortunate and wealthy, others acquire neither riches nor honour; some live to a good old age, while others are cut off in their prime.' "'The Norns,' replied Har, 'Who are of good origin, are good themselves, and dispense good destinies. But those men to whom misfortunes happen ought to ascribe them to the evil Norns.' "'What more wonders hast thou to tell me,' said Gangler, 'concerning the ash?' "'What I have further to say respecting it,' replied Har, 'is that there is an eagle perched upon its branches who knows many things; between his eyes sits the hawk called Vedurfölnir. The squirrel named Ratatosk runs up and down the ash, and seeks to cause strife between the eagle and Nidhögg. Four harts run across the branches of the tree and bite the buds. They are called Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyr, and Durathrór. But there are so many snakes with Nidhögg in Hvergelmir that no tongue can recount them. As is said-- 'Yggdrasill's ash More hardship bears Than men imagine; The hart bites above, At the sides it rots, Below gnaws Nidhögg.' "And again-- 'More serpents lie Under Yggdrasill's ash Than simpletons think of; Góinn and Móinn, The sons of Grafvitnir, Grábak and Gráfyöllud, Ofnir and Svafnir, Must for aye, methinks, Gnaw the roots of that tree.' "It is also said that the Norns who dwell by the Urdar-fount draw, every day, water from the spring, and with it and the clay that lies around the fount sprinkle the ash, in order that its branches may not rot and wither away. This water is so holy that everything that is placed in the spring becomes as white as the film within an eggshell. As it is said in the Völuspá 'An ash know I standing Named Yggdrasill, A stately tree sprinkled With water the purest Hence come the dewdrops That fall in the dales; Ever blooming, it stands O'er the Urdar-fountain.'