Lylyth, the leader of the new generation of Valkyries, had always respected and felt a deep bond with the god Magni, viewing him as one more figure who maintained the balance of this universe. Thinking deeply about the title "Traveling God," it truly seemed only he consistently extended his aid to all matters across the cosmos. The death of the god Magni felt like losing one of the strongest comrades-in-arms, profoundly shaking the Heavenly General of the ?rvarborg fortress, who then composed this lament:
"They say, my left hand is for Svartaheimr, my right hand is for Alfheimr, my right foot is for Midgard, and my footing, my stand, is Asgard.My left hand, when I defend the Dwarves: I sweep the blade, shattering mountains, The sword flashes, tearing through wicked foes, Severing them into two, dividing them into three. I tread with measured caution, Until the task is finally done. But some days, I do not want to hold the sword— I only wish to wave farewell, To turn my back on everything, Hoping the whole cosmos would understand.My right hand, when I resist for the Elves: I am the sharp-edged sword, When I swing the blade, all things fear. Then I tell them, when the danger is past, 'Do not be afraid.' Once the work is finished, I will leave.My left foot—it bears every burden, Refusing to pause, to rest. Leaping down from the high place, To block the path, to accept destruction. I chose to harm no one— The judgment was cast long ago.Should I hold firm to my footing, Or protect both left and right? Disguise myself as a god, transform into a demon, Or, tell me, is it time to be myself"
The significance of the god Magni lay more in Midgard than in other realms of the universe. The remembrance and impact stemming from his death led to countless stories being recorded. Among those numerous accounts, one essential story must be the record left by his last apprentice, who would later become the first hero of humanity in the next era: Farran, The Great Hero.
Farran, before leaving Iceland under the god Modi's command to travel and inform Dodan and Blár of the vengeance plan, could not sleep that night and wrote a poem:
"Oh, I disliked it, no, never, I disliked it, when my Master warned, 'Do not watch only what is directly in front.'
Oh, I did not want to, no, never, I did not want to, when my Master said, 'Do not rush to seize the benefit directly in front.'
Oh, I did not think so, no, never, I did not think so, when my Master insisted, 'Do not only focus on the path straight ahead.'
I shouldn't have, no, never, I shouldn't have... I should have heeded those past warnings. My Master saw what was hidden behind, but I only saw what appeared directly in front."
Midgard is the land situated at the center of this cosmos. If death occurs at Svartaheimr, the soul must travel through Midgard to head toward the realm of Helheimr. Thus, a tale is often told about a young child who frequently saw strange happenings in the woods near her home. The elders in the village often said this child could see the spirits of the dead. Once, she recounted seeing a particular spirit, who might have been the soul of the god Magni, journeying to the underworld:
I encountered an Old Woman walking into the wilderness. I quickly urged conversation, recounting stories from the two worlds that meet. "Where are you going, Grandmother?" I asked. "To gather firewood to cook food. Will you come with me?" "No, I won't go."
I encountered an Old Man walking into the wilderness. I quickly urged conversation, recounting stories from the two worlds that meet. "Where are you going, Grandfather?" I asked. "To set traps for deer, for survival. Will you come with me?" "No, I won't go."
I encountered a Beautiful Maiden walking into the wilderness. I quickly urged conversation, recounting stories from the two worlds that meet. "Where are you going, Sister?" I asked. "To cleanse myself in the clear stream. Will you come with me?" "No, I won't go."
I encountered a Mighty Man walking into the wilderness. I quickly urged conversation, recounting stories from the two worlds that meet. "Where are you going, Brother?" I asked. "To the far reaches of the horizon. Will you come with me?" "No, I won't go."
I encountered a Young Child walking into the wilderness. I quickly urged conversation, recounting stories from the two worlds that meet. "Where are you going, young one?" I asked. "To lie down and play on the hill. Will you come with me?" "Friend... may I go with you?"
In winter, many wandering bards sang the song of cold, "Frostbound," describing the soul of the god Magni, who must wander amidst the empty cosmos with a distinct and solitary nature:
"He wore a wide-brimmed hat against the sun's glare, his long robes were paler white than any shroud. The west wind struck with biting cold, embracing his shivering form time and again. Before he turned his face toward the sun's light, the large hat was adjusted continuously. A whisper drifted through the air: 'The spring will never arrive again.'"
Poetic accounts from central Midgard also include a tale from the forest, recounting repeated encounters with the spirit of the god Magni, who continues to travel just as he did when he was alive as the Traveling God. People in various regions frequently report seeing such strange occurrences:
"There is a tale from a forest collector: deep in the woods, there was no sound or light in the shadows. A deer hid, but its antlers were visible. Suddenly, a voice cried out, 'So cold!' But today the sun was immense. Flocks of birds had to cling to branches to rest. The forest collector hoped to find mushrooms, but found not a single one. Instead, he encountered a mighty man standing, shivering cold. Was this a person lost or a wandering spirit? The forest collector dared not guess. He pretended not to see, pretended not to know. He gathered things here and there, departing the forest quickly. Remember this... Do not answer the forest's call. Do not search for a human shadow. If you know the forest well."
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There are many other poetic accounts which speak of people who have encountered the spirit of the Traveling God, Magni, such as the story of a traveling merchant who saw a strange man in the woods during the middle of winter:
"There was a mighty old man, his beard reaching his knees. I was afraid he would see me; my heart was pounding. He hugged the neck of a giant bear, talking and laughing hysterically. They stumbled along together, his gaze terrifying. He traveled his whole life, without knowing direction. Sometimes he sent forth a resounding cry, 'Cold... to the core of my heart.' His strength was immense. Small bears and large bears did not flee; their necks were seized. I myself was hiding in a tree, waiting to cry out, 'I'm freezing here.'"
The story of the death of the god Magni is often used as an allegory for betrayal, such as in this song about "True Friends" by bards in eastern Midgard:
"Questions often arise from many people: how to define 'True Friends'? They always do good for each other, they don't speak ill of their comrade, they share laughter and tears in events. The answers are many, but in the end, don't die like Magni. Though he was the mightiest that ever was, he was stabbed in the back. His head was severed, becoming a mockery to both enemies and comrades. Be prepared to expect flaws. You know the face, not the heart. A dagger in the darkness is no more dangerous than one in a friend's hand. Calamity seems far away, but is always closer than you think. The horse you feed, the person you give to, the biased heart, the mouth that speaks love, the hand that slits the throat."
Though there are many tales in Midgard, the account from the Dwarves is different. A Dwarf poet named "Phinn J?kull Túngol" tells the story of the god Magni's journey to the realm of Niflheimr or Helheimr and his welcome by the god H?er, the ruler of the realm of the dead:
Niflheimr is the land that the light of Asgard cannot illuminate. Here, there is only darkness and ice vapor that consumes the soul. The ground is filled with terrifying stillness. The great soul traveled a long way in pale robes and bare feet. Though his body was mighty and large, he was shivering and despondent.
The god H?er was waiting from the beginning at the entrance of the Frozen Hell Castle.
The god H?er, who was blind when in Asgard, can see everything when in this Niflheimr. Fire, gray and murky, appears in his pupils. Though his body is not bulky, it is gracefully proportioned. His clothing is a long cloak with a hood covering his head. In one hand, he holds a staff of solid black metal.
Finally, the great soul of the god Magni stood before the god H?er. The lord of the realm of the dead opened the cowl covering his head, in honor of the Traveling God.
"I am honored to receive you, my strongest nephew," the god H?er said in a level voice infused with cold authority. He then continued, "You have arrived at the point where everything must be left behind."
Magni, whose body had been trembling constantly, now stood still to speak: "But my vengeance remains."
The god H?er smiled chillingly, then gestured with an air of friendship and replied, "Forget all matters, and simply rest."
Magni, still unable to restrain himself, clenched his fists and continued in a voice filled with rage: "I was ambushed and murdered! That is not the way of a brave warrior!"
The god H?er replied in a level voice, the flame in his eye dimming slightly as if in boredom: "In this place, no courage is needed anymore."
Magni locked eyes with his uncle and continued: "Those who ambushed me were once my comrades! The pain of betrayal is not easily forgotten!"
The god H?er slowly shook his head, then relaxed his open hand in a gesture of surrender to fate, and replied: "Let it be only one final nightmare."
Magni moved his hand to gently touch his neck as if feeling the cut wound, then continued in a trembling voice: "But my head and my body were brutally separated!"
"It is no more. All those things have dissolved completely. Only this soul of yours remains."
"But I am still hateful."
The god H?er let out what seemed like a sigh. The flame in his eye flickered, and he soothed the other one last time: "Seek tranquility, and you will find eternal happiness in this land."
Magni still showed stubbornness and hate. He refused the advice of the King of the Dead: "No, I desire vengeance! One day, I will return to take revenge upon all of them!"
"If you are set on that, then so be it. But now, let us go together to the Frozen Hell Castle, where the soul shall find its eternal path." The god H?er gave up trying to soothe the other and performed his sacred duty: guiding the soul to the eternal land.
"......" Magni offered no reply, but walked behind the god H?er who led him into the realm of the dead.
The two entered the Frozen Hell Castle. After a short while, only the god H?er emerged, standing firm at the entrance where he had spoken with Magni, while looking up toward the boundless sky.
"One day, you might get what you wish for... my nephew," H?er whispered softly, along with a chilling smile.
Meanwhile, the satirical legend created by the High Elves, the enemies of the god Magni, adapted the poem of the Dwarf bard into an amusing tale:
The god H?er, who always guarded the gate of the Frozen Hell Castle, one day found a headless body traveling to the realm of the dead.
The god H?er saw only the headless body shivering, and could not recognize that this was the dead form of his nephew, the god Magni. He could only ask the figure, "Who are you?" Magni's body had no head, and thus no mouth to answer the question. The god H?er asked three times and received no answer, so he became enraged and used the black metal staff in his hand to strike the figure's hip. The force of the blow caused the headless body to fall, but it fell and stood up, and stood up and was struck again.
The two foolish gods struck and fell continuously for three days and three nights. Finally, Magni's head rolled along the ground and arrived. The god H?er, exhausted from constantly striking with the staff for three days and three nights, was startled when he looked down and saw the head rolling along the ground. He swung the staff in his hand, hitting Magni's head, which sailed away and fell into the Gj?ll River. After that, the headless body ran after it.
However, the current of the Gj?ll River flowed strongly during that time, meaning the head and body have never rejoined. Thus, it is sung as the poem: "The Headless Demon of the Gj?ll River" still wanders perpetually.
"The water broke many times; a human shadow was seen swimming wildly. When he climbed out of the water, he grabbed a large stone, placing it down instead of a head. The large stone, though heavy and rough, is more valuable than the actual head."