Tamsvendi ek þik drep,
en ek þik temja mun,
mær, at mínum munum;
þar skaltu ganga,
er þik gumna synir
síðan æva séi.

Til holts ek gekk
ok til hrás viðar,
gambantein at geta,
gambantein ek gat.

Having failed with bribery and even the threat of murder, Skirnir proves the awesome power of runic magic as his final and most fearsome tactic. Gerd relents immediately thereafter and Skirnir is able to report success to his lord, Freyr. Familiar elements are again to be noted in Old Norse. As is fitting for a servant of one of the Vanir, Skirnir threatens first to use a “tamsvendi” or “taming wand.” He even describes that he went into the living woods to find a “gambantein,” which translates as “magical branch.” To complete the idea of a carved curse in relation to staves, Skirnir describes the runes as “stafi” rather than “rúnar.” What is more is that he will carve three “stafi,” each of which represent another curse. However, such love curses are not limited to mythology and can also be found in archeology.