The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson
19. The two young sons of Nidud ran in at the door to look, in
Sævarstad. To the chest they came, for the keys asked; manifest was
their grudge, when therein they looked.
20. Many necklaces were there, which to those youths appeared of the
red gold to be, and treasures. "Come ye two alone, to-morrow come;
that gold shall be given to you.
21. Tell it not to the maidens, nor to the household folk, nor to
any one, that ye have been with me." Early called one the other,
brother, brother: "Let us go see the rings."
22. To the chest they came, for the keys asked; manifest was their
grudge, when therein they looked. Of those children he the heads cut
off, and under the prison's mixen laid their bodies.
23. But their skulls beneath the hair he in silver set, and to Nidud
gave; and of their eyes precious stones he formed, which to Nidud's
wily wife he sent.
24. But of the teeth of the two breast-ornaments he made, and to
Bodvild sent. Then did Bodvild praise the ring: to Volund brought it,
when she had broken it: "I dare to no tell it, save alone to thee."
_Volund_.
25. "I will so repair the fractured gold, that to thy father it
shall fairer seem, and to thy mother much more beautiful, and to
thyself, in the same degree."
26. He then brought her beer, that he might succeed the better, as
on her seat she fell asleep. "Now have I my wrongs avenged, all save
one in the wood perpetrated."[47]
27. "I wish," said Volund, "that on my feet I were, of the use of
which Nidud's men have deprived me." Laughing Volund rose in air:
Bodvild weeping from the isle departed. She mourned her lover's
absence, and for her father's wrath.
28. Stood without Nidud's wily wife; then she went in through the
hall; but he on the enclosure sat down to rest. "Art thou awake
Niarars' lord!"
29. "Ever am I awake, joyless I lie to rest, when I call to mind my
children's death: my head is chilled, cold are to me thy counsels.
Now with Volund I desire to speak."
30. "Tell me, Volund, Alfars' chief! of my brave boys what is
become?"
31. "Oaths shalt thou first to me swear, by board of ship, by rim of
shield, by shoulder of steed, by edge of sword, that thou wilt not
slay the wife of Volund, nor of my bride cause the death; although a
wife I have whom ye know, or offspring within thy court.
32. To the smithy go, which thou hast made, there wilt thou the
bellows find with blood besprinkled. The heads I severed of thy boys,
and under the prison's mixen laid their bodies.
33. But their skulls beneath the hair I in silver set, and to Nidud
gave; and of their eyes precious stones I formed, which to Nidud's
wily wife I sent.
34. Of the teeth of the two, breast-ornaments I made, and to Bodvild
sent. Now Bodvild goes big with child, the only daughter of you both."
35. "Word didst thou never speak that more afflicted me, or for
which I would more severely punish thee. There is no man so tall that
he from thy horse can take thee, or so skilful that he can shoot thee
down, thence where thou floatest up in the sky."
36. Laughing Volund rose in air, but Nidud sad remained sitting.
37. "Rise up Thakrad, my best of thralls! bid Bodvild, my
fair-browed daughter, in bright attire come, with her sire to speak.
38. Is it, Bodvild! true what has been told to me, that thou and
Volund in the isle together sat?"
39. "True it is, Nidud! what has been told to thee, that Volund and
I in the isle together sat, in an unlucky hour: would it had never
been! I could not against him strive, I might not against him
prevail."
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 45: On snow-shoes.]
[Footnote 46: The designation of Alfars' chief, or prince, applied to
Volund, who, as we learn from the prose introduction, was a son of a
king of the Finns, may perhaps be accounted for by the circumstance
that the poem itself hardly belongs to the Odinic Mythology, and was
probably composed when that system was in its decline and giving place
to the heroic or romantic.]
[Footnote 47: The translation of this line is founded solely on a
conjectural emendation of the text. The wrong alluded to may be the
hamstringing.]
THE LAY OF HELGI HIORVARD'S SON.
There was a king named Hiorvard, who had four wives, one of whom was
named Alfhild, their son was named Hedin; the second was named Særeid,
their son was Humlung; the third was named Sinriod, their son was
Hymling. King Hiorvard made a vow that he would have to wife the most
beautiful woman he knew of, and was told that King Svafnir had a
daughter of incomparable beauty, named Sigrlinn. He had a jarl named
Idmund, whose son Atli was sent to demand the hand of Sigrlinn for the
king. He stayed throughout the winter with King Svafnir. There was a
jarl there named Franmar, who was the foster-father of Sigrlinn, and
had a daughter named Alof. This jarl advised that the maiden should be
refused, and Atli returned home. One day when the jarl's son Atli was
standing in a grove, there was a bird sitting in the boughs above him,
which had heard that his men called the wives which King Hiorvard had
the most beautiful. The bird talked, and Atli listened to what it
said. The bird said:
1. Hast thou seen Sigrlinn, Svafnir's daughter, of maidens fairest,
in her pleasant home? though fair the wives of Hiorvard seem to men in
Glasis-lund.
_Atli._
2. With Atli, Idmund's son, sagacious bird! wilt thou further speak?
_Bird._
I will if the prince will offer to me, and I may choose what I will
from the king's court.
_Atli._
3. Choose not Hiorvard nor his sons, nor the fair daughters of that
prince, nor the wives which the king has. Let us together bargain;
that is the part of friends.
_Bird._
4. A fane I will chose, offer steads many, gold-horned cows from the
chief's land, if Sigrlinn sleep in his arms, and unconstrained with
that prince shall live.
This took place before Atli's journey; but after his return, when the
king asked his tidings, he said:
5. Labour we have had, but errand none performed; our horses failed
us in the vast fell; we had afterwards a swampy lake to ford; then was
denied us Svafnir's daughter with rings adorned, whom we would obtain.
The king commanded them to go a second time, and also went himself.
But when they had ascended a fell, and saw in Svavaland the country on
fire, and a great reek from the horses of cavalry, the king rode down
the fell into the country, and took up his night-quarters by a river.
Atli kept watch, and crossed the river, and came to a house, on which
sat a great bird to guard it, but was asleep. Atli shot the bird dead
with an arrow. In the house he found the king's daughter Sigrlinn, and
Alof daughter of Franmar, and brought them both away with him. The
jarl Franmar had taken the form of an eagle, and protected them from a
hostile army by sorcery. There was a king named Hrodmar, a wooer of
Sigrlinn: he had slain the king of Svavaland, and ravaged and burnt
the country. Hiorvard obtained Sigrlinn, and Atli Alof. Hiorvard and
Sigrlinn had a son tall and comely: he was taciturn and had no fixed
name. As he was sitting on a mound he saw nine Valkyriur, one of whom
was of most noble aspect. She said:
6. Late wilt thou, Helgi! rings possess, a potent warrior, or
Rodulsvellir,--so at morn the eagle sang--if thou art ever silent;
although thou, prince! a fierce mood mayest show.
_Helgi_.
7. What wilt thou let accompany the name of Helgi, maid of aspect
bright! since that thou art pleased to give me? Think well over what
thou art saying. I will not accept it, unless I have thee also.
_Valkyria_.
8. Swords I know lying in Sigarsholm, fewer by four than five times
ten: one of them is of all the best, of shields the bale, with gold
adorned.
9. A ring is on the hilt, courage in the midst, in the point terror
for his use who owns it: along the edge a blood-stained serpent lies,
and on the guard the serpent casts its tail.
There was a king named Eylimi; Svava was his daughter; she was a
Valkyria and rode through air and water. It was she who gave Helgi
that name, and afterwards often protected him in battle. Helgi said:
10. Hiorvard! thou art not a king of wholesome counsel, leader of
people! renowned though thou mayest be. Thou hast let fire devour the
homes of princes, though harm to thee they none have done.
11. But Hrodmar shall of the rings dispose, which our relations have
possessed. That chief recks little of his life; he thinks only to
obtain the heritage of the dead.
Hiorvard answers, that he will supply Helgi with an army, if he will
avenge his mother's father. Helgi thereupon seeks the sword that Svava
had indicated to him. Afterwards he and Atli went and slew Hrodmar,
and performed many deeds of valour. He killed the Jotun Hati, as he
sat on a crag. Helgi and Atli lay with their ships in Hatafiord. Atli
kept watch in the first part of the night. Hrimgerd, Hati's daughter,
said:
12. Who are the chieftains in Hatafiord? With shields are your ships
bedecked; boldly ye bear yourselves, few things ye fear, I ween: tell
me how your king is named.
_Atli_.
13. Helgi is his name; but thou nowhere canst to the chief do harm;
iron forts are around the prince's fleet; giantesses may not assail
us.
_Hrimgerd_.
14. How art thou named? most powerful champion! How do men call
thee? Thy king confides in thee, since in the ship's fair prow he
grants thee place.
_Atli_.
15. Atli I am named, fierce I shall prove to thee; towards
giantesses I am most hostile. The humid prow I have oft occupied, and
the night-riders slain.
16. How art thou called? corpse-greedy giantess! hag! name thy
father. Nine rasts shouldst thou be underground, and a forest grow on
thy breast.
_Hrimgerd_.
17. Hrimgerd I am called, Hati was my father called, whom I knew the
mightiest Jotun. He many women had from their dwellings taken, until
him Helgi slew.
_Atli_.
18. Thou wast, hag! before the prince's ships, and layest before
them in the fiord's mouth. The chieftain's warriors thou wouldst to
Ran consign, had a bar not crossed thee.
_Hrimgerd_.
19. Now, Atli! thou art wrong, methinks thou art dreaming; thy brows
thou lettest over thy eyelids fall. My mother lay before the prince's
ships; I Hlodvard's sons drowned in the ocean.
20. Thou wouldst neigh, Atli! if thou wert not a gelding. See!
Hrimgerd cocks her tail. Thy heart, methinks, Atli! is in thy hinder
part, although thy voice is clear.
_Atli_.
21. I think I shall the stronger prove, if thou desirest to try;
and I can step from the port to land. Thou shalt be soundly cudgeled,
if I heartily begin, and let thy tail fall, Hrimgerd!
_Hrimgerd_.
22. Just come on shore, Atli! if in thy strength thou trustest, and
let us meet in Varinsvik. A rib-roasting thou shalt get, brave boy! if
in my claws thou comest.
_Atli_.
23. I will not come before the men awake, and o'er the king hold
watch. It would not surprise me, if from beneath our ship some hag
arose.
_Hrimgerd_.
24. Keep watch, Atli! and to Hrimgerd pay the blood-fine for Hati's
death. If one night she may sleep with the prince, she for the slain
will be indemnified.
_Helgi_.
25. Lodin is named he who shall thee possess, thou to mankind art
loathsome. In Tholley dwells that Thurs, that dog-wise Jotun, of all
rock-dwellers the worst: he is a fitting man for thee.
_Hrimgerd_.
26. Helgi would rather have her who last night guarded the port and
men, the gold-bright maiden. She methought had strength, she stept
from port to land, and so secured your fleet. She was alone the cause
that I could not the king's men slay.
_Helgi_.
27. Hear now, Hrimgerd! If I may indemnify thee, say fully to the
king: was it one being only, that saved the prince's ships, or went
many together?
_Hrimgerd_.