The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson
prince who was on earth the best, and on the necks of warriors stood.
_Sigrun_.
29. Thee shall the oaths all gnaw, which to Helgi thou didst swear,
at the limpid Leiptr's water, and at the cold dank wave-washed rock.
30. May the ship not move forward, which under thee should move,
although the wished-for wind behind thee blow. May the horse not run,
which under thee should run, although from enemies thou hast to flee!
31. May the sword not bite which thou drawest, unless it sing round
thy own head. Then would Helgi's death be on thee avenged, if a wolf
thou wert, out in the woods, of all good bereft, and every joy, have
no sustenance, unless on corpses thou shouldst spring.
_Dag_.
32. Sister! thou ravest, and hast lost thy wits, when on thy brother
thou callest down such miseries. Odin alone is cause of all the evil;
for between relatives he brought the runes of strife.
33. Thy brother offers thee rings of red gold, all Vandilsve and
Vigdalir: have half the land, thy grief to compensate, woman
ring-adorned! thou and thy sons.
_Sigrun_.
34. So happy I shall not sit at Sefafioll, neither at morn nor
night, as to feel joy in life, if o'er the people plays not the
prince's beam of light; if his war-steed runs not under the chieftain
hither, to the gold bit accustomed; if in the king I cannot rejoice.
35. So had Helgi struck with fear all his foes and their kindred, as
before the wolf the goats run frantic from the fell, of terror full.
36. So himself Helgi among warriors bore, as the towering ash is
among thorns, or as the fawn, moistened with dew, that more proudly
stalks than all the other beasts, and its horns glisten against the
sky.
A mound was raised for Helgi; but when he came to Valhall, Odin
offered him the rule over all jointly with himself. Helgi said:
37. Thou, Hunding! shalt for every man a foot-bath get, and fire
kindle; shalt bind the dogs, to the horses look, to the swine give
wash, ere to sleep thou goest.
A female slave passing at evening by Helgi's mound, saw him riding
towards it with many men:
38. Is it a delusion which methinks I see, or the powers'
dissolution, that ye, dead men, ride, and your horses with spurs urge
on, or to warriors is a home journey granted?
_Helgi_.
39. 'Tis no delusion which thou thinkst to see, nor of mankind the
end, although thou seest us, although our horses we with spurs urge
on, nor to warriors is a home-journey granted.
The slave went home and said to Sigrun:
40. Sigrun! go forth from Sefafioll, if the people's chief thou
desirest to meet. The mound is opened, Helgi is come, his wounds still
bleed; the prince prayed thee that thou wouldst still the trickling
blood.
Sigrun entered the mound to Helgi and said:
41. Now am I as glad, at our meeting, as the voracious hawks of
Odin, when they of slaughter know; of warm prey, or, dewy-feathered,
see the peep of day.
43. I will kiss my lifeless king, ere thou thy bloody corslet layest
aside. Thy hair is, Helgi! tumid with sweat of death; my prince is all
bathed in slaughter-dew; cold, clammy are the hands of Hogni's son.
How shall I, prince! for this make thee amends?
_Helgi_.
43. Thou art alone the cause,[57] Sigrun of Sefafioll! that Helgi is
with sorrow's dew suffused. Thou weepest, gold-adorned! cruel tears,
sun-bright daughter of the south! ere to sleep thou goest; each one
falls bloody on the prince's breast, wet, cold, and piercing, with
sorrow big.
44. We shall surely drink delicious draughts, though we have lost
life and lands. No one shall a song of mourning sing, though on my
breast he wounds behold. Now are women in the mound enclosed,
daughters of kings, with us the dead.
Sigrun prepares a bed in the mound.
35. Here, Helgi! have I for thee a peaceful couch prepared, for the
Ylfings' son. On thy breast I will, chieftain! repose, as in my hero's
lifetime I was wont.
_Helgi_.
46. Nothing I now declare unlooked for, at Sefafioll, late or early,
since in a corpse's arms thou sleepest, Hogni's fair daughter! in a
mound, and thou art living, daughter of kings!
47. Time 'tis for me to ride on the reddening ways: let the pale
horse tread the aerial path. I towards the west must go over
Vindhialm's bridge, ere Salgofnir awakens heroes.
Helgi and his attendants rode their way, but Sigrun and hers proceeded
to their habitation. The following evening Sigrun ordered her
serving-maid to hold watch at the mound; but at nightfall, when Sigrun
came thither, she said:
48. Now would he come, if he to come intended, Sigmund's son, from
Odin's halls. I think the hope lessens of the king's coming, since on
the ash's boughs the eagles sit, and all the folk to the dreams' tryst
are hastening.
_Serving-maid_.
49. Be not so rash alone to go, daughter of heroes! to the house of
draugs:[58] more powerful are, in the night-season, all dead warriors,
than in the light of day.
Sigrun's life was shortened by grief and mourning. It was a belief in
ancient times that men were regenerated, but that is now regarded as
an old crone's fancy. Helgi and Sigrun are said to have been
regenerated. He was then called Helgi Haddingiaskadi, and she Kara
Halfdan's daughter, as it is said in the songs of Kara; and she also
was a Valkyria.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 54: Slaughtering and carrying off the cattle on the
sea-shore.]
[Footnote 55: The Valkyriur.]
[Footnote 56: Dark words of deadly import.]
[Footnote 57: The superstition commemorated In this strophe is, no
doubt, the origin of some very beautiful ballads in the later
literature of Scandinavia and Germany referring to this superstition:
"When thou, my dear, art cheerful,
And easy in thy mind,
The coffin where I slumber
Is all with roses lined.
But oft as thou'rt in sorrow,
And bow'd with grief so sore,
Is all the while my coffin
Brim full of blood and gore."
]
[Footnote 58: Probably house of draffs; place of swine, swill, lees.]
SINFIOTLI'S END.
Sigmund Volsung's son was a king in Frankland. Sinfiotli was the
eldest of his sons, the second was Helgi, the third Hamund. Borghild,
Sigmund's wife, had a brother named Gunnar; but Sinfiotli her stepson
and Gunnar both courted one woman, on which account Sinfiotli slew
Gunnar. When he came home, Borghild bade him go away, but Sigmund
offered the blood-fine, which it was incumbent on her to accept. At
the funeral feast Borghild presented the beer: she took a large horn
full of poison, and offered it to Sinfiotli; who, when he looked into
the horn, and saw that there was poison in it, said to Sigmund: "the
drink ferments!" Sigmund took the horn and drank up the contents. It
is said that Sigmund was so strong that no poison could hurt him,
either outwardly or inwardly; but that all his sons could endure
poison outwardly. Borghild bore another horn to Sinfiotli, and prayed
him to drink, when all took place as before. Yet a third time she
offered him the horn, using reproachful words on his refusing to
drink. He said as before to Sigmund, but the latter answered: "Let it
pass through thy lips, my son." Sinfiotli drank and instantly died.
Sigmund bore him a long way in his arms, and came to a long and narrow
firth, where there was a little vessel and one man in it. He offered
Sigmund to convey him over the firth; but when Sigmund had borne the
corpse into the vessel, the boat was full-laden. The man then said
that Sigmund should go before through the firth. He then pushed off
his boat and instantly departed.
King Sigmund sojourned long in Denmark, in Borghild's kingdom, after
having espoused her. He then went south to Frankland, to the kingdom
he there possessed. There he married Hiordis, the daughter of Eylimi.
Sigurd was their son. King Sigmund fell in a battle with the sons of
Hunding. Hiordis was afterwards married to Alf, son of King Hialprek,
with whom Sigurd grew up in childhood. Sigmund and his sons exceeded
all other men in strength, and stature, and courage, and all
accomplishments, though Sigurd was foremost of all; and in old
traditions he is mentioned as excelling all men, and as the most
renowned of warlike kings.
THE FIRST LAY OF SIGURD FAFNICIDE, OR GRIPIR'S PROPHECY.
Gripir was the name of the son of Eylimi, the brother of Hiordis. He
ruled over lands, and was of all men wisest and prescient of the
future. Sigurd rode alone, and came to Gripir's dwelling. Sigurd was
of a distinguished figure. He found a man to address outside the hall,
whose name was Geitir. Sigurd applied to him, and asked:
1. Who here inhabits, in these towers? what nation's king do people
name him?
_Geitir_.
Gripir is named the chief of men, he who rules a firm realm and
people.
_Sigurd_.
2. Is the wise king of the land at home? Will the chief with me come
and converse? With him needs speech an unknown man: I desire speedily
Gripir to see.
_Geitir_.
3. The glad king will of Geitir ask, who the man is that demands
speech of Gripir.
_Sigurd_.
Sigurd I am named, born of Sigmund, and Hiordis is the chieftain's
mother.
4. Then went Geitir, Gripir to inform: "Here is a man without, a
stranger, come; of aspect he is most distinguished. He desires, king!
with thee to speak."
5. Goes from the hall the lord of men, and the stranger prince
kindly greets: "Welcome, Sigurd! better had it been earlier: but do
thou, Geitir! take charge of Grani."
6. They began to talk, and much to tell, when the sagacious men
together met. "Tell me, if thou knowest, my mother's brother! how will
Sigurd's life fall out?"
_Gripir_.
7. Thou wilt foremost be of men beneath the sun, exalted high above
every king; liberal of gold, but of flight sparing, of aspect comely,
and wise of words.
_Sigurd_.
8. Say thou, sage king! more than I ask, thou wise one, to Sigurd,
if thou thinkst to see it: what will first happen for my advancement,
when from thy dwelling I shall have departed?
_Gripir_.
9. First wilt thou, prince! avenge thy father, and for the wrongs of
Eylimi wilt retaliate; thou wilt the cruel sons of Hunding boldly lay
low; thou wilt have victory.
_Sigurd_.
10. Say, noble king! kinsman mine! with all forethought, as we hold
friendly converse; seest thou of Sigurd those bold achievements, that
will highest soar under heaven's regions?"
_Gripir_.
11. Thou alone wilt slay that glistening serpent, which greedy lies
on Gnitaheid; thou shalt of both the slayer be, Regin and Fafnir.
Gripir tells truly.
_Sigurd_.
12. Riches will abound, if I so bring conflict among men, as thou
for certain sayest. Apply thy mind, and at length say what will yet my
life befall.
_Gripir_.
13. Thou wilt find Fafnir's lair, and thence wilt take splendid
riches, with gold wilt load Grani's back. Thou wilt to Giuki ride, the
war-famed prince.
_Sigurd_.
14. Yet must thou, prince! in friendly speech, foresighted king!
more relate. I shall be Giuki's guest, and I shall thence depart: what
will next my life befall?
_Gripir_.
15. A king's daughter will on a mountain sleep, fair, in corslet
cased, after Helgi's death. Thou wilt strike with a keen sword, wilt
the corslet sever with Fafnir's bane.
_Sigurd_.
16. The corslet is ript open, the maid begins to speak. When
awakened from her sleep, on what will she chiefly with Sigurd converse
hold, which to the prince's benefit may tend?
_Gripir_.
17. She to thee, powerful one! runes will teach, all those which
men ought to know; and in every man's tongue to speak, and medicines
for healing. May good await thee, king!
_Sigurd_.
18. Now that is past, the knowledge is acquired, and I am ready
thence away to ride. Apply thy mind, and at length say what more will
my life befall.
_Gripir_.