The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson
19. Thou wilt find Heimir's dwellings, and the glad guest wilt be of
that great king. Vanished is, Sigurd! that which I foresaw; no further
mayest thou Gripir question.
_Sigurd_.
20. Now bring me grief the words thou speakest; for thou foreseest,
king! much further; thou knowest of too great calamity to Sigurd;
therefore thou, Gripir! wilt not utter it.
_Gripir_.
21. Of thy life the early portion lay before me clearest to
contemplate. I am not truly accounted sage, nor of the future
prescient: that which I knew is gone.
_Sigurd_.
22. No man I know on the earth's surface, who greater prescience has
than thou, Gripir! Thou mayest not conceal it, unhappy though it be,
or if ill betide my life.
_Gripir_.
23. Not with vices will thy life be sullied; let that, noble
prince! in thy mind be borne; for while mankind exists, thy name,
director of the spear-storm! will be supreme.
_Sigurd_.
24. The worst seems to me, that Sigurd is compelled from the king to
part in such uncertainty. Show me the way--all is decreed
before--great chieftain! if thou wilt, my mother's brother!
_Gripir_.
25. To Sigurd I will now openly tell, since the chieftain me thereto
compels: thou wilt surely find that I lie not. A certain day is for
thy death decreed.
_Sigurd_.
26. I would not importune the mighty prince, but rather Gripir's
good counsel have. Now I fain would know, though grateful it may not
be, what prospect Sigurd has lying before him.
_Gripir_.
27. There is with Heimir a maiden fair of form, she is by men
Brynhild named, daughter of Budli; but the dear king Heimir nurtures
the hard-souled damsel.
_Sigurd_.
28. What is it to me, although the maiden be of aspect fair?
nurtured with Heimir? That thou, Gripir! must fully declare; for thou
foreseest my whole destiny.
_Gripir_.
29. She will thee bereave of almost every joy, the fair-faced
foster-child of Heimir. Thou wilt not sleep, nor of affairs
discourse, nor men regard; only this maiden thou wilt see.
_Sigurd_.
30. What remedy for Sigurd will be applied; tell me that, Gripir! if
it seem good to thee. Shall I obtain the damsel? with dowry purchase
the lovely royal daughter?
_Gripir_.
31. Ye will each swear unnumbered oaths, solemnly binding, but few
will keep. Hast thou been Giuki's guest one night, thou wilt have
forgotten the fair ward of Heimir.
_Sigurd_.
32. How is that, Gripir! explain it to me: seest thou such
fickleness in the king's mind, that with that maiden I shall my
engagement break, whom with my whole heart I thought to love?
_Gripir_.
33. Prince! thou wilt be snared in another's wiles, thou wilt pay
the penalty of Grimhild's craft; the bright-haired maiden, her
daughter, she to thee will offer. This snare for the king she lays.
_Sigurd_.
34. Shall I then with Gunnar form relationship, and with Gudrun join
in wedlock? Well wived then the king would be, if the pangs of perjury
caused me no pain.
_Gripir_.
35. Thee will Grimhild wholly beguile; she will implore thee
Brynhild to demand for the hand of Gunnar, king of Goths: the journey
thou wilt forthwith promise to the king's mother.
_Sigurd_.
36. Evils are at hand, I can that perceive; Sigurd's wits will have
wholly perished, if I shall demand for another's hand, a noble maiden
whom I well love.
_Gripir_.
37. All of you will swear mutual oaths, Gunnar, and Hogni, and thou
the third; and ye will forms exchange, when on the way ye are, Gunnar
and thou: Gripir lies not.
_Sigurd_.
38. To what end is that? why shall we exchange forms and manners,
when on the way we are? Another fraud will surely follow this,
altogether horrible. But say on, Gripir!
_Gripir_.
39. Thou wilt have Gunnar's semblance, and his manners, thy own
eloquence, and great sagacity: there thou wilt betroth the high-minded
ward of Heimir: no one can that prevent.
_Sigurd_.
40. To me that seems worst, that among men I shall be a false
traitor called, if such take place. I would not deception practise on
a royal maid the most excellent I know.
_Gripir_.
41. Thou wilt repose, leader of hosts! pure with the maiden, as she
thy mother were; therefore exalted, lord of men! while the world
endures thy name will be.
42. The nuptials will of both be solemnized, of Sigurd and of
Gunnar, in Giuki's halls; then will ye forms exchange, when ye home
return; yet to himself will have each his own senses.
_Sigurd._
43. Will then Gunnar, chief among men, the noble woman wed? Tell me
that, Gripir! although three nights by me the chieftain's bride glad
of heart has slept? The like has no example.
44. How for happiness shall hereafter be this affinity? Tell me
that, Gripir! Will the alliance for Gunnar's solace henceforth prove,
or even for mine?
_Gripir._
45. Thou wilt the oaths remember, and must silence keep, and let
Gudrun enjoy a happy union. Brynhild nathless will herself think an
ill-married woman. She will wiles devise to avenge herself.
_Sigurd._
46. What atonement will that woman take, for the frauds we shall
have practised on her? From me the maiden has oaths sworn, but never
kept, and but little joy.
_Gripir._
47. She to Gunnar will plainly declare, that thou didst not well the
oaths observe, when the noble king, Giuki's heir, with his whole soul,
in thee confided.
_Sigurd._
48. What will then follow? let me know that. Will that tale appear
as true, or that the noble woman falsely accuses me, and herself also.
Tell me that, Gripir!
_Gripir_.
49. From spite towards thee, and from o'erwhelming grief, the
powerful dame will not most wisely act. To the noble woman do thou no
further harm, though thou the royal bride with guiles hast
circumvented.
_Sigurd_.
50. Will the prudent Gunnar, Guthorm, and Hogni, at her instigation,
then proceed? Will Giuki's sons on their relative redden their swords?
Tell me further, Gripir!
_Gripir_.
51. Then will Gudrun be furious at heart, when her brothers shall on
thy death resolve. In nothing then will that wise woman take delight.
Such is Grimhild's work.
52. In this thou shalt find comfort, leader of hosts! This fortune
is allotted to the hero's life: a more renowned man on earth shall
never be, under the sun's abode, than thou wilt be accounted.
_Sigurd_.
53. Now part we, now farewell! Fate may not be withstood. Now hast
thou, Gripir! done as I prayed thee: thou wouldst have fain a happier
end foretold me of my life's days, hadst thou been able.
THE SECOND LAY OF SIGURD FAFNICIDE.
Sigurd went to Hialprek's stud and chose himself a horse, which was
afterwards named Grani. Regin, Hreidmar's son, was then come to
Hialprek; he was the most skilful of men, and a dwarf in stature; he
was wise, cruel, and versed in magic. Regin undertook the rearing and
instruction of Sigurd, and bore him great affection. He informed
Sigurd of his parentage, and how it befell that Odin, and Hoenir, and
Loki came to Andvarafors (the waterfall of Andvari). In the fall there
was an abundance of fish. There was a dwarf named Andvari, who had
long lived in the fall in the likeness of a pike, and in which he
supplied himself with food. "Our brother," continued Regin, "was named
Otr, who often went into the fall in the likeness of an otter. He had
caught a salmon, and was sitting on the bank of the river with his
eyes shut eating it, when Loki killed him with a stone. The Æsir
thought themselves very lucky, and stripped off the otter's skin. That
same evening they sought entertainment with Hreidmar, and showed their
prize. Thereupon we laid hands on them, and imposed on them, as the
redemption of their lives, that they should fill the otter's skin with
gold, and cover it over with red gold. They thereupon sent Loki to
procure gold. He went to Ran, and obtained her net, and thence
proceeded to Andvarafors, and cast the net before a pike, which leapt
into the net. Whereupon Loki said:
1. What fish is this, that in the river swims, and cannot from harm
itself protect? Redeem thy life from Hel, and find me the water's
flame.[59] _The Pike_.
2. Andvari I am named, Oin was my father named; many a cataract have
I passed. A luckless Norn in times of old decreed, that in the water I
should wade.
_Loki_.
3. Tell me, Andvari! if thou wilt enjoy life in the halls of men,
what retribution get the sons of mortals, if with foul words they
assail each other.
_Andvari_.
4. Cruel retribution get the sons of mortals, who in Vadgelmir wade:
for the false words they have against others uttered, the punishments
too long endure.
Loki viewed all the gold that Andvari owned; but when he had produced
the gold, he retained a single ring, which Loki also took from him.
The dwarf went into his stone and said:
5. That gold which the dwarf possessed, shall to two brothers be
cause of death, and to eight princes, of dissension. From my wealth no
one shall good derive.
The Æsir produced the gold to Hreidmar, and with it crammed the
otter's skin full, and set it up on the feet. They then had to heap up
the gold and cover it; but when that was done, Hreidmar, stepping
forward, observed a whisker, and required it to be covered; whereupon
Odin drew forth the ring "Andvaranaut," and covered the hair. Loki
said:
6. There is gold for thee, and thou hast a great redemption for my
life. For thy son no blessing is decreed; of both it shall prove the
bane.
_Hreidmar_.
7. Gifts thou hast given, friendly gifts thou hast given not; with a
kind heart thou hast not given. Of your lives ye should have been
deprived, had I foreknown that peril.
8. But that is worse, what I seem to know,--a strife of kinsmen for
a woman. Princes yet unborn I think them to be, for whose hate that
gold is destined.
9. The red gold, I trust, I shall possess while I am living: of thy
threats I entertain no fear; so take yourselves hence home.
Fafnir and Regin demanded of Hreidmar their share of the blood-fine
for their slain brother Otr, which he refused, and Fafnir stabbed his
father with a sword while sleeping. Hreidmar called out to his
daughters:
10. Lyngheid and Lofnheid! Know my life is departing. To many things
need compels.[60] _Lyngheid_.
Few sisters will, although they lose a father, avenge a brother's
crime.
_Hreidmar_.
11. Then bring forth a daughter, wolf-hearted fury! If by a chief
thou have not a son. Get for the maid a spouse, in thy great need;
then will her son thy wrong avenge.
Hreidmar then died, and Fafnir took all the gold. Regin then requested
to have his share of the patrimony, but met with a refusal from
Fafnir. Regin thereupon sought counsel of his sister Lyngheid, how he
might obtain his patrimony. She said:
12. Thou of thy brother shalt mildly demand thy patrimony and a
better spirit. It is not seemly, that with the sword thou shouldst
demand thy property of Fafnir.
The foregoing is what Regin related to Sigurd. One day, when he came
to Regin's dwelling, he was kindly received, and Regin said:
13. Hither is come the son of Sigmund to our Hall, that man of
energy: courage he has greater than I aged man: now of a conflict have
I hope from the fierce wolf.[61]
14. I will nurture the bold-hearted prince: now Yngvi's kinsman is
to us come; he will be a king under the sun most powerful; over all
lands will his destinies resound.
Sigurd was thence forward constantly with Regin, who related to him
how Fafnir lay on Gnitaheid in the likeness of a serpent. He had an
"Oegis-helm,"[62] at which all living beings were terror-stricken.
Regin forged a sword for Sigurd, that was named Gram, and was so sharp
that immersing it in the Rhine, he let a piece of wool down the
stream, when it clove the fleece asunder as water. With that sword