The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson
cast into a pen of serpents. He struck his harp and lulled the
serpents, but an adder stung him to the liver.
THE SECOND LAY OF GUDRUN.
King Theodric was with Atli, and had there lost the greater number of
his men. Theodric and Gudrun mutually bewailed their afflictions. She
related to him and said:
1. A maid above all maids I was; my mother reared me bright in her
bower; my brothers I much loved, until me Giuki, with gold adorned,
with gold adorned, to Sigurd gave.
2. Such was Sigurd above Giuki's sons, as the green leek is,
springing from the grass, or the high-limbed hart above the savage
beasts, or gleed-red gold above grey silver.
3. Until my brothers the possession grudged me of a consort to all
superior. They could not sleep, nor on affairs deliberate, before they
Sigurd had caused to die.
4. Grani to the assembly ran, his tramp was to be heard; but Sigurd
then himself came not. All the saddle-beasts were splashed with blood,
and with sweating faint, from the murderers.
5. Weeping I went to talk to Grani, with humid cheeks, I prayed the
steed to tell: then Grani shuddered, in the grass bowed down his
head. The steed knew that his master was no more.
6. Long I wandered, long was my mind distracted, ere of the people's
guardian I inquired for my king.
7. Gunnar hung his head, but Hogni told me of Sigurd's cruel death.
"Beyond the river slaughtered lies Guthorm's murderer, and to the
wolves given.
8. Yonder behold Sigurd, towards the south, there thou wilt hear the
ravens croak, the eagles scream, in their feast exulting; the wolves
howling round thy consort."
9. "Why wilt thou, Hogni! to a joyless being such miseries recount?
May thy heart by ravens be torn and scattered over the wide world,
rather than thou shouldst walk with men."
10. Hogni answered, for once cast down, from his cheerful mood by
intense trouble: "Gudrun! thou wouldst have greater cause to weep, if
the ravens should tear my heart."
11. Alone I turned from that interview to the wolves' scattered
leavings. No sigh I uttered, nor with my hands beat, nor wailed, as
other women, when I heartbroken sat by Sigurd.
12. Night seemed to me of blackest darkness, when I sorrowing sat by
Sigurd. Better by far it seemed to me had the wolves taken my life, or
I had been burnt as a birchen tree.
13. From the fell I journeyed five long days and nights, until the
lofty hall of Half I recognized. Seven half-years I with Thora
stayed, Hakon's daughter, in Denmark.
14. She for my solace wrought in gold southern halls, and Danish
swans.
15. We had in pictures the game of warriors, and in handiworks a
prince's nobles; red shields, Hunnish heroes, a sworded host, a helmed
host, a prince's following.
16. Sigmund's ships from the land sailing, with gilded heads, and
carved prows. We on our canvas wrought how Sigar and Siggeir both
contended southward in Fyen.
17. When Grimhild, the Gothic woman, heard how greatly I was
afflicted, she cast aside her needle-work, and her sons called oft and
earnestly, that she might know, who for her son would their sister
compensate, or for her consort slain the blood-fine pay?
18. Gunnar was ready gold to offer, for the injuries to atone, and
Hogni also. * * * She then inquired who would go the steeds to saddle,
the chariot to drive, on horseback ride, the hawk let fly, arrows
shoot from the yew bow?
19. Valdar and the Danes with Jarizleif, Eymod the third with
Jarizkar, then entered, to princes like. Red mantles had the
Langbard's men, corslets ornamented, towering helms; girded they were
with falchions, brown were their locks.
20. For me each one would choose precious gifts, precious gifts, and
to my heart would speak, if for my many woes they might gain my
confidence, and I would in them trust.
21. Grimhild to me brought a potion to drink cold and bitter, that I
my injuries might forget; it was mingled with Urd's power, with cold
sea-water, and with Son's blood.
22. In that horn were characters of every kind graven and red-hued;
nor could I comprehend them: the long lyng-fish[82] of the Haddings'
land, an uncut ear of corn: the wild-beasts' entrance.
23. In that potion were many ills together, a herb from every wood,
and the acorn, the fire-stead's dew,[83] entrails of offerings,
swine's liver seethed; for that deadens strife.
24. And then I forgot, when I had taken it, all the king's words in
the hall spoken. There to my feet three kings came, before she herself
sought to speak with me.
25. "Gudrun! I will give thee gold to possess, of all the riches
much of thy dead father; rings of red gold, Hlodver's halls, all the
hangings left by the fallen king.
26. Hunnish maids, those who weave tapestry, and in bright gold
work, so that it may delight thee. Over Budli's wealth thou alone
shalt rule, adorned with gold, and given to Atli."
27. "I will not have any man, nor Brynhild's brother marry: it
beseems me not with Budli's son to increase a race, or life enjoy."
28. "Take care not to pay the chiefs with hate; for 'tis we who have
been the aggressors: so shouldst thou act as if yet lived Sigurd and
Sigmund, if sons thou bearest."
29. "Grimhild! I cannot in mirth indulge, nor, for my hero's sake,
cherish a hope, since the bloodthirsty [wolf and] raven have together
cruelly drunk my Sigurd's heart's blood."
30. "Him[84] of all I have found to be a king of noblest race, and
in much most excellent: him shalt thou have until age lays thee low,
or mateless be, if him thou wilt not take."
31. "Cease to offer that cup of ills so pertinaciously, that race to
me: he will Gunnar's destruction perpetrate, and will cut out Hogni's
heart. I will not cease until the exulting strife-exciter's life I
shall have taken."
32. Weeping Grimhild caught the words, by which to her sons Gudrun
foreboded evil, and to her kindred dire misfortunes. "Lands I will
also give thee, people and followers, Vinbiorg and Valbiorg, if thou
wilt accept them; for life possess them, and be happy, daughter!"
33. "Him then I will choose among the kings, and from my relatives
reluctantly receive him. Never will he be to me a welcome consort, nor
my brothers' bale a protection to our sons."
34. Forthwith on horseback was each warrior to be seen; but the
Walish women were in chariots placed. For seven days o'er a cold land
we rode; but the second seven, we beat the waves; and the third seven,
we reached dry land.
35. There the gate-wards of the lofty burgh the latticed entrance
opened, ere the court we entered.
36. Atli waked me, but I seemed to be full of evil thoughts, for my
kinsmen's death.
37. "So me just now[85] have the Norns waked,--a grateful
interpretation I fain would have. Methought that thou, Gudrun! Giuki's
daughter! with a treacherous sword didst pierce me through."
38. "Fire it forebodes,[86] when one of iron dreams, arrogance and
pleasure, a woman's anger. Against evil I will go burn thee, cure and
medicate thee, although to me thou art hateful."
39. "Seemed to me here in the garden[87] that young shoots had
fallen, which I wished to let grow: torn up with their roots, reddened
with blood, to table they were brought, and offered me to eat.
40. "Seemed to me that hawks flew from my hand, lacking their
quarry, to the house of woes; seemed to me I ate their hearts with
honey swollen with blood, with sorrowing mind.
41. "Seemed to me from my hand whelps I let slip; lacking cause of
joy, both of them howled: seemed to me their bodies became dead
carcases: of the carrion I was compelled to eat."
42. "There will warriors[88] round thy couch converse, and of the
white-locked ones take off the head; death-doomed they are within a
few nights, a little ere day: thy court will eat of them."
43. "Lie down I would not,[89] nor sleep after, obstinate in my
fate--That I will execute!"
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 82: That is the long fish of the heath, or Ung, a snake or
serpent.]
[Footnote 83: Soot.]
[Footnote 84: Atli: Grimhild speaks.]
[Footnote 85: Atli speaks.]
[Footnote 86: Gudrun answers.]
[Footnote 87: Atli speaks.]
[Footnote 88: Gudrun answers.]
[Footnote 89: Atll speaks.]
THE THIRD LAY OF GUDRUN.
Atli had a serving-woman named Herkia,[90] who had been his concubine.
She informed Atli that she had seen Thiodrek and Gudrun together;
whereat Atli was much afflicted. Then Gudrun said:
1. What ails thee ever, Atli! Budli's son! Hast thou sorrow in thy
heart? Why never laughest thou? To thy jarls it would seem more
desirable, that thou with men wouldst talk, and on me wouldst look.
_Atli_.
2. It grieves me, Gudrun! Giuki's daughter! that in my palace here,
Herkia has said, that thou and Thiodrek have under one covering slept,
and wantonly been in the linen wrapt.
_Gudrun_.
3. For all this charge I will give my oaths by the white sacred
stone, that with me and Thiodrek nothing has passed, which to man and
wife only belongs;
4. Save that I embraced the prince of armies, the honoured king, a
single time. Other were our cogitations, when sorrowful we two sat to
converse.
5. Hither came Thiodrek, with thirty warriors; now there lives not
one of those thirty men. Surround me with thy brothers, and with
mailed warriors; surround me with all thy noblest kinsmen.
6. Send to Saxi the Southmen's prince; he can hallow the boiling
cauldron."
7. Seven hundred men entered the hall, ere in the cauldron the queen
dipt her hand.
8. "Now Gunnar comes not, nor call I Hogni: I shall not see again my
loved brothers: with his sword would Hogni such wrong avenge: now I
must myself purify from crime."
9. She to the bottom, plunged her snow-white hand, and up she drew
the precious stones.[91] "See now, ye men! I am proved guiltless in
holy wise, boil the vessel as it may."
10. Laughed then Atli's heart within his breast, when he unscathed
beheld the hand of Gudrun. "Now must Herkia to the cauldron go, she
who Gudrun had hoped to injure." No one has misery seen who saw not
that, how the hand there of Herkia was burnt. They then the woman led
to a foul slough.[92] So were Gudrun's wrongs avenged.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 90: Herkia, the Erka or Helche of the German tradition, who
here appears as a slave or servant, is, according to that tradition,
the queen of Etzel or Atli, who did not marry Kreimhilt (Gudrun) until
after her death. The falsification of the story, the pitiful
subordinate part acted by Thiodrek, the perfect silence of all the
other poems on this event, and the ordeal of the cauldron,
sufficiently show that the poem is a later composition. P.E. Muller
(II., p. 319) ascribes it to Sæmund himself.]
[Footnote 91: The iarknastein of the original was a milk-white opal.]
[Footnote 92: This punishment was known to the old Germans.]
ODDRUN'S LAMENT.
There was a king named Heidrek, who had a daughter named Borgny. Her
lover was named Vilmund. She could not give birth to a child until
Oddrun, Atli's sister, came. She had been the beloved of Gunnar,
Giuki's son. Of this story it is here sung:
1. I have heard tell, in ancient stories how a damsel came to the
eastern land: no one was able, on the face of earth, help to afford to
Heidrek's daughter.
2. When Oddrun, Atli's sister, heard that the damsel had great
pains, from the stall she led her well-bridled steed, and on the swart
one the saddle laid.
3. She the horse made run on the smooth, dusty way, until she came
to where a high hall stood. She the saddle snatched from the hungry
steed, and in she went along the court, and these words first of all
uttered:
4. "What is most noteworthy in this country? or what most desirable
in the Hunnish land?"
_Borgny_.
5. Here lies Borgny with pains overwhelmed, thy friend, Oddrun! See