DEATH OF HJALMAR AND ASTRID
A SHORT time after his return from Arhaug, and his memorable duel with
Ketil, Ivar made preparations to leave Dampstadir with his three
foster-brothers for Samsey, in order to be there at the time appointed
for the duel between Hjalmar and Bui. Before sailing, Hjalmar made a
solemn sacrifice to Odin for victory. They sailed with two small ships
of the kind called “ask” to the island, and after an uneventful voyage
arrived there, and cast anchor in a bay called Munarvog.
The sons of Hervard likewise made their preparations. The night before
they sailed, Thorgrim had a dream which he told his father.
“It seemed to me,” said he, “that we brothers were in Samsey, and found
many birds there, and killed them all. Then we went to the other side of
the island, and two eagles flew against us. I had a hard fight against
one of them, and at last both of us sat down, and were badly wounded.
The other eagle fought against my brothers, and overcame them all.”
When Hervard heard this, he became more concerned than ever in regard to
the lives of his sons, for in this dream he saw a warning of their
death. He said to them: “This dream needs no unravelling, for it is
plain enough. I am sure it concerns you, and I fear that the men who
fell mean yourselves.”
The sons replied that they did not fear that, for they had always
obtained the victory before.
“All men go the day they have been fated to die,” rejoined Hervard, and
they spoke no more on the subject that day.
The next morning the twelve brothers went to their ship, and their
father followed them to the shore, and gave good armor and weapons to
them all. “I think,” said he, “you have need of the best weapons now,
for you are to fight against most valiant champions,” after which he
bade them farewell, and they departed. They reached Samsey, and landed
at a bay called Unavog, on the other side of the island from where
Hjalmar and his men were.
After the sons of Hervard had landed, the berserk fury came over them
all, and they wrestled with trees, large rocks, and boulders, as they
were wont when this madness seized them. After a time they became quiet
again and rested, for they had become weak, as was always the case after
the berserk fury.
The next morning they walked all over the island to see if they could
discover traces of Hjalmar and his foster-brothers’ arrival. After
crossing to the other coast, they saw two ships, and knew that they must
belong to Hjalmar. Then they drew their swords, bit the edges of their
shields, and the berserk fury came over them all again. They boarded the
ships in an onset of irresistible rage, six of them attacking each ship
in the centre. So brave were the men on them that no one fled from his
place, or spoke a word of fear, or changed color. Six of the brothers
went forward to the bow, and the other six towards the stern, and slew
every man they encountered. After this they went ashore, howling and
shouting.
Hjalmar and the foster-brothers had gone ashore also, and walked over
the island to see if Bui and his brothers had come. When they reached a
hillock from which they could see their own ships, they saw men coming
out of them with bloody weapons and swords, and recognized the sons of
Hervard.
When Hjalmar perceived them, he said to his foster-brothers: “Our men
are slain; and they were so brave and so skilful in the handling of
weapons, that it seems to me most likely that we shall all lodge with
Odin in Valhalla to-night.”
This was the only word of fear that Hjalmar had ever spoken in his life,
and his foster-brothers wondered why he had done so. Had he a
presentiment that his Disir would prove faithless to him?
When Ivar heard this, he said to Hjalmar: “Courage often is better than
a sharp sword, and many a dull sword has won the victory. We will be
victorious over the sons of Hervard, though they have slain all the
brave men who were on board of our ships.”
“Never have we fled from our foes,” said Sigurd. “Let us rather fall
under their weapons, and die with honor, for this is better than to live
with shame; and we will fight the berserks one after another.”
Then Hjalmar sang: “We will not lodge with Odin to-night. I must wed
Astrid before I die, and ere evening comes all these men who come to
fight against us will be dead, and we four foster-brothers shall live.”
* * * * *
The sons of the berserk Hervard and the four foster-brothers met. The
duel was to be the Einvigi; they could advance or retreat as they
pleased, and no shield was held before the combatants. Bui was armed
with the sword called “Rangvid,” and Hjalmar, “Dragvandil,” the sword
which his father had given him when he became of age. As they met in the
arena, Bui said: “If either of us escapes, he shall not take the other’s
weapons. I desire to have Rangvid in my mound, if I die; Hjalmar shall
have his shirt and his weapons. He who lives shall raise a mound over
the other.”
Then the combat began in earnest, and was fought with the greatest
violence. Both struck hard and often.
When Ivar and Sigurd and Sigmund had looked on for a while, they went to
a place some distance away, and made ready for the fight with the other
eleven sons of Hervard. Ivar said to the berserks: “We will fight
according to the custom of warriors, and not that of thralls. One of
you, and no more, shall fight me at a time, if your courage fails not.”
They consented, and then Seming came forward, and Ivar went against him.
Hrotti, the sword which Ivar had chosen, and which belonged to his
father, was so good that it cut steel as if it were cloth. It was not
long before Seming sank dead to the ground. Olvir then came forward to
meet Ivar, and after a short fight he too fell dead. At this the rage of
the berserks was overpowering, for they had always been victorious
before. Then Gisli came forward. He was, next to Thorgrim, the strongest
and most skilful of the eleven brothers. He attacked Ivar so fiercely,
that the latter at first could do no more than defend himself. They
fought for a long time, during which the victory seemed doubtful. All
their armor was cut off, but the charmed shirt which Randalin had made
for Ivar protected his body, so he was not hurt. Finally Gisli fell,
after receiving many wounds. Then Thorgrim fought against Ivar. The
fight was very severe, and lasted long. Finally Thorgrim lost so much
blood, that he fell down suddenly, and at once died. One brother rose
after the other, but Ivar slew them all. He was completely exhausted,
but he had refused the help of Sigurd and Sigmund, for he thought he
could gain the victory over Hervard’s sons more easily than they could,
and he did not wish to risk their lives.
After this the foster-brothers repaired to the spot where they had left
Bui and Hjalmar fighting, and they saw that Bui had fallen, and lay
motionless on the ground, and that Hjalmar sat with his back resting
against a rock, and was as pale as a corpse.
Ivar approached him and sang: “What ails thee, Hjalmar? Thou hast
changed color. I see that deep wounds weaken thee. Thy helmet is cut,
and thy chain-armor is pierced near thy heart. Thy life, alas! is soon
to finish, and ere long thou art going to Valhalla.”
In reply, and in a faint voice, Hjalmar sang: “I have sixteen wounds and
rent chain-armor. It is dark before my eyes; I cannot see to walk. The
sword of Bui has touched my heart, the sharp point hardened in poison. I
owned five burgs, but I never enjoyed them, as thou knowest well that I
cared not for occupation on land. Soon I shall lie deprived of life, its
thread sundered by the sword in Samsey. I would I could have married
Astrid before going to Odin, but the Nornir decreed at my birth that
this should not take place. I left the young Astrid on that fated day,
destined never to see her again. How well it is for man not to know his
fate beforehand. For sorrow would have followed me, and instead I
thought only of victory.”
Then he called Ivar to his side and said: “Draw from my hand, my
foster-brother, the red-gold ring, and take it to Astrid. I know that it
will be to her a lasting sorrow that I do not come back to Upsalir.”
Then, after another pause, he continued: “The women on land will not
hear that I sheltered myself from blows. The wise maidens in Upsalir
will not laugh because I succumbed in the fight, as well as my
adversary, whom I slew first.”
Then raising himself, he continued: “Seest thou, Ivar, from a high tree
a raven flying from the east? An eagle follows; that is the last eagle
to which I give prey, and it will taste my blood. It is my wish that
thou carry my helmet and chain-armor into Yngvi’s hall. The heart of the
daughter of the Hersir of Svithjod will be moved deeply when she sees my
chain-armor cut upon the breast. I behold the daughters of Yngvi in
Upsalir. How beautiful they look! Hjalmar will not look again upon them,
neither will he cheer with ale and speeches the warriors who sit in
Yngvi’s hall.”
Then came another pause, for Hjalmar was suffering intensely from his
wounds, but he had made a vow never to shriek from pain. Finally he said
to his foster-brothers: “Two of you must go and hew a stone coffin for
me, while another shall sit by my side, and write upon wooden tablets
that song which I will compose about my deeds in life.”
Then he began to dictate the song, and Sigmund carved it, and the nearer
the poem drew to its end, the more the life of Hjalmar ebbed away. Then
came a deep silence, his voice had ceased. He was dead!
Then Ivar said solemnly: “It will be told far and wide that few nobler
and more famous men have ever lived than Hjalmar Gudbrandson of Engel.”
After the words of Ivar, the foster-brothers looked at each other
without saying a word, but all felt the great and irreparable loss they
had sustained. They placed the berserks in a heap, near the sea, and
piled boughs upon them. They put with them their weapons and clothing,
divesting them of nothing. They covered the pile with turf, and cast
earth over it, thus raising a great mound. They then went out to their
ships, took ashore every one who had fallen, and there threw up another
mound over them.
* * * * *
After the burial of the berserks, the three foster-brothers carried the
body of Hjalmar on one of their ships, and sailed to Svithjod. They
landed not far from Upsalir. Ivar carried Hjalmar on his back, followed
by Sigurd and Sigmund, and then laid down their beloved dead
foster-brother at the door of the great hall, chanting, as they walked
there, the praises and great deeds of valor of Hjalmar.
After entering the hall, they marched towards the high seat where Yngvi
was seated, and then put down on the floor and in front of him Hjalmar’s
pierced armor, his sword, helmet, and sundered shield. These tokens
told, without words, of the death of Hjalmar the Brave.
Ivar and his two foster-brothers then went to the bower of Astrid. She
was seated on a chair, and was embroidering a cloak for Hjalmar, and
thinking of him. Then Ivar sang again the great and valorous deeds
Hjalmar had accomplished during his life, and said: “I have to tell
thee, Astrid, a sad tale;” and he gave her the ring which she had given
to Hjalmar before they parted, and told of the greetings sent her by him
before he expired.
Astrid took the ring, looked at it, and knew that Hjalmar was dead. She
uttered not a word; her face changed color and turned very pale. She
sank back lifeless into her chair. She did not stir for so long that her
attendants became alarmed. Bending over her, they saw that she was dead.
“Nothing better has occurred for a long time,” said Ivar. “Let us,
foster-brothers, welcome the event, though it causes great sorrow to the
Hersir of Svithjod.”
Then he took Astrid in his arms, and carried her to the door of the
hall, and laid her in the arms of the dead Hjalmar, and then went to
tell Yngvi of the death of his daughter.
When Yngvi came out, he saw, with profound grief, the sad scene before
him, and he mourned greatly the deaths of his daughter Astrid and of
Hjalmar.
A large mortuary chamber was built for Hjalmar and Astrid; a bed of down
was laid on the floor, and upon it was put a pillow for them to rest
their heads upon. They were not to be burned, for there were many since
the death of Frey who did not wish to have a burning journey to the
world they were going to. Hjalmar was dressed in his finest war clothes,
clad in his pierced armor, his shield placed on his breast, and his
sword by his side. Astrid was laid by him in the white bridal dress
intended for her wedding, decked with costly jewels. Then a high mound
was built over them.
Hjalmar the Brave, and Astrid the Fair, lay silently, side by side, in
the embrace of death. Their grave stands to-day by the granite shores of
the Baltic, looking silently out upon the ships that sail to and fro on
that sea they loved so much; the wind and the murmur of the waves sing a
continuous requiem over them. Every year when June returns, its soft and
fragrant breezes, passing over fields, meadows, and pine forests, blow
over them. Butterflies and bees, rejoicing in the sunshine that brings
new life, flit over the flowers growing upon their graves, and birds
sing their love-songs by their side, just as in the days of old Hjalmar
and Astrid sang theirs.
We are born, we grow, we love, we die. Love is the best of gifts that
has been given to us; then friendship, the foster-brother of love.
Astrid has gone to live with the virgin goddess Gefjon, upon whom all
those who die maidens wait. Hjalmar went to Valhalla, and from there he
sees his beloved every day.
Ivar, Sigurd, and Sigmund mourned greatly the death of Hjalmar, and
there have never been within the memory of man four men more attached to
one another. For a long while they felt their irreparable loss, but time
assuaged their sorrows as the years passed away; but the remembrance of
the noble qualities of Hjalmar came to cheer them, and at every
sacrifice and feast, when they drank to the memory of departed kinsmen,
the name of Hjalmar the Brave was always remembered by them. The people
to this day love to tell the story of Hjalmar and Astrid.
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