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._