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SAGA OF HALFRED THE SIGSKALD
SAGA
OF
HALFRED THE SIGSKALD
_A Northern Tale of the Tenth_
_Century_
BY
FELIX DAHN.
TRANSLATED BY SOPHIE F. E. VEITCH.
ALEXANDER GARDNER,
PAISLEY; AND 12 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON.
1886.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAPTER I.,
CHAPTER II.,
CHAPTER III.,
CHAPTER IV.,
CHAPTER V.,
CHAPTER VI.,
CHAPTER VII.,
CHAPTER VIII.,
CHAPTER IX.,
CHAPTER X.,
CHAPTER XI.,
CHAPTER XII.,
CHAPTER XIII.,
CHAPTER XIV.,
CHAPTER XV.,
CHAPTER XVI.,
CHAPTER XVII.,
CHAPTER XVIII.,
CHAPITER XIX.,
POSTSCRIPT,
Saga of Halfred the Sigskald.
CHAPTER I.
Nigh upon fifty winters ago, there was growing up in the North a boy
named Halfred. In Iceland, on the Hamund Fjord, stood the splendid hall
of his father, Hamund.
At that time, so the heathen people believe, elves and goblins still
moved about freely among the Northern nations. And many say that an
elf, who had been friendly to the powerful Hamund, drew near to the
shield cradle of the boy Halfred, and for his first food laid wild
honey upon his lips, and said--
"Victory shall be thine in harping--
Victory shall be thine in singing--
Sigskald shall all nations name thee."
But this is a mere idle tale of the heathen people.
And Halfred grew, and was strong and beautiful. He sat often alone on
the cliffs, and listened how the wind played in rifts in the crags, and
he would fain have tuned his harp to the same strain, and because he
could not do it he was filled with fury.
And when this fury swept over his forehead the veins in his temples
swelled, and there came a red darkness before his eyes. And then his
arm sometimes did that whereof his head knew nothing.
When his father died Halfred took the seat of honour in the hall. But
he took no heed to preserve or improve his inheritance. He gave himself
up to harp playing and feats of arms. He devised a new strain in
singing, "Halfred's strain," which greatly charmed all who heard it,
and in which none could imitate him. And in hatchet throwing, not one
of the men of Iceland could equal him. He dashed his hammer through
three shields, and at two ships' lengths he would not miss with its
sharp edge a finger broad arrow shaft.
His mind was now set upon building a dragon ship, strong and splendid,
worthy of a Viking, wherein he might make voyages, to harry or levy
toll upon island and mainland, or to play his harp in the halls of
kings.
And through many an anxious night he considered how he should build his
ship, and could devise no plan. Yet the image of the ship was always
before his eyes, as it must be, with prow and stem, with board and bow;
and instead of a dragon it must carry a silver swan on the prow.
And when, one morning, he came out of the hall, and looked out over the
Fjord, towards the north, there, from the south-south-east, came
floating into Hamund's Bay a mighty ship, with swelling sails. Then
Halfred and his house-churls seized their weapons, and hurried out
either to drive away or welcome the sailors. Ever nearer drove the
ship, but neither helmet nor spear flashed on board, and though they
shouted through the trumpet all was still. Then Halfred and his
followers sprang into the boat, and rowed to the great ship, and saw
that it was altogether empty, and climbed on board. And this was the
most splendid dragon ship that ever spread sail on the salt seas. But
instead of a dragon it bore a silver swan upon the prow.
And moreover also, Halfred told me, the ship was in all things the
same as the image he had seen in his night and day dreams; forty oars
in iron rowlocks, the deck pavillioned with shields, the sails
purple-striped, the prow carved with runes against breakers, and the
ropes of sea-dogs' skin. And the high-arched silver wings of the swan
were ingeniously carved, and the wind rushed through them with a
melodious sound.
And Halfred sprang up to the seat of honour on the upper-deck, upon
which lay spread a purple royal mantle, and a silver harp, with a
swan's head, leaned against it.
And Halfred said--
"Singing Swan shalt thou be called, my ship;
Singing and victorious shalt thou sail."
And many said the elf who had given him his name had sent the Singing
Swan to him.
But that is an idle tale of the heathen people. For it has often
happened that slightly anchored ships have broken away in storms, while
the seamen were carousing ashore.