the Saxons with a great host. The King of the Saxons sent men to
meet him and they made peace with one another, and the King invited
Heithrek to a banquet. Heithrek accepted the invitation. The result of
this banquet was that Heithrek sought the hand of the King's daughter
and married her, receiving much property and land as her dowry; and
with that King Heithrek went home to his kingdom. She often used to
ask to go to visit her father, and Heithrek was indulgent to her in
this matter. Her stepson Angantyr used to go with her.
On one occasion when Heithrek was returning from a raid, he lay in
hiding off the land of the Saxons. He landed during the night and
entered the building in which his wife was sleeping. He had only one
companion with him. All the sentries were asleep. He found a handsome
man asleep beside his wife. He took his son Angantyr and carried him
away with him, and returned to his ship, having first cut off a lock
of the man's hair.
Next morning he lay to in the King's berth, and all the people went to
greet him; and a feast was prepared in his honour. A little later he
had a meeting called and asked if anything was known of his son. The
Queen alleged that he had died suddenly. He asked her to guide him to
his tomb, and when she said that that would only increase his grief,
he replied that he did not mind that. A search was made accordingly,
and a dog was found wrapped in a shroud. Heithrek remarked that his
son had not changed for the better. Then the King caused the man
whom he had found asleep to be brought forward, and he proved to be a
bondman. Thereupon Heithrek put away his wife, and then went home to
his kingdom.
One summer as Heithrek was away raiding, he went into the land of the
Huns and harried there, and Humli his father-in-law fled before him.
Heithrek there captured great booty and also Sifka, the daughter
of King Humli, and then returned home to his kingdom. Their son was
called Hlˆth, as we said before. He sent her home shortly after. He
also captured another woman called Sifka from Finland. She was the
loveliest woman ever seen.
One summer he sent men east to Holmgarth to offer to bring up the
child of King Hrollaug, the most powerful king of the time. This he
did because he was anxious to act exactly contrary to the whole of his
father's advice. Messengers came to Holmgarth and told their errand to
the King, who had a young son called Horlaug.
The King replied: "Is it likely that I shall send him my son to bring
up, when he has betrayed King Harold his father-in-law and his other
relatives and friends?"
But the Queen urged: "Do not be so hasty in refusing this, for if you
do not accept his offer the result will certainly be war. I expect it
will fare with you as with many another, and war with him will be no
trifle. Moreover he has a sword which nothing can withstand, and the
man who wields it will always be victorious."
So the King resolved to send his son to Heithrek; and Heithrek was
pleased with him and brought him up and loved him much.
Heithrek's father had also counselled him not to tell secrets to his
sweetheart.
IX. Every summer King Heithrek went raiding; he always went into the
Baltic where he had King Hrollaug's friendly country at hand. On one
occasion King Hrollaug invited him to a feast, and Heithrek consulted
his friends as to whether he should accept the invitation. They all
tried to dissuade him, bidding him bear in mind his father's maxims.
"All his maxims will I disregard," he replied, and sent word to the
King that he would be present at the feast.
He divided his host into three parts. One he ordered to guard the
ships, the second accompanied him, while the third he ordered to go
on shore and conceal themselves in a wood near the house in which the
feast was to be held, and to be on the look out in case he should need
help. Heithrek went to the feast, and the next day, when the Kings
were seated, Heithrek asked where the King's son, his foster-child,
was. A search was made for him, but he could not be found. Heithrek
was greatly distressed and retired to bed early; and when Sifka joined
him she asked why he was distressed.
"That is a difficult matter to talk about," replied he, "because my
life is at stake if it becomes known."
She promised to keep the secret, adding:
"Tell me for the sake of the love that is between us."
So Heithrek began:
"As I was riding to the forest yesterday looking for sport, I caught
sight of a wild boar and made a thrust at him with my spear; but I
missed my aim and the shaft snapped. Then I leapt down from my horse
and drew Tyrfing, which was effective as usual, and I slew the boar.
But when I looked round there was no-one by except the King's son.
But it is a peculiarity of Tyrfing that it must be sheathed with human
blood still warm upon it, so I slew the lad. Now this will be the end
of me if King Hrollaug hears of it, because we have only a small force
here."
Next morning when Sifka came to the Queen, the Queen asked her why
Heithrek had been depressed. She said that she did not dare to tell.
But the Queen persuaded her to change her mind, so she told the Queen
all that Heithrek had told her.
"These are terrible tidings," cried the Queen, and went off in deep
grief and told the King; but she added:
"Yet Heithrek has done this against his will."
"Your advice has turned out as I expected," said the King as he left
the hall to give orders to his men to arm.
Heithrek had a shrewd notion as to what Sifka had said, and ordered
his men to arm themselves secretly, and then to go out in small
detachments and try to find out what was happening.
A little later King Hrollaug came in and asked Heithrek to come and
have a private talk with him. And when they entered a garden, some men
sprang at Heithrek and seized him and cast him into fetters and bound
him securely; and he recognised the two men who bound him most tightly
as the men whose lives he had saved. The King ordered him to be taken
to the forest and hanged. There were two hundred and forty of them all
told, and when they entered the forest, King Heithrek's men sprang out
at them with his weapons and standard and a trumpet which they blew
as they attacked their foes. Their companions concealed in the woods
heard the noise and came out to meet King Heithrek's men. And when the
natives saw that, they all took to their heels; but most of them were
slain. The Goths took their King and released him. Heithrek went to
his ships after that, taking with him the King's son whom he had left
with the men concealed in the wood.
King Hrollaug now summoned a very large force, and King Heithrek
raided in his kingdom wherever he went.
Then said King Hrollaug to the Queen:
"Your advice has turned out badly for me. I find that our son is with
Heithrek, and in his present state of anger he will think nothing
of making an end of him in his criminal way, just as he slew his own
innocent brother."
"We have been far too easily convinced," replied the Queen. "You saw
how popular he was, when no-one would fetter him except two bad men;
and our son is taken good care of. This has been a trick of his to
make trial of you, and you offered him a poor return for bringing up
your child. Send men to him now, and offer to make it up with him,
and to give him so much of your territories as you may agree upon with
him; and offer him your daughter too, if we can recover our son. That
will be better than that you should part from him in enmity. And even
if he already has wide territory, he has not a wife as beautiful as
she."
"I had not intended to offer her to anyone," replied the King; "but as
you are so wise, you shall decide."
Messengers were sent accordingly to King Heithrek to bring about a
reconciliation. A council was held and a reconciliation effected by
Heithrek's marrying Hergerth, the daughter of King Hrollaug; and she
brought him as her dowry Wendland, the province which lies nearest to
Reithgotaland.
On one occasion the King was riding his best horse as he was
conducting Sifka home. It was late in the evening, and when the King
came to a river his horse fell dead. Shortly afterwards, when Sifka
attempted to embrace him, he threw her down and broke her leg.
Afterwards King Heithrek settled down in his own kingdom and became a
great sage.
X. They had a daughter called Hervˆr who was brought up by a man
called Ormar. She was a most beautiful girl, but as tall and strong as
a man, and trained herself in the use of bow and arrows.
There was a great man in Reithgotaland called Gestumblindi, who was
not on good terms with King Heithrek.
In the King's retinue there were seven men whose duty it was to decide
all the disputes that arose in that country.
King Heithrek worshipped Frey, and he used to give Frey the biggest
boar he could find. They regarded it as so sacred that in all
important cases they used to take the oath on its bristles. It was the
custom to sacrifice this boar at the 'sacrifice of the herd.' On Yule
Eve the 'boar of the herd' was led into the hall before the King.
Then men laid their hands on his bristles and made solemn vows. King
Heithrek himself made a vow that however deeply a man should have
wronged him, if he came into his power he should not be deprived of
the chance of receiving a trial by the King's judges; but he should
get off scot free if he could propound riddles which the King could
not answer. But when people tried to ask the King riddles, not one was
put to him which he could not solve.
The King sent a message to Gestumblindi bidding him come to him on
an appointed day; otherwise the King said that he would send to fetch
him. Neither alternative pleased Gestumblindi, because he knew himself
to be no match for the King in a contest of words; neither did he
think he had much to hope from a trial before the judges, for his
offences were many. On the other hand, he knew that if the King had to
send men to bring him it would cost him his life. Then he proceeded to
sacrifice to Othin and to ask his help, promising him great offerings.
One evening a stranger visited Gestumblindi, and said that he also
was called Gestumblindi. They were so much alike that neither could
be distinguished from the other. They exchanged clothes, and the
landowner went into hiding, and everyone thought the stranger was the
landowner himself.
This man went to visit the King and greeted him. The King looked at
him and was silent.
Gestumblindi said: "I am come, Sire, to make my peace with you."
"Will you stand trial by the judges?" asked the King.
"Are there no other means of escape?" asked Gestumblindi.
"If," replied the King, "you can ask me riddles which I cannot answer,
you shall go free."
"I am not likely to be able to do that," replied Gestumblindi; "yet
the alternative is severe."
"Do you prefer the trial?" asked the King.
"Nay," said he, "I would rather ask riddles."
"That is quite in order," said the King, "and much depends on the
issue. If you can get the better of me you shall marry my daughter and
none shall gainsay you. Yet I don't imagine you are very clever, and
it has never yet happened that I have been unable to solve the riddles
that have been put to me."
Then a chair was placed for Gestumblindi, and the people began to
listen eagerly to the words of wisdom.
Gestumblindi began as follows:
XI. I would that I had that which I had yesterday. Guess O
King, what that was:--Exhauster of men, retarder of words, yet
originator of speech. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed
it.--Give him some ale. That is what confounds many people's
reason. Some are made garrulous by it, but some become
confused in their speech.
Gestumblindi said:
I went from home, I made my way from home, I looked upon a
road of roads. A road was beneath me, a road above and a road
on every side. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed
it. You went over a bridge, and the course of the river was
beneath it, and birds were flying over your head and on either
side of you; that was their road; you saw a salmon in the
river, and that was his road.
Gestumblindi said:
What was the drink that I had yesterday? It was neither wine
nor water, mead nor ale, nor any kind of food; and yet I went
away with my thirst quenched. King Heithrek, read me this
riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
You lay in the shade and cooled your lips in dew. But if
you are the Gestumblindi I took you for, you are a more
intelligent man than I expected; for I had heard that your
conversation showed no brains, yet now you are setting to work
cleverly.
Gestumblindi said:
I expect that I shall soon come to grief; yet I should like
you to listen a while longer.
Then he continued:
Who is that clanging one who traverses hard paths which he has
trod before? He kisses very rapidly, has two mouths and walks
on gold alone. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is the goldsmith's hammer, with which gold is forged.
Gestumblindi said:
What is that huge one that passes over the earth, swallowing
lakes and pools? He fears the wind, but he fears not man, and
carries on hostilities against the sun. King Heithrek, read me
this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is fog. One cannot see the sea because of it. Yet as soon
as the wind blows, the fog lifts; but men can do nothing to
it. Fog kills the sunshine. You have a cunning way of asking
riddles and conundrums, whoever you are.
Gestumblindi said:
What is that huge one that controls many things and of which
half faces towards Hell? It saves people's lives and grapples
with the earth, if it has a trusty friend. King Heithrek, read
me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is an anchor with its thick strong cable. It controls
many a ship, and grips the earth with one of its flukes which
is pointing towards Hell. It is a means of safety to many
people. Greatly do I marvel at your readiness of speech and
wisdom.
Gestumblindi said:
Ah, but I am now almost at the end of my riddles; yet everyone
is eager to save his life.--What lives in high mountains? What
falls in deep valleys? What lives without breathing? What is
never silent? King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
A raven always lives in high mountains, and dew falls in
deep valleys, a fish lives without breathing, and the booming
waterfall is never silent.
Things are now becoming serious, said Gestumblindi, and I do
not know what is going to happen.--What is the marvel which
I have seen outside Delling's doorway? It points its head
towards Hell and turns its feet to the sun. King Heithrek,
read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is a leek. Its head grows down into the ground, and its
blades upward into the air.
Gestumblindi said:
What is the marvel which I have seen outside Delling's
doorway?--Two restless, lifeless things boiling a wound-leek.
King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is the smith's bellows which have breath, yet not life.
Gestumblindi said:
What is the marvel which I have seen outside Delling's
doorway?--White fliers smiting the rock, and black fliers
burying themselves in sand! King Heithrek, read me this
riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
But now your riddles are growing trivial. That is hail and
rain; for hail beats upon the street; whereas rain-drops fall
into the sand and sink into the earth.
Gestumblindi said:
What is the marvel which I have seen outside Delling's
doorway? I saw a black hog wallowing in mud, yet no bristles
were standing up on his back. King Heithrek, read me this
riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed
it. That is a dung-beetle. But we have talked too long when
dung-beetles come to exercise the wits of great men.
Gestumblindi said:
"It is best to put off misfortune"; and though there are some
who overlook this truth, many will want to go on trying. I
myself too see now that I shall have to look out for every
possible way of escape. What is the marvel that I have seen
outside Delling's doorway? This creature has ten tongues,
twenty eyes, forty feet, and walks with difficulty. King
Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That was a sow with nine little pigs.
Then the King had the sow killed and they found they had killed with
her nine little pigs, as Gestumblindi had said.
Then the King said:
I am beginning to suspect that I have to deal with a cleverer
man than myself in this business; but I don't know who you can
be.
Gestumblindi said:
I am such as you can see; and I am very anxious to save my
life and be quit of this task.
You must go on asking riddles, replied the King, till you have
exhausted your stock, or else till I fail to solve them.
Gestumblindi said:
What is the marvel which I have seen outside Delling's
doorway? It flies high, with a whistling sound like the
whirring of an eagle. Hard it is to clutch, O King. King
Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is an arrow, said the King.
Gestumblindi said:
What is the marvel which I have seen outside Delling's
doorway? It has eight feet and four eyes, and carries its
knees higher than its body. King Heithrek, read me this
riddle!
Heithrek replied:
I notice firstly that you have a long hood; and secondly that
you look downwards more than most people, since you observe
every creature of the earth.--That is a spider.
Gestumblindi said:
What is the marvel which I have seen outside Delling's
doorway? It shines upon men in every land; and yet wolves are
always struggling for it. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
It is the sun. It gives light to every land and shines down on
all men. But the wolves are called Skalli and Hatti. Those are
the wolves who accompany the sun, one in front and one behind.
Gestumblindi said:
What is the marvel which I have seen outside Delling's
doorway? It was harder than horn, blacker than the raven,
whiter than the membrane of an egg, straighter than a shaft.
King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
You saw an agate, and a sunbeam penetrated the house and shone
upon it. But since you seem to be a learned man, can you not
propound your riddles without always beginning them in the
same way?
Then said Gestumblindi:
Two bond-women, fair-haired brides, were carrying ale to the
store-room. The cask was not turned by hands, nor clinched
by hammers; and he who made it strutted about outside the
islands. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
These are eider duck laying their eggs. The eggs are not made
with hammer or hands, and the hand-maidens put the ale into
the egg-shell.
Gestumblindi said:
He who has got but a little sword and is very short of
learning has to look out for help. I would like to talk still
further.--Who are those ladies of the lofty mountain? A woman
begets by a woman; a maid has a son by a maid; and these
good-wives have no husbands. King Heithrek, read me this
riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
They are two Angelicas joined together, and a young angelica
shoot is growing between them.
Gestumblindi said:
Who are the girls who fight without weapons around their lord?
The dark red ones always protect him, and the fair ones seek
to destroy him. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is a game of chess. The pieces smite one another without
weapons around the king, and the red assist him.
Gestumblindi said:
Who are the merry-maids who glide over the land for their
father's pleasure? They bear a white shield in winter and a
black one in summer. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
Those are ptarmigan.
Gestumblindi said:
Who are the damsels who go sorrowing for their father's
pleasure? These white-hooded ladies have shining hair, and are
very wide awake in a gale. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
Those are the billows, which are called ∆gir's maidens.
Gestumblindi said:
Who are the maidens who go about many together for their
father's pleasure? They have brought trouble to many; and
these good-wives have no husbands. King Heithrek, read me this
riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
Those are billows like the last.
Gestumblindi said:
Who are the brides who go about the reefs and trail along the
firths? These white-hooded ladies have a hard bed and do not
play much when the weather is calm. King Heithrek read me this
riddle.
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
Those again are ∆gir's maidens; but your pleading has now
become so weak that you will have to stand trial by the
judges.
Gestumblindi said:
I am loath to do so; and yet I fear that it will very soon
come to that. I saw a barrow-dweller pass by, a corpse
sitting on a corpse, the blind riding on the blind towards
the ocean-path. Lifeless was the steed. King Heithrek, read me
this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
It is that you came to a river; and an ice-floe was floating
along the stream, and on it a dead horse was lying, and on the
horse was a dead snake; and thus the blind was carrying the
blind when they were all three together.
Gestumblindi said:
What is that beast which slays people's flocks and is girt
around with iron? It has eight horns, yet no head, and it runs
when it can. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is the _Hunn_ in chess. It has the same name as a bear.
It runs as soon as it is thrown.
Gestumblindi said:
What is that beast which protects the Danes? Its back is
bloody, but it shields men, encounters spears and saves men's
lives. Man fits his hand to its body. King Heithrek, read me
this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is a shield. It protects many people and often has a
bloody back.
Gestumblindi said:
A 'nose-goose' (i.e. duck) in former days had grown very
big when eager for young. She gathered together her building
timber: 'biters of straw' sheltered her, and 'drink's echoing
cavern' was above her. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
There a duck was sitting on her eggs between the jaws of an
ox, which you call 'biters of straw.' The 'echoing cavern' is
the skull, and the 'building timber,' the nest.
Gestumblindi said:
Four walking, four hanging, two pointing the way, two warding
off the dogs, one, generally dirty, dangling behind! King
Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is a cow. She has four feet and four udders, two horns
and two eyes, and the tail dangles behind.
Gestumblindi said:
Who is that solitary one who sleeps in the grey ash and is
made from stone only? This greedy one has neither father nor
mother. There will he spend his life. King Heithrek, read me
this riddle.
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is a spark struck by a flint and hidden in the hearth.
Gestumblindi said:
I saw a horse standing....
Then the King said:
My retinue shall read this riddle.
They made many guesses, but not particularly good ones. And when the
King saw that they could do nothing he said:
What you call a 'horse' is a piece of linen, and his 'mare' is
the weaver's rod; and the linen is shaken up and down.
Gestumblindi said:
Who are the thanes who ride to the meeting, sixteen of them
together? They send their men far and wide to make homes of
their own. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
That is 'King Itrek's game.'
Gestumblindi said:
In summer time at sunset I saw the King's body-guard awake and
very joyful. The nobles were drinking their ale in silence,
but the ale-butts stood screaming. King Heithrek, read me this
riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed
it. That is a sow with her litter. When the little pigs are
feeding, she squeals and they are silent.--But I can't imagine
who you are who can compose such things so deftly out of such
unpromising materials!
The King then silently made a sign that the door of the hall was to be
closed.
Gestumblindi said:
I saw maidens like dust. Rocks were their beds. They were
black and swarthy in the sunshine, but the darker it grew, the
fairer they appeared. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
They are pale embers on the hearth.
Gestumblindi said:
I sat on a sail, and saw dead men carrying a channel of blood
in the bark of a tree. King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
Your riddle is a good one, Gestumblindi. I have guessed it.
You sat on a wall, and watched a hawk flying and carrying an
eider duck in its claws.
Gestumblindi said:
Who are those two who have ten feet, three eyes and one tail?
King Heithrek, read me this riddle!
Heithrek replied:
You are hard up when you have to turn back to things of long
ago to bring forward against me. That is Othin riding his
horse Sleipnir. It had eight feet and Othin two, and they had
three eyes--Sleipnir two and Othin one.
Gestumblindi said:
Tell me lastly, Heithrek, if you are wiser than any other
prince, what did Othin whisper in Balder's ear, before he was
placed upon the pyre?
The King replied:
I am sure it was something scandalous and cowardly and
thoroughly contemptible. You are the only person who knows the
words which you spoke, you evil and wretched creature.
Then the King drew Tyrfing, and struck at Gestumblindi; but he changed
himself into a falcon and flew out through the window of the hall. And
the sword struck the tail of the falcon; and that is why it has had
a short tail ever since, according to heathen superstition. But Othin
had now become wroth with the King for striking at him; and that night
he was slain.
XII. It is said that King Heithrek had some slaves, nine in all, whom
he had taken in a freebooting expedition in the West. They came of
noble families, and chafed against their captivity. One night, when
King Heithrek lay in bed, attended by only a handful of men, the
slaves armed themselves and went to the building in which he lay.
They first slew the sentries, and then went and broke into the King's
chamber, and slew the King and all who were within. They took the
sword Tyrfing, and all the treasure that they found there, and carried
everything off with them.
For a while, no one knew who had done the deed or how vengeance was to
be taken. Then Angantyr the son of King Heithrek had a meeting called,
and by that assembly he was proclaimed King over all the territories
that King Heithrek had held. And at the same meeting he swore a solemn
oath that he would never sit on his father's throne until he had
avenged him.
Shortly after the meeting, Angantyr went away by himself and travelled
far and wide searching for these men. One evening he was walking down
to the sea along a river called Graf. There he saw three men in a
fishing-boat, and presently he saw one of the men catch a fish, and
heard him call to one of his companions to hand him a bait-knife to
cut off the fish's head. The man replied that he could not spare it.
Then the first man said:
"Take down the sword from over there by the rudder, and hand it to
me."
And he took it and unsheathed it, and cut off the fish's head, and
then spoke a verse:
This pike at the mouth of the river
Has paid the penalty
For the slaughter inflicted on Heithrek,
'Neath the Mountains of Harvathi.
Angantyr immediately perceived that it was Tyrfing, and went off at
once to the wood and waited there till it was dark. And the fishermen
rowed to the land, and went to a tent which they had, and lay down and
went to sleep. And when it was close on midnight, Angantyr went up to
them and pulled down the tent on top of the slaves and slew all nine
of them, and carried off the sword Tyrfing as a sign that he had
avenged his father. He then went home and had a great funeral feast
held to his father's memory on the banks of the Dnieper, at a place
called Arheimar. The kings who ruled at that time were as follows:
Humli ruled the Huns, Gizur the Gautar, Angantyr the Goths, Valdar the
Danes, Kjar the Gauls; Alrek the Bold ruled the English people.
Hlˆth the son of King Heithrek was brought up at the court of King
Humli, his grandfather. He was a very handsome and valiant man. There
was an old saying at that time that a man was "born with weapons or
horses." And the explanation is that it referred to the weapons which
were being forged at the time when the man was born; also to any
sheep, beasts, oxen and horses that were born about the same time.
These were all given to high-born men as an honour to them, as is here
related about Hlˆth the son of Heithrek:
In the land of the Huns was Hˆlth born
In a holy forest glade,
With ring-bedizened helmet,
With dagger and keen-edged blade,
With byrnie and with broadsword,
And noble prancing steed.
Then Hlˆth learnt of the death of his father, and also that his
brother Angantyr had been made King over all the territory which their
father had held. Then King Humli and Hlˆth resolved that Hlˆth should
go and request his brother Angantyr to allow him a share of his
father's property, and that he should try first by fair words--as is
said here:
Hlˆth, the heir of Heithrek,
Came riding from the East,
To where Angantyr was holding
King Heithrek's funeral feast.
He came to his court in Arheimar
Where the Gothic people dwell,
Demanding his share of the heritage left
By the King when he journeyed to Hell.
Hlˆth now arrived in Arheimar with a great host as it says here:
He found a warrior hastening
Towards the lofty hall;
And unto this late traveller
Did Hlˆth his greeting call:
O man, make haste to enter
This hall that towers so high!
Bid Angantyr speed,
For great is the need
We hold a colloquy.
The men entered and went up to Angantyr's table and saluted the King,
saying:
Hlˆth, thy warlike brother,
King Heithrek's valiant heir,
Has sent me hither to thee,
And bidden me declare
That he wishes to hold converse;
And though he be young indeed,
Yet he looks a mighty champion,
Seated high upon his steed.
And when the King heard that, he flung down his knife upon the table
and arose from the feast; and he put on his corslet and took a white
shield in one hand and the sword Tyrfing in the other. Then a great
din arose in the hall, as is said in the poem:
Then a murmur arose from the warriors,
And all in the hall drew near,
As the warder reported the message of Hlˆth:
--Everyone lent an ear;
And the men all awaited with quivering breath
The message of Angantyr.
Then Angantyr said: "Hail, brother! You are welcome! Come in and drink
with us, and let us first drink mead in memory of our father, to the
honour and glory of us all with full ceremony."
Hlˆth said: "We are come hither for a different purpose than to fill
our stomachs."
Then Hlˆth cried:
Of all the possessions of Heithrek
The half do I now demand;
--His spear and blade and treasures,
His cattle and his land,
His handmaids and his bondmen,
And the children to them born,
And the murmuring mill that the bondwomen turn
As they wearily grind the corn.
And half of the far-famed Myrkvith,
And half of the holy grave
Far off mid the Gothic peoples,--
These also will I have.--
Half of the noble pillar
That stands on Danaper's shore;
And of Heithrek's castles, land and folk,
And half of his golden store!
Cried Angantyr:
The white-shining shield shall be cloven, brother,
And spear on spear shall ring;
And many a helmet be lowered, brother,
In battle for this thing,
Ere I give thee half my heritage,
Or half of the sword Tyrfing.
But Angantyr added:
I will offer thee wealth in plenty,
And all thy heart's desire
In store of costly treasure,
And rings of golden fire;
Twelve hundred squires will I give thee,
Twelve hundred prancing steeds;
Twelve hundred men
To attend on them
And arm them for mighty deeds.
And every man whom I give thee
Shall receive a richer store
Of rings and costly treasures
Than ever he had before.--
To every man a maiden!
To every maid a ring!
I will clasp a necklace round her throat,
A necklace fit for a king!
I will case thee all in silver
As thou sittest on thy throne;
And a third of the Gothic peoples
Shall be thine to rule alone;
With gold shalt thou be covered
As thou farest through the land.--
Thou shalt dazzle the sight
As thou walk'st in the light
Like the flame of a fiery brand.
XIII. Gizur, a liegeman from the Grytingar, King Heithrek's
foster-father, was with King Angantyr. He was a very old man at that
time. And when he heard King Angantyr's suggestion, he thought that he
was offering too much and said:
King Angantyr is generous,
And royal his offering!
For thy mother was merely a bondmaid
Though thou hadst for thy father a King.
And though thou art only an outcast,
Yet a seat of honour was thine,
When the Prince was dividing his treasure and land,
And his portion to each did assign.
Hlˆth grew very angry at being called an outcast and the child of a
bondwoman, if he accepted his brother's offer; so he departed at once
with all his men and returned home to King Humli, his mother's father,
in the land of the Huns. And he told Humli that Angantyr his brother
had not granted him an equal share. King Humli enquired as to all that
had passed between them, and was very angry that Hlˆth, the son of his
daughter, should be called the son of a bondmaid, and he cried:
We will stay in our homes for the winter,
And as princes are wont when they dine,
We will hold high converse together,
Quaffing the costly wine.
We will call on the Hunnish people
To arm them with spear and with shield.--
They shall march to the fight
Right royally dight,
And conquer their foes in the field.
Then he added:
We will summon a mighty host, Hlˆth,
And shield on shield will clang,
As the warriors arm them from twelve years old,
And the wild colts gallop along.
And the Huns shall mass
Ere the winter pass,
And assemble a countless throng.
That winter, King Humli and Hlˆth remained quiet, but the following
spring they collected such a large army that the land of the Huns was
swept bare of fighting men. All those of twelve years old and upwards,
who were fit for military service and could carry arms, joined the
army, and all the horses of two years old and upwards. The host was
now so big that thousands and nothing less than thousands could be
counted in the legions. And a commander was set over every 'thousand,'
and a standard was set up over every legion. And there were five
'thousand' in each legion, each 'thousand' containing thirteen
'hundreds,' and each 'hundred' four times forty men; and these legions
were thirty three in number.
When these troops had assembled, they rode through the forest which
was called Myrkvith, and which separated the land of the Huns from
that of the Goths. And when they emerged from the forest, they came
upon a thickly inhabited country with level fields; and on these
plains there was a fine fortress. It was under the command of Hervˆr,
the sister of Angantyr and Hlˆth, and Ormar, her foster-father was
with her. They had been appointed to defend the land against the
Hunnish host, and they had a large army there.
XIV. It happened one morning at sunrise that as Hervˆr was standing
on the summit of a tower over the gate of the fortress, she looked
southwards towards the forest, and saw clouds of dust arising from a
great body of horse, by which the sun was hidden for a long time. Next
she saw a gleam beneath the dust, as though she were gazing on a mass
of gold--fair shields overlaid with gold, gilded helmets and white
corslets. Then she perceived that it was the Hunnish host coming on in
vast numbers. She descended hastily and called her trumpeter, and bade
him sound the assembly.
Then said Hervˆr: "Take your weapons and arm for battle; and do thou,
Ormar, ride against the Huns and offer them battle before the Southern
Gate."
Ormar replied: "I will certainly take my shield and ride with the
companies of the Goths. I will challenge the Huns and offer them
battle before the Southern Gate."
Then Ormar rode out of the fortress against the Huns. He called loudly
bidding them ride up to the fort, saying:
"Outside the gate of the fortress, in the plains to the south--there
will I offer you battle. Let those who arrive first await their foes!"
Then Ormar rode back to the fortress, and found Hervˆr and all her
host armed and ready. They rode forthwith out of the fort with all
their host against the Huns, and a great battle began between them.
But the Hunnish host was far superior in numbers, so that Hervˆr's
troops began to suffer heavy losses; and in the end Hervˆr fell, and
a great part of her army round about her. And when Ormar saw her fall,
he fled with all those who still survived. Ormar rode day and night as
fast as he could to King Angantyr in Arheimar. The Huns then proceeded
to ravage and burn throughout the land.
And when Ormar came into the presence of King Angantyr, he cried:
From the south have I journeyed hither
To bear these tidings to thee:--
The whole of the forest of Myrkvith
Is burnt up utterly;
And the land of the Goths is drenched with blood
As our warriors fall and die.
Then he continued:
All of thy noblest warriors
On the field are lying dead.
King Heithrek's daughter fell by the sword;
She drooped and bowed her head.
Thy sister Hervˆr is now no more.--
By the Huns was her life-blood shed.
O prouder and lighter the maiden's step
As she wielded spear and sword
Than if she were sped to her trysting place,
Or her seat at the bridal-board!
When King Angantyr heard that, he drew back his lips, and it was some
time before he spoke. Then he said:
"In no brotherly wise hast thou been treated, my noble sister!"
Then he surveyed his retinue, and his band of men was but small; then
he cried:
The Gothic warriors were many,
As they sat and drank the mead;
But now when many are called for,
The array is poor indeed!
Not a man in the host will adventure--
Though I offer a rich reward--
To take his shield,
And ride to the field,
To seek out the Hunnish horde.
Then Gizur the Old cried:
I will crave no single farthing,
Nor ringing coin of gold;
I will take my shield
And ride to the field
To the Huns with their myriads untold.
And the message of war that you send to the host
Will I carry, and there unfold.
It was a rule with King Heithrek that if his army was invading a land,
and the King of that land had set up hazel stakes to mark the spot
on which the battle was to take place, then the vikings should not go
raiding till the battle had been fought.
Gizur armed himself with good weapons and leapt on his horse as if he
had been a young man. Then he cried to the King:
"Where shall I challenge the host of the Huns to battle?"
King Angantyr replied: "Challenge them to battle at Dylgia and on
Dunheith, and upon all the heights of Jˆsur, where the Goths have
often won renown by glorious victories!"
Then Gizur rode away until he came to the host of the Huns. He rode
just within earshot, and then called loudly, crying:
Your host is panic stricken,
And your prince is doomed to fall;
Though your banners are waving high in the air,
Yet Othin is wroth with you all.
Come forth to the Jˆsur Mountains,
On Dylgia and Dunheith come fight;
For I make a sure boast,
In the heart of your host
The javelin of Othin will light!
When Hlˆth heard Gizur's words, he cried:
"Lay hold upon Gizur of the Grytingar, Angantyr's man, who has come
from Arheimar!"
King Humli said: "We must not injure heralds who travel about
unattended."
Gizur cried: "You Hunnish dogs are not going to overcome us with
guile."
Then Gizur struck spurs into his horse and rode back to King Angantyr,
and went up to him and saluted him. The King asked him if he had
parleyed with the Huns.
Gizur replied: "I spoke with them and I challenged them to meet us on
the battle-field of Dunheith and in the valleys of Dylgia."
Angantyr asked how big the army of the Huns was.
"Their host is very numerous," replied Gizur. "There are six legions
in all, and five 'thousands' in every legion, and each 'thousand'
contains thirteen 'hundreds,' and in every 'hundred' there are a
hundred and sixty men."
Angantyr asked further questions about the host of the Huns.
He then sent men in all directions to summon every man who was willing
to support him and could bear weapons. He then marched to Dunheith
with his army, and it was a very great host. There the host of the
Huns came against him with an army half as big again as his own.
XV. Next day they began their battle, and they fought together the
whole day, and at evening they went to their quarters. They continued
fighting for eight days, but the princes were then still all
unwounded, though none could count the number of the slain. But both
day and night troops came thronging round Angantyr's banner from all
quarters; and so it came about that his army never grew less.
The battle now became fiercer than ever. The Huns were desperate, for
they now saw that their only chance of escaping annihilation lay in
victory, and that sorry would be their lot if they had to ask for
quarter from the Goths. The Goths on the other hand were defending
their freedom and their native land against the Huns; so they stood
fast and encouraged one another to fight on. Then towards the close of
the day the Goths made so fierce an attack that the line of the Huns
recoiled before it. And when Angantyr saw that, he pressed forward
from behind the rampart of shields into the forefront of the battle
and grasping Tyrfing in his hand, mowed down both men and horses.
Then the ranks fell apart in front of the Kings of the Huns, and Hlˆth
exchanged blows with his brother. There fell Hlˆth and King Humli, and
then the Huns took to flight. The Goths cut them down and made such
a great slaughter that the rivers were dammed with the bodies and
diverted from their courses, and the valleys were full of dead men and
horses. Angantyr then went to search among the slain, and found his
brother Hlˆth. Then he cried:
I offered thee wealth unstinted, brother,
And treasures manifold,--
Riches of cattle and land, brother,
Riches of glittering gold;
But now thou hast wagered and lost in the battle
Thy desires and glories untold.
A curse has fallen upon us, brother,
I have dealt destruction to thee;
And ne'er shall the deed be forgotten, brother;
Full ill is the norns' decree!
XVI. Angantyr ruled Reithgotaland as King for a long time. He was
powerful and generous and a great warrior, and lines of kings are
sprung from him.
He had a son called Heithrek Wolfskin who ruled after him for a long
time in Reithgotaland. Heithrek had a daughter called Hild, who was
the mother of Halfdan the Valiant, the father of Ivar Vithfathmi. Ivar
Vithfathmi went with his army into the Swedish kingdom, as is told in
the Sagas of the Kings. And King Ingjald the Wicked was panic-stricken
at the approach of his army, and burned the roof over himself and all
his retinue at a place called RÊning. Ivar Vithfathmi then conquered
all Sweden. He also subdued Denmark and Courland and the land of the
Saxons and Esthonia, and all the eastern realms as far as Russia. He
also ruled the land of the Saxons in the West and conquered the part
of England which was called Northumbria.
Then he conquered all Denmark and set over it King Valdar, to whom
he married his daughter Alfhild. Their sons were Harold Hilditˆnn
and Randver who afterwards fell in England. And when Valdar died in
Denmark, Randver got possession of the Danish kingdom and made himself
King over it. And King Harold Hilditˆnn got himself proclaimed King
of Gautland, and he afterwards conquered all the kingdoms already
mentioned, which King Ivar Vithfathmi had held.
King Randver married Asa, the daughter of King Harold of the Red
Moustache from Norway. Their son was Sigurth Hring. King Randver died
suddenly, and Sigurth Hring succeeded to the Kingdom of Denmark. He
fought against King Harold Hilditˆnn at the Battle of Bravˆll in East
Gautland, and there King Harold fell, and a great multitude of his
army with him. This battle and the one which Angantyr and his brother
Hlˆth fought at Dunheith are the battles which have been most famous
in stories of old. Never were any greater slaughters made.
King Sigurth Hring ruled the Kingdom of the Danes till the day of his
death; and his son Ragnar Lothbrok succeeded him.
Harold Hilditˆnn had a son called Eystein the Wicked, who succeeded to
the Swedish Realm after his father, and ruled it until he was slain
by the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, as is related in the Saga of Ragnar
Lothbrok. The sons of Ragnar Lothbrok conquered all the Swedish
Kingdom; and after the death of King Ragnar, his son, Bjˆrn Ironside,
inherited Sweden, and Sigurth Denmark, Hvitserk the Eastern Realm, and
Ivar the Boneless England.
The sons of Bjˆrn Ironside were Eric and Refil. The latter was a
warrior-prince and sea-king. King Eric ruled the Swedish Realm after
his father, and lived but a short time. Then Eric the son of Refil
succeeded to the Kingdom. He was a great warrior and a very powerful
King. The sons of Eric Bjˆrnsson were ÷nund of Upsala and King Bjˆrn.
Then the Swedish Realm again came to be divided between brothers. They
succeeded to the Kingdom on the death of Eric Refilsson. King Bjˆrn
built a house called 'Barrow,' and he himself was called Bjˆrn of the
Barrow. Bragi the poet was with him. King ÷nund had a son called Eric,
and he succeeded to the throne at Upsala after his father. He was a
mighty King. In his days Harold the Fair-haired made himself King of
Norway. He was the first to unite the whole of that country under his
sway.
Eric at Upsala had a son called Bjˆrn, who came to the throne after
his father and ruled for a long time. The sons of Bjˆrn, Eric the
Victorious, and Olaf succeeded to the kingdom after their father. Olaf
was the father of Styrbjˆrn the Strong. In their days King Harold
the Fair-haired died. Styrbjˆrn fought against King Eric his father's
brother at Fyrisvellir, and there Styrbjˆrn fell. Then Eric ruled
Sweden till the day of his death. He married Sigrith the Ambitious.
They had a son called Olaf who was accepted as King in Sweden after
King Eric. He was only a child at the time and the Swedes carried him
about with them, and for this reason they called him 'Skirt-King,'
and then, later, Olaf the Swede. He ruled for a long time and was a
powerful King. He was the first king of Sweden to be converted, and in
his days, Sweden was nominally Christian.
King Olaf the Swede had a son called ÷nund who succeeded him. He died
in his bed. In his day fell King Olaf the Saint at Stiklestad. Olaf
the Swede had another son called Eymund, who came to the throne after
his brother. In his day the Swedes neglected the Christian religion,
but he was King for only a short time.
There was a great man of noble family in Sweden called Steinkel. His
mother's name was Astrith, the daughter of Njal the son of Fin the
Squinter, from Halogaland; and his father was Rˆgnvald the Old.
Steinkel was an Earl in Sweden at first, and then after the death of
Eymund, the Swedes elected him their King. Then the throne passed
out of the line of the ancient kings of Sweden. Steinkel was a mighty
prince. He married the daughter of King Eymund. He died in his bed in
Sweden about the time that King Harold fell in England.
Steinkel had a son called Ingi, who became King of Sweden after
Haakon. Ingi was King of Sweden for a long time, and was popular and a
good Christian. He tried to put an end to heathen sacrifices in Sweden
and commanded all the people to accept Christianity; yet the Swedes
held to their ancient faith. King Ingi married a woman called MÊr
who had a brother called Svein. King Ingi liked Svein better than any
other man, and Svein became thereby the greatest man in Sweden. The
Swedes considered that King Ingi was violating the ancient law of the
land when he took exception to many things which Steinkel his father
had permitted, and at an assembly held between the Swedes and King
Ingi, they offered him two alternatives, either to follow the old
order, or else to abdicate. Then King Ingi spoke up and said that he
would not abandon the true faith; whereupon the Swedes raised a shout
and pelted him with stones, and drove him from the assembly.
Svein, the King's brother-in-law, remained behind in the assembly, and
offered the Swedes to do sacrifices on their behalf if they would give
him the Kingdom. They all agreed to accept Svein's offer, and he was
then recognised as King over all Sweden. A horse was then brought to
the assembly and hewn in pieces and cut up for eating, and the
sacred tree was smeared with blood. Then all the Swedes abandoned
Christianity, and sacrifices were started again. They drove King Ingi
away; and he went into Vestergˆtland. Svein the Sacrificer was King of
Sweden for three years.
King Ingi set off with his retinue and some of his followers, though
it was but a small force. He then rode eastwards by SmÂland and into
÷stergˆtland and then into Sweden. He rode both day and night, and
came upon Svein suddenly in the early morning. They caught him in his
house and set it on fire and burned the band of men who were within.
There was a baron called Thjof who was burnt inside. He had been
previously in the retinue of Svein the Sacrificer. Svein himself left
the house, but was slain immediately.
Thus Ingi once more received the Kingdom of Sweden; and he
reestablished Christianity and ruled the Kingdom till the end of his
life, when he died in his bed.
King Steinkel had, besides Ingi, another son Hallstein who reigned
along with his brother. Hallstein's sons were Philip and Ingi, and
they succeeded to the Kingdom of Sweden after King Ingi the elder.
Philip married Ingigerth, the daughter of King Harold the son of
Sigurth. He reigned for only a short time.
APPENDIX TO PART I
THE COMBAT AT SAMSÿ AND HJALMAR'S DEATH SONG
The following passage is taken from an early text of the _Saga of
Hervˆr and Heithrek_ (MS. 2845 in the Royal Library at Copenhagen)
where it occurs immediately after the earl's speech ("The death of
mighty men" etc.) on p. 92[1].
When the brothers came home they made ready to go to the combat, and
their father accompanied them to the ship and gave the sword Tyrfing
to Angantyr, saying:
"I think that you will have need of good weapons now."
He then bade them farewell, and so they parted.
And when the brothers came to Sams¯ they saw two ships lying in a
harbour which was called Munarvag. The ships were of the kind called
'Ash.' The brothers concluded that these must be the ships of Hjalmar
and Odd the Far-travelling, who was called ÷rvar-Odd. The sons of
Arngrim then drew their swords and gnawed the rims of their shields
and worked themselves up into the berserks' fury. Then they sallied
forth, six against each 'Ash,' but so brave were the men whom they
encountered on board that they all drew their weapons, and not one
fled from his post, and not one spoke a word of fear. And the berserks
made their way up one side of the ship and down the other and slew
them all. Then they landed and began to howl.
Hjalmar and Odd had landed on the Island to find out if the berserks
had come. And as they made their way from the forest to join their
ships, the berserks were leaving the ships with bloody weapons and
drawn swords. But by this time the berserk fury had passed away from
them, and at such times their strength is reduced like that of people
who are recovering from illness of some kind.
Then said Odd:
I never knew aught of terror
Till today when the berserks came.
They have sailed to this isle in their ashen ships,
All twelve devoid of shame,
And landed with many a whoop and yell,
Those wretches of evil fame.
Then said Hjalmar to Odd: "Do you see that all our men are fallen? It
is my belief that we shall all be Othin's guests tonight in Valhalla."
--And it is said that that was the only word of fear ever uttered by
Hjalmar.
Odd replied: "My advice would be that we should make off to the wood;
for we shall never be able to put up a fight, being only two against
twelve--and twelve too who have slain the twelve bravest men in
Sweden."
Then said Hjalmar: "We will never flee from our foes. Rather will we
suffer the worst that their weapons can inflict. I am going to fight
against the berserks."
"Not so," replied Odd; "I have no mind to visit Othin tonight. It is
all these berserks who must perish before evening comes; but you and I
will be left alive."
An account of their dialogue is found in these verses which Hjalmar
chanted:
Twelve berserks hasten onward,
Inglorious warriors;--
Leaving their warships on they come;
And when night's shadow lowers
We two shall feast in Othin's hall,
Leaving them conquerors.
But Odd replied:
This is the answer I give thee:--
In Othin's hall tonight,
Twelve berserks shall feast,
Every one as a guest,
While we shall live on in the light.
Hjalmar and Odd saw that Angantyr had Tyrfing in his hand, for it
flashed like a sunbeam.
Hjalmar said: "Will you fight against Angantyr alone, or against all
his eleven brothers?"
"I will fight against Angantyr," replied Odd; "He will give mighty
strokes with Tyrfing; but I have more faith in the protection of my
shirt than in that of your mail-coat."
Then cried Hjalmar: "When did you and I ever go to battle and you took
the lead of me? You want to fight Angantyr because you hold that to be
the deed of greater prowess. I am the leader in this combat, however,
and far other was the vow I made to the daughter of the King of the
Swedes than to let you or anybody else come before me in the fight. It
is I who am going to fight Angantyr."
And with that he drew his sword and stepped forth to meet Angantyr and
they commended one another to Valhalla[2]. Hjalmar and Angantyr then
made ready for the combat, and mighty strokes fell thick and fast
between them.
Odd called to the berserks, saying:
Man to man should a warrior fight
Who would win a well-fought day,--
Unless it be that his courage fail,
Or his valour has ebbed away.
Then Hjˆrvarth advanced, and he and Odd had a stiff encounter; but
Odd's silken shirt was so strong that no weapon could pierce it. And
so good was his sword that it cut through iron as easily as cloth; and
few strokes had he dealt ere Hjˆrvarth fell dead.
Then Hervarth came on and the same thing happened;--then Hrani, then
each of the others in turn. And with such force did Odd encounter them
all that he slew every one of the eleven brothers. As for the combat
between Hjalmar and Angantyr, the upshot was that Hjalmar was wounded
in sixteen places, and then Angantyr fell dead.
Then Odd went over to where Hjalmar lay and cried:
O Hjalmar! Why has thy face grown pale
As the face of men who die?
Wide gape the rents in byrnie and helm,
And I fear that the end draws nigh;
And the strength of manhood has gone from thine arm,
And the light of life from thine eye.
Hjalmar made answer[3]:
With sixteen wounds is my mailcoat rent,
And the world is fading fast.
Blindly I tread in the gathering gloom,
Pierced to the heart at the last
By Angantyr's sword with its pitiless point
And its edges in poison cast.
*I have given no cause to Ingibjˆrg
To hold my prowess light;
It shall never be said by our maidens at home
That I gave one thought to flight.
They shall hear how the battle was fought and won.--
How I wielded my sword in the fight.
Five manors were mine, all nobly appointed,
Where I might have tarried and made good cheer.
Yet my heart was stirred by a restless longing
That urged me onward to Sams¯ here,
Where, pierced by the sword, with my life blood out pouring,
I shall linger and die on this island so drear.
In my mind I can see the henchmen
Drinking mead in my father's hall.--
A circle of gold is round every throat,
And joy is among them all.
My merry companions are drinking their ale,
Till thought and care are no more,
While I, torn with wounds from a murderous sword,
Perish here on this island shore.
*The lofty halls of Sigtun,
I see them from far away;
And the maidens who sought to withhold us
As we hastened forth on our way.
I shall never again see those maidens,
Or talk with the warriors bold,
Or drink fair ale in the King's high hall,
As I did in the days of old.
In my heart a voice still lingers,
The voice of a maiden fair,
Who rode with me forth to Agni's meads,
And bade farewell to me there.
And true, too true, were the words she spake
From the depths of her despair,
That never again should I touch her lips,
Or tangle her golden hair.
In my ear a song is ringing,
An echo from out the East,--
I heard it from Soti's cliffs on the night
When I left my friends at the feast.
How could I know that never again
Should I hear the maidens' lay,
As I hastened forth with my heart aflame,
And my good ship sailed away?
*In token of what has befallen,
My helmet and corslet take,
And bear them forth to the King's high hall.--
'Tis the last request I make.
The prince's daughter, fair Ingibjˆrg,
Will be stricken with grief and pain
When she looks on my good shield hacked and rent,
And knows that her love was vain.
Draw from my arm this token,
This ring of gleaming gold:
And bear it to Ingibjˆrg the fair,
Lest she deem my love grown cold.
Young is the maid to bear the sorrow
Her heart must then endure,
When I ride not home to greet her,
When I keep not my tryst as of yore
*I left the youthful Ingibjˆrg
Upon that fateful day,
When rashly we placed our fortunes
In the hands of Destiny.
O heavy will be the maiden's grief,
The sorrow she must endure
When she knows I have fallen in battle,
And will enter her hall no more.
From the tree tops away to the Eastward
There gather a loathly brood:--
Raven and eagle are swooping
To wet their bills in my blood.
Full many a feast has the eagle had
Of carrion slain by me:
I have fought my last fight,
And I pass to the night;
And now he shall feast on me.
Then Hjalmar died[4]. Odd brought the tidings to Sweden; and the
King's daughter could not bear to live after Hjalmar, so she took her
own life. Angantyr and his brothers were laid in a barrow in Sams¯
with all their weapons.
[Footnote 1: Printed in Wimmer's _Oldnordisk LÊsebog_ (4th
ed.) p. 29 ff. The poetry is also found, though with
many divergent readings, in _÷rvar-Odds Saga_, ch. 14
_(Fornaldarsˆgur_, Vol. II, p. 217 ff.).]
[Footnote 2: In late (paper) MSS. the following passage is
here added.--"Angantyr said: 'It is my wish that if any of
us escapes from here we should not rob one another of our
weapons. If I die, I wish to have Tyrfing in the barrow
with me. Odd likewise shall have his shirt and Hjalmar his
weapons!' And they agreed that those who were left alive were
to raise a barrow for the others."
Then follows a long description of the fighting.]
[Footnote 3: This poem is given more fully in _÷rvar-Odds
Saga_ than in _Hervarar Saga_. The strophes which occur only
in the former are marked with an asterisk. I have re-arranged
the order of the stanzas, in regard to which there is
considerable variation between the two texts.]
[Footnote 4: In paper MSS. the following passage occurs here:
"Odd remained there all night. In the morning he brought
together the bodies of all the berserks and then set about
building barrows. The islanders built chambers of great oaks
as Odd directed them, and then piled up stones and sand on
the top. They were strongly constructed, and it was a great
achievement. Odd was busy at this work for a fortnight. Then
he placed the berserks in with their weapons and closed the
barrows. After this Odd took Hjalmar's body and carried it to
a ship and conveyed it to Sweden."]