Part of the Second LayOfHelgi Hun D in G's - Bane1
¶HELGI wedded Sigrun, and they begat sons together, butHelgi lived not to be old; for Dag,2 the son of Hogni,sacrificed to Odin, praying that he might avenge his father.So Odin lent Dag his spear, and Dag met Helgi, his brother-in-law,at a place called Fetter-grove, and thrust him through with thatspear, and there fell Helgi dead, but Dag rode to Sevafell, and toldSigrun of the news.
¶Loth am I, sister,Of sorrow to tell thee,For by hard need drivenHave I drawn on thee greeting;This morning fellIn Fetter-groveThe king well deemedThe best in the wide world,Yea, he who stoodOn the necks of the strong.
Sigrun
¶All oaths once swornShall bite thee sore,The oaths that to HelgiOnce thou swarestAt the bright whiteWater of Lightening,3[362]And at the cold rockThat the sea runneth over.
p. 362¶May the ship sweep not onThat should sweep at its swiftest,Though the wind desiredBehind thee driveth!May the horse never runThat should run at his most mightWhen from thy foe's faceThou hast most need to flee!
¶May the sword never biteThat thou drawest from scabbard.But if round thine headIn wrath it singeth!
¶Then should meet price be paidFor Helgi's slayingWhen a wolf thou wertOut in the wild-wood,Empty of good things,Empty of gladness,With no meat for thy mouthBut dead men's corpses!
Dag
¶With mad words thou ravest,Thy wits are gone from thee,When thou for thy brotherSuch ill fate biddest;Odin aloneLet all this bale loose,Casting the strife-runes'Twixt friends and kindred.
¶Rings of red goldWill thy brother give thee,And the stead of VandilAnd the lands of Vigdale;[363]Have half of the landFor thy sorrow's healing,O ring-arrayed sweedingFor thee and thy sons!
Sigrun
¶No more sit I happyAt Sevafell;At day-dawn, at nightNaught love I my lifeTill broad o'er the peopleMy lord's light breaketh;Till his war-horse runnethBeneath him hither,Well wont to the gold bit—Till my king I welcome.
¶In such wise did HelgiDeal fear aroundTo all his foesAnd all their friendsAs when the goat runnethBefore the wolf's rageFilled with mad fearDown from the fell.
¶As high above all lordsDid Helgi bear himAs the ash-tree's gloryFrom the thorn ariseth,Or as the fawnWith the dew-fall sprinkledIs far aboveAll other wild things,As his horns go gleaming'Gainst the very heavens.
¶A barrow was raised above Helgi, but when he came to Valhall,then Odin bade him be lord of all things there, even as he; so Helgisang—[364]Now shalt thou, Hunding,For the help of each manGet ready the foot-bath,And kindle the fire;The hounds shalt thou bindAnd give heed to the horses,Give wash to the swineEre to sleep thou goest.
¶A bondmaid of Sigrun went in the evening-tide by Helgi's mound,and there she saw how Helgi rode toward it with a great company;then she sang—
¶It is vain things' beguilingThat methinks I beholdOr the ending of all things,As ye ride, O ye dead men,Smiting with spursYour horses' sides?Or may dead warriorsWend their ways homeward?
The Dead
¶No vain things' beguilingIs that thou beholdest,Nor the ruin of all things;Though thou lookest upon us,Though we smite with spursOur horses' sides;Rather dead warriorsMay wend their ways homeward.
¶Then went the bondmaid home, and told Sigrun, and sang—Go out, SigrunFrom Sevafell,If thou listest to look onThe lord of thy people!For the mound is uncoveredThither is Helgi come,And his wounds are bleeding,[365]But the king thee biddethTo come and stayThat stream of sorrow.
¶So Sigrun went into the mound to Helgi, and sang—
¶Now am I as fainOf this fair meeting,As are the hungryHawks of Odin,When they wot of the slayingOf the yet warm quarry,Or bright with dewSee the day a-dawning.
¶Ah, I will kissMy king laid lifeless,Ere thou castest byThy blood-stained byrny.O Helgi, thy hairIs thick with death's rime,With the dew of the deadIs my love all dripping;Dead-cold are the handsOf the son of Hogni!How for thee, O my king,May I win healing?
Helgi
¶Thou alone, SigrunOf Sevafell,Hast so done that HelgiWith grief's dew drippeth;O clad in goldCruel tears thou weepest,Bright May of the Southlands,Or ever thou sleepest:Each tear in blood fallethOn the breast of thy lord,Cold-wet and bitter-sharpSwollen with sorrow.[366]Ah, we shall drinkDear draughts and lovelyThough we have lostBoth life and lands;Neither shall anySing song of sorrow,Though in my breastBe wounds wide to behold:For now are bridesIn the mound abiding;Kings' daughters sitBy us departed.
¶Now Sigrun arrayed a bed in the mound, and sang:Here Helgi, for theeA bed have I dight,Kind without woe,O kin of the Ylfings!To thy bosom, O king,Will I come and sleep soft,As I was wontWhen my lord was living.
Helgi
¶Now will I callNaught not to be hoped forEarly or lateAt Sevafell,When thou in the armsOf a dead man art laid,White maiden of Hogni,Here in the mound:And thou yet quick,O King's daughter!
¶Now needs must I rideOn the reddening ways;My pale horse must treadThe highway aloft:West must I go[367]To Windhelm's bridgeEre the war-winning crowdHall-crower1 waketh.
¶So Helgi rode his ways: and the others gat them gone hometo the house. But the next night Sigrun bade the bondwoman haveheed of the mound. So at nightfall, whenas Sigrun came to themound, she sang:
¶Here now would he come,If to come he were minded;Sigmund's offspringFrom the halls of Odin.O me the hope wanethOf Helgi's coming;For high on the ash-boughsAre the ernes abiding,And all folk driftToward the Thing of the dreamland.
The Bondmaid
¶Be not foolish of heart,And fare all aloneTo the house of the dead,O Hero's daughter!For more strong and dreadfulIn the night seasonAre all dead warriorsThan in the daylight.
¶But a little while lived Sigrun, because of her sorrow and trouble.But in old time folk trowed that men should be born again, thoughtheir troth be now deemed but an old wife's doting. And so, asfolk say, Helgi and Sigrun were born again, and at that tide washe called Helgi the Scathe of Hadding, and she Kara the daughterof Half dan; and she was a Valkyria, even as is said in the Lay ofKara.
Part ofThe Lay of Sigrdrifa1
¶NOW this is my first counsel,That thou with thy kinBe guiltless, guileless ever,Nor hasty of wrath,Despite of wrong done—Unto the dead good that doeth.
¶Lo the second counsel,That oath thou swearest never,But trusty oath and true:Grim tormentingGripes troth-breakers;Cursed wretch is the wolf of vows.
¶This is my third rede,That thou at the ThingDeal not with the fools of folk;For unwise manFrom mouth lets fallWorser word than well he wotteth.
¶Yet hard it isThat holding of peaceWhen men shall deem thee dastard,Or deem the lie said soothly;But woeful is home-witness,Unless right good thou gettest itAh, on another dayDrive the life from out him,And pay the liar back for his lying.[369]Now behold the fourth rede:If ill witch thee bideth,Woe-begetting by the way,Good going furtherRather than guesting,Though thick night be on thee.
p. 369¶Far-seeing eyesNeed all sons of menWho wend in wrath to war;For baleful womenBide oft by the highway,Swords and hearts to soften.
¶And now the fifth rede:As fair as thou seestBrides on the bench abiding,Let not love's silverRule over thy sleeping;Draw no woman to kind kissing!
¶For the sixth thing, I redeWhen men sit a-drinkingAmid ale-words and ill-words,Deal thou naughtWith the drunken fight-staves,For wine stealeth wit from many.
¶Brawling and drinkHave brought unto menSorrow sore oft enow;Yea, bane unto some,And to some weary bale;Many are the griefs of mankind.
¶For the seventh, I rede thee,If strife thou raisestWith a man right high of heart,Better fight a-fieldThan burn in the fireWithin thine hall fair to behold.[370]The eighth rede that I give thee:Unto all ill look thou,And hold thine heart from all beguilingDraw to thee no maiden,No man's wife bewray thou,Urge them not unto unmeet pleasure.
¶This is the ninth counsel:That thou have heed of dead folkWhereso thou findest them a-field;Be they sick-dead,Be they sea-dead,Or come to ending by war weapons.
¶Let bath be madeFor such men fordone,Wash thou hands and feet thereof,Comb their hair and dry themEre the coffin has them;Then bid them sleep full sweetly.
¶This for the tenth counsel:That thou give trust neverUnto oaths of foeman's kin,Be'st thou bane of his brother,Or hast thou felled his father;Wolf in young son waxes,Though he with gold be gladdened.
¶For wrong and hatredShall rest them never,Nay, nor sore sorrow.Both wit and weaponsWell must the king haveWho is fain to be the foremost.
¶The last rede and eleventh:Until all ill look thou,And watch thy friends' ways ever.Scarce durst I lookFor long life for thee, king:Strong trouble ariseth now already.
The LayCalled the Short LayOf Sigurd
¶IGURD of yore,Sought the dwelling of Giuki,As he fared, the young Volsung,After fight won;Troth he tookFrom the two brethren;Oath swore they betwixt them,Those bold ones of deed.
¶A may they gave to himAnd wealth manifold,Gudrun the young,Giuki's daughter:They drank and gave doomMany days together,Sigurd the young,And the sons of Giuki.
¶Until they wendedFor Brynhild's wooing,Sigurd a-ridingAmidst their rout;The wise young VolsungWho knew of all ways—Ah! he had wed her,Had fate so willed it.
¶37i[372]From the fair woman,Nor in arms of hisDid the Hun King hold her,Since he gat the young maidFor the son of Giuki.
¶No lack in her lifeShe wotted of now,And at her death-dayNo dreadful thingFor a shame indeedOr a shame in seeming;But about and betwixtWent baleful fate.
¶Alone, abroad,She sat of an evening,Of full many thingsShe fell a-talking:"O for my Sigurd!I shall have death,Or my fair, my lovely,Laid in mine arms.
¶"For the word once spoken,I sorrow sorely—His queen is Gudrun,I am wed to Gunnar;The dread Norns wrought forA long while of woe."
¶Oft with heart deepIn dreadful thoughts,O'er ice-fields and ice-hillsShe fared a-night time,When he and GudrunWere gone to their fair bed,And Sigurd wrappedThe bed-gear round her.[373]"Ah! now the Hun KingHis queen in arms holdeth,While love I go lacking,And all things longed forWith no delightBut in dreadful thought."
¶These dreadful thingsThrust her toward murder:—"Listen, Gunnar,For thou shalt loseMy wide lands,Yea, me myself!Never love I my life,With thee for my lord—
¶"I will fare back thitherFrom whence I came,To my nighest kinAnd those that know meThere shall I sitSleeping my life away,Unless thou slayestSigurd the Hun King,Making thy might moreE'en than his might was!
¶"Yea, let the son fareAfter the father,And no young wolfA long while nourish!For on each man liethVengeance lighter,And peace shall be surerIf the son live not."
¶Adrad was Gunnar,Heavy-hearted was he,And in doubtful moodDay-long he sat.[374]For naught he wotted,Nor might see clearlyWhat was the seemliestOf deeds to set hand to;What of all deedsWas best to be done:For he minded the vowsSworn to the Volsung,And the sore wrongTo be wrought against Sigurd.
¶Wavered his mindA weary while,No wont it wasOf those days worn by,That queens should fleeFrom the realms of their kings.
¶"Brynhild to meIs better than all,The child of BudliIs the best of women.Yea, and my lifeWill I lay down,Ere I am twinnedFrom that woman's treasure."
¶"Wilt thou bewray SigurdFor his wealth's sake?Good it is to ruleO'er the Rhine's metal;And well contentGreat wealth to wield,Biding in peaceAnd blissful days."[375]One thing alone HogniHad for an answer:"Such doings for usAre naught seemly to do;To rend with swordOaths once sworn,Oaths once sworn,And troth once plighted.
¶"Nor know we on mould,Men of happier days,The while we fourRule over the folk;While the bold in battle,The Hun King, bides living.
¶"And no nobler kinShall be known afield,If our five sonsWe long may foster;Yea, a goodly stemShall surely wax.—But I clearly seeIn what wise it standeth,Brynhild's sore urgingO'ermuch on thee beareth.
¶"Guttorm shall weGet for the slaying,Our younger brotherBare of wisdom;For he was out ofAll the oaths sworn,All the oaths sworn,And the plighted troth."
¶Easy to rouse himWho of naught recketh!—Deep stood the swordIn the heart of Sigurd.[376]There, in the hall,Gat the high-hearted vengeance;For he cast his swordAt the reckless slayer:Out at GuttormFlew Gram the mighty,The gleaming steelFrom Sigurd's hand.
¶Down fell the slayerSmitten asunder;The heavy headAnd the hands fell one way,But the feet and such likeAback where they stood.
¶Gudrun was sleepingSoft in the bed,Empty of sorrowBy the side of Sigurd:When she awokeWith all pleasure gone,Swimming in bloodOf Frey's beloved.
¶So sore her handsShe smote together,That the great-heartedGat raised in bed;—"O Gudrun, weep notSo woefully,Sweet lovely bride,For thy brethren live for thee!
¶"A young child have IFor heritor;Too young to win forthFrom the house of his foes.—Black deeds and illHave they been a-doing,[377]Evil redeHave they wrought at last.
¶"Late, late, rideth with themUnto the Thing,Such sister's son,Though seven thou bear,——But well I wotWhich way all goeth;Alone wrought BrynhildThis bale against us.
¶"That maiden loved meFar before all men,Yet wrong to GunnarI never wrought;Brotherhood I heededAnd all bounden oaths,That none should deem meHis queen's darling."
¶Weary sighed Gudrun,As the king gat ending,And so sore her handsShe smote together,That the cups arowRang out therewith,And the geese cried on highThat were in the homefield.
¶Then laughed BrynhildBudli's daughter,Once, once only,From out her heart;When to her bedWas borne the soundOf the sore greetingOf Giuki's daughter.
¶Then, quoth Gunnar,The king, the hawk-bearer,[378]"Whereas, thou laughest,O hateful woman,Glad on thy bed,No good it betokeneth:Why lackest thou elseThy lovely hue?Feeder of foul deeds,Fey do I deem thee,
¶"Well worthy art thouBefore all women,That thine eyes should seeAtli slain of us;That thy brother's woundsThou shouldst see a-bleeding,That his bloody hurtsThine hands should bind."
¶"No man blameth thee, Gunnar,Thou hast fulfilled death's measureBut naught Atli fearethAll thine ill will;Life shall he lay downLater than ye,And still bear more mightAloft than thy might.
¶"I shall tell thee, Gunnar,Though well the tale thou knowest,In what early daysYe dealt abroad your wrong:Young was I then,Worn with no woe,Good wealth I hadIn the house of my brother!
¶"No mind had IThat a man should have me,Or ever ye Giukings,Rode into our garth;[379]There ye sat on your steedsThree kings of the people;——Ah! that that faringHad never befallen!
¶"Then spake AdiTo me apart,And said that no wealthHe would give unto me,Neither gold nor landsIf I would not be wedded;Nay, and no partOf the wealth apportioned,Which in my first daysHe gave me duly;Which in my first daysHe counted down.
¶"Wavered the mindWithin me then,If to fight I should fallAnd the felling of folk,Bold in byrnyBecause of my brother;A deed of fameHad that been to all folk,But to many a manSorrow of mind.
¶"So I let all sinkInto peace at the last:More grew I mindedFor the mighty treasure,The red-shining ringsOf Sigmund's son;For no man's wealth elseWould I take unto me.
¶"For myself had I givenTo that great king[380]Who sat amid goldOn the back of Grani;Nought were his eyenLike to your eyen,Nor in any wiseWent his visage with yours;Though ye might deem youDue kings of men.
¶"One I loved,One, and none other,The gold-decked mayHad no doubtful mind;Thereof shall AdiWot full surely,When he getteth to knowI am gone to the dead.
¶"Far be it from me,Feeble and wavering,Ever to loveAnother's love——Yet shall my woeBe well avenged."
¶Up rose Gunnar,The great men's leader,And cast his armsAbout the queen's neckAnd all went nighOne after other,With their whole heartsHer heart to turn.
¶Then called he HogniTo have talk with him:[381]"Let all folk goForth into the hall,Thine with mine——O need sore and mighty!—To wot if we yetMy wife's parting may stay.Till with time's wearingSome hindrance wax."
¶One answer HogniHad for all;"Nay, let hard needHave rule thereover,And no man let herOf her long journey!Never born again,May she come back thence.
¶"Luckless she cameTo the lap of her mother,Born into the worldFor utter woe,To many a manFor heart-whole mourning."
¶Upraised he turnedFrom the talk and the trouble,To where the gem-fieldDealt out goodly treasure;As she looked and beheldAll the wealth that she had,And the hungry bondmaids,And maids of the hall.
¶With no good in her heartShe donned her gold byrny,Ere she thrust the sword-pointThrough the midst of her body:On the bolster's far sideSank she adown,[382]And, smitten with sword,Still bethought her of redes.
¶"Let all come forthWho are fain the red gold,Or things less worthyTo win from my hands;To each one I giveA necklace gilt over,Wrought hangings and bed-gearAnd bright woven weed."
¶All they kept silence,And thought what to speak,Then all at onceAnswer gave:"Full enow are death-doomedFain are we to live yet,Maids of the hallAll meet work winning."
¶From her wise heart at lastThe linen-clad damsel,The one of few yearsGave forth the word:"I will that none drivenBy hand or by word,For our sake should loseWell-loved life.
¶"Thou on the bones of youSurely shall burn,Less dear treasureAt your departingNor with Menia's Meal 1Shall ye come to see me."
¶"Menia's Meal—" periphrasis for gold.[383]Of the life's ruinOf thy lightsome brick——Nor shall thy shipSwim soft and sweedyFor all that ILay life adown.
¶"Sooner than ye might deemShall ye make peace with Gudrun,For the wise womanShall lull in the young wifeThe hard memoryOf her dead husband.
¶"There is a may bornReared by her mother,Whiter and brighterThan is the bright day;She shall be Swanhild,She shall be Sunbeam.
¶"Thou shalt give GudrunUnto a great one,Noble, well-praisedOf the world's folk;Not with her goodwill,Or love shalt thou give her;Yet will AtliCome to win her,My very brother,Born of Budli.
¶—"Ah! many a memoryOf how ye dealt with me,How sorely, how evillyYe ever beguiled me,How all pleasure left meThe while my life lasted!—
¶"Fain wilt thou beOddrun to win,But thy good liking[384]Shall Atli let;But in secret wiseShall ye win together,And she shall love theeAs I had loved thee,If in such wiseFate had willed it.
¶"But no long spaceShall slip awayEre Atli tooAll life shall lose.Yea, all his wealWith the life of his sons,For a dreadful bedDights Gudrun for him,From a heart sore laden,With the sword's sharp edge.
¶"More seemly for Gudrun,Your very sister,In death to wend afterHer love first wed;Had but good redeTo her been given,Or if her heartHad been like to my heart.
¶—"Faint my speech groweth—But for our sakeNe'er shall she loseHer life beloved;The sea shall have her,High billows bear herForth unto Jonakr'sFair land of his fathers.[385]"There shall she bear sons,Stays of a heritage,Stays of a heritage,Jonakr's sons;And Swanhild shall sheSend from the land,That may born of her,The may born of Sigurd.
¶"Her shall biteThe rede of Bikki,Whereas for no goodWins Jormunrek life;And so is clean perishedAll the kin of Sigurd,Yea, and more greeting,And more for Gudrun.
¶"And now one prayerYet pray I of thee—The last word of mineHere in the world—So broad on the fieldBe the burg of the deadThat fair space may be leftFor us all to lie down,All those that diedAt Sigurd's death!
¶"Hang round that burgFair hangings and shields,Web by Gauls woven,And folk of the Gauls:There burn the Hun KingLying beside me.
¶"But on the other sideBurn by the Hun KingThose who served meStrewn with treasure;Two at the head,[386]And two at the feet,Two hounds therewith,And two hawks moreover:Then is all dealtWith even dealing.
¶"Lay there amidst usThe ring-dight metal,The sharp-edged steel,That so lay erst;When we both togetherInto one bed went,And were called by the nameOf man and wife.
¶"Never, then, belikeShall clash behind himValhall's bright doorWith rings bedight:And if my fellowshipFolloweth after,In no wretched wiseThen shall we wend.
¶"For him shall followMy five bondmaids,My eight bondsmen,No borel folk:Yea, and my fosterer,And my father's dowerThat Budli of old daysGave to his dear child.
¶"Much have I spoken,More would I speak,If the sword would give meSpace for speech;But my words are waning,My wounds are swelling—Naught but truth have I told——And now make I ending."
The Hell - Ride of Brynhild
¶AFTER the death of Brynhild were made two bales, one forL \ Sigurd, and that was first burned; but Brynhild was burnedA. JL on the other, and she was in a chariot hung about withgoodly hangings.And so folk say that Brynhild drave in her chariot down alongthe way to Hell, and passed by an abode where dwelt a certaingiantess, and the giantess spake:—
¶"Nay, with my goodwillNever goest thouThrough this stone-pillaredStead of mine!More seemly for theeTo sit sewing the cloth,Than to go look onThe love of another.
¶"What dost thou, goingFrom the land of the Gauls,O restless head,To this mine house?Golden girl, hast thou not,If thou listest to hearken,In sweet wise from thy handsThe blood of men washen?"
Brynhild
¶"Nay, blame me naught,Bride of the rock-hall,Though I roved a warringIn the days that were;The higher of us twainShall I ever be holdenWhen of our kindMen make account."
The Giant-woman
¶"Thou, O Brynhild,Budli's daughter,Wert the worst ever bornInto the world:For Giuki's childrenDeath hast thou gotten,And turned to destructionTheir goodly dwelling."
Brynhild
¶"I shall tell theeTrue tale from my chariot,O thou who naught wottest,If thou listest to wot;How for me they have gottenThose heirs of Giuki,A loveless life,A life of lies.
¶"The changeful shapesOf us eight sisters,The wise king badeUnder oak-tree to bear:Of twelve winters was I,If thou listest to wot,When I sware to the young lordOaths of love.
¶"Thereafter gat IMid the folk of the Goths,For Helmgunnar the old,Swift journey to Hell,And gave to Aud's brother[389]The young, gain and glory;Whereof overwrathWaxed Odin with me.
¶"So he shut me in shield-wallIn Skata grove,Red shields and whiteClose set around me;And bade him aloneMy slumber to brakeWho in no landKnew how to fear.
¶"He set round my hall,Toward the south quarter,The Bane of all treesBurning aloft;And ruled that he onlyThereover should rideWho should bring me the goldO'er which Fafnir brooded.
¶"Then upon Grani rodeThe goodly gold-strewerTo where my fostererRuled his fair dwelling.He who alone thereWas deemed best of all,The War-lord of the Danes,Well worthy of men.
¶"In peace did we sleepSoft in one bed,As though he had beenNaught but my brother:There as we layThrough eight nights wearing,No hand in loveOn each other we laid.[390]"Yet thence blamed me, Gudrun,Giuki's daughter,That I had sleptIn the arms of Sigurd;And then I wottedAs I fain had not wotted,That they had bewrayed meIn my betrothals.
¶"Ah! for unrestAll too longAre men and womenMade alive!Yet we twain togetherShall wear through the ages,Sigurd and I.——Sink adown, O giant-wife!"
Fragments ofThe Lay of BrynhildHogni Said
Gunnar Said
¶To me has SigurdSworn many oaths,Sworn many oaths,And sworn them lying,And he bewrayed meWhen it behoved himOf all folk to his trothTo be the most trusty.
Hogni Said
¶Thee hath BrynhildUnto all bale,And all hate whetted,And a work of sorrow;For she grudges to GudrunAll goodly life;And to thee the blissOf her very body.
¶Some the wolf roasted,Some minced the worm,Some unto Guttorm[392]Gave the wolf-meat,Or ever they mightIn their lust for murderOn the high kingLay deadly hand.
¶Sigurd lay slainOn the south of the Rhine.High from the fair treeCroaked forth the raven,"Ah, yet shall AtliOn you redden edges,The old oaths shall weighOn your souls, O warriors."
¶Without stood Gudrun,Giuki's daughter,And the first word she saidWas even this word:"Where then is Sigurd,Lord of the Warfolk,Since my kinCome riding the foremost?"
¶One word HogniHad for an answer:"Our swords have smittenSigurd asunder,And the grey horse hangs droopingO'er his lord lying dead."
¶Then quoth Brynhild,Budli's daughter;"Good weal shall ye haveOf weapons and lands,That Sigurd aloneWould surely have ruledIf he had livedBut a little longer.[393]"Ah, nothing seemlyFor Sigurd to ruleGiuki's houseAnd the folk of the Goths,When of him five sonsFor the slaying of men,Eager for battleShould have been begotten!"
¶Then laughed Brynhild—Loud rang the whole house—One laugh onlyFrom out her heart:"Long shall your bliss beOf lands and people,Whereas the famed lordYou have felled to the earth!"
¶Then spake Gudrun,Giuki's daughter;"Much thou speakest,Many things fearful,All grame be on GunnarThe bane of Sigurd!From a heart full of hateShall come heavy vengeance."
¶Forth sped the evenEnow there was drunken,Full enow was thereOf all soft speech;And all men got sleepWhen to bed they were gotten;Gunnar only lay wakingLong after all men.
¶His feet fell he to moving,Fell to speak to himselfThe waster of men,Still turned in his mind[394]What on the boughThose twain would be saying,The raven and erne,As they rode their ways homeward,
¶But Brynhild awoke,Budli's daughter,May of the shield-folk,A little ere morning:"Thrust ye on, hold ye back,—Now all harm is wrought,—To tell of my sorrow,Or to let all slip by me?"
¶All kept silenceAfter her speaking,None might knowThat woman's mind,Or why she must weepTo tell of the workThat laughing onceOf men she prayed.
Brynhild Spake
¶In dreams, O Gunnar,Grim things fell on me;Dead-cold the hall was,And my bed was a-cold,And thou, lord, wert ridingReft of all bliss,Laden with fetters'Mid the host of thy foemen.
¶Think'st thou not, Gunnar,How that betid,[395]When ye let the blood runBoth in one footstep?With ill rewardHast thou rewardedHis heart so fainTo be the foremost!
¶As well was seenWhen he rode his ways,That king of all worth,Unto my wooing;How the host-destroyerHeld to the vowsSworn beforetime,Sworn to the young king.
¶For his wounding-wandAll wrought with gold,The king belovedLaid between us;Without were its edgesWrought with fire,But with venom-dropsDeep dyed within.
¶Thus this song telleth of the death of Sigurd, and setteth forthhow that they slew him without doors; but some say that they slewhim within doors, sleeping in his bed. But the Dutch Folk say thatthey slew him out in the wood: and so sayeth the ancient song ofGudrun, that Sigurd and the sons of Giuki were riding to the Thingwhenas he was slain. But all with one accord say that they bewrayedhim in their troth with him, and fell on him as he lay unarrayedand unawares.
The Second or Ancient LayOf Gudrun
¶H I O DR E K the King was in Atli's house, and had losti there the more part of his men: so there Thiodrek andi Gudrun bewailed their troubles one to the other, and sheand said:—
¶A may of all maysMy mother reared meBright in bower;Well loved I my brethren,Until that GiukiWith gold arrayed me,With gold arrayed me,And gave me to Sigurd.
¶Such was my Sigurd,Among the sons of GiukiAs is the green leekO'er the low grass waxen,Or a hart high-limbedOver hurrying deer,Or glede-red goldOver grey silver.
¶Till me they begrudged,Those my brethren,The fate to have him,Who was first of all men;Nor might they sleep,Nor sit a-dooming,Ere they let slayMy well-loved Sigurd.
¶Grani ran to the Thing,There was clatter to hear,[397]But never came SigurdHimself thereunto;All the saddle-girt beastsWith blood were besprinkled,As faint with the wayNeath the slayers they went.
¶Then greeting I wentWith Grani to talk,And with tear-furrowed cheeksI bade him tell all;But drooping laid Grani,His head in the grass,For the steed well wottedOf his master's slaying.
¶Then Gunnar hung head,But Hogni toldOf the cruel slayingOf my Sigurd:"On the water's far sideLies, smitten to death,The bane of GuttormTo the wolves given over.
¶"Go, look on Sigurd,On the ways that go southward,There shalt thou hearThe ernes high screaming,The ravens a-croakingAs their meat they crave for;Thou shalt hear the wolves howliOver thine husband."
¶"How hast thou, Hogni,The heart to tell me,[398]Me of joy made empty,Of such misery?Thy wretched heartMay the ravens tearWide over the world,With no men mayst thou wend."One thing HogniHad for answer,Fallen from his high heart,Full of all trouble:"More greeting yet,0 Gudrun, for thee,If my heart the ravensShould rend asunder I"Thence I turnedFrom the talk and the troubleTo go a leasing 1What the wolves had left me;No sigh I madeNor smote hands together,Nor did I wailAs other womenWhen I sat overMy Sigurd slain.Night methought it,And the moonless dark,When I sat in sorrowOver Sigurd:Better than all thingsI deemed it would beIf they would let meCast my life by,Or burn me upAs they burn the birch-wood.From the fell I wanderedFive days together,Until the high hall[399]Of Half lay before me;Seven seasons thereI sat with Thora,The daughter of Hacon,Up in Denmark.
p. 399¶My heart to gladdenWith gold she wroughtSouthland hallsAnd swans of the Dane-folk;There had we paintedThe chiefs a-playing;Fair our hands wroughtFolk of the kings.
¶Red shields we did,Doughty knights of the Huns,Hosts spear-dight, hosts helm-dight,All a high king's fellows;And the ships of SigmundFrom the land swift sailing;Heads gilt overAnd prows fair graven.
¶Then heard Grimhild,The Queen of Gothland,How I was abiding,Weighed down with woe:And she thrust the cloth from herAnd called to her sons,And oft and eagerlyAsked them thereof,Who for her sonWould their sister atone,Who for her lord slainWould lay down weregild.[400]Fain was GunnarGold to lay downAll wrongs to atone for,And Hogni in likewise;Then she asked who was fainOf faring straightly,The steed to saddleTo set forth the wain,The horse to back,And the hawk to fly,To shoot forth the arrowFrom out the yew-bow.
¶Valdarr the Dane-kingCame with JarisleifEymod the third wentThen went Jarizskar;In kingly wiseIn they wended,The hosts of the Longbeards;Red cloaks had they,Byrnies short-cut,Helms strong hammered,Girt with glaives,And hair red-gleaming.
¶Each would give meGifts desired,Gifts desired,Speech dear to my heart,If they might yet,Despite my sorrow,Win back my trust,But in them nought I trusted.
¶Then brought me GrimhildA beaker to drink of,Cold and bitter,Wrong's memory to quench;Made great was that drink[401]With the might of the earth,With the death-cold seaAnd the blood that Son1 holdeth.
¶On that horn's face were thereAll the kin of lettersCut aright and reddened,How should I rede them rightly?The ling-fish longOf the land of Hadding,Wheat-ears unshorn,And wild things' inwards.
¶In that mead were mingledMany ills together,Blood of all the wood,And brown-burnt acorns;The black dew of the hearth,2And god-doomed dead beasts' inwards,And the swine's liver sodden,For wrongs late done that deadens.
¶Then waned my memoryWhen that was within me,Of my lord 'mid the hallBy the iron laid low.Three kings cameBefore my kneesEre she herselfFell to speech with me. ,
¶"I will give to thee, Gudrun,Gold to be glad with,All the great wealthOf thy father gone from us,Rings of red goldAnd the great hall of Lodver,And all fair hangings leftBy the king late fallen.[402]"Maids of the HunsWoven pictures to make,And work fair in goldTill thou deem'st thyself glad.Alone shalt thou ruleO'er the riches of Budli,Shalt be made great with gold,And be given to Atli."
p. 402¶"Never will IWend to a husband,Or wed the brotherOf Queen Brynhild;Naught it beseems meWith the son of BudliKin to bring forth,Or to live and be merry."
¶"Nay, the high chiefsReward not with hatred,For take heed that IWas the first in this tale!To thy heart shall it beAs if both these had life,Sigurd and Sigmund,When thou hast borne sons."
¶"Naught may I, Grimhild,Seek after gladness,Nor deem aught hopefulOf any high warrior,Since wolf and ravenWere friends together,The greedy, the cruel,O'er great Sigurd's heart-blood."
¶"Of all men that can beFor the noblest of kinThis king have I found,[403]And the foremost of all;Him shalt thou haveTill with eld thou art heavy—Be thou ever unwed,If thou wilt naught of him!"
¶"Nay, nay, bid me notWith thy words long abidingTo take unto meThat balefullest kin;This king shall bid GunnarBe stung to his bane,And shall cut the heartFrom out of Hogni.
¶Grimhild a-weepingTook up the word then,When the sore bale she wottedAwaiting her sons,And the bane hanging overHer offspring beloved.
¶"I will give thee, moreover,Great lands, many men,Wineberg and Valberg,If thou wilt but have them;Hold them lifelong,And live happy, O daughter!"
¶"Then him must I takeFrom among kingly men,'Gainst my heart's desire,From the hands of my kinsfolk;But no joy I lookTo have from that lord:[404]Scarce may my brother's baneBe a shield to my sons."
¶Soon was each warriorSeen on his horse,But the Gaulish womenInto wains were gotten;Then seven days longO'er a cold land we rode,And for seven otherClove we the sea-wavesBut with the third sevenO'er dry land we wended.
¶There the gate-wardensOf the burg, high and wide,Unlocked the barriersEre the burg-garth we rode to.—
¶"In such wise did the NornsWake me or now."—Fain was he to knowOf this ill foreshowing—"That methought, O Gudrun,Giuki's daughter,That thou setst in my heartA sword wrought for guile."
¶"For fires tokening I deem itThat dreaming of iron,But for pride and for lustThe wrath of fair womenAgainst some bale[405]Belike, I shall burn theeFor thy solace and healingThough hateful thou art."
¶"In the fair garth methoughtHad saplings fallenE'en such as I wouldShould have waxen ever;Uprooted were these,And reddened with blood,And borne to the bench,And folk bade me eat of them.
¶"Methought from my hand thenWent hawks a-flyingLacking their meatTo the land of all ill;Methought that their heartsMingled with honey,Swollen with bloodI ate amid sorrow.
¶"Lo, next two whelpsFrom my hands I loosened,Joyless were both,And both a-howling;And now their fleshBecame naught but corpses,Whereof must I eatBut sore against my will."
¶"O'er the prey of the fishersWill folk give doom;From the bright white fishThe heads will they take;Within a few nights,Fey as they are,A little ere dayOf that draught will they eat."
Ne'er since lay I down,Ne'er since would I sleep,Hard of heart, in my bed:—That deed have I to do. 4
¶4 The whole o£ this latter part is fragmentary and obscure; there seems wanting to two of the dreams some trivial interpretation by Gudrun, like those given by Hogni to Kostbera in the Saga, of which nature, of course, the interpretation contained in the last stanza but one is, as we have rendered it: another rendering, from the different reading of the earlier edition of Edda (Copenhagen, 1818) would make this refer much more directly to the slaying of her sons by Gudrun.
The Song of Atli
¶GUDRUN , Giuki's daughter, avenged her brethren, as is told- far and wide: first she slew the sons of Atli, and then A d ihimself; and she burned the hall thereafter, and all thehousehold with it: and about these matters is this song made:—
¶In days long goneSent Atli to GunnarA crafty one riding,Knefrud men called him;To Giuki's garth came he,To the hall of Gunnar,To the benches gay-dight,And the gladsome drinking.
¶There drank the great folk'Mid the guileful one's silence,Drank wine in their fair hall:The Huns' wrath they feared,When Knefrud criedIn his cold voice,As he sat on the high seat,That man of the Southland:
¶"Atli has sent meRiding swift on his errandsOn the bit-griping steedThrough dark woodways unbeaten,To bid thee, King Gunnar,Come to his fair benchWith helm well-adorned,To the home of King Adi.
¶"Shields shall ye have thereAnd spears ashen-shafted,[408]Helms ruddy with gold,And hosts of the Huns;Saddle-gear silver-gilt,Shirts red as blood,The hedge of the warwife,And horses bit-griping.
¶"And he saith he will give youGnitaheath widespread,And whistling spearsAnd prows well-gilded,Mighty wealthWith the stead of Danpi,And that noble woodMen name the Murkwood."
¶Then Gunnar turned headAnd spake unto Hogni:"What rede from thee, high one,Since such things we hear?No gold know IOn Gnitaheath,That we for our partsHave not portion as great.
¶"Seven halls we haveFulfilled of swords,And hilts of goldEach sword there has;My horse is the best,My blade is the keenest;Fair my bow o'er the bench is,Gleams my by my with gold;Brightest helm, brightest shield,From Kiar's dwelling ere brought—Better all things I haveThan all things of the Huns."
Hogni Said
¶"What mind has our sisterThat a ring she hath sent usIn weed of wolves clad?Bids she not to be wary?For a wolf's hair I foundThe fair ring wreathed about;Wolf beset shall the way beIf we wend on this errand."
¶No sons whetted Gunnar,Nor none of his kin,Nor learned men nor wise men,Nor such as were mighty.Then spake GunnarE'en as a king should speak,Glorious in mead-hallFrom great heart and high:
¶"Rise up now, Fiornir,Forth down the benchesLet the gold-cups of great onesPass in hands of my good-men!Well shall we drink wine,Draughts dear to our hearts,Though the last of all feastsIn our fair house this be!
¶"For the wolves shall ruleO'er the wealth of the Niblungs,With the pine-woods' wardensIf Gunnar perish:And the black-felled bearsWith fierce teeth shall biteFor the glee of the dog-kind,If again comes not Gunnar."
¶Then good men never shamed,Greeting aloud,[410]Led the great king of menFrom the garth of his home;And cried the fair sonOf Hogni the king:"Fare happy, O Lords,Whereso your hearts lead you!"
¶Then the bold knightsLet their bit-griping steedsWend swift o'er the fells,Tread the murk-wood unknown,All the Hunwood was shakingAs the hardy ones fared there;O'er the green meads they urgedTheir steeds shy of the goad.
¶Then Adi's land saw they;Great towers and strong,And the bold men of Bikki,Aloft on the burg:The Southland folks' hallSet with benches about,Dight with bucklers well bound«And bright white shining shields.
¶There drank Adi,The awful Hun king,Wine in his fair hall;Without were the warders,Gunnar's folk to have heed of,Lest they had fared thitherWith the whistling spearWar to wake 'gainst the king.
¶But first came their sisterAs they came to the hall,Both her brethren she met,With beer little gladdened:"Bewrayed art thou, Gunnar!What dost thou great king[411]To deal war to the Huns?Go thou swift from the hall!
¶"Better, brother, hadst thouFared here in thy byrnyThan with helm gaily dightLooked on Atli's great house:Thou hadst sat then in saddleThrough days bright with the sunFight to awakenAnd fair fields to redden:
¶"O'er the folk fate makes paleShould the Norn's tears have fallen,The shield-mays of the HunsShould have known of all sorrow;And King Adi himselfTo worm-close should be brought;But now is the worm-closeKept but for thee."
¶Then spake GunnarGreat 'mid the people:"Over-late sisterThe Niblungs to summon;A long way to seekThe helping of warriors,The high lords unshamed,From the hills of the Rhine!"
¶Seven Hogni beat downWith his sword sharp-grinded,And the eighth man he thrustAmidst of the fire.Ever so shall famed warriorFight with his foemen,As Hogni foughtFor the hand of Gunnar.[412]But on Gunnar they fell,And set him in fetters,And bound hard and fastThat friend of Burgundians;Then the warrior they askedIf he would buy life,Buy life with goldThat king of the Goths.
¶Nobly spake Gunnar,Great lord of the Niblungs;"Hogni's bleeding heart firstShall lie in mine hand,Cut from the breastOf the bold-riding lord,With bitter-sharp knifeFrom the son of the king."
¶With guile the great oneWould they beguile,On the wailing thrallLaid they hand unwares,And cut the heartFrom out of Hjalli,Laid it bleeding on trencherAnd bare it to Gunnar.
¶"Here have I the heartOf Hjalli the trembler,Little like the heartOf Hogni the hardy,As much as it tremblethLaid on the trencher,By the half more it trembledIn the breast of him hidden."
¶Then laughed HogniWhen they cut the heart from hi:From the crest-smith yet quick,Little thought he to quail[413]The hard acorn of thoughtFrom the high king they took,Laid it bleeding on trencherAnd bare it Gunnar.
¶"Here have I the heartOf Hogni the hardy,Little like to the heartOf Hjalli the trembler.Howso little it quakethLaid here on the dish,Yet far less it quakedIn the breast of him laid.
¶"Behold in my heartIs hidden for everThat hoard of the Niblungs,Now Hogni is dead.Doubt threw me two waysWhile the twain of us lived,But all that is goneNow I live on alone.
¶"The great Rhine shall ruleO'er the hate-raising treasure,That gold of the Niblungs,The seed of the gods:In the weltering waterShall that wealth lie a-gleaming,Or it shine on the handsOf the children of Huns!"
¶Then cried Adi,King of the Hun-folk,"Drive forth your wains nowThe slave is fast bounden."[414]And straighdy thenceThe bit-shaking steedsDrew the hoard-warden,The war-god to his death.
¶Atli the great king,Rode upon Glaum,With shields set round about,And sharp thorns of battle:Gudrun, bound by wedlockTo these, victory made gods of,Held back her tearsAs the hall she ran into.
¶"Let it fare with thee, Atli,E'en after thine oaths swornTo Gunnar full often;Yea, oaths sworn of old time,By the sun sloping southward,By the high burg of Sigty,By the fair bed of rest,By the red ring of Ull!"
¶Now a host of menCast the high king aliveInto a closeCrept o'er withinWith most foul worms,Fulfilled of all venom,Ready grave to digIn his doughty heart.
¶Wrathful-hearted he smoteThe harp with his hand,Gunnar laid there alone;And loud rang the strings.—In such wise everShould hardy ring-scattererKeep gold from all folkIn the garth of his foemen.[415]Then Atli would wendAbout his wide land,On his steed brazen-shod,Back from the murder.Din there was in the garth,All thronged with the horses;High the weapon-song roseFrom men come from the heath.
¶Out then went Gudrun,'Gainst Atli returning,With a cup gilded over,To greet the land's ruler;"Come, then, and take it,King glad in thine hall,From Gudrun's hands,For the hell-farers groan not!"
¶Clashed the beakers of Atli,Wine-laden on bench,As in hall there a-gathered,The Huns fell a-talking,And the long-bearded eager onesEntered therein,From a murk den new-come,From the murder of Gunnar.
¶Then hastened the sweet-facedDelight of the shield-folk,Bright in the fair hall,Wine to bear to them:The dreadful womanGave dainties withalTo the lords pale with fate,Laid strange word upon Atli:
¶"The hearts of thy sonsHast thou eaten, sword-dealer,All bloody with deathAnd drenched with honey:[416]In most heavy moodBrood o'er venison of men!Drink rich draughts therewith,Down the high benches send it!
¶"Never callest thou nowFrom henceforth to thy kneeFair Erp or fair Eitil,Bright-faced with the drink;Never seest thou them nowAmidmost the seat,Scattering the gold,Or shafting of spears;Manes trimming duly,Or driving steeds forth!"
¶Din arose from the benches,Dread song of men was there,Noise 'mid the fair hangings,As all Hun's children wept;All saving Gudrun,Who never gat greeting,For her brethren bear-hardy,For her sweet sons and bright,The young ones, the simpleOnce gotten with Atli.
¶The seed of goldSowed the swan-bright woman,Rings of red goldShe gave to the house carls;Fate let she wax,Let the bright gold flow forth,In naught spared that womanThe store-houses' wealth.
¶Adi unawareWas a-weary with drink;[417]No weapon had he,No heeding of Gudrun—Ah, the play would be better,When in soft wise they twainWould full often embraceBefore the great lords!
¶To the bed with sword-pointBlood gave she to drinkWith a hand fain of death,And she let the dogs loose:Then in from the hall-door——Up waked the house-carls—Hot brands she cast,Gat revenge for her brethren.
¶To the flame gave she allWho therein might be found;Fell adown the old timbers,Reeked all treasure-houses;There the shield-mays were burnt,Their lives' span brought to naught;In the fierce fire sank downAll the stead of the Budlungs.
¶Wide told of is this—Ne'er sithence in the world,Thus fared bride clad in byrnyFor her brothers' avenging;For behold, this fair womanTo three kings of the people,Hath brought very deathOr ever she died!