ENDNOTES

  (1) In the prose Edda the slaying of Swanhild is a spontaneous

  and sudden act on the part of the king. As he came back

  from hunting one day, there sat Swanhild washing her linen,

  and it came into the king’s mind how that she was the cause

  of all his woe, so he and his men rode over her and slew

  her. — Tr.

  CHAPTER XLII. Gudrun sends her Sons to avenge Swanhild.

  Now Gudrun heard of the slaying of Swanhild, and spake to her sons, “Why sit ye here in peace amid merry words, whereas Jormunrek hath slain your sister, and trodden her under foot of horses in shameful wise? No heart ye have in you like to Gunnar or Hogni; verily they would have avenged their kinswoman!”

  Hamdir answered, “Little didst thou praise Gunnar and Hogni, whereas they slew Sigurd, and thou wert reddened in the blood of him, and ill were thy brethren avenged by the slaying of thine own sons: yet not so ill a deed were it for us to slay King Jormunrek, and so hard thou pushest us on to this that we may naught abide thy hard words.”

  Gudrun went about laughing now, and gave them to drink from mighty beakers, and thereafter she got for them great byrnies and good, and all other weed (1) of war.

  Then spake Hamdir, “Lo now, this is our last parting, for thou shalt hear tidings of us, and drink one grave-ale (2) over us and over Swanhild.”

  So therewith they went their ways.

  But Gudrun went unto her bower, with heart swollen with sorrow, and spake —

  “To three men was I wedded, and first to Sigurd Fafnir’s-bane, and he was bewrayed and slain, and of all griefs was that the greatest grief. Then was I given to King Atli, and so fell was my heart toward him that I slew in the fury of my grief his children and mine. Then gave I myself to the sea, but the billows thereof cast me out aland, and to this king then was I given; then gave I Swanhild away out of the land with mighty wealth; and lo, my next greatest sorrow after Sigurd, for under horses’ feet was she trodden and slain; but the grimmest and ugliest of woes was the casting of Gunnar into the Worm-close, and the hardest was the cutting of Hogni’s heart from him.

  “Ah, better would it be if Sigurd came to meet me, and I went my ways with him, for here bideth now behind with me neither son nor daughter to comfort me. Oh, mindest thou not, Sigurd, the words we spoke when we went into one bed together, that thou wouldst come and look on me; yea, even from thine abiding place among the dead?”

  And thus had the words of her sorrow an end.

  ENDNOTE:

  (1) Weed (A.S. “weodo”), clothing.

  (2) Grave-ale, burial-feast.

  CHAPTER XLIII. The Latter End of all the Kin of the Giukings.

  Now telleth the tale concerning the sons of Gudrun, that she had arrayed their war-raiment in such wise, that no steel would bite thereon; and she bade them play not with stones or other heavy matters, for that it would be to their scathe if they did so.

  And now, as they went on their way, they met Erp, their brother, and asked him in what wise he would help them.

  He answered, “Even as hand helps hand, or foot helps foot.”

  But that they deemed naught at all, and slew him there and then. Then they went their ways, nor was it long or ever Hamdir stumbled, and thrust down his hand to steady himself, and spake therewith —

  “Naught but a true thing spake Erp, for now should I have fallen, had not hand been to steady me.”

  A little after Sorli stumbled, but turned about on his feet, and so stood, and spake —

  “Yea now had I fallen, but that I steadied myself with both feet.”

  And they said they had done evilly with Erp their brother.

  But on they fare till they come to the abode of King Jormunrek, and they went up to him and set on him forthwith, and Hamdir cut both hands from him and Sorli both feet. Then spake Hamdir —

  “Off were the head if Erp were alive; our brother, whom we slew on the way, and found out our deed too late.” Even as the Song says, —

  “Off were the head

  If Erp were alive yet,

  Our brother the bold,

  Whom we slew by the way,

  The well-famed in warfare.”

  Now in this must they turn away from the words of their mother, whereas they had to deal with stones. For now men fell on them, and they defended themselves in good and manly wise, and were the scathe of many a man, nor would iron bite on them.

  But there came thereto a certain man, old of aspect and one-eyed, (1) and he spake —

  “No wise men are ye, whereas ye cannot bring these men to their end.”

  Then the king said, “Give us rede thereto, if thou canst.”

  He said, “Smite them to the death with stones.”

  In such wise was it done, for the stones flew thick and fast from every side, and that was the end of their life-days.

  And now has come to an end the whole root and stem of the Giukings. (2)

  NOW MAY ALL EARLS

  BE BETTERED IN MIND,

  MAY THE GRIEF OF ALL MAIDENS

  EVER BE MINISHED,

  FOR THIS TALE OF TROUBLE

  SO TOLD TO ITS ENDING.

  ENDNOTES:

  (1) Odin; he ends the tale as he began it.

  (2) “And now,” etc., inserted by translators from the Poetic

  Edda, the stanza at the end from the Whetting of Gudrun.

  APPENDIX: EXCERPTS FROM THE POETIC EDDA.

  PART OF THE SECOND LAY OF HELGI HUNDINGS-BANE (1)

  Helgi wedded Sigrun, and they begate sons together, but Helgi 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 that spear, and there fell Helgi dead; but Dag rode to Sevafell, and told Sigrun of the news.

  DAG:

  Loth am I, sister

  Of sorrow to tell thee,

  For by hard need driven

  Have I drawn on the greeting;

  This morning fell

  In Fetter-grove

  The king well deemed

  The best in the wide world,

  Yea, he who stood

  On the necks of the strong.”

  SIGRUN:

  All oaths once sworn

  Shall bite thee sore,

  The oaths that to Helgi

  Once thou swarest

  At the bright white

  Water of Lightening, (3)

  And at the cold rock

  That the sea runneth over.

  May the ship sweep not on

  That should sweep at its swiftest,

  Though the wind desired

  Behind thee driveth!

  May the horse never run

  That should run at his most might

  When from thy foe’s face

  Thou hast most need to flee!

  May the sword never bite

  That thou drawest from scabbard

  But and if round thine head

  In wrath it singeth!

  Then should meet price be paid

  For Helgi’s slaying

  When a wolf thou wert

  Out in the wild-wood,

  Empty of good things

  Empty of gladness,

  With no meat for thy mouth

  But dead men’s corpses!

  DAG:

  With mad words thou ravest,

  Thy wits are gone from thee,

  When thou for thy brother

  Such ill fate biddest;

  Odin alone

  Let all this bale loose,

  Casting the strife-runes

  ‘Twixt friends and kindred.

  Rings of red gold

  Will thy brother give thee,

  And the stead of Vandil

  And the lands of Vigdale;

  Have half of the land

  For thy sorrow’s healing,

  O ring-arrayed sweetling

  For thee and thy sons!

  SIGRUN:

  No more sit I happy

  At Sevafell;

  At day-dawn, at night

  Naught love I my life

  Till broad o’er the people

  My lord’s light breaketh;

  Till his war-horse runneth

  Beneath him hither,

  Well wont to the gold bit —

  Till my king I welcome.

  In such wise did Helgi

  Deal fear around

  To all his foes

  And all their friends

  As when the goat runneth

  Before the wolf’s rage

  Filled with mad fear

  Down from the fell.

  As high above all lords

  Did Helgi beat him

  As the ash-tree’s glory

  From the thorn ariseth,

  Or as the fawn

  With the dew-fell sprinkled

  Is far above

  All other wild things,

  As his horns go gleaming

  ‘Gainst the very heavens.

  A barrow was raised above Helgi, but when he came in Valhall, then Odin bade him be lord of all things there, even as he; so Helgi sang —

  HELGI:

  Now shalt thou, Hunding

  For the help of each man

  Get ready the foot-bath,

  And kindle the fire;

  The hounds shalt thou bind

  And give heed to the horses,

  Give wash to the swine

  Ere to sleep thou goest.

  A bondmaid of Sigrun went in the evening-tide by Helgi’s mound, and there saw how Helgi rode toward it with a great company; then she sang —

  BONDMAID:

  It is vain things’ beguilling

  That methinks I behold,

  Or the ending of all things,

  As ye ride, O ye dead men,

  Smiting with spurs

  Your horses’ sides?

  Or may dead warriors

  Wend their ways homeward?

  THE DEAD:

  No vain things’ beguiling

  Is that thou beholdest,

  Nor the ruin of all things;

  Though thou lookest upon us,

  Though we smite with spurs

  Our horses’ sides;

  Rather dead warriors

  May wend their ways homeward.

  Then went the bondmaid home, and told Sigrun, and sang —

  BONDMAID:

  Go out, Sigrun

  From Sevafell,

  If thou listest to look on

  The lord of thy people!

  For the mound is uncovered

  Thither is Helgi come,

  And his wounds are bleeding,

  But the king thee biddeth

  To come and stay

  That stream of sorrow.

  So Sigrun went into the mound to Helgi, and sang —

  SIGRUN:

  Now am I as fain

  Of this fair meeting,

  As are the hungry

  Hawks of Odin,

  When they wot of the slaying

  Of the yet warm quarry,

  Or bright with dew

  See the day a-dawning.

  Ah, I will kiss

  My king laid lifeless,

  Ere thou castest by

  Thy blood-stained byrny.

  O Helgi, thy hair

  Is thick with death’s rime,

  With the dew of the dead

  Is my love all dripping;

  Dead-cold are the hands

  Of the son of Hogni;

  How for thee, O my king,

  May I win healing?

  HELGI:

  Thou alone, Sigrun

  Of Sevafell,

  Hast so done that Helgi

  With grief’s dew drippeth;

  O clad in gold

  Cruel tears thou weepest,

  Bright May of the Southlands,

  Or ever thou sleepest;

  Each tear in blood falleth

  On the breast of thy lord,

  Cold wet and bitter-sharp

  Swollen with sorrow.

  Ah, we shall drink

  Dear draughts and lovely,

  Though, we have lost

  Both life and lands;

  Neither shall any

  Sing song of sorrow,

  Though in my breast

  Be wounds wide to behold:

  For now are brides

  In the mound abiding;

  Kings’ daughters sit

  By us departed.

  Bow Sigrun arrayed a bed in the mound, and sang —

  SIGRUN:

  Here, Helgi, for thee

  A 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 wont

  When my lord was living.

  HELGI:

  Now will I call

  Naught not to be hoped for

  Early or late

  At Sevafell,

  When thou in the arms

  Of 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 ride

  On the reddening ways;

  My pale horse must tread

  The highway aloft;

  West must I go

  To Windhelm’s bridge

  Ere the war-winning crowd

  Hall-crower (4) waketh.

  So Helgi rode his ways: and the others gat them gone home to the house. But the next night Sigrun bade the bondwoman have heed of the mound. So at nightfall, thenas Sigrun came to the mound, she sang:

  SIGRUN:

  Here now would he come,

  If to come he were minded;

  Sigmund’s offspring

  From the halls of Odin.

  O me the hope waneth

  Of Helgi’s coming;

  For high on the ash-boughs

  Are the ernes abiding,

  And all folk drift

  Toward the Thing of the dreamland.

  BONDMAID:

  Be not foolish of heart,

  And fare all alone

  To the house of the dead,

  O Hero’s daughter!

  For more strong and dreadful

  In the night season

  Are all dead warriors

  Than 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, though their troth be now deemed but an old wife’s dotting. And so, as folk say, Helgi and Sigrun were born again, and at that tide was he called Helgi the Scathe of Hadding, and she Kara the daughter of Halfdan; and she was a Valkyrie, even as is said in the Lay of Kara.

  ENDNOTES:

  (1) Only that part of the song is given which completes the

  episodes of Helgi Hunding’s-bane; the earlier part of the

  song differs little from the Saga.

  (2) Hogni, the father of Dar and Sigrun, had been slain by Helgi

  in battle, and Helgi had given peace to, and taken oaths of

  Dag.

  (3) One of the rivers of the under-world.

  (4) Hall-crower, “Salgofnir”: lit. Hall-gaper, the cock of

  Valhall.

  PART OF THE LAY OF SIGRDRIFA (1)

  Now this is my first counsel,

  That thou with thy kin

  Be 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 tormenting

  Gripes troth-breakers;

  Cursed wretch is the wolf of vows.

  This is my third rede,

  That thou at the Thing

  Deal not with the fools of folk;

  For unwise man

  From mouth lets fall

  Worser word than well he wotteth.

  Yet hard it is

  That holding of peace

  When men shall deem thee dastard,

  Or deem the lie said soothly;

  But woeful is home-witness,

  Unless right good thou gettest it.

  Ah, on another day

  Drive the life from out him,

  And pay the liar back for his lying.

  Now behold the fourth rede:

  If ill witch thee bideth,

  Woe-begatting by the way,

  Good going further

  Rather than guesting,

  Though thick night be on thee.

  Far-seeing eyes

  Need all sons of men

  Who wend in wrath to war;

  For baleful women

  Bide oft by the highway,

  Swords and hearts to soften.

  And now the fifth rede:

  As fair as thou seest

  Brides on the bench abiding,

  Let not love’s silver

  Rule over thy sleeping;

  Draw no woman to kind kissing!

  For the sixth thing, I rede

  When men sit a-drinking

  Amid ale-words and ill-words,

  Dead thou naught

  With the drunken fight-staves

  For wine stealeth wit from many.

  Brawling and drink

  Have brought unto men

  Sorrow 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 raisest

  With a man right high of heart,

  Better fight a-field

  Than burn in the fire

  Within thine hall fair to behold.

  The eighth rede that I give thee:

  Unto all ill look thou,

  And hold thine heart from all beguiling;

  Draw 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 folk

  Whereso thou findest them a-field;

  Be they sick-dead,

  Be they sea-dead,

 

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