Complete works of willia.., p.604
Complete Works of William Morris, page 604
Their young kin they let lie
A-cold on the earth.
Then their fur-cloaks they shook
And bound fast their swords,
In webs goodly woven
Those great ones were clad;
Young they went o’er the fells
Where the dew was new-fallen
Swift, on steeds of the Huns,
Heavy vengeance to wreak.
Forth stretched the ways,
And an ill way they found,
Yea, their sister’s son (1)
Hanging slain upon tree —
Wolf-trees by the wind made cold
At the town’s westward
Loud with cranes’ clatter —
Ill abiding there long!
Din in the king’s hall
Of men merry with drink,
And none might hearken
The horses’ tramping
Or ever the warders
Their great horn winded.
Then men went forth
To Jormunrek
To tell of the heeding
Of men under helm:
“Give ye good counsel!
Great ones are come hither,
For the wrong of men mighty
Was the may to death trodden.”
“Loud Jormunrek laughed,
And laid hand to his beard,
Nor bade bring his byrny,
But with the wine fighting,
Shook his red locks,
On his white shield sat staring,
And in his hand
Swung the gold cup on high.
“Sweet sight for me
Those twain to set eyes on,
Sorli and Hamdir,
Here in my hall!
Then with bowstrings
Would I bind them,
And hang the good Giukings
Aloft on the gallows!”
..............
Then spake Hrothglod
From off the high steps,
Spake the slim-fingered
Unto her son, —
— For a threat was cast forth
Of what ne’er should fall —
“Shall two men alone
Two hundred Gothfolk
Bind or bear down
In the midst of their burg?”
...............
Strife and din in the hall,
Cups smitten asunder
Men lay low in blood
From the breasts of Goths flowing.
Then spake Hamdir,
The high-hearted:
“Thou cravedst, O king,
From the coming of us,
The sons of one mother,
Amidmost thine hall —
Look on these hands of thine,
Look on these feet of thine,
Cast by us, Jormunrek,
On to the flame!”
Then cried aloud
The high Gods’ kinsman (2)
Bold under byrny, —
Roared he as bears roar;
“Stones to the stout ones
That the spears bite not,
Nor the edges of steel,
These sons of Jonakr!”
..............
QUOTH SORLI:
“Bale, brother, wroughtst thou
By that bag’s (3) opening,
Oft from that bag
Rede of bale cometh!
Heart hast thou, Hamdir,
If thou hadst heart’s wisdom
Great lack in a man
Who lacks wisdom and lore!”
HAMDIR SAID:
“Yes, off were the head
If Erp were alive yet,
Our brother the bold
Whom we slew by the way;
The far-famed through the world —
Ah, the fares drave me on,
And the man war made holy,
There must I slay!”
SORLI SAID:
“Unmeet we should do
As the doings of wolves are,
Raising wrong each ‘gainst other
As the dogs of the Norns,
The greedy ones nourished
In waste steads of the world.
In strong wise have we fought,
On Goths’ corpses we stand,
Beat down by our edges,
E’en as ernes on the bough.
Great fame our might winneth,
Die we now, or to-morrow, —
No man lives till eve
Whom the fates doom at morning.”
At the hall’s gable-end
Fell Sorli to earth,
But Hamdir lay low
At the back of the houses.
Now this is called the Ancient Lay of Hamdir.
ENDNOTES:
(1) Randver, the son of their sister’s husband.
(2) Odin, namely.
(3) “Bag”, his mouth.
THE LAMENT OF ODDRUN.
There was a king hight Heidrik, and his daughter was called Borgny, and the name of her lover was Vilmund. Now she might nowise be made lighter of a child she travailed with, before Oddrun, Atil’s sister, came to her, — she who had been the love of Gunnar, Giuki’s son. But of their speech together has this been sung:
I have hear tell
In ancient tales
How a may there came
To Morna-land,
Because no man
On mould abiding
For Heidrik’s daughter
Might win healing.
All that heard Oddrun,
Atil’s sister,
How that the damsel
Had heavy sickness,
So she led from stall
Her bridled steed,
And on the swart one
Laid the saddle.
She made her horse wend
O’er smooth ways of earth,
Until to a high-built
Hall she came;
Then the saddle she had
From the hungry horse,
And her ways wended
In along the wide hall,
And this word first
Spake forth therewith:
“What is most famed,
Afield in Hunland,
Or what may be
Blithest in Hunland?”
QUOTH THE HANDMAID:
“Here lieth Borgny,
Borne down by trouble,
Thy sweet friend, O Oddrun,
See to her helping!”
ODDRUN SAID:
“Who of the lords
Hath laid this grief on her,
Why is the anguish
Of Borgny so weary?”
THE HANDMAID SAID:
“He is hight Vilmund,
Friend of hawk-bearers,
He wrapped the damsel
In the warm bed-gear
Five winters long
Without her father’s wotting.”
No more than this
They spake methinks;
Kind sat she down
By the damsel’s knee;
Mightily sand Oddrun,
Sharp piercing songs
By Borgny’s side:
Till a maid and a boy
Might tread on the world’s ways,
Blithe babes and sweet
Of Hogni’s bane:
Then the damsel forewearied
The word took up,
The first word of all
That had won from her:
“So may help thee
All helpful things,
Fey and Freyia,
And all the fair Gods,
As thou hast thrust
This torment from me!”
ODDRUN SAID:
“Yet no heart had I
For thy helping,
Since never wert thou
Worthy of helping,
But my word I held to,
That of old was spoken
When the high lords
Dealt out the heritage,
That every soul
I would ever help.”
BORGNY SAID:
“Right mad art thou, Oddrun,
And reft of thy wits,
Whereas thou speakest
Hard words to me
Thy fellow ever
Upon the earth
As of brothers twain,
We had been born.”
ODDRUN SAID:
“Well I mind me yet,
What thou saidst that evening,
Whenas I bore forth
Fair drink for Gunnar;
Such a thing, saidst thou,
Should fall out never,
For any may
Save for me alone.”
Mind had the damsel
Of the weary day
Whenas the high lords
Dealt out the heritage,
And she sat her down,
The sorrowful woman,
To tell of the bale,
And the heavy trouble.
“Nourished was I
In the hall of kings —
Most folk were glad —
‘Mid the council of great ones:
In fair life lived I,
And the wealth of my father
For five winters only,
While yet he had life.
“Such were the last words
That ever he spake,
The king forewearied,
Ere his ways he went;
For he bade folk give me
The gold red-gleaming,
And give me in Southlands
To the son of Grimhild.
“But Brynhild he bade
To the helm to betake her,
And said that Death-chooser
She should become;
And that no better
Might ever be born
Into the world,
If fate would not spoil it.
“Brynhild in bower
Sewed at her broidery,
Folk she had
And fair lands about her;
Earth lay a-sleeping,
Slept the heavens aloft
When Fafnir’s-bane
The burg first saw.
“Then was war waged
With the Welsh-wrought sword
And the burg all broken
That Brynhild owned;
Nor wore long space,
E’en as well might be,
Ere all those wiles
Full well she knew.
“Hard and dreadful
Was the vengeance she drew down,
So that all we
Have woe enow.
Through all lands of the world
Shall that story fare forth
How she did her to death
For the death of Sigurd.
“But therewithal Gunnar
The gold-scatterer
Did I fall to loving
And should have loved him.
Rings of red gold
Would they give to Atli,
Would give to my brother
Things goodly and great.
“Yea, fifteen steads
Would they give for me,
And the load of Grani
To have as a gift;
But then spake Atli,
That such was his will,
Never gift to take
From the sons of Giuki.
“But we in nowise
Might love withstand,
And mine head must I lay
On my love, the ring-breaker;
And many there were
Among my kin,
Who said that they
Had seen us together.
“Then Atli said
That I surely never
Would fall to crime
Or shameful folly:
But now let no one
For any other,
That shame deny
Where love has dealing.
“For Atli sent
His serving-folk
Wide through the murkwood
Proof to win of me,
And thither they came
Where they ne’er should have come,
Where one bed we twain
Had dight betwixt us.
“To those men had we given
Rings of red gold,
Naught to tell
Thereof to Atli,
But straight they hastened
Home to the house,
And all the tale
To Atli told.
‘Whereas from Gudrun
Well they hid it,
Though better by half
Had she have known it.
................
“Din was there to hear
Of the hoofs gold-shod,
When into the garth
Rode the sons of Giuki.
“There from Hogni
The heart they cut,
But into the worm-close
Cast the other.
There the king, the wise-hearted,
Swept his harp-strings,
For the might king
Had ever mind
That I to his helping
Soon should come.
“But now was I gone
Yet once again
Unto Geirmund,
Good feast to make;
Yet had I hearing,
E’en out from Hlesey,
How of sore trouble
The harp-strings sang.
“So I bade the bondmaids
Be ready swiftly,
For I listed to save
The life of the king,
And we let our ship
Swim over the sound,
Till Atli’s dwelling
We saw all clearly.
Then came the wretch (1)
Crawling out,
E’en Atli’s mother,
All sorrow upon her!
A grave gat her sting
In the heart of Gunnar,
So that no helping
Was left for my hero.
“O gold-clad woman,
Full oft I wonder
How I my life
Still hold thereafter,
For methought I loved
That light in battle,
The swift with the sword,
As my very self.
“Thou hast sat and hearkened
As I have told thee
Of many an ill-fate,
Mine and theirs —
Each man liveth
E’en as he may live —
Now hath gone forth
The greeting of Oddrun.”
ENDNOTES:
(1) Atli’s mother took the form of the only adder that was not
lulled to sleep by Gunnar’s harp-playing, and who slew him.
THREE NORTHERN LOVE STORIES, AND OTHER TALES
CONTENTS
PREFACE.
THE STORY OF GUNNLAUG THE WORM-TONGUE AND RAVEN THE SKALD.
CHAPTER I OF THORSTEIN EGILSON AND HIS KIN.
CHAPTER II. OF THORSTEIN’S DREAM.
CHAPTER III. OF THE BIRTH AND FOSTERING OF HELGA THE FAIR.
CHAPTER IV. OF GUNNLAUG WORM-TONGUE AND HIS KIN.
CHAPTER V. OF RAVEN AND HIS KIN.
CHAPTER VI. HOW HELGA WAS VOWED TO GUNNLAUG, AND OF GUNNLAUG’S FARING ABROAD.
CHAPTER VII. OF GUNNLAUG IN THE EAST AND THE WEST.
CHAPTER VIII. OF GUNNLAUG IN IRELAND.
CHAPTER IX. OF THE QUARREL BETWEEN GUNNLAUG AND RAVEN BEFORE THE SWEDISH KING.
CHAPTER X. HOW RAVEN CAME HOME TO ICELAND, AND ASKED FOR HELGA TO WIFE.
CHAPTER XI. OF HOW GUNNLAUG MUST NEEDS ABIDE AWAY FROM ICELAND.
CHAPTER XII. OF GUNNLAUG’S LANDING, AND HOW HE FOUND HELGA WEDDED TO RAVEN.
CHAPTER XIII. OF THE WINTER- WEDDING AT SKANEY, AND HOW GUNNLAUG GAVE THE KING’S CLOAK TO HELGA.
CHAPTER XIV. OF THE HOLMGANG AT THE ALTHING.
CHAPTER XV. HOW GUNNLAUG AND RAVEN AGREED TO GO EAST TO NORWAY, TO TRY THE MATTER AGAIN.
CHAPTER XVI. HOW THE TWO FOES MET AND FOUGHT AT DINGNESS.
CHAPTER XVII. THE NEWS OF THE FIGHT BROUGHT TO ICELAND.
CHAPTER XVIII. THE DEATH OF HELGA THE FAIR.
THE STORY OF FRITHIOF THE BOLD
CHAPTER I. OF KING BELI AND THORSTEIN VIKINGSON AND THEIR CHILDREN.
CHAPTER II. FRITHIOF WOOETH INGIBIORG OF THOSE BRETHEREN.
CHAPTER III. OF KING RING AND THOSE BRETHREN.
CHAPTER IV. FRITHIOF GOES TO BALDUR’S MEADS.
CHAPTER V. THOSE BRETHREN COME HOME AGAIN.
CHAPTER VI. FRITHIOF SAILS FOR THE ORKNEYS.
CHAPTER VII. FRITHIOF AT THE ORKNEYS.
CHAPTER VIII. KING RING WEDDETH INGIBIORG.
CHAPTER IX. FRITHIOF BRINGS THE TRIBUTE TO THE KINGS.
CHAPTER X. FRITHIOF MADE AN OUTLAW.
CHAPTER XI. FRITHIOF FARETH TO SEE KING RING AND INGIBIORG.
CHAPTER XII. FRITHIOF SAVES THE KING AND QUEEN ON THE ICE.
CHAPTER XIII. THE KING SLEEPS BEFORE FRITHIOF.
CHAPTER XIV. KING RING’S GIFT TO FRITHIOF.
CHAPTER XV. FRITHIOF KING IN SOGN.
THE STORY OF VIGLUND THE FAIR
CHAPTER I. OF KING HARALD FAIR-HAIR.
CHAPTER II. OF OLOF SUNBEAM.
CHAPTER III. OF THE SONS OF EARL ERIC.
CHAPTER IV. THORGRIM WOOETH OLOF SUNBEAM.
CHAPTER V. THE WEDDING OF OLOF SUNBEAM.
CHAPTER VI. OF KETILRID AND HER KIN.
CHAPTER VII. THOSE BRETHREN OF FOSS COME TO INGIALDSKNOLL.
CHAPTER VIII. OF A HORSEFIGHT.
CHAPTER IX. EVIL DEEDS OF THOSE BRETHREN.
CHAPTER X. HOLMKCL RIDES TO INGIALDSKNOLL.
CHAPTER XI. THE BREWING OF A WITTH-STORM.
CHAPTER XII. OF HAKON THE EAST-MAN.
CHAPTER XIII. BALL-PLAY ON ESJA-TARN.
CHAPTER XIV. KETILRID BETROTHED TO HAKON.
CHAPTER XV. THE BATTLE OF THE FOSS-FOLK AND THORGRITRIS SONS.
CHAPTER XVI. KETTIL’S SONS COME OUT TO ICELAND.
CHAPTER XVII. THE PARTING OF VIGLUND AND KETILRIA.
CHAPTER XVIII. THE SONS OF THORGRIM FARE OUT FROM ICELAND.
CHAPTER XIX. THE WEDDING OF KETILRID.
CHAPTER XX. VIGLUND COMES OUT TO ICELAND AGAIN.
CHAPTER XXI. GUESTING AT GAUTWICK.
CHAPTER XXII. A WEDDING AT GAUTWICK.
THE TALE OF HOGNI AND HEDINN
CHAPTER I. OF FREYIA AND THE DWARFS.
