Helgakviða Hundingsbana in fyrri

In olden days,

when eagles screamed,

And holy streams

from heaven's crags fell,

Was Helgi then,

the hero-hearted,

Borghild's son,

in Bralund born.

Twas night in the dwelling,

and Norns there came,

Who shaped the life

of the lofty one;

They bade him most famed

of fighters all

And best of princes

ever to be.

Mightily wove they

the web of fate,

While Bralund's towns

were trembling all;

And there the golden

threads they wove,

And in the moon's hall

fast they made them.

East and west

the ends they hid,

In the middle the hero

should have his land;

And Neri's kinswoman

northward cast

A chain, and bade it

firm ever to be.

Once sorrow had

the Ylfings' son,

And grief the bride

who the loved one had borne.

*********

Quoth raven to raven,

on treetop resting,

Seeking for food,

There is something I know.

"In mail-coat stands

the son of Sigmund,

A half-day old;

now day is here;

His eyes flash sharp

as the heroes' are,

He is friend of the wolves;

full glad are we."

The warrior throng

a ruler thought him,

Good times, they said,

mankind should see;

The king himself

from battle-press came,

To give the prince

a leek full proud.

Helgi he named him,

and Hringstathir gave him,

Solfjoll, Snæfjoll,

and Sigarsvoll,

Hringstoth, Hotun,

and Himinvangar,

And a blood-snake bedecked

to Sinfjotli's brother.

Mighty he grew

in the midst of his friends,

The fair-born elm,

in fortune's glow;

To his comrades gold

he gladly gave,

The hero spared not

the blood-flecked hoard.

Short time for war

the chieftain waited,

When fifteen winters

old he was;

Hunding he slew,

the hardy wight

Who long had ruled

o'er lands and men.

Of Sigmund's son

then next they sought

Hoard and rings,

the sons of Hunding;

They bade the prince

requital pay

For booty stolen

and father slain.

The prince let not

their prayers avail,

Nor gold for their dead

did the kinsmen get;

Waiting, he said,

was a mighty storm

Of lances gray

and Othin's grimness.

The warriors forth

to the battle went,

The field they chose

at Logafjoll;

Frothi's peace

midst foes they broke,

Through the isle went hungrily

Vithrir's hounds.

The king then sat,

when he had slain

Eyjolf and Alf,

neath the eagle-stone;

Hjorvarth and Hovarth,

Hunding's sons,

The kin of the spear-wielder,

all had he killed.

Then glittered light

from Logafjoll,

And from the light

the flashes leaped;

*********

High under helms

on heaven's field;

Their byrnies all

with blood were red,

And from their spears

the sparks flew forth.

Early then

in wolf-wood asked

The mighty king

of the southern maid,

If with the hero

home would she

Come that night;

the weapons clashed.

Down from her horse

sprang Hogni's daughter,

The shields were still,

and spake to the hero:

Other tasks

are ours, methinks,

Than drinking beer

with the breaker of rings.

My father has pledged

his daughter fair

As bride to Granmar's

son so grim;

But, Helgi, I

once Hothbrodd called

As fine a king

as the son of a cat.

"Yet the hero will come

a few nights hence,

*********

Unless thou dost bid him

the battle-ground seek,

Or takest the maid

from the warrior mighty."

Helgi spake:

"Fear him not,

though Isung he felled,

First must our courage

keen be tried,

Before unwilling

thou fare with the knave;

Weapons will clash,

if to death I come not."

Helgi spake:

Messengers sent

the mighty one then,

By land and by sea,

a host to seek,

Store of wealth

of the water's gleam,

And men to summon,

and sons of men.

"Bid them straightway

seek the ships,

And off Brandey

ready to be!"

There the chief waited

till thither were come

Men by hundreds

from Hethinsey.

Soon off Stafnsnes

stood the ships,

Fair they glided

and gay with gold;

Then Helgi spake

to Hjorleif asking:

"Hast thou counted

the gallant host?"

The young king answered

the other then:

"Long were it to tell

from Tronueyr

The long-stemmed ships

with warriors laden

That come from without

into Orvasund.

*********

"There are hundreds twelve

of trusty men,

But in Hotun lies

the host of the king,

Greater by half;

I have hope of battle."

Helgi spake:

The ship's-tents soon

the chieftain struck,

And waked the throng

of warriors all;

(The heroes the red

of dawn beheld;)

And on the masts

the gallant men

Made fast the sails

in Varinsfjord.

There was beat of oars

and clash of iron,

Shield smote shield

as the ships'-folk rowed;

Swiftly went

the warrior-laden

Fleet of the ruler

forth from the land.

So did it sound,

when together the sisters

Of Kolga struck

with the keels full long,

As if cliffs were broken

with beating surf,

*********

Helgi bade higher

hoist the sails,

Nor did the ships'-folk

shun the waves,

Though dreadfully

did Ægir's daughters

Seek the steeds

of the sea to sink.

But from above

did Sigrun brave

Aid the men and

all their faring;

Mightily came

from the claws of Rán

The leader's sea-beast

off Gnipalund.

Helgi spake:

At evening there

in Unavagar

Floated the fleet

bedecked full fair;

But they who saw

from Svarin's hill,

Bitter at heart

the host beheld.

Then Gothmund asked,

goodly of birth,

*********

"Who is the monarch

who guides the host,

And to the land

the warriors leads?"

Sinfjotli answered,

and up on an oar

Raised a shield all red

with golden rim;

A sea-sentry was he,

skilled to speak,

And in words with princes

well to strive.

"Say tonight

when you feed the swine,

And send your bitches

to seek their swill,

That out of the East

have the Ylfings come,

Greedy for battle,

to Gnipalund."

"There will Hothbrodd

Helgi find,

In the midst of the fleet,

and flight he scorns;

Often has he

the eagles gorged,

Whilst thou at the quern

wert slave-girls kissing."

Gothmund spake:

"Hero, the ancient

sayings heed,

And bring not lies

to the nobly born.

*********

*********

"Thou hast eaten

the entrails of wolves,

And of thy brothers

the slayer been;

Oft wounds to suck

thy cold mouth sought,

And loathed in rocky

dens didst lurk."

Sinfjotli spake:

"A witch in Varin's

isle thou wast,

A woman false,

and lies didst fashion;

Of the mail-clad heroes

thou wouldst have

No other, thou saidst,

save Sinfjotli only.

"A Valkyrie wast thou,

loathly Witch,

Evil and base,

in Allfather's home;

The warriors all

must ever fight,

Woman subtle,

for sake of thee.

"*********

*********

Nine did we

in Sogunes

Of wolf-cubs have;

I their father was."

Gothmund spake:

Though older thou art

than all I know;

For they gelded thee

in Gnipalund,

The giant-women

at Thorsnes once.

Gothmund spake:

"Under houses the stepson

of Siggeir lay,

Fain of the wolf's cry

out in the woods;

Evil came then all

to thy hands,

When thy brothers'

breasts thou didst redden,

Fame didst thou win

for foulest deeds.

Sinfjotli spake:

"In Bravoll wast thou

Grani's bride,

Golden-bitted

and ready to gallop;

I rode thee many

a mile, and down

Didst sink, thou giantess,

under the saddle."

Gothmund spake:

"A brainless fellow

didst seem to be,

When once for Gollnir

goats didst milk,

And another time

when as Imth's daughter

In rags thou wentest;

wilt longer wrangle?"

Sinfjotli spake:

"Sooner would I

at Frekastein

Feed the ravens

with flesh of thine

Than send your bitches

to seek their swill,

Or feed the swine;

may the fiends take you!"

Helgi spake:

"Better, Sinfjotli,

thee 'twould beseem

Battle to give

and eagles to gladden,

Than vain and empty

words to utter,

Though ring-breakers oft

in speech do wrangle.

Helgi spake:

"Good I find not

the sons of Granmar,

But for heroes 'tis seemly

the truth to speak;

At Moinsheimar

proved the men

That hearts for the wielding

of swords they had."

Mightily then

they made to run

Sviputh and Sveggjuth

to Solheimar;

(By dewy dales

and chasms dark,

Mist's horse shook

where the men went by;)

The king they found

at his courtyard gate,

And told him the foeman

fierce was come.

Forth stood Hothbrodd,

helmed for battle,

Watched the riding

of his warriors;

*********

"Why are the Hniflungs

white with fear?"

Gothmund spake:

"Swift keels lie

hard by the land,

(Mast-ring harts

and mighty yards,

Wealth of shields

and well-planed oars;)

The king's fair host,

the Ylfings haughty;

Fifteen bands

to land have fared,

But out in Sogn

are seven thousand.

"At anchor lying

off Gnipalund

Are fire-beasts black,

all fitted with gold;

There wait most

of the foeman's men,

Nor will Helgi long

the battle delay."

Hothbrodd spake:

"Bid the horses run

to the Reginthing,

Melnir and Mylnir

to Myrkwood now,

(And Sporvitnir

to Sparinsheith;)

Let no man seek

henceforth to sit

Who the flame of wounds

knows well to wield.

"Summon Hogni,

the sons of Hring,

Atli and Yngvi

and Alf the Old;

Glad they are

of battle ever;

Against the Volsungs

let us go."

Swift as a storm

there smote together

The flashing blades

at Frekastein;

Ever was Helgi,

Hunding's slayer,

First in the throng

where warriors fought;

(Fierce in battle,

slow to fly,

Hard the heart

of the hero was.)

From heaven there came

the maidens helmed,

The weapon-clang grew,

who watched o'er the king;

Spake Sigrun fair,

the wound-givers flew,

And the horse of the giantess

raven's-food had:

"Hail to thee, hero!

full happy with men,

Offspring of Yngvi,

shalt ever live,

For thou the fearless

foe hast slain

Who to many the dread

of death had brought.

"Warrior, well

for thyself hast won

Red rings bright

and the noble bride;

Both now, warrior,

thine shall be,

Hogni's daughter

and Hringstathir,

Wealth and triumph;

the battle wanes."