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THE STORY OF THE VOLSUNGS (VOLSUNGA SAGA) |
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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 the, 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. _______________ Notes: (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, Or come to ending by war-weapons.
Let bath be made For such men fordone, Wash thou hands and feet thereof, Comb their hair and dry them Ere the coffin has them; Then bid them sleep full sweetly.
This for the tenth counsel: That thou give trust never Unto 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 hatred Shall rest them never, Nay, nor sore sorrow. Both wit and weapons Well must the king have Who 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 look For long life for thee, king: Strong trouble ariseth now already. _______________ Notes: (1) This continues the first part of the lay given in Chapter XX of the Saga; and is, in fact, the original verse of Chapter XXI.
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LAY CALLED Sigurd of yore, Sought the dwelling of Giuki, As he fared, the young Volsung, After fight won; Troth he took From the two brethren; Oath swore they betwixt them, Those bold ones of deed.
A may they gave to him And wealth manifold, Gudrun the young, Giuki's daughter: They drank and gave doom Many days together, Sigurd the young, And the sons of Giuki.
Until they wended For Brynhild's wooing, Sigurd a-riding Amidst their rout; The wise young Volsung Who knew of all ways -- Ah! He had wed her, Had fate so willed it.
Southlander Sigurd A naked sword, Bright, well grinded, Laid betwixt them; No kiss he won From the fair woman, Nor in arms of his Did the Hun King hold her, Since he gat the young maid For the son of Giuki.
No lack in her life She wotted of now, And at her death-day No dreadful thing For a shame indeed Or a shame in seeming; But about and betwixt Went baleful fate.
Alone, abroad, She sat of an evening, Of full many things She fall 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 for us A long while of woe."
Oft with heart deep In dreadful thoughts, O'er ice-fields and ice-hills She fared a-night time, When he and Gudrun Were gone to their fair bed, And Sigurd wrapped The bed-gear round her.
"Ah! Now the Hun King His queen in arms holdeth, While love I go lacking, And all things longed for With no delight But in dreadful thought."
These dreadful things Thrust her toward murder: -- "Listen, Gunnar, For thou shalt lose My wide lands, Yea, me myself! Never love I my life, With thee for my lord --
"I will fare back thither From whence I came, To my nighest kin And those that know me There shall I sit Sleeping my life away, Unless thou slayest Sigurd the Hun King, Making thy might more E'en than his might was!
"Yea, let the son fare After the father, And no young wolf A long while nourish! For on earth man lieth Vengeance lighter, And peace shall be surer If the son live not."
Adrad was Gunnar, Heavy-hearted was he, And in doubtful mood Day-long he sat. For naught he wotted, Nor might see clearly What was the seemliest Of deeds to set hand to; What of all deeds Was best to be done: For he minded the vows Sworn to the Volsung, And the sore wrong To be wrought against Sigurd.
Wavered his mind A weary while, No wont it was Of those days worn by, That queens should flee From the realms of their kings.
"Brynhild to me Is better than all, The child of Budli Is the best of women. Yea, and my life Will I lay down, Ere I am twinned From that woman's treasure."
He bade call Hogni To the place where he bided; With all the trust that might be, Trowed he in him.
"Wilt thou bewray Sigurd For his wealth's sake? Good it is to rule O'er the Rhine's metal; And well content Great wealth to wield, Biding in peace And blissful days."
One thing alone Hogni Had for an answer: "Such doings for us Are naught seemly to do; To rend with sword Oaths once sworn, Oaths once sworn, And troth once plighted.
"Nor know we on mould, Men of happier days, The while we four Rule over the folk; While the bold in battle, The Hun King, bides living.
"And no nobler kin Shall be known afield, If our five sons We long may foster; Yea, a goodly stem Shall surely wax. -- But I clearly see In what wise it standeth, Brynhild's sore urging O'ermuch on thee beareth.
"Guttorm shall we Get for the slaying, Our younger brother Bare of wisdom; For he was out of All the oaths sworn, All the oaths sworn, And the plighted troth."
Easy to rouse him Who of naught recketh! -- Deep stood the sword In the heart of Sigurd.
There, in the hall, Gat the high-hearted vengeance; For he can his sword At the reckless slayer: Out at Guttorm Flew Gram the mighty, The gleaming steel From Sigurd's hand.
Down fell the slayer Smitten asunder; The heavy head And the hands fell one way, But the feet and such like Aback where they stood.
Gudrun was sleeping Soft in the bed, Empty of sorrow By the side of Sigurd: When she awoke With all pleasure gone, Swimming in blood Of Frey's beloved.
So sore her hands She smote together, That the great-hearted Gat raised in bed; -- "O Gudrun, weep not So woefully, Sweet lovely bride, For thy brethren live for thee!
"A young child have I For heritor; Too young to win forth From the house of his foes. -- Black deeds and ill Have they been a-doing, Evil rede Have they wrought at last.
"Late, late, rideth with them Unto the Thing, Such sister's son, Though seven thou bear, -- -- But well I wot Which way all goeth; Alone wrought Brynhild This bale against us.
"That maiden loved me Far before all men, Yet wrong to Gunnar I never wrought; Brotherhood I heeded And all bounden oaths, That none should deem me His queen's darling."
Weary sighed Gudrun, As the king gat ending, And so sore her hands She smote together, That the cups arow Rang out therewith, And the geese cried on high That were in the homefield.
Then laughed Brynhild Budli's daughter, Once, once only, From out her heart; When to her bed Was borne the sound Of the sore greeting Of Giuki's daughter.
Then, quoth Gunnar, The king, the hawk-bearer, "Whereas, thou laughest, O hateful woman, Glad on thy bed, No good it betokeneth: Why lackest thou else Thy lovely hue? Feeder of foul deeds, Fey do I deem thee,
"Well worthy art thou Before all women, That thine eyes should see Atli slain of us; That thy brother's wounds Thou shouldest see a-bleeding, That his bloody hurts Thine hands should bind."
"No man blameth thee, Gunnar, Thou hast fulfilled death's measure But naught Atli feareth All thine ill will; Life shall he lay down Later than ye, And still bear more might Aloft than thy might.
"I shall tell thee, Gunnar, Though well the tale thou knowest, In what early days Ye dealt abroad your wrong: Young was I then, Worn with no woe, Good wealth I had In the house of my brother!
"No mind had I That a man should have me, Or ever ye Giukings, Rode into our garth; There ye sat on your steeds Three kings of the people -- -- Ah! That that faring Had never befallen!
"Then spake Atli To me apart, And said that no wealth He would give unto me, Neither gold nor lands If I would not be wedded; Nay, and no part Of the wealth apportioned, Which in my first days He gave me duly; Which in my first days He counted down.
"Wavered the mind Within me then, If to fight I should fall And the felling of folk, Bold in Byrny Because of my brother; A deed of fame Had that been to all folk, But to many a man Sorrow of mind.
"So I let all sink Into peace at the last: More grew I minded For the mighty treasure, The red-shining rings Of Sigmund's son; For no man's wealth else Would I take unto me.
"For myself had I given To that great king Who sat amid gold On the back of Grani; Nought were his eyes Like to your eyen, Nor in any wise Went his visage with yours; Though ye might deem you Due kings of men.
"One I loved, One, and none other, The gold-decked may Had no doubtful mind; Thereof shall Atli Wot full surely, When he getteth to know I am gone to the dead.
"Far be it from me, Feeble and wavering, Ever to love Another's love -- -- Yes shall my woe Be well avenged."
Up rose Gunnar, The great men's leader, And cast his arms About the queen's neck; And all went nigh One after other, With their whole hearts Her heart to turn.
But then all these From her neck she thrust, Of her long journey No man should let her.
Then called he Hogni To have talk with him; "Let all folk go Forth into the hall, Thine with mine -- -- O need sore and mighty! -- To wot if we yet My wife's parting may stay. Till with time's wearing Some hindrance wax."
One answer Hogni Had for all; "Nay, let hard need Have rule thereover, And no man let her Of her long journey! Never born again, May she come back thence!
"Luckless she came To the lap of her mother, Born into the world For utter woe, TO many a man For heart-whole mourning."
Upraised he turned From the talk and the trouble, To where the gem-field Dealt out goodly treasure; As she looked and beheld All the wealth that she had, And the hungry bondmaids, And maids of the hall.
With no good in her heart She donned her gold byrny, Ere she thrust the sword point Through the midst of her body: On the boister's far side Sank she adown, And, smitten with sword, Still bethought her of redes.
"Let all come forth Who are fain the red gold, Or things less worthy To win from my hands; To each one I give A necklace gilt over, Wrought hangings and bed=gear, And bright woven weed."
All they kept silence, And thought what to speak, Then all at once Answer gave: "Full enow are death-doomed, Fain are we to live yet, Maids of the hall All meet work winning."
"From her wise heart at last The linen-clad damsel, The one of few years Gave forth the word: "I will that none driven By hand or by word, For our sake should lose Well-loved life.
"Thou on the bones of you Surely shall burn, Less dear treasure At your departing Nor with Menia's Meal (1) Shall ye come to see me."
"Sit thee down, Gunnar, A word must I say to thee Of the life's ruin Of thy lightsome bride -- -- Nor shall thy ship Swim soft and sweetly For all that I Lay life adown.
"Sooner than ye might deem Shall ye make peace with Gudrun, For the wise woman Shall full in the young wife The hard memory Of her dead husband.
"There is a may born Reared by her mother, Whiter and brighter Than is the bright day; She shall be Swanhild, She shall be Sunbeam.
"Thou shalt give Gudrun Unto a great one, Noble, well-praised Of the world's folk; Not with her goodwill, Or love shalt thou give her; Yet will Atli Come to win her, My very brother, Born of Budli.
-- "Ah! Many a memory Of how ye dealt with me, How sorely, how evilly Ye ever beguiled me, How all pleasure left me The while my life lasted! --
"Fain wilt thou be Oddrun to win, But thy good liking Shall Atli let; But in secret wise Shall ye win together, And she shall love thee As I had loved thee, If in such wise Fare had willed it.
"But with all ill Shall Atli sting thee, Into the strait worm-close Shall he cast thee.
"But no long space Shall slip away Ere Atli too All life shall lose, Yea, all his weal With the life of his sons, For a dreadful bed Dights 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 after Her love first wed; Had but good rede To her been given, Or if her heart Had been like to my heart.
-- "Faint my speech groweth -- But for our sake Ne'er shall she lose Her life beloved; The sea shall have her, High billows bear her Forth unto Jonakr's Fair land of his fathers.
"There shall she bear sons, Stays of a heritage, Stays of a heritage, Jonakr's sons; And Swanhild shall she Send from the land, That may born of her, The may born of Sigurd.
"Her shall bite The rede of Bikki, Whereas for no good Wins Jormunrek life; And so is clean perished All the kin of Sigurd, Yea, and more greeting, And more for Gudrun.
"And now one prayer Yet pray I of thee -- That last word of mine Here in the world -- So broad on the field Be the burg of the dead That fair space may be left For us all to lie down, All those that died At Sigurd's death!
"Hang round that burg Fair hangings and shields, Web by Gauls woven, And folk of the Gauls: There burn the Hun King Lying beside me.
"But on the other side Burn by the Hun King Those who served me Strewn with treasure; Two at the head, And two at the feet, Two hounds therewith, And two hawks moreover: Then is all dealt With even dealing.
"Lay there amidst us The right-dight metal, The sharp-edged steel, That so lay erst; When we both together Into one bed went, And were called by the name Of man and wife.
"Never, then, belike Shall clash behind him Valhall's bright door With rings bedight: And if my fellowship Followeth after, In no wretched wise Then shall we wend.
"For him shall follow My five bondmaids, My eight bondsmen, No borel folk: Yea, and my fosterer, And my father's dower That Budli of old days Gave to his dear child.
"Much have I spoken, More would I speak, If the sword would give me Space for speech; But my words are waning, My wounds are swelling -- Naught but truth have I told -- -- And now make I ending." _______________ Notes: (1) "Menia's Maid" -- periphrasis for gold. After the death of Brynhild were made two bales, one for Sigurd, and that was first burned; but Brynhild was burned on the other, and she was in a chariot hung about with goodly hangings. And so folk say that Brynhild drave in her chariot down along the way to Hell, and passed by an abode where dwelt a certain giantess, and the giantess spake: -- THE GIANT-WOMAN "Nay, with my goodwill Never goest thou Through this stone-pillared Stead of mine! More seemly for thee To sit sewing the cloth, Than to go look on The love of another.
"What dost thou, going From 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 hands The blood of men washen?"
BRYNHILD "Nay, blame me naught, Bride of the rock-hall, Though I roved a warring In the days that were; The higher of us twain Shall I ever be holden When of our kind Men make account."
THE GIANT-WOMAN "Thou, O Brynhild, Budli's daughter, Wert the worst ever born Into the world; For Giuki's children Death hast thou gotten, And turned to destruction Their goodly dwelling."
BRYNHILD "I shall tell thee True tale from my chariot, O thou who naught wottest, If thou listest to wot; How for me they have gotten Those heirs of Giuki, A loveless life, A life of lies.
"Hild under helm, The Hlymdale people, E'en those who knew me, Ever would call me.
"The changeful shapes Of us eight sisters, The wise king bade Under oak-tree to bear; Of twelve winters was I, If thou listest to wot, When I sware to the young lord Oaths of love.
"Thereafter gat I Mid the folk of the Goths, For Helmgunnar the old, Swift journey to Hell, And gave to Aud's brother The young, gain and glory; Whereof overwrath Waxed Odin with me.
"So he shut me in shield-wall In Skata grove, Red shields and white Close set around me; And bade him alone My slumber to break Who in no land Knew how to fear.
"He set round my hall, Toward the south quarter, The Bane of all trees Burning aloft; And ruled that he only Thereover should ride Who should bring me the gold O'er which Fafnir brooded.
"Then upon Grani rode The goodly gold-strewer To where my fosterer Ruled his fair dwelling. He who alone there Was deemed best of all, The War-lord of the Danes, Well worthy of men.
"In peace did we sleep Soft in one bed, As though he had been Naught but my brother: There as we lay Through eight nights wearing, No hand in love On each other we laid.
"Yet thence blamed me, Gudrun, Giuki's daughter, That I had slept In the arms of Sigurd; And then I wotted As I fain had not wotted, That they had bewrayed me In my betrothals.
"Ah! For unrest All too long Are men and women Made alive! Yet we twain together Shall wear through the ages, Sigurd and I. -- -- Sink adown, O giant-wife!" FRAGMENTS OF THE LAY OF BRYNHILD HOGNI SAID: "What hath wrought Sigurd Of any wrong-doing That the life of the famed one Thou art fain of taking?"
GUNNAR SAID: "To me has Sigurd Sworn many oaths, Sworn many oaths, And sworn them lying, And he bewrayed me When it behoved him Of all folk to his troth To be the most trusty."
HOGNI SAID: "Thee hath Brynhild Unto all bale, And all hate whetted, And a work of sorrow; For she grudges to Gudrun All goodly life; And to thee the bliss Of her very body."
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Some the wolf roasted, Some minced the worm, Some unto Guttorm Gave the wolf-meat, Or ever they might In their lust for murder On the high king Lay deadly hand.
Sigurd lay slain On the south of the Rhine High from the fair tree Croaked forth the raven, "Ah, yet shall Atli On you redden edges, The old oaths shall weigh On your souls, O warriors."
Without stood Gudrun, Giuki's daughter, And the first word she said Was even this word: "Where then is Sigurd, Lord of the Warfolk, Since my kin Come riding the foremost?
One word Hogni Had for an answer: "Our swords have smitten Sigurd asunder, And the grey horse hangs drooping O'er his lord lying dead."
Then quoth Brynhild, Budli's daughter; "Good weal shall ye have Of weapons and lands, That Sigurd alone Would surely have ruled If he had lived But a little longer.
"Ah, nothing seemly For Sigurd to rule Giuki's house And the folk of the Goths, When of him five sons For the slaying of men, Eager for battle, Should have been begotten!"
Then laughed Brynhild -- Loud rang the whole house -- One laugh only From out her heart: "Long shall your bliss be Of lands and people, Whereas the famed lord You have felled to the earth!"
Then spake Gudrun, Giuki's daughter; "Much thou speakest, Many things fearful, All grame be on Gunnar The bane of Sigurd! From a heart full of hate Shall come heavy vengeance."
Forth sped the even Enow there was drunken, Full enow was there Of all soft speech; And all men got sleep When to bed they were gotten; Gunnar only lay waking Long after all men.
His feet fell he to moving, Fell to speak to himself The waster of men, Still turned in his mind What on the bough Those 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 silence After her speaking, None might know That woman's mind, Or why she must weep To tell of the work That laughing once Of 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 riding Reft of all bliss, Laden with fetters 'Mid the host of thy foemen."
"So now all ye, O House of the Niblungs, Shall be brought to naught, O ye oath-breakers!
"Think'st thou not, Gunnar, How that betid, When ye let the blood run Both in one footstep? With ill reward Hast thou rewarded His heart so fain To be the foremost!
"As well was seen When he rode his ways, That king of all worth, Unto my wooing; How the host-destroyer Held to the vows Sworn beforetime, Sworn to the young king.
"For his wounding-wand All wrought with gold, The king beloved Laid between us; Without were its edges Wrought with fire, But with venom-drops Deep dyed within." Thus this song telleth of the death of Sigurd, and setteth forth how that they slew him without doors; but some say that they slew him within doors, sleeping in his bed. But the Dutch Folk say that they slew him out in the wood: and so sayeth the ancient song of Gudrun, that Sigurd and the sons of Giuki were riding to the Thing whenas he was slain. But all with one accord say that they bewrayed him in their troth with him, and fell on him as he lay unarrayed and unawares.
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