Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpretedAnderson, Rasmus Björn
Religion
Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted
Anderson, Rasmus Björn
Mythology, Norse; Northmen -- Religion; Old Norse literature; Tales, Medieval
Uncertain it is to know,
When we all come together,
Sons of victorious gods,
Who was born most fearless;
Many a man is brave
Who still does not thrust the blade
Into another man’s breast.
REGIN:
Glad art thou now, Sigurd,
Glad of thy victory.
As thou wipest Gram on the grass.
Thou hast my
Brother wounded,
Let myself have some share therein.
SIGURD:
It was thou who caused
That I should ride
Hither over frosty mountains;
His wealth and life
Would the spotted snake still possess,
Hadst thou not excited me to fight.
Then went Regin to Fafner and cut the heart out of him with the sword
called Ridel, and afterwards drank the blood from the wound. He said:
Sit down now, Sigurd!
I will go to sleep:
Hold Fafner’s heart by the fire.
Such a repast
Will I partake of
After this drink of blood.
SIGURD:
Thou didst absent thyself
When I in Fafner’s blood
My sharp blade stained.
I set my strength
Against the power of the dragon
While thou didst lie in the heath
REGIN:
Long wouldst thou
Have let the old
Troll lie in the heath,
Hadst thou not used
The sword which I made,
Thy sharpened blade.
SIGURD:
Courage is better
Than sword-strength
Where angry men must fight;
For the brave man
I always see win
Victory with a dull blade.
It it better for the brave man
Than for the coward
To join in the battle,
It is better for the glad
Than for the sorrowing
In all circumstances.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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