Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with Introductions and NotesChadwick, Nora K. (Nora Kershaw)
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Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with Introductions and Notes
Chadwick, Nora K. (Nora Kershaw)
Folk songs, Scandinavian; Old Norse literature -- Translations into English; Sagas
The sons of Hunding would laugh loud and high,
Who shed the life-blood of King Eylimi,
If that his grandson bold should more desire
Rings of red gold than vengeance for his sire.
After that Sigurth made ready an expedition to attack the sons of
Hunding; and King Hjalprek gave him many men and some warships.
Hamund, Sisurth's brother, was with him on this venture, and so was
Regin the dwarf. I was present too, and they called me Nornagest. King
Hjalprek had got to know me when he was in Denmark with Sigmund the
son of Vˆlsung. At that time, Sigmund was married to Borghild, but
they parted because Borghild killed Sinfjˆtli the son of Sigmund by
poison. Then Sigmund went south to the land of the Franks and married
Hjˆrdis, the daughter of King Eylimi. The sons of Hunding slew him, so
Sigurth had both his father and grandfather to avenge.
Helgi, the son of Sigmund, who was called Hundingsbani, was the
brother of Sigurth who was afterwards called Fafnisbani. Helgi,
Sigurth's brother, had slain King Hunding and three of his sons,
Eyjulf, Hervarth, and Hjˆrvarth, but Lyngvi and his two remaining
brothers, Alf and Heming, escaped. They were exceedingly famous for
exploits and accomplishments of every kind; but Lyngvi surpassed all
his brothers. They were very skilled in magic. They had reduced many
petty kings to subjection, and slain many champions, and burnt many
cities. They had worked the greatest havoc with their raids in Spain
and in the land of the Franks. But at that time the Imperial Power had
not yet been transferred to the regions north of the Alps. The sons of
Hunding had seized the realm which had belonged to Sigurth in the land
of the Franks, and they had very large forces there.
VI. Now I must tell you how Sigurth prepared for battle against the
sons of Hunding. He had got together a large and well-armed host, and
Regin was a mighty man in the councils of the force. He had a sword
which was called Rithil and which he had forged himself. Sigurth asked
Regin to lend him the sword. He did so, begging him to slay Fafnir
when he should return from this adventure, and this Sigurth promised
to do.
After that we sailed away south along the coast, and then we met with
a great storm raised by witchcraft, and many believed that it had
been stirred up by the sons of Hunding. After this we hugged the shore
somewhat more closely, and then we saw a man on a rocky promontory
which jutted out from the cliffs. He wore a green cloak and dark
breeches, and had high laced boots on his feet, and carried a spear in
his hand. This man addressed us in the following stanza:
What folk are ye who ride the sea-king's steed,
Mounting the lofty billows, and proceed
Athwart the tossing main? Drenched is your sail,
Nor can your ships against the wind prevail.
Regin replied:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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