Opening the text

Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with Introductions and NotesChadwick, Nora K. (Nora Kershaw)

General

Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with Introductions and Notes

Name: Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with Introductions and Notes
Author: Chadwick, Nora K. (Nora Kershaw)

Chadwick, Nora K. (Nora Kershaw)

Folk songs, Scandinavian; Old Norse literature -- Translations into English; Sagas

And when the King heard that, he flung down his knife upon the table
and arose from the feast; and he put on his corslet and took a white
shield in one hand and the sword Tyrfing in the other. Then a great
din arose in the hall, as is said in the poem:

  Then a murmur arose from the warriors,
    And all in the hall drew near,
  As the warder reported the message of Hlˆth:
    --Everyone lent an ear;
  And the men all awaited with quivering breath
    The message of Angantyr.

Then Angantyr said: "Hail, brother! You are welcome! Come in and drink
with us, and let us first drink mead in memory of our father, to the
honour and glory of us all with full ceremony."

Hlˆth said: "We are come hither for a different purpose than to fill
our stomachs."

Then Hlˆth cried:

  Of all the possessions of Heithrek
    The half do I now demand;
  --His spear and blade and treasures,
    His cattle and his land,
  His handmaids and his bondmen,
    And the children to them born,
  And the murmuring mill that the bondwomen turn
    As they wearily grind the corn.

  And half of the far-famed Myrkvith,
    And half of the holy grave
  Far off mid the Gothic peoples,--
    These also will I have.--
  Half of the noble pillar
    That stands on Danaper's shore;
  And of Heithrek's castles, land and folk,
    And half of his golden store!

Cried Angantyr:

  The white-shining shield shall be cloven, brother,
    And spear on spear shall ring;
  And many a helmet be lowered, brother,
    In battle for this thing,
  Ere I give thee half my heritage,
    Or half of the sword Tyrfing.

But Angantyr added:

  I will offer thee wealth in plenty,
    And all thy heart's desire
  In store of costly treasure,
    And rings of golden fire;
  Twelve hundred squires will I give thee,
    Twelve hundred prancing steeds;
      Twelve hundred men
      To attend on them
    And arm them for mighty deeds.

  And every man whom I give thee
    Shall receive a richer store
  Of rings and costly treasures
    Than ever he had before.--
  To every man a maiden!
    To every maid a ring!
  I will clasp a necklace round her throat,
    A necklace fit for a king!

  I will case thee all in silver
    As thou sittest on thy throne;
  And a third of the Gothic peoples
    Shall be thine to rule alone;
  With gold shalt thou be covered
    As thou farest through the land.--
      Thou shalt dazzle the sight
      As thou walk'st in the light
    Like the flame of a fiery brand.

XIII. Gizur, a liegeman from the Grytingar, King Heithrek's
foster-father, was with King Angantyr. He was a very old man at that
time. And when he heard King Angantyr's suggestion, he thought that he
was offering too much and said:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with Introductions and NotesChadwick, Nora K. (Nora Kershaw)

General

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

And when the King heard that, he flung down his knife upon the table
and arose from the feast; and he put on his corslet and took a white
shield in one hand and the sword Tyrfing in the other. Then a great
din arose in the hall, as is said in the poem:

  Then a murmur arose from the warriors,
    And all in the hall drew near,
  As the warder reported the message of Hlˆth:
    --Everyone lent an ear;
  And the men all awaited with quivering breath
    The message of Angantyr.

Then Angantyr said: "Hail, brother! You are welcome! Come in and drink
with us, and let us first drink mead in memory of our father, to the
honour and glory of us all with full ceremony."

Hlˆth said: "We are come hither for a different purpose than to fill
our stomachs."

Then Hlˆth cried:

  Of all the possessions of Heithrek
    The half do I now demand;
  --His spear and blade and treasures,
    His cattle and his land,
  His handmaids and his bondmen,
    And the children to them born,
  And the murmuring mill that the bondwomen turn
    As they wearily grind the corn.

  And half of the far-famed Myrkvith,
    And half of the holy grave
  Far off mid the Gothic peoples,--
    These also will I have.--
  Half of the noble pillar
    That stands on Danaper's shore;
  And of Heithrek's castles, land and folk,
    And half of his golden store!

Cried Angantyr:

  The white-shining shield shall be cloven, brother,
    And spear on spear shall ring;
  And many a helmet be lowered, brother,
    In battle for this thing,
  Ere I give thee half my heritage,
    Or half of the sword Tyrfing.

But Angantyr added:

  I will offer thee wealth in plenty,
    And all thy heart's desire
  In store of costly treasure,
    And rings of golden fire;
  Twelve hundred squires will I give thee,
    Twelve hundred prancing steeds;
      Twelve hundred men
      To attend on them
    And arm them for mighty deeds.

  And every man whom I give thee
    Shall receive a richer store
  Of rings and costly treasures
    Than ever he had before.--
  To every man a maiden!
    To every maid a ring!
  I will clasp a necklace round her throat,
    A necklace fit for a king!

  I will case thee all in silver
    As thou sittest on thy throne;
  And a third of the Gothic peoples
    Shall be thine to rule alone;
  With gold shalt thou be covered
    As thou farest through the land.--
      Thou shalt dazzle the sight
      As thou walk'st in the light
    Like the flame of a fiery brand.

XIII. Gizur, a liegeman from the Grytingar, King Heithrek's
foster-father, was with King Angantyr. He was a very old man at that
time. And when he heard King Angantyr's suggestion, he thought that he
was offering too much and said:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with Introductions and Notes

Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with Introductions and Notes

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