The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various CountriesKeightley, Thomas
General
The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries
Keightley, Thomas
Fairies; Fairy tales; Folk literature; Folklore
On the appointed day he returned, and the Dwarfs came forth and
delivered him the sword; and when Dualin stood in the door he said,
"This sword shall be the bane of a man every time it is drawn; and
with it shall be done three of the greatest atrocities. It shall also
be thy bane." Then Suaforlami struck at the Dwarf so, that the blade
of the sword penetrated into the solid rock. Thus Suaforlami became
possessed of this sword, and he called it Tirfing, and he bare it in
war and in single combat, and he slew with it the Giant Thiasse, and
took his daughter Fridur.
Suaforlami was shortly after slain by the Berserker[117] Andgrim, who
then became master of the sword. When the twelve sons of Andgrim were
to fight with Hialmar and Oddur for Ingaborg, the beautiful daughter
of King Inges, Angantyr bore the dangerous Tirfing; but all the
brethren were slain in the combat, and were buried with their arms.
Angantyr left an only daughter, Hervor, who, when she grew up, dressed
herself in man's attire, and took the name of Hervardar, and joined a
party of Vikinger, or Pirates. Knowing that Tirfing lay buried with
her father, she determined to awaken the dead, and obtain the charmed
blade; and perhaps nothing in northern poetry equals in interest and
sublimity the description of her landing alone in the evening on the
island of Sams, where her father and uncles lay in their sepulchral
mounds, and at night ascending to the tombs, that were enveloped in
flame,[118] and by force of entreaty obtaining from the reluctant
Angantyr the formidable Tirfing.
Hervor proceeded to the court of King Gudmund, and there one day, as
she was playing at tables with the king, one of the servants chanced
to take up and draw Tirfing, which shone like a sunbeam. But Tirfing
was never to see the light but for the bane of man, and Hervor, by a
sudden impulse, sprang from her seat, snatched the sword and struck
off the head of the unfortunate man. Hervor, after this, returned to
the house of her grandfather, Jarl Biartmar, where she resumed her
female attire, and was married to Haufud, the son of King Gudmund. She
bare him two sons, Angantyr and Heidreker; the former of a mild and
gentle disposition, the latter violent and fierce. Haufud would not
permit Heidreker to remain at his court; and as he was departing, his
mother, with other gifts, presented him Tirfing. His brother
accompanied him out of the castle. Before they parted, Heidreker drew
out his sword to look at and admire it; but scarcely did the rays of
light fall on the magic blade, when the Berserker rage came on its
owner, and he slew his gentle brother.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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