The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga); with Excerpts from the Poetic Edda
General
The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga); with Excerpts from the Poetic Edda
Eddas -- Translations into English; Nibelungen -- Romances; Sagas -- Translations into English; Siegfried (Legendary character) -- Romances
Now the tale tells that Helgi in his warring met a king hight Hunding,
a mighty king, and lord of many men and many lands; they fell to battle
together, and Helgi went forth mightily, and such was the end of that
fight that Helgi had the victory, but King Hunding fell and many of his
men with him; but Helgi is deemed to have grown greatly in fame because
he had slain so mighty a king.
Then the sons of Hunding draw together a great army to avenge their
father. Hard was the fight betwixt them; but Helgi goes through the
folk of those brothers unto their banner, and there slays these sons
of Hunding, Alf and Eyolf, Herward and Hagbard, and wins there a great
victory.
Now as Helgi fared from the fight, he met a many women right fair and
worthy to look on, who rode in exceeding noble array; but one far
excelled them all; then Helgi asked them the name of that their lady and
queen, and she named herself Sigrun, and said she was daughter of King
Hogni.
Then said Helgi, "Fare home with us: good welcome shall ye have!"
Then said the king's daughter, "Other work lies before us than to drink
with thee."
"Yea, and what work, king's daughter?" said Helgi.
She answers, "King Hogni has promised me to Hodbrod, the son of King
Granmar, but I have vowed a vow that I will have him to my husband no
more than if he were a crow's son and not a king's; and yet will the
thing come to pass, but and if thou standest in the way thereof, and
goest against him with an army, and takest me away withal; for verily
with no king would I rather bide on bolster than with thee."
"Be of good cheer, king's daughter," says he, "for certes he and I shall
try the matter, or ever thou be given to him; yea, we shall behold which
may prevail against the other; and hereto I pledge my life."
Thereafter, Helgi sent men with money in their hands to summon his folk
to him, and all his power is called together to Red-Berg: and there
Helgi abode till such time as a great company came to him from Hedinsey;
and therewithal came mighty power from Norvi Sound aboard great and fair
ships. Then King Helgi called to him the captain of his ships, who was
hight Leif, and asked him if he had told over the tale of his army.
"A thing not easy to tell, lord," says he, "on the ships that came out
of Norvi Sound are twelve thousand men, and otherwhere are half as many
again."
Then bade King Helgi turn into the firth, called Varin's firth, and they
did so: but now there fell on them so fierce a storm and so huge a sea,
that the beat of the waves on board and bow was to hearken to like as
the clashing together of high hills broken.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account