43. I will kiss my lifeless king, ere thou thy b.l.o.o.d.y corslet layest aside. Thy hair is, Helgi! tumid with sweat of death; my prince is all bathed in slaughter-dew; cold, clammy are the hands of Hogni"s son.
How shall I, prince! for this make thee amends?
_Helgi_.
43. Thou art alone the cause,[57] Sigrun of Sefafioll! that Helgi is with sorrow"s dew suffused. Thou weepest, gold-adorned! cruel tears, sun-bright daughter of the south! ere to sleep thou goest; each one falls b.l.o.o.d.y on the prince"s breast, wet, cold, and piercing, with sorrow big.
44. We shall surely drink delicious draughts, though we have lost life and lands. No one shall a song of mourning sing, though on my breast he wounds behold. Now are women in the mound enclosed, daughters of kings, with us the dead.
Sigrun prepares a bed in the mound.
35. Here, Helgi! have I for thee a peaceful couch prepared, for the Ylfings" son. On thy breast I will, chieftain! repose, as in my hero"s lifetime I was wont.
_Helgi_.
46. Nothing I now declare unlooked for, at Sefafioll, late or early, since in a corpse"s arms thou sleepest, Hogni"s fair daughter! in a mound, and thou art living, daughter of kings!
47. Time "tis for me to ride on the reddening ways: let the pale horse tread the aerial path. I towards the west must go over Vindhialm"s bridge, ere Salgofnir awakens heroes.
Helgi and his attendants rode their way, but Sigrun and hers proceeded to their habitation. The following evening Sigrun ordered her serving-maid to hold watch at the mound; but at nightfall, when Sigrun came thither, she said:
48. Now would he come, if he to come intended, Sigmund"s son, from Odin"s halls. I think the hope lessens of the king"s coming, since on the ash"s boughs the eagles sit, and all the folk to the dreams" tryst are hastening.
_Serving-maid_.
49. Be not so rash alone to go, daughter of heroes! to the house of draugs:[58] more powerful are, in the night-season, all dead warriors, than in the light of day.
Sigrun"s life was shortened by grief and mourning. It was a belief in ancient times that men were regenerated, but that is now regarded as an old crone"s fancy. Helgi and Sigrun are said to have been regenerated. He was then called Helgi Haddingiaskadi, and she Kara Halfdan"s daughter, as it is said in the songs of Kara; and she also was a Valkyria.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 54: Slaughtering and carrying off the cattle on the sea-sh.o.r.e.]
[Footnote 55: The Valkyriur.]
[Footnote 56: Dark words of deadly import.]
[Footnote 57: The superst.i.tion commemorated In this strophe is, no doubt, the origin of some very beautiful ballads in the later literature of Scandinavia and Germany referring to this superst.i.tion:
"When thou, my dear, art cheerful, And easy in thy mind, The coffin where I slumber Is all with roses lined.
But oft as thou"rt in sorrow, And bow"d with grief so sore, Is all the while my coffin Brim full of blood and gore."
[Footnote 58: Probably house of draffs; place of swine, swill, lees.]
SINFIOTLI"S END.
Sigmund Volsung"s son was a king in Frankland. Sinfiotli was the eldest of his sons, the second was Helgi, the third Hamund. Borghild, Sigmund"s wife, had a brother named Gunnar; but Sinfiotli her stepson and Gunnar both courted one woman, on which account Sinfiotli slew Gunnar. When he came home, Borghild bade him go away, but Sigmund offered the blood-fine, which it was inc.u.mbent on her to accept. At the funeral feast Borghild presented the beer: she took a large horn full of poison, and offered it to Sinfiotli; who, when he looked into the horn, and saw that there was poison in it, said to Sigmund: "the drink ferments!" Sigmund took the horn and drank up the contents. It is said that Sigmund was so strong that no poison could hurt him, either outwardly or inwardly; but that all his sons could endure poison outwardly. Borghild bore another horn to Sinfiotli, and prayed him to drink, when all took place as before. Yet a third time she offered him the horn, using reproachful words on his refusing to drink. He said as before to Sigmund, but the latter answered: "Let it pa.s.s through thy lips, my son." Sinfiotli drank and instantly died.
Sigmund bore him a long way in his arms, and came to a long and narrow firth, where there was a little vessel and one man in it. He offered Sigmund to convey him over the firth; but when Sigmund had borne the corpse into the vessel, the boat was full-laden. The man then said that Sigmund should go before through the firth. He then pushed off his boat and instantly departed.
King Sigmund sojourned long in Denmark, in Borghild"s kingdom, after having espoused her. He then went south to Frankland, to the kingdom he there possessed. There he married Hiordis, the daughter of Eylimi.
Sigurd was their son. King Sigmund fell in a battle with the sons of Hunding. Hiordis was afterwards married to Alf, son of King Hialprek, with whom Sigurd grew up in childhood. Sigmund and his sons exceeded all other men in strength, and stature, and courage, and all accomplishments, though Sigurd was foremost of all; and in old traditions he is mentioned as excelling all men, and as the most renowned of warlike kings.
THE FIRST LAY OF SIGURD FAFNICIDE, OR GRIPIR"S PROPHECY.
Gripir was the name of the son of Eylimi, the brother of Hiordis. He ruled over lands, and was of all men wisest and prescient of the future. Sigurd rode alone, and came to Gripir"s dwelling. Sigurd was of a distinguished figure. He found a man to address outside the hall, whose name was Geitir. Sigurd applied to him, and asked:
1. Who here inhabits, in these towers? what nation"s king do people name him?
_Geitir_.
Gripir is named the chief of men, he who rules a firm realm and people.
_Sigurd_.
2. Is the wise king of the land at home? Will the chief with me come and converse? With him needs speech an unknown man: I desire speedily Gripir to see.
_Geitir_.
3. The glad king will of Geitir ask, who the man is that demands speech of Gripir.
_Sigurd_.
Sigurd I am named, born of Sigmund, and Hiordis is the chieftain"s mother.
4. Then went Geitir, Gripir to inform: "Here is a man without, a stranger, come; of aspect he is most distinguished. He desires, king!
with thee to speak."
5. Goes from the hall the lord of men, and the stranger prince kindly greets: "Welcome, Sigurd! better had it been earlier: but do thou, Geitir! take charge of Grani."
6. They began to talk, and much to tell, when the sagacious men together met. "Tell me, if thou knowest, my mother"s brother! how will Sigurd"s life fall out?"
_Gripir_.
7. Thou wilt foremost be of men beneath the sun, exalted high above every king; liberal of gold, but of flight sparing, of aspect comely, and wise of words.
_Sigurd_.
8. Say thou, sage king! more than I ask, thou wise one, to Sigurd, if thou thinkst to see it: what will first happen for my advancement, when from thy dwelling I shall have departed?
_Gripir_.