THE LAY OF HELGI HJÖRVARÐHSSON

Of Hjorvardhr and Sigrlinn.

Hjorvardhr hight a king. He had four wives. One hight Alfhildr, their son hight Hedhinn; a second hight Saeridhr, their son hight Humlungr; a third hight Sinriodh, their son hight Hymlingr.

King Hjorvardhr had sworn this oath: to have that woman, whom he knew to be fairest. He heard, that King Svafnir had a daughter who was fairest of all, who hight Sigrlinn. Idhmundr hight his jarl. Atli was his son, who fared to ask for Sigrlinn for the hands of the king. He dwelt winter-long with King Svafnir. Franmarr hight a jarl there, Sigrlinn's foster-father; his daughter hight Alof. The jarl gave rede, that the maid be denied, and Atli fared home. Atli the jarl's son stood one day in a certain grove; but a bird sat in the branches up above him and had heard, that men called the women fairest whom Hjorvardhr the king had. The bird croaked; yet Atli heard what he said. He spoke,

1.
"Saw you Sigrlinn
Svafnir's daughter,
fairest of maids
in Munarheimr?
Although desirable
Hjorvardhr's women
seem to the warriors
at Glasislundr."

Atli said:

2.
"Shall you with Atli
Idhmundr's son,
wise-souled bird
more speak?"

The bird said:

3.
"I shall, if the prince
will make blot to me,
and choose I,
what I will
out of the king's garth!"

Atli said:

4.
"Choose thou not Hjorvardhr
nor his sons,
nor of the fair
folk-leader's brides,
none of the brides
who the prince has!
Deal we well together
as friends know how to."

The bird said:

5.
"I shall choose a hof
a great harrow,
gold-horned cows
from the warrior's dwelling,
if for him Sigrlinn
sleep in arms,
and uncompelled
follows the boar."

That was before Atli fared. Yet when he came home and the king asked him of tidings, he said:

6.
"We have difficulty
and no fulfillment
our horses were weary
on mighty fells,
we had afterwards
to wade Saemorn,
then was denied to us
Svafnir's daughter,
the ring-bedecked
who we wished to have."

The king bade that they should fare a second time. He fared himself. Yet when they came up on a fell and looked at Svavaland, (there saw they) land-burning and great clouds of horse-dust. The king rode from the fells into the land and took night lodgings with someone. Atli held watch and fared over the river. He found a house. A great bird sat on the house and held watch and was sleeping. Atli shot a spear to kill the bird, and in the house found he Sigrlinn, the kings daughter, and Alof, the jarl's daughter, and took them both out with him. Franmarr the jarl had changed his hide into an eagle's form and warded them from the armies with sorcery. Hrodhmarr hight a king, a wooer of Sirglinn. He slew the Svava-king and had plundered and burned the land. Hjorvardhr the king got Sigrlinn, and Atli Alof.

Hjorvardhr and Sigrlinn had a mighty and fair son. He was silent; no name would fasten upon him. He sat on a howe. He saw riding nine valkyrjur, and one was stateliest. She said,

7.
"Late shall you, Helgi
rule over rings -
- powerful battle-apple -
nor Rodhull-Vales.
Eagle screamed early
if you are still silent,
though you a hard soul,
warrior, show!"

Hjorvardhr said:

8.
"What let you follow
the name of Helgi,
- bride bright-lightening -
all you speak to offer?
Think you before
all speak well!
I'll have none of it
unless I have you!"

The valkyrie said:

9.
"I know swords lying
in Sigar's Holm,
four are lacking
from five tens:
one is of them
better than all,
bale of spears
and wrought with gold.

10.
A ring is on hilt
soul is in the middle,
awe is in edge for he
who gets it to own;
lies on the edge
a blood-dyed wyrm,
and on the guard
turns adder tail."

Eylimi hight a king. His daughter was Svava. She was a valkyrja and rode air and water. She gave Helgi this name and shielded him often afterwards in battle. Helgi spoke:

11.
"Thou art not, Hjorvardhr
hale-reded, king,
folk's edge-leader
though you are famed;
if you let fire eat
the boar's dwellings,
though he harm
to you never did.

12.
Yet Hrodhmarr shall
rule over rings,
those which had
our kinsmen!
The folk-leader looks
at living hardly,
thinks he of dead men
to rule the inheritance."

Hjorvardhr answered, that he would give a host to Helgi, if he wished to avenge his mother's father. Then sought Helgi the sword which Svava had showed him the way towards. Then fared he and Atli and felled Hrodhmarr and won many great works of strength. He slew Hati the etin, who sat on a certain mountain. Helgi and Atli lay their ships in Hatafirth. Atli kept watch in the first part of the night. Hrimgerdhr, Hati's daughter, said:

13.
"Who are the heroes
in Hati's firth?
Shields are adorned on the ships;
Bravely you go
I think you fear little.
Make known to me the king's name!"

Atli said:

14.
"Helgi he hight
yet thou may never
win harm to the prince,
iron fortresses
are 'round atheling's fleet,
witches cannot scathe us!"

Hrimgerdhr said:

15.
"What hight thou
hero ill-mighty,
what do kinsmen call thee?
The folk-leader trusts thee
when he lets thee
dwell in the fair ship's stem."

Atli said:

16.
"Atli I hight
awesome shall I be to you!
greatly am I grimmest to witches.
In wet stem
I have often dwelt,
and slain evening-riders.

17.
"What hight thou
hag corpse-greedy?
name thy father, witch!
Nine rosts
should you be beneath
and trees grow from your bosom."

Hrimgerdhr said:

18.
"Hrimgerdhr I hight
Hati hight my father,
him know I ill-mightiest etin.
Many brides
he took from dwellings,
until Helgi hewed him."

Atli said:

19.
"Thou were the troll-woman
before warrior's ship,
and laid wait in the firth.
Of the prince's heroes
you wished to give Ran,
if the spear had not come in your flesh."

Hrimgerdhr said:

20.
"Deceived art thou now, Atli!
in dream I say you are,
you let eyebrows sink over brow.
My mother lay
before the kings ship,
I drowned Hlodhvardhr's sons in harbor.

21.
You would whinny, Atli
were you not gelded:
Hrimgerdhr raises her tail!
In hind-parts
your heart Atli, think I to be,
though you have a stallion's voice."

Atli said:

22.
"Strong should you think me
if you knew how to test,
and stepped I to land from water.
All lame would you be
if my heart were in it,
and sink would your tail, Hrimgerdhr!"

Hrimgerdhr said:

23.
"Atli, go onto land
if you trust your might,
and we shall meet in Varin's Bay!
Rended ribs
shall you, warrior, get,
if you come in my claws."

Atli said:

24.
"I shall go
before warriors wake,
and hold with leader word.
Not unexpected to me
if to us came
the witch up under ship."

Hrimgerdhr said:

25.
"Wake thou, Helgi
and speak with Hrimgerdhr,
because you have slain Hati!
One night
could she sleep by the boar,
then had she bettering for bales."

Helgi said:

26.
"Lodhinn hight, who shall have thee!
loathly art thou to mankind!
so dwells the thurse in Tholl Islands,
hound-wise etin
worst of wildness-dwellers,
he'll be a fitting man for you."

Hrimgerdhr said:

27.
"Her would you rather, Helgi who watched over harbor,
last night with the men.
[...]

28.
Sea-golden maid
might thought I to bear;
here rose she over land and water
and made fast so your fleet.
She alone ruled there
that I might not
be bane to the prince's men."

Helgi said:

29.
"Hear thou now, Hrimgerdhr,
if I better thy harms,
say thou more fully to leader:
was it one wight
who warded atheling's ships,
or fared there many together?"

Hrimgerdhr said:

30.
"Three times nine maids!
but one rode before,
a white and helmeted maid.
Their horses shook themselves from them sprang to men,
dew in deep dales,
hail in high woods,
from that comes good harvest to humans;
all that was loathly to me, when I looked."

Helgi said:

31.
"East look thou now, Hrimgerdhr,
if thou hast met
Helgi with Hel-staves.
On land and on water
warded is atheling's fleet,
and the leader's men the same.

Atli said:

32.
Now it is day, Hrimgerdhr,
yet you have been delayed
by Atli until all time.
As harbour-mark mockable seem you
there, where you stand in stone's likeness!"

King Helgi was an all-mighty warleader. He came to King Eylimi and asked for Svava, his daughter. They both, Helgi and Svava, swore oaths and loved each other mightily. Svava was at home with her father, and Helgi at battle. Svava was a valkyrja as before.

Hedhinn was home with his father, King Hjorvardhr, in Norway.

Hedhinn fared home along through the forest on Yule evening and found a troll-woman, who rode a warg and had wyrms as reins, and offered her following to Hedhinn. "No," he said. She said, "You shall pay for this at the toasting cup!" That evening was the swearing of oaths. The lead boar was lead forth; men laid their hands there and swore ther oaths at the toasting cup. Hedhinn swore an oath towards Svava, the daughter of Eylimi, most beloved of Helgi his brother, and he rued it so mightily that he went at once on the same ways south in the land, and found Helgi his brother. Helgi said:

33.
"Come thou well, Hedhinn!
what can you say,
of new tidings
out of Norway?
Why have thou, prince
hurried from land
and come alone to find us?"

Hedhinn said:

34.
"[...
...]
A great wrong
have I done.
I have chosen
the king's child,
thy bride
at bragar-cup."

Helgi said:

35.
"Sorrow thou not!
soon must be real,
ale-speech, Hedhinn
for us both.
[...]

36.
A prince has me
to island bidden,
in three nights
I shall come there
doubt is upon me
that I come back after.
Then may to the good
be done such as must be."

Hedhinn said:

37.
"Say thou, Helgi
that Hedhinn should
have good from thee
and great gifts!
It were more seemly
sword to redden
than frith give
to your foes."

That said Helgi, for he sensed that he was fey and that his fylgja had visited Hedhinn, when he saw the woman riding on the warg.

Alfr hight the king, the son of Hrodhmarr, who had bidden Helgi to the battleplace on Sigar's Field for the third night. Thus said Helgi:

38.
"Rode on a wolf
when twilight was,
a woman, who him
to follow offered.
She knew
that slain must be
Sigrlinn's son
at Sigar's Field."

Then was there a mighty battle, and Helgi got his bane-wound there.

39.
Helgi sent
Sigar riding
after Eylimi's
only daughter.
He bid swiftly
to be readied,
if she would find
folk-leader living.

Sigar said:

40.
"Helgi has
sent me here,
with thee, Svava
yourself to speak.
Thee, says the protector
he will meet,
before the noble-born
from life-breath parts."

Svava said:

41.
"What happened to Helgi
Hjorvardhr's son?
to me are harsh
sorrows shown!
If the sea rose around him
or sword bit him,
or were it a warrior
he'll win harm from me."

Sigar said:

42.
"Fell here by morning
at Freki Stone
the prince,
who was best under sun.
Alfr must over
all victory rule,
although this happening
was not needful."

Helgi said:

43.
"Hail to thee, Svava
your heart you must rule
this must in this world
our last meeting be.
Begin for the prince
to bleed the wounds
The blade has come for me
next to the heart.

44.
I bid thee, Svava
bride, do not weep!
if you will listen
to my speech:
that you for Hedhinn
ready a bed,
and the young boar
in love endure."

Svava said:

45.
"I have said that
in Munarhome,
when Helgi for me
ruled rings,
that not willingly should I
after folk-ruler's dying,
an unknown boar
in arms enfold."

Hedhinn said:

"Kiss me, Svava!
I come not again
to visit Rogheimr
nor Rodhulsfells,
before I've revenged
Hjorvardhr's son,
who was of princes
beneath sun the best."

Of Helgi and Svava it is said that they were born again.