Of the Volsungs.
King Sigmundr Volsung's son had Borghildr from Bralund. They named their son Helgi, and after Helgi Hjorvardhsson. Helgi was fostered by Hagall. Hundingr hight a powerful king. Hundland is named after him. He was a great warleader and had many sons, who were at harrying. Unfrith and foeship were between those of king Hundingr and of king Sigmundr; each slew the kinsmen of the other. King Sigmundr and his aett hight Volsungs and Ylfings. Helgi fared to spy out the warband of king Hundingr. Haemingr, the son of king Hundingr, was home. But when Helgi went away, then met he a herder and spoke,
1.
'Say thou to Heming
that Helgi remembers
who in byrnie
the warriors felled.
It was the gray wolf
whom you had within
although known as Hamal
to king Hundingr.
(Hamal hight the son of Hagall.) King Hundingr sent men to Hagall to seek Helgi. But Helgi might not escape by another way, than to take on the clothes of a bondsmaid and go to grind meal. They sought and found not Helgi. Then spoke Blindr the Bale-Wise,
2.
'Keen are the eyes
of Hagall's thrall-maid,
she is not of carles' aett
who at quern stands!
The stones spring apart
the bin breaks before.
3.
'Now has a hard deeming
the warrior received,
he who as prince
shall wal-barley grind.
Rather were seemly
for those hands
the sword's grip
than the mill-handle.'
Hagall answered and said,
4.
'That is little strange
though the mill thrums,
for a kingly maid
turns the handle.
She stormed forth
over the clouds
and dared to battle
as vikings,
before Helgi on her
fastened fetters,
she was a sister
of Sigar and Hogni,
thus has aweful eyes
the Ylfing maid.'
Helgi got away and fared on a warship. He felled king Hundingr and was afterwards called Helgi Hunding's-Bane. He lay with his army in Bruni Bay and made there a supply raid on land and ate there raw (meat). Hogni hight a king. His daughter was Sigrun; she was then a valkyrie and rode air and water. She was Svava born again. Sigrun rode to Helgi's ships and spoke,
5.
'Who lets float
the fleet in harbour?
Where, host-mighty
have you home?
What do you bide
for in Bruni Bay?
Where do you look
to know your path?'
Helgi said:
6.
'Hamall lets float
the fleet in harbour,
We have our home
in Hles Island!
We bide for good breeze
in Bruni Bay,
we look eastward
to know our path!'
Sigrún said:
7.
'Where have you, helmed one
battle wakened
or fed the goslings
of Gunnr's sister
why is your byrnie
with blood sprinkled?
why should, under helms,
you eat raw meat?'
Helgi said:
8.
'That did most newly
the Ylfings' descendant
before western flood
if you look to know,
where we took bears
in Bragi Grove
and the aett of eagles
with edges sated.9.
Now is said, maid,
what strife-reasons readied themselves:
why we by mere's edge
little-steaked (meat) eat.'
Sigrún said:
10.
'Battle brightened thou!
was before Helgi
king Hundingr
sunk to the field!
bore battle together
who revenged kinsmen,
and blood streamed
from the blade's edges.'
Helgi said:
11.
'How do you know
that you see they,
- wise understander -
who revenged kinsmen?
Many are the keen ones
warriors' sons,
and like
to our descendants.'
Sigrún said:
12.
'I was not far
from folk's edge-leader,
yesterday by morning
at life's-closing of prince.
Yet name I wily
Sigmundr's bairn,
he who in wal-runes
of battle-play speaks.13.
'I saw you
forward in the longships,
where you dwelt
by bloodied staves,
and the spray-cold
waves played;
now will hide himself
the daybright from me,
But Hogni's maid
Helgi kens!'
Granmarr hight a powerful king, who settled at Svarin's Howe. He had many sons: Hodhbroddr, second Gudhmundr, third Starkaðr. Hodhbroddr was at a meeting of kings; he betrothed himself to Sigrun Hogni's daughter. And when she heard that, she rode with valkyries through water and through air to seek Helgi. Helgi was then at Logi Fells and had done battle with Hundingr's sons. There felled he Alfr and Eyjolfr, Hjorvardhr and Hervardhr, and he was all tired with fighting, and sat under Eagle-Stone. There Sigrun met him and embraced him about the neck and kissed him and said to him her news, as is said in the 'Old Lay of the Volsungs'.
14.
Sigrun sought
the glad hero,
home to bring Helgi
to seek her hand,
kissed and spoke
to the king under helmet,
then turned helm-wearer
hugr to the woman.15.
First, said she, she had loved
with all hugr,
the son of Sigmundr
before she had seen him.
Sigrún said:
16.
'I was to Hoðbroddr
in host betrothed,
but another boar
I did not wish.
Though I see before me, folk-leader
kinsmen's wrath,
I have my father's desired
rede broken.'17.
Hogni's maid began
of hugr to speak:
she said, she must have
Helgi's protection.
Helgi said:
18.
'Think you not
of Hogni's wrath,
nor the ill hugr
of your aett!
You shall, maid young
with me live,
you have an aett, a good one,
while I may live.'
Helgi gathered together a mighty ship-host and fared to Freki Stone and got in the harbour a great storm, dangerous to men. Then came lightning over and bright beams stood in the ships. They saw in the lightning, that nine valkyries rode and they kenned Sigrun. Then the storm laid and they came hale to land. Granmarr's sons sat on a certain berg, when the ships sailed to land. Guðmundr leapt on horse and rode to look from the mountain to the harbour; then the Volsungs rolled their sails down. Then spoke Guðmundr, as it is written before in the Lay of Helgi:
19.
Who is the Skjoldung
who steers the ships,
lets battle-flags
gold before the stave?
Frith seems not to me
in the faring's van,
battle-red turns
around the vikings.'
Sinfjotli said:
20.
'Here may Hoðbroddr
Helgi ken,
ready for battle,
in the fleet's middle,
he has the homeland
of your aett,
the Fjorsung's inheritance
under himself thrust!'
Guðmundr said:
21.
'That shall first
at Freki Stone
warriors together
judge of strife-sakes.
I say it is time, Hodhbroddr
revenge to win,
for we the lesser
part long bore.'
Sinfjotli said:
22.
'First shall you, Guðmundr
to goats tend,
and in cliff-clefts
climb about
have you in hand
a hazel-twig,
that were blither
for you than swords' deeming.'
Helgi said:
23.
'It were for you, Sinfjotli
seemlier greatly,
battle to raise
and gladden eagles,
than with unneeded
words to battle,
although the ring-breakers
are estranged by hate.24.
'I expect no good
from Granmarr's sons,
yet fit is for princes
to tell the truth.
They have shown
at Moins-Home,
that they have courage
blades to brandish,
they are warriors
swift to bravery.
Guðmundr rode home with news of the host; then summoned Granmarr's sons the army. Many kings came there. There was Hogni, Sigrun's father, and his sons Bragi and Dagr. There was a great battle, and fell all of Granmarr's sons, and all of the chieftains, except Dagr, Hogni's son, got quarter and swore oaths to the Volsungs. Sigrun went among the slain and found Hodhbroddr with his death coming. She said,
25.
'For you shall not Sigrun
from Seva Fells
king Hodhbroddr!
sink into arms!
Slain are the lives
- and reach the corpses,
gray steeds of giantess -
of Granmarr's sons.
Then she met Helgi and became all-glad. He said,
26.
'All is not to you,
all-wise, given, -
I say that certain
norns ruled -
fell in the morning
at Freki Stone
Bragi and Hogni
I was their bane.27.
'And at Styr Cliff
Starkaðr the king,
though at Hlé Mountains
Hrollaugr's sons.
He saw I as warrior
most grim of ghost,
his body battled
though head was gone!28.
'Lie on the earth
all the many
of your kinsmen
become corpses.
You might not turn aside
battle that was shaped for you,
that you become strife
for mighty men.'
Then wept Sigrun. He said,
29.
'Have hugr, Sigrun!
a Hildr you've been to us!
No Skjoldung wins against what's shaped.'
Sigrún said:
30.
'Life would I now chose for those
who are slain,
and if I could also conceal you in embrace!'
Helgi got Sigrun in marriage, and they had sons. Helgi was not old. Dagr, Hogni's son, made blot to Óðínn for his father's revenge. Óðínn lent Dagr his spear. Dagr found Helgi, his kinsman, in that place called "Fetter-Grove". He laid against Helgi with the spear. There fell Helgi. But Dagr rode to the fells and spoke the news to Sigrun.
31.
'Reluctant am I, sister
sadness to say to you,
for I have, need-pressed
brought sister to weep.
Fell in morning
at Fetter-Grove,
the prince, who was
best in the world,
and of heroes
at the throat stood.'
Sigrun said:
32.
'You shall all
oaths bite,
those which to Helgi
you have sworn,
by the lighting
Leiptr's water,
and the drizzle-cold
wave-stone.33.
'Glide not that ship
that glides under you
though wished-for breeze
lie behind you.
Run not that steed
who runs beneath you,
though from your foes
you would save yourself!34.
Bite not for you
that sword which you brandish,
unless to you yourself
it sings around head!
'Then were I revenged
for Helgi's death,
if you were a warg
in the woods outside,
robbed of all wealth
and of all pleasure,
having no meat
but what from corpses bursts!'
Dagr said:
35.
'Mad are you, sister
and without wits,
when you to your brother
this bidding decree.
Óðínn alone rules
all bale,
because he among siblings
runes of strife-cause brought.36.
'Your brother offers
you red rings,
all Vandil's holy places
and Battle-Dales -
have you half the world
for harm to pay,
bride ring-adorned
and your bairns.'
Sigrun said:
37.
'I shall never sit so blessed
at Seva Fells,
nor early wander
that I enjoy life,
unless on the host's leader
the light shines,
runs under the leader
the battle-steed there,
to gold bit accustomed
if I could embrace the prince!38.
'So had (Helgi)
himself fearsome made
to his foes
and their kinsmen
as before
the wolf wod-wild run
goats from the fell
full of fear.39.
'So bore Helgi
among warriors
as nobly-shaped
as an ash above thorns,
or the stag-fawn
sprinkled with dew,
who fares
over all animals
and horns glow
to heaven itself.'
A howe was readied over Helgi. But when he came to Valholl, then Odhinn offered him everything to rule with himself. Helgi said:
40.
'You shall, Hundingr
for every man,
footwater ready
and fire kindle
the hounds bind
the horses herd,
give the swines swill
before going to sleep.'
Sigrun's bondsmaid went in the evening by Helgi's howe and saw, that Helgi rode to the howe with many men. The bondsmaid said,
41.
'What sort of deception
is that which I seem to see,
or else the doom of the gods?
dead men ride
who their horses
with points spur:
or is to the warriors
a faring home given?'
Helgi said:
42.
'That is no deception
which you seem to see,
nor the rending of ages
although we appear,
although we our horses
with points spur
nor is to the warriors
a faring-home given.'
The bondsmaid went home and said to Sigrun,
43.
'Go out, Sigrun,
from Seva Fells,
if you the folk-warder
list to find!
The howe is unlocked
Helgi is come,
blade's tracks bleed
the day-bright bade you
that you wound-drops
should put to rest.'
Sigrun went into the howe to Helgi and spoke,
44.
'Now am I so joyful
over our meeting,
as the meat-greedy
hawks of Odhinn,
who know of slain,
of warm corpses,
or dew-lighted
the dawn see.45.
'First will I kiss
the king unliving,
yet thou the bloody
byrnie cast off.
Thy hair is, Helgi
wet with frost,
the prince is all
with wal-dew soaked,
the hands spray-cold
of Hogni's kinsman!
How shall I, prince
bettering for this win?'
Helgi said:
46.
'You alone rule, Sigrun
from Seva Fells,
how Helgi is
with sorrow-dew soaked:
you weep, gold-adorned,
with grim tears,
sun-bright, southern,
before going to sleep.
Each falls bloody
on breast of the prince,
spray-cold, hot within
pressing with sorrow.47.
'Well shall we drink
the dear draught,
although we have lost
desire and lands!
shall no man
a sorrow-song sing,
although in my breast
the bane-wound appear,
now that the bride
is shut in the howe,
the warrior's dis
with us, the dead!'
Sigrun readied a couch in the howe.
48.
'Here have I for you, Helgi
a couch readied,
without sorrow
Ylfing's descendant!
I will embrace you
within folk-leader, sleep,
as I, with the prince
living remember.'
Helgi said:
49.
'Now can I nothing
unawaited name,
late or early
at Seva Fells,
when you in the arms
of the unliving sleep,
white, in the howe,
Hogni's daughter,
and you are living
kingly-born!50.
Time is for me to ride
the reddening ways,
the pale steed
the flight-path treads;
I must westward
on wind-helm's bridge,
before Salgofnir
wakes the sig-folk.'
Then Helgi rode with his host, but the women went home to the dwelling. The next evening Sigrun had her bondsmaid hold watch on the howe. But at the day-setting, when Sigrun came to the howe, she said,
51.
'Come were by now
if he meant to come,
Sigmundr's bairn
from Odhinn's hall:
I say the hope lessens
that hero will come,
when on the ash-limbs
the eagle sits,
and all hosts go
to the dream-Things.
The bondsmaid said:
52.
'Be not so mad
as alone to fare
- Skjoldungs' dis -
to the draug-house.
Become mightier
all by night,
the dead wights
than by light day.'
Sigrun was short-lived from pain and sorrow. That was believed in ancient times, that men were born again, but that is now called an old wives' tale. It is said of Helgi and Sigrun that they were born again. He hight then Helgi Haddings'-Prince, and she Kára the daughter of Halfdan, as is spoken in "The Song of Kára", and she was a valkyrie.
Note: This translation and others in this collection bearing this notice are the sole work of Stephan Grundy and are here with his permission. They are under his copyright. They are freely reproducible and quotable as long as this notice is attached if these are being reproduced or due credit is given to him for his translation if they are being quoted in another work.