The Story of Sigurd the Volsung Written in Verse

’ ’ Alco s Little Wo men . Macau a s His o o f En land tt l y t ry g .

’ C h a I . Alle n s He roes o f In dian History an d p ’ Sto ries of thei Times . i t h M a s Macau a s Histo o f En land r W p l y ry g .

n d I llus t r a t i o n s . C a h a p I I I .

’ ’ Anderso n s En lish Le t e s se e cted Macau a s Hi sto of En land g t r l l y ry g , for Reading in Scho ols . Se le ctio ns fro m .

’ ’ Arno ld s o hrab and Rus um, an d Macau a s La s of Ancient Ro me &c S t l y y , .

Balde D ead . ’ r Ma a s Se tle s in Can ada . ’ rry t t r Bal ant ne s The Co al Is and . ( Ab l y r l ’ Mi ton s P a adise Lost . B o o k s I II r i d g e d ! . l r

I I I . I . a n . ’ , V , d V Carroll s Alice in Wo nderland . ’ ’ ’ Milto n s C o mus Il P e ns eroso L Alle C es , , o ok s (Cap ain ! Voyag . t ro and L id as c . ’ g y f r s De oe s Robinso n C u oe . ( Abri d ge d rr ’ ’ t n Mo is s Atalanta s Race , and The Wi h I llus t r a t i o s . ’ P ro ud King . i n l D cke s A Christmas Caro . ’ M or is s The Man Bo n to be King . Dickens Selectio ns f o m. Wi t h r r , r I l us t r t i o n s ’ l a . Morris s The Story o i the Glittering ’ Do le s ic Clar e A r l i n y M ah k . ( b id ge d ! P a . ’ Wi t h 2 0 I us t r t o n s . ll a i Mo rris s The Sto ry o f Sigurd the ’ Do le Vo sun . y s The Refugees. ( Abrid ge d ! l g

Wi t h I llu st r a t i o n s . Newman Li erar Selec io ns from . , t y t ’ Do le s The hite Co m an . Ab ’ y W p y ( B eade s The Clo iste and the He rt r a h . r i d g e d Wi t h 1 2 I ll us t r a t i o n s ’ Rus kin s Kin of the Go lde n Ri e . ’ g v r Fro n de s Short S udi es o n Great t ’ Sco s La of the Last Minst el . Su ects . t on us y bj S e le c i s . Wi th Ill tt r t n ’ r a t i o s . Sc t s Ma mio n o t r . ’ H a a r d s E i c B r i e e s ’ g g r g h t y . Sc ott s The Lady of the Lake . ( Abr i d ge d ! ’ ’ Scot s The Talisman . ( Abr id e d ar t g Hagg d s Lysbeth. ( Abrid ge d ! ’ c tt s A Le en f ’ S o d o Montr ose . Hawt o ne s A Wonde Bo ok g h r r . ( Ab rid ge d ! ’ Hawtho ne s Tanglewoo d Tales. ’ r S n cott s Iva ho e . ( Ab rid ge d ! ’ ’ Hu es Tom Bro wn s Sc o ol D gh h ays . ’ Scott s Quentin Durwar d . ( Ab rid ged ! ( Abr id g e d Wi t h Fr o n t i sp i e c e ’ So ut ey s The Life of Nelso n . Jeﬂerles Ric a d Selections fr o m h ( h r !, . ’ ’ Ste e ns on s Bo ok o f Se lec io ns . Kin sle s The He es Wi t h I l u v t g y ro . l s n ’ ’ t r a t i o s . d n s Stevenso n s A Child s Gar e of Ver e . ’ Ki n s e s Herewar the W k i t h a P o r t r a i t g l y d a e . W ( Abr i d ge d ! Tales o f King Arthur a nd the Ro und ’ Kin sle s Westwa d Ho ’ t s t r a t i o n s . g y r Table . Vt i h I llu ’ Lambs Tales f o m S akes ear h p e . r T ackera Selec io ns f o m. h y, t r ( Ab r i d e d g ! ’ ’ T o nto n s Selec io n of P oe r . Lan s Ta es o f the Gre ek h r t t y g l Seas . ’ Wi t h I ll u s r t i o n s an s The H o us e o f the W olf . t a . Weym

’ ’ Lan s Tale s o f Tro i t h I immern s Go ds and He o e s o f the g y . W ll us Z r

t r a t i o n s n h i t h I llu s r a t i o n s . a d a M a p No rt . W t

N R LO N GMAN S GR F E N AND C O. LO D O N E W Y OR K B OM B A Y C A LC U TTA A D M A D A S , , N N , , , , T HE S T O RY O F

SIGURD T HE V O LSUN G

W RITTEN IN V ERS E BY

W I LL I A M M O R R I S

‘

W I T H P ORT ION S C ON D E NS E D INT O P R OS E

T U RNER B A WINIFRED , . .

A I T M I ST RESS W ARE RAM M A L T E ASS STAN , G R SC HO OL FOR GI RLS

AN D M A HELEN SCOTT, . .

( NEW I M P RE S S I ON

G M A N S G R E E N A N D C O L O N , . P A T E R N O S T E R R O W L O N D O N 3 9 , F I F T H A V E N U E N E W Y O R K 5 5 , BO M BAY C AL C UT TA AN D M AD RA S , ,

1 9 2 2

BI O G RAP H I C AL INT RO D UC T ION

BY . J W . M AC KAI L

ILLIAM MORRIS, one of the most eminent imaginative ff writers of the Victorian age, di ers from most other poets —ﬁrst he and men of letters in two ways , did great work in many other things as well as in literature ; secondly, he had beliefs of his own about the meaning and conduct of life, about all that men ff m think and do and make, very di erent fro those of ordinary people, and he carried out these views in his writings as well as in all the other work he did throughout his life .

1 8 He was born in 3 4 . His father, a member of a business ﬁrm i n in the City of London , was a wealthy man and lived in Essex, a country house with large gardens and ﬁelds belonging to it, on the edge of Epping Forest . Until the age of thirteen Morris was at home among a large family of brothers and sisters . He delighted in the country life and especially in the Forest, which is one of the most romantic parts of England , and which he made the scene of many real and imaginary adventures . From fourteen to eighteen m d he was at school at Marlborough a ong the Wiltshire owns, in t he a country full of beauty and history, and close to another of ancient forests of England , that of Savernake . He proceeded from m school to Exeter College, Oxford , where he soon for ed a close friendship with a remarkable set of young m e n of his own a ge chief ’ among these, and Morris s closest friend for the rest of his life , was

- d Edward Burne Jones, the painter . Stu y of the works of John V

Z e o b S vi BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODU CTION Ruskin conﬁrmed them in the admiration which they already felt m m o f for the life and art of the Middle Ages . In the su er vacation 1 8 55 the two friends went to Northern France to se e the beautiful towns and splendid churches with which that count ry had been filled between the eleventh and the ﬁfteenth centuries ; and there they made up their minds that they cared fo r art m ore than for anything else , such as wealth or ease or the opinion of the world , and that as soon as they left Oxford they would becom e a rt ist ss

‘ By art they meant the m aking of beauty for the adornment and

t. m t enrichmen of human life, and as artists they eant to strive agains all that w as ugly or mean or untruthful in t he life of their own m ti e . e Art, as th y understood it, is one single thing covering the whole t ff m of life but prac ised in many special forms that di er one fro another . Among these many forms of ar t there a re two of principal im is w w portance . One of the two the art hich is concerned ith the m a king a n d adorning of the ho u ses in which m e n and wom en live ;

sa r h . a n t that is to y, a chitecture, wit all its tte dant arts of decora ion,

liid in l t he e in c g scu pture, painting, d signing and ornamenting of

- . tal, wood and glass, carpets, paper hangings, woven , dyed and all a n d all embroidered cloths of kinds, the furniture which a house use e h may ha ve for or pleasur . The ot er is the art which is con t he o se c erned with making and adorning of stories in pr and verse . . Bot h of these kinds of art were practised by Morris througho ut his T he o e hi s o t d his life . f rm r was principal ccupa ion he ma e living it i h e d him by , and built up in it a business wh c alon ma e famous, m an d which ha s . had a great inﬂuence towards bringing ore beauty e a nd e a in t o daily domestic lif in England in other countri s lso . His

o n w as h a a e e a n d e r . professi t us that of manuf cturer, d sign r, d co ator

he . e f n o a him When had to d scribe himsel by a si gle w rd , he c lled i e r But it is t he self a des gn . latter branch of his art which BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODU CTION vii

r m p incipally concerns us now, the art of a aker and adorner of s or . b m m e t ies He eca e fa ous in this kind of art also , both in pros

as m - a s and verse , a ro ance writer and a poet . But he spoke of it h m m play rat er than work, and although he Spent uch ti e and great e pains on it, he regard d it as relaxation from the harder and more his h constant work of life, whic was carrying on the business of s designing, painting, weavin g, dyeing, printing and other occupation f m t o o that kind . In later life he also gave much of his ti e political d t and social work , with the object of bringing back mankin in o a a p th from which they had strayed since the end of the Middle Ages, and creating a state of society in which art, by the people and for t he m t he i » people, a joy to the aker and user, might be naturally, eas ly, a n d universally produced . Even as a boy Morris had been noted for his love of reading and inve n ting tales ; but he did not begin to write any until he had f o been for a couple of years at Ox ord . His earliest p ems and his ea s m 1 8 i rlie t written prose tales belong to the sa e year, 5 5, in wh ch he n m o determi ed to ake art his professi n . The ﬁrst of either that m he published appeared in the Oxford and Ca bridge Magazine , 1 6 which was started and m anaged by him and his friends in 8 5 . 1 8 8 f he m In 5 , a ter had left Oxford , he brought out a volu e of “ poems called , after the title of the ﬁrst poem in the book, The ” e Def ence of Guenevere . Soon afterwards he founded , with som

‘ of his o ld m Oxford friends and others who he had made in London , a t among whom D n e Gabriel Rossetti was the leadin g Spirit, the

o f M m . ﬁrm orris and Company, anufacturers and decorators His b he usiness, in which was the principal and ﬁnally the sole partner,

t he m e took up main part of his time. He had also arri d , and

“ built himself a beautiful small house in Kent, the decoration of m n e which went busily on for several years . A o g all these oth r occupations he almost gave up writing stories, but never ceased viii BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODU CTION

1 8 6 e in reading and thinking about them . In 5 he came back to liv '

London , where, being close to his work, he had more leisure for other things ; and between 1 8 65 and 1 8 7 0 he wrote between thirty and forty tales in verse , containing not less than seventy or “ f eighty thousand lines in all . The longest of these tales, The Li e ” 1 86 . and Death of Jason , appeared in 7 It is the old Greek story of the ship Argo and the voyage in quest of the Golden Fleece . “ ” - f Twenty ive other tales are included in The Earthly Paradise, 1 868 1 8 published in three parts between and 7 0 .

i During these years Morris learned Iceland c, and his next pub lishe d m works were translations of so e of the Icelandic sagas, writ ‘ m n in e hu n d re d ings composed fro six to years ago, and containing m i i f a ass of legends, h stor es and romances inely told in a noble 1 8 6 language . These translations were followed in 7 by his great

V iblun s . epic poem, Sigurd the olsung and the Fall of the N g In t he that poem he retold a story of which an Icelandic version , “ ” V o lsu n a g Saga, written in the twelfth century, is one of the ’ is world s masterpieces . It the great epic of Northern Europe, just as the “ Iliad and “ Odyssey of Homer are the chief epics of 1E ” ancient Greece, and the neid of Virgil the chief epic of the ’ Roman Empire . Morris s love for these great stories of ancient m ti es led him to rewrite the tale of the Volsungs and Niblungs, f which he reckoned the inest of them all , more fully and on a larger

had . in scale than it ever been written before He had already, 1 8 fEn e id 7 5, translated the into verse, and some ten years later, — 1 88 6 8 . in 7 , he also made a verse translation of the Odyssey In “ 8 is 1 7 3 he had also written another very beautiful poem, Love

Enough, containing the story of three pairs of lovers, a countryman

- e and country woman , an emperor and empress, and a princ and w as e n o t o f a peasant girl . This poem writt n in the form of a play, narrative . BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION ix To write prose was at fi rst for Morris more difﬁcult than to him m write poetry . Verse came naturally to , and he co posed in ff prose only with much e ort until after long practice . Except for his early tales in the Oxford and Cambridge Magazine and his translations 1 8 8 2 of Icelandic sagas, he wrote little but poetry until the year .

About that time he began to give lectures and addresses, and wrote m e them in great nu bers during the latter part of his lif . A number of them were collected and published in two volumes called Hopes ” and Fears for Art and Signs of Change, and many others have h f been published separately . He t us gradually accustomed himsel to prose composition . For several years he was too busy with other h m m things, which he thoug t more i portant, to spend ti e on story 1 88 6 he telling ; but his instinct forced itself out again , and in began the series of romances in prose or in mixed prose and verse which went on during the next ten years . The chief of these are, “ ” ” W o lﬁ n s A Dream of John Ball , The House of g , The Roots ” ” “ of the Mountains, News from Nowhere, The Glittering ” “ ” Plain , The Wood beyond the World , The Well at the ’ ” “ ” “ World s End, The Water of the Wondrous Isles, and The

Sundering Flood . During the same years he also translated, out of an d m had Icelandic old French books, ore of the stories which he long known and admired . The Sundering Flood was written in his fi last illness, and nished by him within a few days of his death , t 1 8 6 in he autumn of 9 . I N T R OD U C TI ON T O SI GUR D

' BY TH E E DITORS

HE story Of Sigurd is im portant to English people not only o b a e for its w ndrous eauty, but also on account of its great g , us a V and of what it tells bout our own i king ancestors, who ﬁrst knew the story . e m The tal was known all over the north of Europe, in D en ark, m in Ger any, in Norway and Sweden , and in Iceland , hundreds o m ff of years bef re it was written down . So etimes di erent names m m were given to the characters, so eti es the events of the story were

e slightly altered , but in the main points it was one and the sam tale . If we lo ok at a map of Europe showing the nations as they

a o were rather more than a thousand years g , we see the names of Saxons, Goths, Danes, and Frisians marked on the lands around the Baltic Sea . Those who bore these names were the makers t he s of tale of Sigurd . The name of the Saxon is, of course , the best known to us, and next in im portance com e the people we call

Danes, or Northmen , or Vikings, who attacked the coasts of the m s m o Saxon kingdo s in England . The Saxon ca e fr m part of ' V the land that is now known as Germany, and the ikings from

Denmark and from Scandinavia . m A third i portant tribe was that of the Goths, who dwelt fi . rst in South Sweden , and then in Germany m All these people rese bled one another in their way of life, . a n d in their religion , and in their ideas of what deeds were good — t o o what w ere evil . Their lands were barren mountainous or x INTRODU CTION xi c r s m s \too old to b ing forth fruitful crop , and their ho e were not such as would tempt men never to leave them . So, though they built their little groups of wooden houses in the valleys of their m h lands, and made ﬁelds and pastures about the , t ese were often t he m left to the care of wo en and the feeble men , while the

strong men made raids over the sea to other countries, where t t he hey engaged in ﬁghting which they loved , and whence they

k m . o brought bac plunder to their ho es North , S uth, East, and had r West they went, till few parts of Europe not lea nt to o kn w and fear them . ’ a as Their ships were long and n rrow, driven often by oars o well as sails, and outside them , al ng the bulwarks, the crew hung

w o - their round shields made of yello woo d fr m the lime tree . The

- men wore byrnies or breast plates, and helmets, and they were

o a h ba t tle axe s . rmed wit swords, long Spears, or heavy They were

e ff i nemies none could a ord to desp se, for they had great stature

o t o ﬁ e rc e n e ss and strength of b dy, joined such and delight in war

_ m tha t they held a man disgraced if he d ied peacefully at ho e . m Moreover, they knew nothing of ercy to the conquered . ff Courage, not only to ﬁght, but also to bear su ering without

impatience or complaint, and the virtue of faithfulness were the w as qualities they most honoured . To be wanting in courage e disgraceful in their eyes, but it was qually disgraceful to refuse h to help kinsfolk, to lie, to deceive, or to desert a c ief. ei e o t If they put th r enemi s to death with fearful t r ures, they did not treat them more severely than the traitors they discovered a mong themselves, and if they had no pity for those they conquered , et a t y they knew well how to admire gre leaders, and how to e s serve them faithfully . But we can b st realise their idea on these

matters by considering their religion and their stories. O o s an d They worshipped one chief god , din , and other g d ii INTRODUCTION

A l r goddesses who were his children . Odin was often called ll fgthg , because he was the helper and friend of human beings, and “ m - appeared on earth in the for of an old man , one eyed and ” - seeming ancient, with cloud blue hood and grey cloak . He had o courage, strength , and wondrous wisd m , for he knew all events that happened in the world , and he understood the Speech of birds, e and all kinds of charms and magic arts . Men served him by brav

ﬁghting in a good cause, and when they perished in battle he received er e their souls in his dwelling of Valhalla in the city of Asgard , wh e they spent each day in warfare, and where at evening the dead wer w l ’ revived , the ounded hea ed , and all feasted together in Odin s palace . Sae hrim n e r w as There they fed upon the ﬂesh of the boar , which renewed as fast as it was eaten . Certain maidens called Valkyrie, s O ’ or Chooser of the Slain , were din s messengers whom he sent fi w ho m he forth into the battles of the world to nd the warriors c had . appointed to die, and to bring them to Valhalla a In the story of Sigurd Odin has a very import nt part to play, but for the understanding of the tale it is necessary to know som ething w ho r . , , g S about anothe of the gods This ‘ is Loki thou h prung i from the race of the g ants, yet lived with the sons of Odin in

Asgard, behaving sometimes as their trusty helper, but more often m m as their cunning ene y . He caused uch wretchedness, not only among the gods, but on earth also, for he delighted in the sight

m t t he of misery . His vices were all those ost ha eful to Norse

- people , for he was before all things a liar, a deceiver, a faith breaker, m ‘ fi a skilful worker of ischief by guile instead of by fair ght .

There are many stories of his cunning thefts, of the miseries he m wrought a ong his companions , and of his envy of the beloved

o d w . g Balder, whom he sle by a trick His children were terrible ’ monsters, as hated as himself. Yet, strange to say, Loki was Odin s companion in many of his adventures . INTRODU CTION xii i

The gods inhabited Asgard , a city standing on a high mountain ‘ m ’ in the iddle of the world . Odin s palace of Valhalla was there, and other palaces for his sons and daughters . All round Asgard lay m e n Midgard , or the ordinary world of and women . Its caves and waste places were inhabited by dwarfs, whom Odin had banished from the light of day for various ill deeds . They were a spiteful

an d and cunning race, jealous of mankind , eager to recover their lost power Their strength lay in their wondrous skill in handicraft , fo r they could forge more deadly weapons, and fashion more lovely jewels than any made by the hands of men . But, though possessed of wisdom , they had no spirit of kindness, no respect for right , and no dislike of wrong . se a h Around Midgard lay the , and beyond that Utgard, a ideous m frozen country inhabited by giants, ene ies of the gods . m But this arrange ent of the world was only for a season . The e h gods themselves looked forward to a tim of defeat and death , w en

fl m t he sun Asgard should perish in a es and the world with it, and

n d i a moon should be darkened , and they themselves should be sla n . m w This great day was called Ragnarok, or someti es the T ilight l of the Gods . Then Loki wou d gather giants and monsters

s to a great battle against the gods, who would slay their enemie , m but who would the selves fall in the struggle . The sea would drown the earth , the stars would fall , and all things would pass away . t he This terrible fate gods awaited with calm and cheerfulness, d showing even greater courage than in their many eeds of war .

They had to submit to this fate , for there were three beings e . ven greater than they These were the Norns, deciders of the fate of gods and men alike . They were three giant maidens

- i o who dwelt by a sacred, wisdom giv ng f untain , and who con trolled the lives of men , giving to each sickness and health, success xiv INTRODUCTION

f h . and ailure and death, when t ey would No man or god might h him escape w at the Norns decreed for . m e n Many stories of these gods, together with tales of famous ,

t he h s were told among nort ern pe oples . These stories were pa sed o n th w m from one to ano er by word of mouth , till they gre uch a s longer and fuller, and the h ppening of certain historical event he lped to take them from country to country .

As we have seen, all the races of the North were warlike so and e ager for adventure, and when trouble came upon them in their own homes, they readily took to the sea to plunder t he

. 8 00 00 A D coasts or to conquer other lands Between and 9 . ., when l m the Danes were invading Eng and , many were driven fro Norway

t o Fa irha ir because they refused submit to a king called Harold , and when he pursued them to the O rkney and Faroe Islands they took

. d m refuge on the coasts of Iceland There they settle , built the h selves wooden houses, planted suc crops as would grow in t hat '

d n . bleak lan , and fou ded a commonwealth Little by little they V left the old iking life, and it lived only in their songs and sto ries . h m T ey had co e to Iceland with a vast stock of tales in poetry, sk which were related or sung by professional poets, called alds, at all kinds of feasts and gatherings . The skalds arranged and t he improved old stories, but they were not written down until t he s m about time of our King Stephen , when o e unknown writer

m e dd . collected the into one book called the Eld r E a . Very soon after t his another book w as written conta ining the same stories r in prose and called the Younger or P ose Edda . In this way t he m t many of old poe s, and a great many s ories containing much information about t he religion which the people took with them to Iceland, have been preserved . But it was from neither of the Eddas that William Morris took his story of Sigurd . INTRODU CTION xv

t he 8 00 A D . All through period from . till about the time o f

o f n re - l m Henry III . Engla d , the skalds had been te ling any of t he r m v s d the poetic stories in prose, and as people g ew ore ci ili e , one tale after another was written down in its new form . h e as T ese prose tal s were called Sag , and among the very

s is V o lsun a . e greate t the g Saga, or Story of Sigurd It is a tal i n e W e which has been told other lands b sides Iceland . read part E of the same story in the Old nglish poem of Beowulf, and in m a i t ad n Ger ny was m e i to a great poem called the Nibelungenlied . m m The Ger an usician, Richard Wagner, set it to music in a e e But is famous seri s of operas called the Nib lungen Ring . h ’ tale diff ers in many po m ts from that contained in Morris s o m fo r the sa a as i p e , Morris chose old g it was wr tten in Ice m his o e land , not the Ger an story . On this he founded p m, e n h a n beautiful description , and greatly l gt ening the ddi g i much h w ole . t e i s e s ory d als ﬁrst with a certain K ng Volsung, to who e son , m Odin presented a agic sword . t he V s But Siggeir, the jealous king of Goths, slew o l ung, and o f r to o k Sigmund prisoner that he might have the sw rd o himself. Only after m any toils and perils did Sigmund win it back and ’ reign in his father s kingdom . At last in his old age he fell in battle and the sword of Odin was shattered . But his wife,

Queen Hiordis, kept the fragments for the son who was born h to her soon after in Denmark, w ither she ﬂed for sa fety .

This son of Sigmund and Hiordis was Sigurd the Volsung. He was brought up in Denmark and grew strong and beautiful, brave, kind of heart, and utterly truthful in word and deed . When he became a man he longed to win fame and kingship by h d h mig ty deeds, and when his tutor told him of a great ragon t at

a o f - gu rded a hoard ill gotten gold in the mountains, he resolved 1 INTRODU CTION

’ m n to kill it . So the frag ents of Odi s sword were forged into a n e w blade, and Sigurd slew the dragon and took the gold , but with it he brought on himself a curse which had been put upon t he m treasure by the dwarf from who it had been stolen . m l Sigurd then found and wakened Brynhild , a aiden who ay in an enchanted sleep upon a high mountain . They loved one ’ another, and Sigurd gave her a ring from the dragon s treasure, prom ising to return and m arry her Then the curse led him to with the ﬁerce and treacherous

Niblungs or Cloudy People . Their king and his mother g rew j e alo us when they saw Sigurd more mighty and more beloved than m m h the selves, and by enchant ents t ey caused him to forget Brynhild , Niblun to wed the princess Gudrun , and at last to aid the g king,

Gunnar, to win Brynhild for his own wife . fo r Then the curse of the gold brought death to many, Sigurd and Brynhild discovered all the treachery of the Niblungs, who, h in their anger, slew Sigurd , and Brynhild killed herself that s e might not live and sorrow for him . Such is the story of Sigurd as it was told a thousand years b l a go in distant Iceland , and as it is retold in this poem y Wi liam

Morris .

2 THE STO RY OF SIGURD THE V OLSU NG

So therein withal was a marvel and a glorious thing to see, m m - ﬂo o r For amidst of its id ost hall Sprang up a mighty tree,

- That reared its blessings roofward , and wreathed the roof tree dear a With the glory of the summer and the garland of the ye r . w V I kno not how they called it ere olsung changed his life, f fe But his dawning of air promise, and his noontide of the stri ,

- His eve of the battle reaping and the garnering of his fame, Have bred us many a story and named us many a name ’ m e n V - And when tell of olsung, they call that war duke s tree,

e so m e . That crown d stem , the Branstock and was it told unto

SO V there was the throne of olsung beneath its blossoming bower, ’ ’ - s But high o er the roof crest red it ro e twixt tower and tower, w e re t he w ild dw e llin a bidin t h do le o f t he ir lo rd And therein hawks g, g e h t he And they wailed hig over the wine, and laughed to waking sword .

10 Still were its boughs but for them , when , on an even of May Comes a man from Siggeir the King with a word for his mouth to say :

‘ V o t hs I e All hail to thee King olsung, from the King of the G com He hath heard of thy sword victorious and thine abundant home ; ’ b t he He hath heard of thy sons in the attle , ﬁllers of Odin s Hall - hi m u I And a word hath the west wind blown , (f ll fruitful be its fall ! A word of thy daughter Signy the crown of womanhood m Now he dee s thy friendship goodly, and thine help in the battle good, And for these will he give his friendship and his battle - aid again u ii n d But if thou wo ldst grant his asking, make his heart full fain,

Then shalt thou give him a matter, saith he , without a price ,

- i Signy the fairer than fair, Signy the w ser than wise .

V n o the message gladdened olsung and his sons, but word

Signy, till the king asked her what her mind might be . Then “ rue said Signy, I will wed the Goth king, and yet shall I my lot ” in his hall . And Volsung urged her with kind words to do nought h a gainst her will , but her mind was ﬁxed , and she said she wroug t

- So t he e i hi but what the gods had fore ordained . earl of Sigg r went s 1 B OO K . SIGMUND 3

m way with gifts and fair words, bidding the Goth king co e ere a

- m month was over to wed the white handed Signy and bear her ho e .

S o on Mid - Summer Even ere the undark night began Siggeir the King of the Goth - folk went up from the bath of t he swan U nto the Volsung dwelling with m any an Earl about m m i e m There through the gli ering thicket the l nk d ail ran g out, And sang as m id the w o o dw a ys sings the summ er- hidden ford

- - - There were gold rings God fashioned , and many a D warf wrought

sword , And m any a Queen wrought kirtle and many a written Spear ; SO came they to the acres, and drew the threshold near, m - And a idst of the garden blossoms, on the grassy, fruit grown land , Was Volsung the K i ng ofthe Wood - world with his sons on e i ther hand ;

Therewith down lighted Siggeir the lord of a mighty folk, m Yet showed he by King Volsung as the bra ble by the oak, ’ m V 5 Nor reached his hel to the shoulder of the least of olsung sons . h And so into the hall t ey wended , the Kings and their mighty ones ; And t he t he d e a t li they dight feast full glorious, and drank through

of the day,

Till the shadowless moon rose upward , till it wended white away ;

- Then they went to the gold hung beds, and at last for an hour or twain

Were all things Still and Silent , save a ﬂaw of the summer rain .

su n h But on the morrow noontide when the was igh and bare,

More glorious was the banquet, and now was Signy there, s he sa t And beside King Siggeir, a glorious bride forsooth ’ s he - - Ruddy and white was wrought as the fair stained sea beast s tooth , he r But She neither laughed nor spake , and eyes were hard and cold ,

- h And with wanderin g Side long looks her lord would S e behold . m d so n That saw Sig und her brother, the el est Volsun g , o ft k u m e t And he loo ed pon her, and their eyes now and anon ,

And ruth arose in his heart, and hate of Siggeir the Goth , e d l d And there had he broken the w ding, but for plighted promise an

troth . 4 THE STORY OF SIGURD THE V OLSUN G

‘ e h t he But thos twain were be eld of Siggeir, and he deemed of V olsung kin, That amid their might and their malice small honour should he win ; m be Yet thereof made he no semblance, but . abided ti es to ,

And laughed out with the loudest, amid the hope and the glee . m And nought of all saw Volsung, as he dreamed of the co ing glory, And how the Kings of his kindred should fashion the round world ’ s

story.

So round about t he B ranstock they feast in the gleam of the gold - e And though the deeds of man folk wer not yet waxen old ,

Yet had they tales for songcraft, and the blossomed garth of rhyme ; Tales of the framing of all things and the enterin g in of time t he v From halls of the outer hea en so near they knew the door.

- Wherefore uprose a sea king, and his hands that loved the oar h - Now dealt with the rippling arp gold , and he sang of the shaping o f earth ,

And how the stars were lighted , and where the winds had birth , the e m And gl am of the ﬁrst of su mers on the yet untrodden grass . ’ ’ But e en as men s hearts were hearkening some heard the thunder pass ’ O er the clo udless noontide heaven and som e men turned about d d d An eeme that in the doorway they heard a man laugh out. V m T hen into the olsung dwelling a ighty man there strode,

‘ e — One - e bright his visage glowed o d - upon him , and his kirtle gleaming grey latter morning sundog when the Storm is on the way m he bore on his shoulder, whose ighty ashen beam ’ d 5 Burnt bright with the ﬂame of the sea and the blen ed silver gleam . And such was the guise of his raim ent as the Volsung elders ha d told ’ w as h borne by their fathers fathers, and the ﬁrst t at warred in t he wold .

de So stro he to the Branstock nor greeted any lord , m m But forth fro his cloudy rai ent he drew a gleaming sword ,

- And smote it deep in the tree bole, and the wild hawks overhead ’ Laughed neath the naked heaven as at last he spake and said B I O OK . SIGMU ND 5 d e h Earls of the Goths, and Volsungs, abi ers on the art , o f le n t e o us Lo there amid the Branstock a blade , p worth ’ The folk of the war - wand s forgers wrought never better steel ’ S m a n - ince ﬁrst the burg of heaven uprose for folk s weal . Now let the man among you whose heart and hand m ay shift ’ T o m pluck it from the oakwood e en take it for y gift . h ’ T en ne er, but his own heart falter, its point and edge shall fail ’ n t il b the night s beginning and the ending of the tale . m - V o fsu n Be erry Earls of the Goth folk, O g Sons be wise And reap the battle - acre that ripening for you lies V i For they told me in the 215! wood , I heard on the mounta n Side , is That the shining house of heaven wrought exceedin g wide, An d that there the Early - comers shall have abundant rest

While Earth grows scant of great ones, and fadeth from its best, And fadeth from its m idward and groweth poor and vile All hail to thee King Volsung l farewell for a little while

his So sweet speaking sounded , so wise his words did seem, m sa t i n a ' ha That oveless all men there, as ppy dream

We stir not lest we waken but there his speech had end , ' - o ﬂo o r . And slowly d wn the hall , and outward did he wend o him And none w uld cast a question or follow on his ways, ’ ' Qd n s a sw o rd For they knew that the gift W AL i , for the world

to praise .

But now spake Volsung the King Why sit ye silent and still ? ’ Is the Battle - Father s visage a token o f terror and ill 3

Arise O Volsung Children , Earls of the Goths arise, And se t your hands to the hilts as m ighty m e n and wise

' Yet deem it not too easy ; for belike a fateful blade h Lies t ere in the heart of the B ranstock for a fated warrior made .

Now therewith spake King Siggeir King Volsung give m e a grace m To try it the ﬁrst of all men , lest another win y place

- And mere chance hap steal my glory and the gain that I might win . 6 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE V O LSUNG

Kin V o lsu n a n d Gue st be in Then somewhat laughed g g, he said O , g ;

Though herein is the ﬁrst as the last, for the Gods have long to live, ” h o Nor hat Odin yet forgotten unto whom the gift he w uld give .

’ t o - m h Then forth the tree went Siggeir, the Goth folk s ig ty lord , m e And laid his hand on the ge ston s , and strained at the glorious sword Till his heart grew black with anger and never a word he said As he wended back to the high- seat but Signy waxed blood - red W hen he sat him adown be si de her and her heart was nigh to break For the shame and the fateful boding and therewith King Volsung spake

m m - m Thus co es back e pty handed the ightiest King of Earth , And how Shall the feeble venture ?yet each m a n knows his worth And today may a great beginning from a little seed upspring ’ To 0 e rpass many a great one that hath the name of Ki n g : 8 0 stand forth free and u n f 1e e stand forth both m ost and least B ut - ﬁrst ye Earls of the Goth folk, ye lovely lords we feast .

Upstood the Earls of Siggeir, and each man drew anigh And deem ed his tim e was coming for a glorious gain and high S ha in a n d - o But for all their mighty p g their deeds in the battle wo d ,

No looser in the Branstock that gift of Odin Stood . ’ ho m e m e n - l Then uprose Volsung s , and the fell abiding fo k ;

- And the yellow headed Shepherds came gathering round the Oak, And the searcher s of the thicket and the dealers with the oar m m a n And the least and the worst of them all was a ighty of war.

But for all their mighty shaping, and the Struggle and the strain

Of their hands, the deft in labour, they tugged thereat in vain ‘An d o f m e n t he still as the Shouting and jeers, and the names and laughter ’ - Beat backward from gable to gable, and rattled o er roof tree and

rafter, Moody and still sat Siggeir for he said : They have trained m e here As a mock for their woodland bondsmen and yet shall they buy

it dear . O O 1 B K . SIGMUND 7

t he m en s Now tumult sank a little , and cried on Vol ung the King

And his sons, the hedge of battle, to try the fateful thing. “ se t So Volsung laughed , and answered I will me to the toil, - d Lest these my guests of the Goth folk should eem I fear the foil .

- Yet nought am I ill sworded , and the oldest friend is best ’ ’ - And this, my hand s ﬁrst fellow, will I bear to the grave mound s rest, No r : h wield meanwhile another Yea, this shall I have in and ” W t he hen mid the host of Odin in Day of Doom I Stand .

Therewith from his belt of battle he raised the golden sheath , And Showed the peace - strings gl1t t e rin g about the hidden death

The n he laid his hand on the Branstock, and cried O tree beloved , I thank thee of thy good - heart that so little thou a rt moved a m Abide thou thus, green bower, when I dead and gone And the best of all my kindred a better day hath won l ”

e Then as a young man laugh d he, and on the hilts of gold His b - hand , the attle breaker, took fast and certain hold ,

And long he drew and strained him , but mended not the tale, Yet none the more thereover his m irth of heart did fail But he wended to the high - seat and thence began to cry

Sons I have gotten and cherished , now stand ye forth to try ;

- m m Lest Odin tell in God ho e how fro the way he strayed ,

And how to the m a n he would not he gave away his blade . Re rir m m So therewithal rose , and wasted ight and ain G u n t hio f Hu n t hio f m Then , and then , they wearied the in vain ; Nought was the might of Agn a r nought He lgi could avail ; do Sigi the tall and Solar further brought the tale,

G e irm u n d t he m G lﬁ . Nor priest of the te ple, nor y of the wood

o At last by the side of the Branstock Sigmund the Volsung sto d ,

s - And with right hand wise in battle the precious sword hilt caught,

Yet in a careless fashion , as he deemed it all for nought

When lo , from ﬂoor to rafter went up a shattering shout, For aloft in the hand of Sigmund the naked blade shone out 8 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG As high o’ er his head he shook it for the sword had come away h From the grip of the eart of the Branstock, as though all loose it lay . l A litt e while he stood there mid the glory of the hall, i s L ke the be t of the trees of the garden , when the April sunbeams fall its m On blossomed boughs in the orning, and tell of the days to be Then back unto the high- seat he wended soberly For th is was the thought within him Belike the day shall c o me

When I shall bide here lonely amid the Volsung home, It s - glory and sole avenger, its after summer seed . n his e Yea, I am the hired of Odi , workday will to sp ed , - — e . o And the harv st tide Shall be heavy What then , were it c me and past And I laid by the last of the sheaves with my wages earned at the last

w as his He lifted his eyes as he thought it, for now he come to

place, f f And there he stood by his ather and met Siggeir face to ace, him m him And he saw blithe and s iling, and heard how he Spake Of V 0 best the sons of olsung, I am merry for thy sake And the glory that thou hast gained us but whereas thine hand and heart ’ ’ e e n lac k st Are now the lords of the battle, how thou for thy part A matter to better the best Wilt thou overgild ﬁne gold O r dye t he red rose redder ? So I prithee let m e hold

This sword that comes to thine hand on the day I wed thy kin . For at home have I a storehouse ; there is m ountain - gold therein ’ The weight of a war- king s harness there is silver plenteous Store - o m There is iron , and huge wr ught a ber, that the southern men love

sore, se a When they sell me the woven wonder, the purple born of the ; is And it hangeth up in that bower, and all this a gift for thee

But the sword that came to my weddin g, methinketh it meet and right , fi ” That it lie on my kne es in t he council and Stead me in the ght .

But Sigmund laughed and answered , and he spake a scornful word ’ e o And if I take twice that tr asure, will it buy me Odin s sw rd,

1 0 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE V OLSU NG

“ fo r h Answered the smooth Speeched Siggeir : I thank thee well t is, And thy bidding i s most kingly yet take it not amiss That I wend my ways in the morn i ng for we Goth folk know indeed ” i s a a i . That the sea a foe full de dly, and friend that fa ls at need

’ fo r be And all the words of Volsung e en so must the matter , h m m se And Siggeir the Got and Signy on the o shall sail the a.

t he Then the feast sped on the fairer, far into night , but m d a idst the mirth Sigmun and Signy . were sad at heart . And before t he su n was risen next day Signy came to he r father in secret and begged him to stay in his o w n country rather than

- trust the guileful heart and murder loving hand of Siggeir . But ’ he Volsung answered that he must go to be Siggeir s guest, for n f So could o t break his pledged word through fear o peril . on

o - the m rrow the smooth speeched Siggeir departed with Signy, and i when two months were passed Volsung made ready to v sit t em .

H ow the olrun s a r ed t o the La n d o the Goths a nd o the V g f f , f

ll o Kin olsun f a f g V g .

O i n S now , when all things were ready, the ﬁrst of the autumn tide Adown unto the swan - bath the Vols ung Children ride ; o d And lightly g a shipboar , a goodly company , Though the tale thereof be scanty and their ships no more than three ’ But kings sons dealt with the sail sheets and earls and dukes of war

W ere the halers of the hawsers and the tuggers at the oar .

But when the sun on the morrow shone over earth and se a

Ashore went the Volsung Child ren a goodly company, ’ ’ bo lt And toward King Siggeir s dwelling o er heath and they went .

But when they came to the topmost of a certain grassy bent, N BO O K I . SIGMU D 1 1 Lo there lay the land before them as thick with shield and spear m ’ As the rich an s wealthiest acre with the harvest of the year . There bade K i ng Volsung tarry and dight the wedge- array ; “ ” “ d m e w a For uly, he said , doeth Siggeir to et his guests by the y .

So shield by shield they serried , nor ever hath been told O f any host of battle m ore glorious with the gold And there stood the high King Volsung in the very front of war a f And lovelier was his vis ge than ever hereto ore , As he rent apart the peace- Strings that his brand of battle bound m And the bright blade glea ed to the heavens, and he cast the sheath

to the ground . - - w Then up the steep came the Goth folk, and the spear wood dre

anigh , ’ e a rt h s f be n e h And ace shook q them , yet cried they never a cry ; r And the Volsungs stood all si ent, although forsooth at whiles ’ t - m O er the faces grown ear h weary would play the flickerin g s iles, : And swords would clink and rattle not long had they to bide , For soon that flood of m urder flowed round the hillock- side ; m m e n Then at last the edges ingled , and if forbore the shout, Yet the d in o f Steel a n d iron in the grey clouds rang about i s ! But how to tell of K n g Vol ung, and the valour of his folk Three tim es the wood of bat t le be fore their edges broke ;

- w d And the Shield wall , sorely d indled and reft of the ru dy gold , i - m Against the d r ft of the war blast for the fourth ti e yet did hold . ’ But m en s shields were waxen heavy with the weight of shaft s they

bore, And the ﬁfth time many a champion cast earthward Odin ’ s door

- And gripped the sword two hand e d and in sheaves the Spears cam e on. O f - it i - And at last the host the Goth folk w h n the shield wall won , ’ And wild was the work within it, and oft and o er again

b s d Forth rake the sons of Vol ung, and rave the foe in vain

i c ke n e d m i . For the driven thron , till it ight not g ve aback But fas t abode King am i d the shifting wrack In the place where 0 the forefront for he said My feet a re old , 1 2 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE V OLSUNG

And if I wend on further there is nought more to behold ” se e — Than this that I about me . Whiles drew his foes away

- And stared across the corpses that before his sword edge lay . But nought he followed after then needs must they in front a - m Thrust on by the thickening spe r thron g co e up to bear the brunt, Till all his limbs were weary and his body rent and torn Allfat he r ? Then he cried Lo now, , is not the swathe well shorn ” m e . ? Wouldst thou have toil for ever, nor win the wages due Q

t he And mid hedge of foemen his blunted sword he threw,

- And , laid like the oars of a longship the level war shafts pressed ’ is O n gainst the unshielded elder, and clashed amidst h breast, m ’ And dead he fell , thrust backward , and rang on the dead en s gear

But still for a certain season durst no man draw anear, ’ ’ ’ e e n For twas as a great God s Slaying, and they feared the wrath of the sky And they deemed their hearts might harden if awhile they Should

let him lie .

’ O the endin o a ll Volsun s San s sa v e Si mund on l a nd o how he f g f g g y, f

a bideth in t he w ild w ood .

he n V T y joined battle agai , but the ﬁght grew feeble after olsung fell , and his earls were Struck down one by one . Last of all , his sons were borne to earth and carried captive to the hall, where Siggeir

m V . awaited them, for he hi self had feared to face the olsung Swords he Then would have slain them at once without torture, but Signy besought him that they might breathe the earthly air a day fo r or two before their death , and he listened to her, he saw how m m e n he might thus give the greater pain . He bade his lead them to a glade in the forest and fetter them to the mightiest tree that grew there . So the ten V olsungs were fettered with i ron to a great ’ o e oak , and on the morr w Siggeir s woodmen told him swe t tidings, I BOOK . SIGMUND 13 fo r beasts of t he wood had devoured two and left their bones in the fetters . So it befell every night till the woodmen brought word ’ that nothing remained of the king s foemen save their bones in the h fetters that had bound t em . Now a watch had been se t on Signy lest she should send help to her brethren , but henceforth no man hindered her from going out to 8 0 the wood . that night she came to the glade in the forest, and saw in the midst of it a mighty man w ho wits to iling to dig a grave in t he greensward .

w as t he V she h ad n And behold, it Sigmund olsung but cried o fear

’ If thou art living, Sigmund , what day s work dost In the midnight and the forest ?but if thou art nought but a ghost h e Vo h t Then where are t os lsung brethren, of whom t ou wer best ” an d most ?

he r m Then he turned about unto , and his rai ent was fouled and torn , o r And his eyen were great and hollow, as a famished man forl n

f But he cried Hail, Sister Signy I looked for thee be ore, m s he mo Though what should a woman co pass, one alone and no re, ’ When all we shielded V olsungs did nought in Siggeir s land ? 0 yea, I am living indeed , and this labour of mine hand

- Is to bury the bones of the Volsungs ; and lo, it is well nigh done . ’ So draw near, Volsung s daughter, and pile we many a stone ’ Where lie the grey wolf s gleanings of what was once so good .

she labo u r a n d e t o ile d t he d So set her hand to the , th y , y twain in the woo ,

And when the work was over, dead night was beginning to fail “ Then Spake the white- ha nd Signy No w shalt thou tell the tale Of the death of the Volsung brethren ere the wood thy wrath Shall hide ” ir - a e Ere I we d me back sick hearted in the dwelling of kings to bid . 14 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE V OLSUNG Then said Sigmund “ We lay fettered to the tree and at midnight there came from

m - m the thicket two ighty wood wolves, and falling on y brethren G lﬁ Ge irm u n d n y and , they devoured them in their bonds , and tur ed again to the forest . Night after night , my sister, this befell , till I

- was left alone with our brother Sigi to await the wood beasts . Then o n e came midnight, and of the wolves fell upon Sigi and the other m e turned on . But I met it with snarling like its own, and my , , e i t eth gr pped its throat , and my hands strove with the fetters till SO they burst . I slew the beast with my irons, but when I looked ,

Sigi lay dead , and the other wolf had ﬂed again to the thicket . Then ’ I lay hid till Siggeir s wood m en had looked on the place and departed with their tidings, and as I beheld them I knew that pity was killed

t o m e in my heart, and that henceforward I should live but avenge on him who hath so set the gods at nought . Then Signy spake “ a : noble words of comfort, s ying I wot well that Siggeir shall pay e m a the due pric of his deeds, though the vengeance y tarry long, e and I wot also that thy life Shall yet know gladness . B ar a stout m heart , therefore , to meet the waiting ti e, and make thee a lair in

m e n - the woods whence thou mayest fall on of the Goth folk, and se e win what thy life needeth . As for me, I will thy face once again ere many days are past to wot where thou dwellest and then ” must we meet no more . so s he d And saying, kissed him and eparted , but Sigmund turned

- - w . in the da n light , and sought a wood lair as she had bidden him

’ O t he rter in Sin ot li Si n s son a nd o the sla in o Si eir the f ﬁ g qf ﬁ , g y , f y g f gg

oth- hin G g .

’ So wrought is the will of King Siggeir, and he weareth Od in s sword And it lies on his knees in the council and hath no other . lord 1 BOO K . SIGMU ND 1 5

’ ’ se a- ﬂo o d t And he sendeth earls o er the to ake King Volsung s land , And those scattered a n d shepherdless sheep m ust come beneath his

hand . - his a n d And he holdeth the milk white Signy as handmaid his wife, She And nought but his will doeth , nor raiseth a word of Strife m m So his heart is praising his wisdom, and he dee s him of ost avail O h f all t e lords of the cunning that teacheth how to prevail .

- . t he Now Sigmund dwelt long in wild wood , abiding in a strong

- cave deep hidden in a thicket by the river side . And n o w and again he fell upon t he folk of Siggeir as they

- n d as journeyed , and Slew them , and thus he had war gear a gold he e a much as he would . Also becam master of masters in the b smithying craft, and the folk who beheld the gleam of his forge y t h a a h night, deemed that a king of e Giants was wakened from de t to dwell there, and they durst not wander near the cavern . 8 0 passed the years till on a springtide morning Signy sent forth m to Sigmund a da sel leading her eldest son , a child of ten summers, an d bearing a word of he r_m o u t h to bid him foste r t he child for his

he - helper, if should prove worthy and bold hearted . And Sigmund heeded her words and fostered the child for the space of three h v he mont s e en though could give no love to a son of Siggeir. ’ he At last was minded to try the boy s courage, to which end he

ash- - set a deadly grey adder in the meal sack, and bade the child bake bread . But he feared when he found something that moved in t he the meal and had not courage to do task , Then would Sigmund

him n foster no longer, but thrust him out from the woods to retur f ’ to his ather s hall . 8 0 so n t h ten years won over again , and Signy sent another to e

- t he Sin ﬁo t li. wild wood , and lad was called Sigmund thrust him o a he int many dangers, and burdened him with heavy lo ds, and bo re all passing well . 16 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

Now after a year Sigmund deem ed that the t ime s fo r h1s testing

' w as add e r in - e come, and once again he set an the meal sack and bad bo m the lad bake bread . And the y feared not the wor , but kneaded it with the dough and baked all together . So Sigmund cherished as o w n he him his son , and grew Strong and valiant and loved

Sigmund as his father . Now Sigmund began to ponder how he might a t last take ven e a n c e Sin ﬁo t li all g on Siggeir, and gladly did hear him , for his love So he t he was given to Sigmund , that no longer deemed himself ’ - Goth king s son . o At last when the long mirk nights of winter were c me, Sigmund and his foster - so n went their way to the hbm e of Siggeir and sought i Sin ﬁo t li ’ to lurk there n . Then led the way to a storehouse where

- lay great wine casks, and whence they could see the lighted feast ’ m ' hall , and hear the cla our of Siggeir s folk . There they had to abide the time when the feasters should be hushed in Sleep . Long seemed

- Sin ﬁo t li m . the hours to , but Sig und was calm and clear eyed ’ Then it befell that two of Queen Signy s youngest - born children

a - threw golden toy hither and thither in the feast hall, and at last ’ W i - it rolled away among the ne casks till it lay at Sigmund s feet.

So the children followed it , and coming face to face with those

- c . lurkers, they ﬂed ba k to the feast hall And Sigmund and his

- so n fo r m foster saw all hope was ended , they heard the rising tu ult as men ran to their weapons so they made ready to go forth and

t he . die in hall Then on came the battle around the twain , and

h t o Sin ﬁo t li - but s ort is the tale tell, for slipped on the blood stained e ﬂoor and the Shield wall encompassed Sigmund , and so they wer both hoppled strait and fast . — The Goth folk washed their hall of blood and got them t o

e h he ht slumber, but Siggeir lay long pond ring what dire deat mig bring on his foes .

18 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE V OLSU NG hath the murder seed Sprung and borne its fruit ; now the death doomed and buried work this deed ; now doom draweth nigh thee ’ ” Sin ﬁo t li at the hand of Sigmund the Volsung, and , Signy s son . “ Then the voice cried again , Come ye forth, women of the

m f t he Goths, and thou , O Signy, y Sister, come orth to seek boughs

c - f of the Bransto k . So fled the white aced women from the fire, and ’ Sin fio t li s passed scatheless by blade, but Signy came not at all . Then i the earls of S ggeir strove to burst from the hall , but ever the two a glaives t the doorways drove them back to the fire .

10 c m m And , , now a e Signy in queenly rai ent, and stood before Sin ﬁo t li and said , O mightiest son , this is the hour of our parting, and fa i n am I of slu m ber and the end of my toil now I have seen a this day . And the blither do I leave thee because thy d ys on earth

a shall be but few ; I charge thee make thy life glorious, and leave d ” goo ly tale . f She kissed him and turned to Sigmund , and her ace in the dawn - light seem ed to him fair and ruddy as in the days when the y “ S he twain dwelt by the B ranstock . And said , My youth was h - appy, yet this hour is the crown of my life days which draw nigh their ending . And now I charge thee , Sigmund , when thou sittest m once ore a mighty king beneath the boughs of the Branstock, that m thou reme ber how I loved the Volsung name , and spared not to ” s h spend all that was m ine for its blossom ing. Then e kissed him and turned again , and the dawn brightened at her back, and the ﬁre shone red before her, and so for the last time was Signy beheld ’ - bo w e d by the eyes of men . Thereafter King Siggeir s roof tree G wb earthward , and the mighty walls crashed do , and so that dark

- m urder hall lay wasted , and its glory was swept away . BOOK I . SIGMU ND

H ow Si mun d cometh to the La n d o t he Volsun s a a in a nd o the g f g g , f

dea th o Sin ot li his Son f ﬁ .

’ d ki Sin fio t li so n Now Sigmun the gg bestirs him , and , Sigmund s , ho st t o e t he r m m g g , g And they ather a ‘ and any a i hty one ’ Then they se t the Ships in the se a - flo o d and sail from the stranger s shore ’ And the he aks of the golden dragons see the V olsungs land once more : ’ a re an d And men s hearts fulfilled of joyance they cry, The sun shines now h e a so w I With never a curse to hide it, and t ey Shall g p that ’ Then for many a day Sits Sigm und neath the boughs of the Bran

stock green ,

With his earls and lords about him as the Volsung wont hath been . m And oft he thinketh on Signy and oft he na eth her name, And tells how s he spent her joyance and her life - days and her fame That the Volsung kin might blossom and bear the fruit of worth u For the hope of nborn people and the harvest of the earth . da And again he thinks of the word that he spake that other y, H o w he Should abide there lonely when his kin was passed away, - m Their glory and sole avenger, their after sum er seed .

Sin ﬁo t li But far and wide went through the earth , mowing the m war swathe and wasting the land , and passing but little ti e in song ’ his an d and laughter in his father s hall . So went days in warfare valour, and yet his end was not glorious, for he drank of the poisoned cup given him by the sister of a warrior he had rightly slain . None might come n igh Sigmund in his anguish as he lifted t he

f - t he head of his allen foster child , and then swiftly bare him from

’ a i d - t h ll . On he went through dark th cket and over win swept hea h ,

- m d m past the foot hills and the ho es of the eer, till he ca e to a great r - a ushing water, whereon was a white s iled boat, manned by a mighty 20 THE STORY O F ‘ SIGURD THE V OLSUNG

- man , one eyed and seeming ancient . This mighty one told Sig

n r r mund he had been bidden to waft a great ki g ove the wate , and bade him lay his burden on board; but when Sigmund would have e e i followed he could s neither ish p nor man . But to e a Sigmund went back his throne, and b haved himself as ’ to i king, listening his people s plaints, and dealing out j ust ce .

O the la st bht t /e o Kin Si mun d a n d t he dea th o him. f f g g , f

E lim i Now there was a king of the Islands, whom the tale doth y call,

h he i - And sait was w se and valiant, though his kingdom were but s m all had l He one on y daughter that Hiordis had to n am e, a n d m A woman wise shapely beyond the praise of fa e . And now saith the son of King Volsung that his time is Short enow n se t To labour the Volsu g garden , and the hand must be , to the plough ’ So t he E lim i s - h he sendeth an earl of people to King y high built all , a n d w 1t ha l Bearing the gifts the tokens, and th is word in his mouth

King Sigmund the son of V olsung hath sent me here with ‘ a word a ha t e a rd That plenteous good of thy d ughter among all folk he t , w o o e t h t She m a S it his And he that wisest of women tha y on thron e .

’ N o w e - h reof would he have an answer within a half month s Space, ” e e e And thes gifts meanwhile he giv th for the increase of thy grac .

» E lim i So King y hearkened the message, and hath no word to say, m For an earl of King Lyn gi the mighty is co e that very day, ’ o f m is He too for the wooing Hiordis and Lyngi s real at hand , ’ r m se a n d But afa King Sig und abideth o er many a, a land t he an d o f o o And man is young eager, and grim and guileful m d, B OOK I . SIGMUND 2 1

sa e t h dee m e st At last he y Abide here such space as thou good , But tom orn shalt thou have thine answer that thine heart may the lighter be t he e For the hearkening of harp and songcraft, and d aling with game ” and glee . ’ h e she Then went to Queen Hiordis bower, where worked in the Silk and the gold

The deeds of the world that Should be, and the deeds that were of old . And he stood before her and said

O ften have I told thee that thou shouldst wed only the m an ” . i t d e s 1re thou wouldst Now hath come to pass that two kin gs thee . She as And swiftly rose to her feet she said , And which be they

“ T h ﬁ rst He spake e is Lyngi , a valiant man and a fair, ’

r. a A neighbou ill for thy father, if foe s name he must bear And the next is King Sigmund the V olsung of a land fa r over i And well thou knowest his kindred , and his m ght and his valiancy,

o ld ~ x n o And the tales of his heart of a God and though . he be wa en w , ’ ’ Y e t m e n deem that t he wide world s blossom from Sigm un d s l o in s ” shall grow .

“ a id io rdis : f e 1 S I wot, my father, that hereof may stri e aris ; i s i a m Yet soon spoken m ne answer for I , who called the wise, h I t S all thrus by, the praise of the people, and the tale that no ending

hath , nd t he o A the love and the heart of g dlike, and the heavenward

leading path, o f he o h - o F t rose and the stem of the lily, and the smo t lipped y ung i ’ l ng s kiss, ’ s r ss , ? And the eye desi e that pa eth and the frail unstable bliss Q d r m Now shalt thou tell King Sigmund , that I eem it the c own of y li fe ” n d T o dwe ll in t he ho use of his fathers amidst all peace a strife . 22 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

’ No w b the king s heart sore misgave him, but herewith must he e

content, 1ft s And great g to the earl of Lyngi and a word withal he sent, ’ ’ That the woman s troth was plighted to another people s kin g. ’ - But King Sigmund s earl on the morrow hath joyful yea saying, .

And ere two moons be perished he shall fetch his bride away . ” E lim i sa e t h m And bid him, King y y , to come with no s all array, ” B ut - with sword and shield and war shaft, lest aught of ill betide .

SO - ﬂo o d forth goes the earl of Sigmund across the sea wide, m t he And comes to the land of the Volsungs , and eeteth Sigmund

king’ t e lls ho w - And he sped on his errand , and the joyful yea saying . 0 m a t he 8 King Sigmund aketh him ready, and they ride down to sea m All glorious of gear and rai ent, and a goodly company . m o h Yet hath Sig und thought of his father, and the deed he wr ug t f be ore, And hath scorn to gather his people and all his hosts of war s : - To wend to the fea t and the wedding yet are their long ships ten, fo ll a bo a rd m e n And the shielded / them are the mightiest men of . h t he So Sigmund goeth a shipboard , and they oist their sails to wind , ’ And the beaks of the golden dragons leave the Volsungs land

behind . ’ E lim i s a n d e Then come they to y kingdom , good welcome hav h t ey there ,

e m . And when Sigmund look d on Hiordis, he dee ed her wise and fair B ut sa w her heart was exceeding fain when she the glorious king, u And it told he r of times that Should be f ll many a noble thing.

h a t So t e ce is Sigmund wedded a great and goodly feast, And day by day on Hiordis the joy of her heart increased f m m And her ath e r joyed in Sig und and his might and ajest , i - his e yie And de ad in t he heart o f t he Is c king anci nt fear did . BOO K I . SIGMUND 2 3

Ye t , forsooth , had men looked seaward , they had seen the gathering

cloud , s And the little wind arising, that hould one day pipe so loud . M 1 ht For well may ye wot indeed that King Lyngi the g y is wroth ,

When he getteth the gifts and the answer, and that tale of the wom an ’ s troth

And he saith he will have the gifts and the woman herself withal ,

Either for loving or hating, and that both those heads shall fall . m m So now when Sigmund and Hiordis are wedded a onth or ore, ’ m e n d m - ﬂo o d And the Volsung bids ight the to cross the sea o er, t idm s m m Lo, how there cometh the g of easureless ighty hosts Who are gotten ashore from their long- ships on the Skirts of King l m i’ Ey i s coasts .

- Sore boded the heart of the Isle king of what the end should be . “ ’ m him d e e m s t But Sig und long beheld , and he said Thou of me That my coming hath brought thee evil ; but put aside such things ; m 1 ht For long have I lived , and I know it, that the lives of g y kings

Are not cast away, nor drifted like the down before the wind ’ w m And surely I kno , who say it, that never would Hiordis ind V Have been turned to wed King Lyngi or aught but the olsung seed .

Come , go we forth to the battle , that Shall be the latest deed m Of thee and me mesee eth yea, whether thou live or die,

No more shall the brand of Odin at peace in his scabbard lie .

- w And therewith he brake the peace strings and dre the blade of bale,

sa t . And Death on the point abided , Fear on the edges pale

m e n - So ride adown to the sea strand , and the kin gs their hosts array When the high noon ﬂooded heaven and the m e n of the Volsungs la y ’ ’ K E lim i s With ing y shielded champions mid Lyngi s hosts of war, e As the brown pips lie i n the apple when ye cut it through t h core .

’ h t he But now w en kings were departed , from the King s house Hiordis

went, 2 4. THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

o And before men joined the battle She came to a wo dy bent, Where she lay with one of her maidens the death and t he deeds to

behold .

t he sun In noon shone King Sigmund as an image all of gold , t o o f m And he s o d before the foremost and the banner his fa e,

And many a thing he remembered, and he called on each earl by his name

V a o . To do well for the house of the olsungs , and the ges yet unb rn h his T en he tossed up the sword of the Branstock, and blew on f ’ ather s horn , - so m an Dread of so many a battle, doom song of many a . Then all the earth seemed moving as the hosts of Lyngi ran O n the Volsung men and the Isle - folk like wolves upon the prey ; But sore was their labour and toil ere the end of their harvesting day . O V n went the olsung banners, and on went Sigmund before, And his sword was the ﬂail of the tiller on the wheat of the wheat

thrashing ﬂoor, An d arm w as his shield was rent from his , and his helm sheared from his head But who may draw nigh him to smite for the heap and the rampart of dead ? h W ite went his hair on the wind like the ragged drift of the cloud , ’ - - w as - And his dust driven , blood beaten harness the death storm s

angry shroud, When the summer sun is depart i ng i n the first of the night o f wrack ; ' : And his sword was the cleaving lightning, that smites and is hurried aback Ere the hand may rise against it ; and his voice was the following

thunder .

, h t he o - a id T en cold grew battle bef re him, dead chilled with the fear t he wonder Fo r again in his ancie nt e ye s t he light of victo ry gleamed

26 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSU NG The lord and the overcomer and the bane of the Volsung kin ?” ’ So he fares to the Isle - king 5 dwelling a wife of the kings to win 13 t he And the host gathered together, and they leave the ﬁeld of dead ; - re d And round as a targe of the Goth folk the moo n ariseth .

so she n o t And when the last is departed , and deems they will come a back, m t he Fares Hiordis forth fro the thicket to ﬁeld of the fateful wrack, And half- dead was her heart for sorrow as she waded the swathes of

the sword . Not far did s he search the death- ﬁe ld ere she found her king and lord

On the heap that his glaive had fashioned not yet was his spirit past, m - Though his hurts were any and grievous, and his life blood ebbing fast Kn d glad were his eyes and open as her wan face over him hung, An d he spake

Thou art sick with sorrow, and I would thou wert not so young Ye t as my days passed shall thine pass ; and a short while now it seems t he - w as Since my hand ﬁrst gripped sword hilt, and my glory but in ” dreams .

t he shall he al t he e She said Thou livest, thou livest leeches still .

Q O ’ Nay, said he, my heart hath hearkened to din s bidding and will him For toda y have mine eyes beheld nay, he needed not to speak

Forsooth I knew of his m essage and the thing he came to seek . And now do I live but to tell thee of the days that are yet to come e t e And perchance to solace thy sorrow , and then will I g me hom

To my kin that are gone before me . Lo, yonder where I stood T he shards of a glaive of battle that was once the best of the good BOOK I . SIGMUND 2 7

m Take them and keep the surely . I have lived no empty days ; ’ t The Norns were m y nursing m o hers I have won the people s praise . When the Gods for one deed asked m e I ever gave them twain ’ m - Spendthrift of glory I was , and great was y life days gain Now these shards have been my fellow in the work the Gods would

have,

But today hath Odin taken the gift that once he gave . e t I have wrought for the Volsungs truly , and y have I known full well That a better o n e than I am shall bear the tale to tell s m he s so n And for. him hall these shards be s ithied and hall be my m ” To reme ber what I have forgotten and to do what I left undone .

e so m a n Then failed the voic of Sigmund but mighty was the ,

That a long while yet he lingered till the dusky night grew wan , ’ im She sa t h . And and sorrowed o er , but no more a word he spake Then a long way over the sea- ﬂo o d the day began to break ; And w he n o t he sun was arisen a little he turned his head m m Till the low bea s bathed his eyen , and there lay Sig und dead . And the su n rose up on the earth but where was the Volsung kin And the folk that the Gods had begotten t he praise ofall people to win

H ow King Sigmund the Volsung w a s la id in moun d on the sea -side

o the I sle- r ea lm f .

e e Now Hiordis looked from the dead , and her y s strayed down to se a the , a s she saw - m And hielded ship , and a war dight co pany, so s he fl Who beached the ship for the landing swift ed away, m And once more to the depth of the thicket, wherein her hand aid lay “ she m And said I have left y lord , and my lord is dead and gone, h And he gave me a charge full heavy, and ere are we twain alone,

And earls from the sea are landing give me thy blue attire, ’ n d t he - H fi e And take my purple a gold and my crown of sea ood s r , i 28 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE v O LSU NG

And be thou the wife of King Volsung when men of our names

shall ask, hid h And I will be the handmaid now I t ee to this task,

And I pray thee not to fail me, because of thy faith and truth , b e e e h And ecause I hav ver lov d thee, and thy mot er fostered my ” youth.

Sb t he other nought gain sa it h it and they shift their raiment there - m m But well spoken was the aiden , and a wo an tall and fair .

No w the lord of those new - coming m e n w as a king and the son of a

king’ Elf t he so n r - Kin g of the n e , and he sailed from war faring And drew anigh to the Isle - realm and sailed along the strand For the shipmen needed water and fain would go a - land And King Elf s t o o d hard by the tiller while the world was yet a - c old ! Then the red sun lit the dawning, and they looked , and lo, behold

The wrack of a mighty battle, and heaps of the shielded dead , m e And a wo an alive amidst them , a queen with crown d head , se a - she And her eyes strayed down to the strand, and saw that F weaponed olk, And turned and ﬂed to the thicket : then the lord of the shipmen Spoke all w e o Lo, here sh lack for water, for the bro ks with blood shall run , ” o Yet wend we ashore to behold it and t o w t of the deeds late done .

l e h So they turn d their faces to Sigmund , and waded the swat es of

the sword . - m O , look ye long, said the Sea king, for here lieth a ighty lord

- ﬂa m e e And all these are the deeds of his war , yet hardy hearts, be sur , That they once durst look 1n his face or the wrath of his e yen endure ll S m m Though his p be glad and s iling as a God that dreameth of irth . his are e n Would God I were one of kindred, for none such l ft upo

earth . K BOO I . SIGMUND 1 9

No w f 15 m are we into the thicket, for thereto the wo an ﬂed , e she h l o f h And b like s all te l us the story of this ﬁeld the mig ty dead .

So they wend and ﬁnd the women , and bespeak them kind and fair ’ Then spake the gold crowned handmaid : O f the Isle- king 5 house

we were, And I am the Queen called Hiordis ; and the man that lies o n t he ﬁeld m V h d Was ine own lord Sigmund the olsung, the mig tiest un er

shield .

T - h h t o t hat hen all amazed were the sea folk w en they earkened word , And great and heavy tidings they deem their ears have heard

- - But again spake out the Sea king And this blue clad one beside , P as . So pale , and tall as a Goddess, and white and lovely eyed

“ se rv m - 15 In sooth and in troth , said the woman , my g maid this ; ” h e she She ath wept long over the battle, and sor afraid is .

N o w no the king looks hard upon her, but he saith word thereto, ’ And down again to the death field with the w o rn e n folk they go se t m t he m There they their hands to the labour, and a idst deadly ead i m i They ra se a mound for Sigmund , a ghty house indeed e t - And ther in they set tha folk king, and goodly was his throne, And dight with gold and scarlet : and t he walls of the house were done W t he b ith the cloven shields of foemen , and banners orne to field h But none mig t find his war Splinters of his shield,

And clenched and fast was his right hand , but no sword therein he had

For Hio rdi S~ spa ke\t O the shipmen

Our lord an d m aster bade . That the shards of his glaive of battle should go with our lady the Queen h a - m And by them t at lie dying a any things are seen . 3 0 T HE STORY O F SIGU RD T HE V O LSUNG

' H ow Queen Hior dt : is know n a n d how she a bideth z n the house of

t he son o the H el er Eff f p .

Then Elf asked of the two women where they would go , and

‘ his they prayed that he would take them to land , where they dwelt for long in all honour .

But the old queen , the mother of Elf, was indeed a woman wise m s he above any, and fain would know why the less noble of the two was d ressed the more richly and why the handm aid gave always wiser s he so n counsel than her mistress . So bade her to speak suddenly em and to take th unawares . Then he asked the gold - clad one ho w s he knew 1n the dark winter night that the dawn was near . She answered that ever in her youth she she awoke at the dawn to follow her daily work , and always was m e wont to drink of whey, and now , though the ti es wer changed , she still woke athirst near the d awning . To Elf 1t seemed Strange that a fair queen in he r youth had need

to 1n to arise follow the plough the dark of the winter morning, and

' e She turning to the handmaid he asked of her the same qu stion . replied that in her youth her father had given her the gold ring s he still wore, and which had the magic power of growing cold as the he r hours neared daybreak, and such was dawning Sign .

Then did Elf know of their exchange , and he told Hiordis that — ha lt long d he loved her and fe pity for her sorrow, and that he would

he - make her his wife . So that night s sat on the high seat with the n m crown o her head , and drea t of what had been and what was to be .

s m o So pa seth the su mer seas n, and the harvest of the year, da f And the latter yv o the winter on toward the springtide wear. BO O K I I .

REGIN .

the bir th o Si ur d the son o Si mund Of f g f g .

EAC E lay on the land of the Helper and the house of Elf his so n ; t ide o f t o il e There merry men went bedward when their was don , ’ An d glad was the dawn s awakening, and the noontide fair and glad

There no great store had the franklin , and enough the hireling had ; And a child might go unguarded the length and brea dth of the land o n With a purse of gold at his girdle and gold rings his hand . ’ a Tw s a country of cunning craftsmen , and many a thing they

wrought, f e That the lands of storm desired , and the homes of war ar sought . ’ e e e r- e But men de m d it o well ward d by more than its stems of fight, ho w And told its earth born watchers yet lived of plenteous might . h So idden was that country, and few men sailed its sea, ’ ’ - And none came o er its mountains of men folk s company . f - - But air fruited , many peopled, it lies a goodly strip, ’ ’ - - flo o d s Twixt the mountains cloudy headed and the sea surging lip, a And perilous flood is its ocean , and its mountains, who shall tell W hat things in their dales deserted and their wind - swept heaths m ay

dwell .

h h Again , in the ouse of the Helper t ere dwelt a certain man h Beardless and low of stature, of visage pinc ed and wan n so n So exceeding old was n , that no of man could tell In what year of the days passed over he came to that land to dwell ’ But he t he the youth of King Elf had fostered , and Helper s youth

thereto, ’ ’ h t he he w Yea and his fat er s father s lore of all men kne , ﬂ 2 T HE ST O RY V 3 , OF SIGU RD THE OLSU NG

e And was d ft in every cunning, save the dealings of the sword w - d h1s So s eet was his tongue speech fashioned , that men trowe every word His hand with the harp - strings blended was the m ingler of delight With the latter days of sorrow all tales he told aright ; The Master of the Masters in the smithying craft was he

‘ And he dealt with the wind and the weather and the stilling ofthe se a him - m Nor might any learn leech craft, for before that race was ade, ’ - i - - And that man folk s generat on , all their life days had he weighed .

” ‘ t hiSlan d o f e dvve l In l the Help r and Elf, his son ,

‘ h e so n t he . er her , last of the Volsungs, was born had e t he him ey s of such wondro us brightness that folk shrank from , i w hile r e o 1c e d e they J ov r his birth , but his mother spake to the babe o n e w ho m she m as to ight understand , and told him of Sig und and

V . “ s he olsung, of their wars and thei r troubles and their joys Then gave him to her maids to bear him to the kings of t he land that they might rejoice with her.

But there sat the He lpeL QLMs n with King Elf and his Earls in t h

hall , t im e s ' t o And they spake of the deeds that had been , and told of the

befall, And they hearkened and heard sweet vo1ce s and the sound o f harps

draw—nigh, Till their h eart s were exceeding merry and they knew n o t where fore or why 10 1m m Then , , in the hall white ra ent , as thither the da sels came, a ﬂam e And amid the hands of the foremost was the woven gold .

“ sa id t he ? daughters ofearls, Helper, what tidings then do ye bear e Is it grief in the m rry morning, or joy or wonder or fear

' “ s s r ie f fo r t hat t he M ter o f Quoth the ﬁr t It i g ‘ the foemen as s ” - o God home w uld grieve .

3 4 T HE STORY OF SIGURD T HE VOLSUNG

Then she with the golden burden to the kingly high - seat stepped

m - she And away fro the new born baby the purple cloths swept, m And cried O King of the people , long ayst thou live in bliss, ! As our hearts today are happy Queen Hiordis sends thee this, And s he saith that the world shall call it by the nam e that thou shalt nam e f m Now the gift to thee is given , and to thee is brought the a e .

’ Then e en as a man astonied King Elf the Volsung took, ’ While his feast - hall s ancient timbers with the cry of the earl - folk shook ;

m With the love of any peoples was the wise king smitten through , ’ - : h1s As he hung o er the new born Volsung but at last he raised head , ’ And looked forth kind o er his people, and Spake aloud and said

m m a n O Sig und King of Battle ; O of many days, W hom I saw m id the shields of the fallen and the dead men ’ s silent praise i LO hat h , how the dark tide perished and the dawn of day begun 0 so n And now, mighty Sigmund, wherewith shall we name thy

m But there rose up a man ost ancient, and he cried Hail Dawn of the Day l m How many things shalt thou quicken , how any shalt thou slay 1 m How many things shalt thou waken , how any lull to sleep l m How many things shalt thou scatter, how any gather and keep l ho w O me, thy love shall cherish, how thine hate shall wither and burn I

How the hope shall be sped from thy right . hand, nor the fear to thy left return l

O t hy . d e e ds that men shall Sing of ! O thy deeds that the Gods shall se e l O 0 SIGU RD , Son of the Volsungs, Victory yet to be l n . RE \\BOOK GIN 3 5 n am e a n d Men heard the they knew it, and they caught it up in

the air, And it went abroad by the windows and the doors of the feast- hall fair ’ lhro u h m m It went g street and arket o er eadow and acre it went ,

- - And over the wind stirred forest and the dearth of the sea beat bent, ’ se a - ﬂo o d s And over the welter, till the folk of the ﬁshers heard, And the hearts of the isle- abiders on the sun- scorched rocks were

stirred .

Si ur d et t eth to him the hor se t ha t i s ca lled Gr e ll g g yﬂ .

m m Now waxeth the son of Sig und in ight and goodliness, f And so t the days win over, and all men his beauty bless . But am idst the sum m er season w as the Isle - queen Hio rdjsg u e d K E m t l e l e r 1 — To Q lfi g lg fi p , and fair the r life days sped . g/ i fiqfi Peace lay on the an or ever, and the fields gave good increase ,

And there was Sigurd waxing mid the plenty and the peace .

Now hath , the child grown greater, and is keen and eager of wit

And full of understanding, and oft hath he j oy to sit Amid talk of weighty matters when the wise m e n m eet for speech And joyous he is m oreover and blithe and kind with each? m he e d e t h But Regin the wise crafts aster the youn gling well , m And before the Kings he co eth , and saith such words to tell .

“ I have fostered thy youth , King Elf, and thine O Helper of men , And ye wot that such a m aster no king shall see again

And now would I foster Sigurd for, though he be none of thy blood ,

Mine heart of his days that shall be speaketh abundant good .

m e n - Then spake the Helper of folk Yea, do herein thy will m e m For thou art the Master of Masters, and hast learned all y skill

But think how bright is this youngling, and thy guile from him withhold 3 6 T HE STORY O F SIGURD T HE VOLSU NG

m e m For this craft of thine hath shown that thy heart is gri and cold, ’ Though three men s lives thrice over thy wisdom might not learn m him And I love this son of Sig und , and mine heart to doth yearn .

Then Regin laughed , and answered I doled out cunning to thee him - But nought with will I measure yet no cold heart shall he be, ’ m - m m m Nor gri , nor evil natured for whate er y will ight fra e, m Gone forth is the word of the Norns, that abideth ever the sa e . d m 3 ” And now, despite my cunning, how ee ye I shall die

And they said he would live as he listed , and at last in peace should lie m When he listed to live no longer ; so ighty and wise he was .

e m But again he laughed and answer d One day it shall co e to pass, That a beardless youth shall slay me I know the fateful doom d im But nought may I withstand it, as it heaves up through the m ” gloo .

h So is Sigurd now wit Regin , and he learns him many things m e n Yea, all save the craft of battle, that learned the sons of kings T he sm ithying sword and war - coat the carving runes aright m ’ The tongues of many countries, and soft Speech for en s delight

- The dealing with the harp strings, and the winding ways of song .

So wise of heart waxed Sigurd , and of body wondrous strong

- And he chased the deer of the forest, and many a wood wolf slew, ' m a hull And m of the mountains and the desert dales he knew, And the heaths that the wind sweeps over and seaward would he

fare,

- w i ht sd a re . Far out from the outer skerries, and alone the sea g 9

One day did Regin tell Sigurd of deeds done in the past by kings do both bold and wise, and the lad longed , too, to the like, and his

d 1 him bright eyes glowed with e s re . And Regin told that he m should follow his Volsung fathers and roa far and wide, leaving

- - the peace lovers and home abiders who had cherished his youth . 11 BOOK . REGIN 3 7

’ Si urd s This roused g wrath , for he would have nought said against had him bu t him those who reared , Regin bade ask for one of the G ri ir e horses of p , and banish d his anger by a song of the deeds of the Choosers of the Slain . Before the song was ﬁnished Sigurd went to King Elf and asked that he might have authority to seek a ri ir horse from King G p .

m A Then s iled King Elf, and answered long way wilt thou ride,

To where unpeace and troubles and the griefs of the soul abide, Yea unto the death at the last yet surely shalt thou win m so The praise of any a people have thy way herein . Forsooth no m ore m ay we hold thee than the hazel copse m ay hold ” The sun of the early dawning, that turneth it all unto gold .

Then sweetly Sigurd thanked them and through the night he lay Mid dream s of m any a matter till the dawn was on the way m o f?him Then he shook the sleep fro , and that dwelling of Kings he left G r ir And wended his ways unto ip , On a crag from the mountain reft m Was the house of the old King builded and a ighty house it was, Though few were the sons of m e n that over its threshold would pass

But the wild ernes cried about it, and the vultures toward it ﬂew, And the winds from the heart of the m ountains s‘earc’ hed every

chamber through , m - And about were eads wide spreading and many a beast thereon , ’ - Yea some that are men folk s terror, their sport and pasture won .

So into the hall went Sigurd and am idst was Gripir se t ’ In a chair of the se a - beast s tooth and his sw e eping beard nigh met w as ahd The ﬂoor that green as the ocean , his gown was of

- mountain gold , t ff And the kingly s a in his hand was knobbed with the crystal cold . 3 8 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

“ Now the ﬁrst of the twain spake G ripir Hail King with t he eyen bright l u ht g needest thou Show the token , for I know of thy life and thy

light . s And no need to tell of thy mes age it was wafted here on the wind , That thou wouldst be com ing today a horse in m y m eadow to ﬁnd ' And stron g must he be for the bearing of those deeds of thine that

shall be . Now choose thou of all the way - wearers that are ru n n l n g loose in m ” y lea .

a t Then again g Sigurd outward , and adown the steep he ran un t o the horse - fed meadow M ” And W - m m e t him w a : One eyed and see in g ancient, there by the y sa And he spake Thou hastest , Sigurd yet tarry till I y A word that sha ll well bestead thee : for I know of these m ountain s well

o f G ri ir an d . And all the lea p , the beasts that thereon dwell

“ ’ Wouldst thou have red gold for thy tidin gs ?art thou G ripir s horse- herd then

15 - m e n Nay sure, for thy face shining like the battle eager m : - My aster Regin tells of and I love thy cloud grey gown , m a bdv e l1 m m And thy visage glea s it ke a thing y drea s have known .

— k o f Nay whiles have I heeded the horse kind , then spa e that elder days so dt h m And do the sages say, when the beasts of y breeding they

praise . m There is one thereof in the eadow , and , wouldst thou cull him out, ’ Thou shalt follow an elder s counsel , who hath brought strange

things about,

m . Who hath known thy father aforeti e, and other kings of thy kin

“ So I w in? Sigurd said, am ready ; and what is the deed to II ‘ BOOK . REGIN 3 9

- He said We shall drive the horses adown to the water side, f m m hat co eth forth fro the mountains , and note what next shall ” betide .

Then the twain sped on together, and they drave the horses on m u h Till they ca e to a r s ing river, a water wide and wan ; ’ And the white m ews hovered o er it ; but none m ight hear their cry

d o w n lo n . For the rush and the rattle of waters, as the g flood swept by m m So the whole herd took the river and strove the strea to ste , ’ And m any a brave steed was there ; but the flood o e rm ast e r e d them w m - m And some, it s ept the down ward , and so e won back to bank, 1n Some, caught by the net of the eddies, the swirling hubbub sank ; m sa w But one of all swa over, and they his mane of grey m Toss over the flowery eadows , a bright thin g far away m m Wide then he wheeled about the , then took the strea again ’ m And with the waves white horses m ingled his cloudy ane .

a n d Then spake the elder of days Hearken now, Sigurd , hear m m Ti e was when I gave thy father a gift thou shalt yet dee dear, — And this horse is a gift of my giving z heed nought where thou m ayst ride e For I have seen thy fathers in a shining hous abide,

And on earth they thought of its threshold , and the gifts I had to give ; ” Nor prayed for a little longer, and a little longer to live .

m Then forth he strode to the ountains, and fain was Sigurd now m m dim To ask him any a atter . but d id his bright shape grow, As a m a n from the litten doorway fades into the dusk of night ; — w as And the sun in the high noon shone, and the world exceeding

bright .

- So Sigurd turned to the river and stood by the wave wet strand , m And the grey horse swi s to his feet and lightly leaps aland , t h o u n lin him m And g y g g looks upon , and dee s none beside him good . ’ n a s he 3 And i deed , tells the story, was come of Slei pnir blood , : - The tireless horse of Odin cloud grey he was of hue, 40 T HE STORY O F SIGU RD T HE VOLSUNG

’ And it seemed as Sigurd backed him that Sigmund s son he knew , ’ So him glad he went beneath . Then the youngling 5 song arose ’ h Gri ir As he brus ed through the noontide blossoms of p s mighty close, e Gre fe ll t he Th n he singeth the song of y , horse that Odin gave, i Who swam through the sweep ng river, and back through the

toppling wave .

Re in telleth Si ur d o his kin d r ed a nd o the old t ha t a g g f , f G w s a ccur sed f r om a n cien t d ays

Now yet the days pass over, and more than words may tell Grows Sigurd strong and lovely, and all children love him well . But oft he looks on the m ountai ns and many a tim e is fain ’ To know of what lies beyond them, and learn of the wide world s gain.

’ Now again it happed o n a day that he sa t in R e gin s hall

And hearkened many tidings of what had chanced to fall, ’ w And of kings that sought their kingdoms o er many a waste and ild , And at last saith the crafty master ’ Thou art King Sigmund 5 child Wilt thou wait till these kings of the carles shall die m a little land , Or wilt thou serve their sons and carry the cup to their hand ; 1n Or abide vain for the day that never shall come about, When their banne rs shall dance in the wind and shake to the war gods’ shout

’ a n sw e re d n d Then Sigurd a said Nought such do I look to be . m e e st m e But thou , a deedless man , too uch thou gg

And these folk are good and trusty, and the land is lovely and sweet, ’ And 1n rest and m peace it lieth as the ﬂoor of Qdin s feet 15 a n d Yet I know that the world wide, ﬁlled with deeds unwrought ; ’ And w as for e en such work I fashioned , lest the songcraft come to ” nought.

42 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

Till I looked o n thine eyes in the cradle and now I deem through

thee i t he e n d W m That of my days of aiting, and the end of y woes shall be .

Then Sigurd awhile was Silent but at last he answered and said ‘ e Thou shalt hav thy will and the treasure, and shalt take the curse on thine head e n w ra e t h : but If a curse the gold pp the deed will I surely do, For today the d re am S of my childhood hath bloomed in my heart anew 0 And I long to look on the World and the glory of the earth

m O f mf e n w h And to deal the dealings , and garner the harvest of ort . m e er e h i But tell , thou Master of Masters, wh liet th s measureless wealth ;

. - Is it guarded by swords of the earl folk, or kept by cunning and stealth ’ s m ? Is it over . the main sea darkness , or beyond the ountain wall ’ ” Or e en in these peace ful acres anigh to the hands of all i

Then Regin answered Sweetly Hereof m ust a tale be told d m Bi e sitting, thou son of Sig und, on the heap of unwrought gold , m And hearken of wondrous atters, and of things unheard , unsaid,

And deeds of m y be ho ldin g Lre the ﬁrst of Kings was m ade .

o r And ﬁrst ye shall know of a sooth , that I never was born the race ’ Which the m asters of God - hom e have made to cover t he fair earth s face But I com e of the D w arfs departed and fair w as the earth w hile o m e

- Ere the short lived thralls of the Gods amidst its dales were come .

“ w as Re idm a r A n c iemt m e s I It the begat and now wa he waxen old, m a n And a covetous and a king and he bade, and I built him a hall ,

And a golden glorious house ; and thereto his sons did he call, m And he bade the be evil and wise, that his will through them might

be wrought . BOOK II . REGIN 43

m Then he gave unto Fafnir y brother the soul that feareth nought , an d m a 1 And the brow of the hardened iron , the hand that y never fa l , a n d t he be a rs And the greedy heart of a king, ear that no wail .

But next unto Otter my brother he gave the snare and the net,

- And the longing to wend through the wild wood , and wade the highways wet

And the foot that never resteth , while aught be left alive ’ That hath cunning to m atch m an s cunn i n g or m ight with his might

to strive .

to t he And me, the least and the youngest, what gift for slaying 9 of ease . m m e Save the grief that re e bers the past, and the fear that the futur sees ; m m - And the ha er and fashioning iron , and the liv ing coal of ﬁre m ’ And the craft that createth a se blance, and fails of the heart s desire And the toil that each dawning quickens and the task that is never done ; 13 And the heart that longeth ever, nor will look to the deed that won .

Thus gave m y father the gifts that might never be taken again ;

o ds f a n d h m e n Far worse were we now than the G but little better t an . B ut m o n e t ln j l a d e yet of our ancient ight / n g w left us still m bI u s We had craft to change our se ance, and could shift at our will

- Into bodies of the beast kind , or fowl , or ﬁshes cold

“ m So dwelt we, brethren and father and Fafnir y brother fared m d As the scourge and co peller of all things, and left no wrong un ared ’ m e m But for , I toiled and I toiled and fair rew y father s house But writhen and foul were the hands that ad m ade it glorious ;

‘ m m m sa w And yself a little frag ent a idst it all I ,

- m m - Grim , cold hearted , and un ighty as the te pest driven straw . — be — F Let . or Otter my brother saw seldom ﬁeld or fold, 44 T HE STOR Y O F SIGURD T HE VOLSU NG

’ he And oftenest used that custom , whereof e en now I told , And would shift his shape with the wood beasts and the things o f land and sea o And he knew what j y their hearts had , and what they longed to be, dim so And their eyed understanding, and his wood craft waxed great,

That he seemed the king of the creatures and their very mortal fate . Now as the years won over three folk of the heavenly halls w Grew a eary of Sleepless sloth , and the day that nought befalls ;

And they fain would look on the earth , and their latest handiwork, O And turn the fine gold ver, lest a flaw therein should lurk . t he art he And the hree were the fl jse Odin , t Father of the Slain , ’ An o k he m h u World s Be rud er who aketh all labour vain , agra n ir fe r B s hO e m a n An W lamele s, who wrought the p of , And his heart an most yearnings, when first the work began

The three wandered over the earth till they came to a mighty o r it s river, haunted for long by Otter, by reason great wealth of

. ﬁsh ﬁsh There he lay on the bank , and as he watched the in the water his shape was changed to that of a true otter, and he began to devour a golden trout . Two of the gods would have passed with m out stay, but in the otter Loki saw an ene y, and straightway killed him, rejoicin g over his dead body m a As night fell the three gods ca e to great hall , wondrously wrought and carved , with golden hangings and forests of pillars . In m sa t the idst of the hall a king on an ivory throne, and his garments se were made of purple from the a . Kind welcome he gave to the wanderers, and there they feasted and delighted in music and song but even as they drank and made m erry they knew they were caught in the snare . ’ e The king s welcom changed to scornful laughter, and thus he “ : u but spoke Tr ly are ye gods, ye are come to people who want e a you not. Before y were known to us, still was the winter col , BOOK 11. REGIN 45

m and the su mer warm , and still could we ﬁnd meat and drink . I ’ R e idm ar r Re idm ar s am , and ye come st aight from the slaying of

. ? son Shall I not then take the vengeance I will Unless, indeed , m e ye give the treasure I covet, and then shall ye go your way .

This is my sentence . Choose ye which ye will . Then spake the wise Allfa t he r and prayed Re idm a r to unsay his ,

i . e idm a r word , and cease to des re the gold But R the Wise, and

Fafnir the Lord , and Regin the Worker c ried aloud in their wrath ! O hearken , Gods of the Goths ye shall die, and we shall be Gods,

m e n e - And rule your belov d with bitter heavy rods, m And make the beasts beneath us, save today ye do our will , ’ us And pay the ransom of blood, and our hearts with the gold fulﬁll .

But Odin spake in answer, and his voice was awful and cold Re idm a r Give righteous doom , O say what ye will of the Gold

“ R e idm ar his Then laughed in his heart, and his wrath and wisdom ﬂed And n o dght but his greed abided and he spake from his throne and

- Now hearken the doom I Shall speak l. Ye stranger folk shall be free m e When ye give the Flame of the Waters, the gathered Gold of

the Sea, That Andvari hideth rej oicing in the w an realm pale as the grave ; o f And the Master Sleight shall fetch it, and the hand that never gave, And the he a t that be grudge t h for ever shall gather and give and rue — Lo this is the doom of the wise, and no doom shall be spoken anew .

‘ Then Odin Spake : It 18 well ; the Curser shall seek for the curse And the Greedy shall cherish the evil —and the seed of the Great

they shall nurse .

Re idm a r o f No word spake the great, for the eyes his heart were turned 46 T HE STO RY O F SIGU RD T HE VOLSUNG

so To the edge of the outer desert, sore for the gold he yearned . m But Loki I loosed fro the toils, and he goeth his way abroad

And the heart of Odin he knoweth , and where he shall seek the Hoard .

a m There is desert of dread in the utter ost part of the world ,

Where / over a wall of mountains is a mighty water hurled , m Whose hidden head none knoweth , nor where it eeteth the sea ;

And that force is the Force of Andvari , and an Elf of the Dark is he . In the cloud and the desert he dwelleth amid that land alone ;

And his work is the storin g of treasure within his house of stone . m Time was when he knew of wisdom, and had any a tale to tell - f Of the days before the Dwarf age, and of what in that world be ell sun And he knew of the stars and the , and the worlds that come and o f a On the ther rim of heaven , and whence the wind doth blow,

And how the sea hangs balanced betwixt the curving lands, ’ And how all drew together for the ﬁrst Gods fashioning hands . a But now is all gone from him , s ve the craft of gathering gold , he e d e t h And he nought of the summer, nor knoweth the winter cold , d m t he s e a Nor looks to the sun nor the snowfall, nor ever rea s of ,

- Nor hath heard of the making of men folk, nor of where the, high Gods be ri e t h t o ile t h But ever he g p and gathereth , and he hour by hour, Nor knoweth the noon from t he m idnight as he looks on his stony

’ bower, ‘ And saith It is short , it is narrow for all I shall gather and get ; d ’ For the world is but newly fashione , and long shall its years be yet .

fare t h There Loki , and seeth in a land of nothing good , ’ o ff m Far o er the e pty desert, the reek of the falling ﬂood

Go up to the ﬂoor of heaven , and thither turn his feet As he w e av e t h the unseen meshes and the snare of strong deceit m m - So he co eth his ways to the water, where the glittering foa bow

glows,

- And the huge ﬂood leaps the rock wall and a green arch over it throws. n BOOK . REGIN 47

There under the roof of water he treads the quivering ﬂoor, m ’ And the hush of the desert is felt a id the water s roar,

- And the bleak sun lighteth the wave vault, and tells of the fruitless

plain , m And the showers that nourish nothing, and the sum er come in vain .

“ did - m se t There the great Guile aster his toils and his tangles , w as W And as wide as the water, so ide was woven the net ’ And as dim as the Elf s rem em brance did the meshes of it Show m o And he had no thought of sorrow, nor spared to co e and g On his errands of griping and getting till he felt himself tangled and caught

Then back to his blinded soul was his ancient wisdom brought, ’ m an And he saw his fall and his ruin , as a by the lightning s ﬂame Sees the garth all ﬂooded by foem en and again he rem embered his nam e ; ’ o And e en as a bo k well written the tale of the Gods he knew , m m e n And the tale of the aking of , and much of the deeds they

should do .

Then Andvari groaned and answered I kn’ow what thou wouldst

have, ’ m an . The wealth mine own hands gathered , the gold that no gave

’ ‘ Come forth , said Loki , and give it, and dwell in peace hence forth ’ et , t . Or die in the toils if thou li’st h if thy life be no hing worth m Full sore the Elf lamented , but he ca e before the God , n - And the twain went i to the rock house and on ﬁne gold they trod,

And the walls shone bright, and brighter than the sun of the upper air . How great was that treasure of treasures : and the Helm of Dread was there The world but in dream s had seen it and there was the hauberk o f gold

None other is in the heavens, nor has earth of its fellow told . 48 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE V OLSU NG

“ lf- Then Loki bade the E king bring all to the upper day, An d he dight him self with his Godhead to bear the treasure a w ay 1 1 So the e n the dim grey desert before the God of Guile, ’ Great heaps of the hid world s treasure the weary Elf must pile,

And Loki looked on laughing but, when it all was done, ho lh e w ard sun And the Elf was hurrying , his ﬁnger gleamed in the Then Loki cried Thou art guileful thou hast not learned the tale

Of the wisdom that Gods hath gotten and their might of all avail .

”h ‘ m Come hither again to thy aster , and give the ring to me ’ ’ o rt a n d For meseems it is Loki s p ion , . the Bale of Men shall it be .

Then the Elf drew o ff the gold - ring and stood with em pty hand ’ ’ E en where the ﬂood fell over twixt the water and the land ,

- And he gazed on the great Guile master, and huge and grim he grew

And his anguish swelled within him , and the word of the Norns he knew How that gold was the se ed of gold to the wise and the shapers o f

things,

The hoarders of hidden treasure, and the unseen glory of rings

But the seed of woe to the world and the foolish wasters of men , And grief to the generations that die and Spring again 1 Then he cried fa re st i There thou Loki , and m ght I load thee worse l he a r Than with what thine ill heart beareth , then shou dst thou my curse : ' m e n : Old But for a curse thou bearest entan led in my g ,

Am id my woe abideth anot her woe unto d . and r e 1 m Two brethren a , fatherl ht kings grief shall slay ; T g y ue e n s sha l be And the hearts of q broken , and their eyes shall loathe ’ the day .

But Loki laughed in silence , and swift in Godhead went, Re idm ar To the golden hall of and the house of our content . But when that world of treasure was laid within our hall so T HE STORY O F SIGURD , T HE VOLSU NG

’ Then they went , but Regin afterwards often recalled Odin s m words and the evening ﬁlled with the glea of the gold , but little so cared he then , well he loved the gold . And he prayed his father him a fn ir to keep the treasure , but give a little unto and F for the help him d a they had given that y . sa t His father in no wise heeded his words, but ever on his ivory

. a fn ir throne, starin g moodily at the gold But F grew ﬁerce and him grim as he watched .

The night waned into the morning, and still above the Hoard R e idm a r a fn ir Sat clad in purple but F took his sword, m m - m m And I took y s ithying ha er, and apart in the world we went m m But I ca e aback in the even , and y heart was heavy and spent m e o And I longed , but fear was upon and I durst not g to the Gold So I lay in the house of m y toil m id the things I had fashioned of old ’ And m ethought as I lay in m y bed twixt w a km g and slum ber of n l ght k n m e t he That I heard the tin li g etal and beh ld hall alight, m But I slept and drea ed of the Gods, and the things that never have

slept,

Till I woke to a cry and a clashing and forth from the bed I leapt, e - u - m b And there by the heap d p Elf gold y rother Fafnir stood, And there at his feet lay Re idm a r and reddened the Treasure with blood ’ a s I And e en looked on his eyen they glazed and whitened with death ,

- And forth on the torch litten hall he shed his latest breath .

“ a nd m But I looked on Fafnir trembled for he wore the Hel of Dread ,

And his sword was bare in his hand , and the sword and the hand were red Re idm ar With the blood of our father , and his body was wrapped in

gold i With t he ru ddy - gleam ing m a ilc o a t of whose fellow hath nought been

told ’ And it seem ed as I looked upon him that he grew beneath mine eyes ’ An d then in the mid - hall s silence did his dreadful voic e arise B OO K II . REGIN 5 1

‘ Re idm a r m I have slain my father , that I alone ight keep m d The Gold of the darkso e places, the Can le of the Deep .

- I am such as the Gods have made me, lest the Dwarf kind people the

earth, '

- O r mingle their ancient wisdom with its short lived latest birth . i s I shall dwell alone henceforward , and the Gold and t waxing curse, m m r I shall brood on the both together, let y life grow better p worse . a m And I a King henceforward and long shall be my life , m And the Gold shall grow with y longing, for I shall hide it from

strife , 1n And hoard up the Ring of Andvari the house thine hand hath built . 0 t he ? thou , wilt thou tarry and tarry, till I cast thy blood on guilt a m Lo , I a King for ever, and alone on the Gold shall I dwell e ’ And do no deed to repent of and l ave no tale to tell .

More awful grew his visage as he spake the word of dread , m him but a- And no ore durst I behold , with heart cold I fled m m m so l I fled fro the glorious house y hands had ade fair, As poor as the new - born baby with nought of raim ent or gear m a n d I fled fro the heaps of gold , my goods were the eager will , m a And the heart that remembereth all, and the hand that y never

still .

Then unto this land I came, and that was long ago . - an d m so w As men folk count the years ; I taught the to reap and to , — And I grew the m aster of masters Think thou how strange it is That the sword in the hands of a striplin g shall one day e n d all this 1

m id m m m ’ Yet oft all y wisdo did I long for y brother s part, ’ And Fafnir s mighty kingship weighed heavy on m y heart When the Kings of the earthly k1n gdo m s would give m e golden gl tt s

m n . Fro out of their scanty treasures, due pay for my cunni g shifts And once— didst thou num ber the years thou wouldst think it long ago 5 2 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSU NG

h I wandered away to the country from w ence our stem did grow.

- Then I went to the pillared hall stead , and lo, huge heaps of gold , And to and fro am idst them a mighty Serpent rolled

Then my heart grew chill with terror, for I thought on the wont of

our race , m a n And I , who had lost their cunning, was a in a deadly place, ’ A feeble m a n and a swordless in the lone destroyer s fold -Fo r I knew that the Worm was Fafnir, the Wallower on the Gold .

m So I gathered my strength and ﬂed , and hid my sha e again - m Mid the foolish sons of men folk ; and the more y hope was vain , ’ m The more I lon ged for the Treasure , and deliv rance fro the yoke t he - And yet passed the generations, and I dwelt with short lived folk .

a - Long years, and long ye rs after, the tale of men folk told How up On the Glittering Heath was the house and the dwelling of

old , ait hin w as And that house the Serpent, and the Lord of the Fearful Face Then I wondered sore of the desert ; for I thought of the golden i lace My l a n ds of old had b uilded for I knew by m any a sign m m That the Fearful Face was y brother, that the blood of the Wor m m e was . ' t hat de se rt he This was ages long ago, and yet in dwells, him m Betwixt and men death lieth , and no man of his se blance tells - m But the tale of the great Gold wallower is never the ore outworn . m ’ Then ca e thy kin , O Sigurd , and thy father s father was born , m saw And I fell to the dreamin g of drea s, and I thine eyes therein , And I looked and beheld thy glory and all that thy sword should win m And I thought that thou shouldst be he, who should bring y heart 1t s rest,

That of all the gifts of the Kings thy sword should give me the best , 11 BOOK . REGIN 53

m Ah , I fell to the drea ing of dreams and oft the gold I saw,

- - And the golden fashioned Hauberk, clean wrought without a ﬂaw, ’ And the Helm that aw e t h the world and I knew of Fafnir s heart h m T at his wisdom was greater than ine, because he had held him

apart, ' m e n - Nor spilt on the sons of folk our knowledge of ancient days, ’ Nor bartered one whit for their love, nor craved for the people s praise .

m And so e day I shall have it all , his gold and his craft and his heart And the gathered and garnered wisdom he guards in the mountains ” apart .

a And he sp ke Hast thou hearkened , Sigurd , wilt thou help a man that is old To avenge him for his father Wilt thou win that Treasure of Gold And be m ore than the Kings of the earth Wilt thou rid the earth of a wrong ’ And heal the woe and the sorrow my heart hath endured o e rlo n g

Then Sigurd looked upon him with steadfast eyes and clear, And Regin drooped and trem bled as he stood the doom to hear m But the bright child spake as aforeti e, and answered the Master and said t he Thou shalt have thy will, and Treasure, and take the curse on ” thine head .

the r in t tha t i a lled The r a th o Si ur d Of ﬁ g g of he Sw or d s c W f g .

But when the morrow was com e he went to his m other and spake le a n e d st m e The shards, the shards of the sword , that thou g for y sak m l In the night on the ﬁeld of slaughter, in the tide when y father fel , Hast thou kept them through so rrow and j oyance ?hast thou ward e d them trusty and well ? 54 T HE STORY O F SIGU RD T HE VOLSUNG W ? here hast thou laid them, my mother Then she looked upon him and said

Art thou wroth, O Sigurd my son , that such eyes are in thine head And wilt thou be wroth with thy mother ?do I withstand thee at all ?”

a m Nay , said he , nought I wrathful , but the days rise up like a wall m Betwixt y soul and the deeds, and I strive to rend them through .

m m Now give me the sword , y other, that Sigmund gave thee to keep .

o f She said I shall give it thee gladly, for fain shall I be thy praise When thou knowest my careful keeping of that hope of the earlier ” days .

s he So took his hand in her hand , and they went their ways, they twain e t he - r Till they cam to treasure of queen folk, the guarded chambe of gain

They were all alone with its riches, and she turned the key in the gold lift e il he se a - t he silke n And t born purple, and web unrolled , ’ ’ 10 m m And , twixt her hands and her boso the shards of Sig und s sword ’ - ﬂe c k m No rust stained its edges, and the ge s of the ocean s hoard ’ Were as bright in the hilts and glorious, as when in the Volsungs hall

- It shone in the eyes of the earl folk and ﬂashed from the shielded wall .

m : But Sigurd s iled upon it, and he said O Mother of Kings, - m m Well hast thou warded the war glaive for a irror of any things, And a hope of much fulﬁlm ent well hast thou given to m e m The message of y fathers, and the word of thing to be

Trusty hath been thy warding, but its hour is over now

- w . These shards shall be knit together, and shall hear the war wind blo BOOK II . REGIN

Then she felt his hands about her. as he took the fateful sword , And he kissed her soft and sweetly but she answered never a word

’ R e in s But swift on his ways went Sigurd , and to g house he came, Where the Master stood in the doorway and behind him leapt the ﬂam e he m And dark looked and little no ore his speech was sweet, ' ’ réé t No words on his lip were gathered the Volsung child to g , Till he took the sword from Sigurd and the shards of the d ays of old Then he spake Will nothing serve thee save this blue steel and cold, ’ kin The bane of thy father s father, the fate of all his , d The baleful blade I fashione , the Wrath that the Gods would win

“ - u Then answered the eye bright Sigurd If tho thy craft wilt do, Nought save these battle- gleanings shall be my helper true

’ So Regin welded together the shards of Sigmund s sword , and a wrought the Wrath of Sigurd , whose hilts were gre t and along whose edge ran a living ﬂame so that m e n thought it like sunlight

m . Gre fe ll and lightning ingled Then on y , with the Wrath girt by Gr i ir him his side, Sigurd rode to the hall of p , who told of deeds to be him w as and of the fate that would befall . In no wise Sigurd troubled, d but smiled as a happy child , and together they talke of the deeds of the kings of the Earth , of the wonders of Heaven , and of the Queen of the Sea . G r i ir ’ And Sigurd told p that he indeed was wise above all men , m but for hi self had the Wrath been fashioned , and he was ready to ride to the Glittering Heath . So they took leav e of one another,

- and as the sky grew blood red in the West, and the birds were ﬂying ’ R e in s homeward , Sigurd drew near to g dwelling . 5 6 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

Si ur d r ideth t o t he Glit t er in H ea th g g .

t he m n e Again on morrow or ing doth Sigurd the Volsung rid , far in ~ b ~ hi s And Regin , the Master of Masters, is g y side, an d m And they leave the dwelling of kings ride the su mer land , Until at the eve of the day the hills are on either hand

Then they wend up higher and higher, and over the heaths they far e ’ Till the moon shines broad on the midnight, and they sleep neath the heavens bare ; h d a And they waken and look behind t em , and lo, the dawning of y And the little land of the Helper and its valleys far away But m m the ountains rise before the , a wall exceeding great . Then spake the Master of Masters We have come to the garth and the gate :

There is youth and rest behind thee and many a thing to do, is There many a fond desire, and each day born anew ’ V m e o le ise And the land of the olsungs to conquer, and any a p p i g a

r r . And for me the e is est it may be, and the peaceful e—nd of days We have come to t he ga rth En d the gate ; to t he hall - door now

shall we win , o t h hi - se e I h s s Shall we g to look on eI g eat and what itteth therein

t Yea, and wha else said Sigurd , was thy tale but mockeries, And have I been drifted hither on a wind o f em pty lies

“ It was sooth , it was sooth , said Regin , and more might I have told m Had I heart and Space to reme ber the deeds of the days of old .

’ Day- long they fared through the m ountains, and that highway s

fashioner,

o rso o t h » w e F , was a fearful craftsman , and his hands the waters er , t he - u t he ﬁre - his And heaped p ice was his mattock, and blast was man ,

58 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSU NG

t h To the light of the Glittering Heath, and the house where e Waster burns ? badst m e I shall slay the Foe of the Gods, as thou a while agone, m And then with the Gold and its wisdo shalt thou be left alone .

“ - O Child , said the King of the Dwarf kind , when the day at last com es round

For the dread and the Dusk of the Gods, and the kin of the Wolf

is unbound ,

When thy sword shall hew the ﬁre, and the wildﬁre beateth thy

shield , Shalt thou praise the wages of hope and the Gods that pitched the ﬁeld

“ h O Foe of the Gods, said Sigurd , wouldst thou hide the evil t ing, 13 And the curse that greater than thou, lest death end thy labourin g, Lest the n ight should come upon thee amidst thy toil for nought ?

It is me, it is me that thou fearest, if indeed I know thy thought

Yea me, who would utterly light the face of all good and ill, m m If not with the fruitful bea s that the su mer shall fulﬁll , t he a- Then at least with World blazing, and the glare of the grinded ” sword .

I have hearken ed not nor heeded the words of thy fear and thy ruth

Thou hast told thy tale and thy longing, and thereto I hearkened well

Let it lead thee up to heaven , let it lead thee down to hell, The deed shall be d o n m m o rro w : thou shalt have that m easure

less Gold , And devour_the garnered wisdom that blessed thy realm of old , That hath lain unspent and be grudge d 1n the very heart of hate With the blood and the mLht of thy brother thine hun er shalt t hu at e ; And this deed shall be min e and thine ; but take heed for what followeth then I BOOK II . REGIN 59

Let each do after his kind I shall do the deeds of m e n

I shall harvest the ﬁeld of their sowing, in the bed of their strewing shall sleep

- m m . To the shall I give my life days, to the Gods y glory to keep But thou with the wealth and the wisdom that the best of the Gods

might praise, m If thou shalt indeed excel the and become the hope of the days, m e slﬁ ll Then in turn hast thou conquered , and I be in turn

' Thy fashioned brand of the battle through good and evil to burn ,

O r the ﬂame that sleeps in thy stithy for the gathered winds to blow, When thou listest to do and undo and thine utterm ost cunning

to Show . But indeed I wot full surely that thou shalt follow thy kind

- And for all that cometh after, the Norns shall loose and bind .

- - Then his bridle reins rang sweetly, and the warding walls of death , him And Regin drew up to , and the Wrath sang loud in the sheath , And forth from that trench in the mountains by the westward way they ride ’ And little and black goes Regin by the golden V olsung s side ;

m ’ So ever they wended upward , and the idnight hour was o er, a m ’ And the st rs grew pale and paler, and failed fro the heaven s ﬂoor, m W m And the oon was a long hile dead , but where was the pro ise of da c han Z No g came over the darkness, no streak of the dawning grey ’ No sound of the wind s uprising adown the night there ran

It was blind as the Gaping Gulf ere the ﬁrst of the worlds began . Then athwart and athwart rode Sigurd and sought the walls of

theg lass, But found no wall before him and the road rang hard as brass r e fe ll Beneath the hoofs of G y , as up and up he trod — ? Was it the daylight of Hell, or the night of the doorway of God 10 t he m But , at last a glimmer, and a light fro the west there came, 60 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

' - o ﬂ m And another and another, like points of far ﬂa e An d they grew and brightened and gathered ; and whiles togethe r they ran Like the m o o n w ake over the waters ; and whiles they were scant

and wan ,

Some greater and some lesser, like the boats of ﬁshers laid m About the sea of idnight and a dusky dawn they made, m m A faint and gli ering twilight So Sigurd strains his eyes, And he sees ho w a land deserted all round about him lies

- as More chan geless than mid ocean , fruitless as its ﬂoor him Then the heart leaps up within , for he knows that his journey ’ rs o er, And there he draweth bridle on the ﬁrst of the h And the Wrath is waxen merry and sings in n s heath

le a s . ad o w n m Gr e fe ll As he p fro y , and Stands upon his feet , And wends h1s ways through the twilight the Foe of the God s t o meet .

Si u r d sla eth Fa n i r t he en t g y f Serp .

Nought Sigurd seeth of Regin , and nought he heeds of him, m dim As in watchful ight and glory he strides the desert , ’ And bé hin d him pac e t h G re yfe ll but he deem s the tim e o e rlo n g

- - m e t . Till he the great gold warden , the over lord of wrong

w e n d e t h m m d e se rt lac e So he idst the silence through the easureless p , ‘

And beholds the countless glitter with wise and steadfast face, him - m m Till seems in a little season that the ﬂa es grown so ewhat wan , m m m m i a grey thing gli ers before him , and beco es a ghEy man , ’ - - - m O ne eyed and ancient seeming, in cloud grey rai ent clad

A m a n e - friendly and glorious, and of v isag smiling g lad Si u d m Then content in g g groweth because of his ajesty,

' And he heareth him Speak in the desert as t he w in d of the winter sea

Hail Sigurd I Give me thy greeting ere thy ways alone thou wend ! BOOK II . REGIN 6 1

m ’ Said Sigurd Hail l I greet thee, y friend and my fathers friend .

“ Now whither away, said the elder, with the Steed and the ancient Sword ?”

“ To the greedy house, said Sigurd, and the King of the Heavy ” Hoard .

- Wilt thou smite, O Sigurd, Sigurd said the ancient mighty one .

Yea, yea, I shall smite, said the Volsung, save the Gods have

slain the su n .

“ What wise wilt thou smite, said the elder, lest the dark devour t hy ‘ day

“ s d a w r Thou , hast prai ed the swor , , s id the child , and the s o d ” w a Shall ﬁnd a y .

' - w as Be learned of me, said the Wise one, for I the ﬁrst of thy ” folk .

t h Said the child I shall do y bidding, and for thee shall I strike

the stroke .

“ Spake the Wise - one Thus shalt thou do when thou wendest hence alone

Thou shalt ﬁnd a path in the desert, and a road in the world of Stone 0 m It is s ooth and deep and hollow, but the rain hath riven it not, ” it iE>r And the wild wind hath not worn , it is Whereby he wends to the water and this fathom W hen his heart in the dawn is weary, and he loathes the ancient Gold t h1n k There of the great and the fathers, and bare the whetted Wrath, 2 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

’ And d ig a pit in the highway, and a grave in the Serpent s path 0 m Lie thou therein , Sigurd , and thine hope fro the glooming hide,

And be as the dead for a season , and the living light abide l so m And shall thine heart avail thee, and thy ighty fateful hand i, 1n - be ] d ’ bra nt l And the Light that lay the Branstock t well .

“ : Said the child I shall do thy bidding, and for thee shall I strike the stroke

For I love thee, friend of my fathers, Wise Heart of the hoyl folk .

’

' be he ld n o m a n So spake the Son of Sigmund , and anear, w as m And again the night the idnight, and the twinkling ﬂame shone clear ’ In the hush of the and alone went Sigm und s so n Till he cam e to the road and the highway

By the drift of the rain unfurrowed , by the windy ye An d r i t a n d forth from the da k came, into the dark

Great then was the heart of Sigurd , for there in the midmost he stayed, bri blu e And thought of the ancient fathers, and bared the ghL blade as - That shone a ﬂeck of the day light, and the night was all Fair then was the Son of Sigmund as he toiled and laboured the ground ; m 1 ht Glit t e r in H e a t h he Great , g y he was in his working, and the g _

clave, And the sword shone blue before him as he d u g the pit and the grave m - There he hid his hope fro the night tide and lay like one of the dead , n And wise and wary he bided and the heave s hung over his head .

the Now night wanes over Sigurd , and the ruddy rings he sees, ’ ’ - s m ma And his war gear fair adorn ent , and the God folk s i ges ; i l n ha But a vo ce in the desert ariseth , a sound the waste s birth , A ol changin g tinkle and clatter, as of g d dragged over the earth ’ - 13 O er Sigurd widens the day light, and the sound drawing close, And Ms f u m _the trample of spee dy feet it goes n BOOK . REGIN 63

d e e m e t h d But ever Sigurd that the sun brings back the ay, ’ h o e rhe ad For the grave grows lighter and li ghter and eaven is grey .

m a But now, how the rattling waxeth till he y not heed nor hark l ’ a n d l th And the day and the heavens are hidden , o er Sigurd rol s e

dark, t he As ﬂood of a pitchy river, and W 1t h the venom of hate lo and lies once fashioned fair m m m an Then a wan face co es fro the darkness, and is wrought in

like wise, And the lips are writhed with laughter and bleared ar e the blinded c! f s w dn d e re t h t And it hither and thither, and searcheth hrough the grave le av in h o t hin And departeth , g save the dark rolled wave on wave ’ e s M m O er the golden head of Sigurd and the e g ,

And the world weighs heavy on Sigurd, and the weary curse of the Hoard

Him - m see ed the grave grew straiter, and his hope of life grew chill ,

And his h ea r; by the Worm was enfolded, and the bonds of the

Ancient Ill .

his Then was Sigurd stirred by glory, and he strove with the swad dlin g o f Death

He turned in the pit on the highway, and the grave of the Glittering Heath m e He laughed and s ote with the laught r and thrust up over his head . And sm ote the venom asunder and clave the heart of Il g ad m o f Then he leapt fro the pit and the grave, and the rushing river

blood , And fulﬁlled w ith the joy of the War - God on the face of earth he stood W ith red sword high uplifted , with wrathful glitterin g eyes him su n And he laughed at the heavens above for he saw the arise, m - n And Sigurd glea ed on the desert, and shone in the new bor light t he And wind in his raiment wavered, and all the world was bright 64 T HE STORY O F SIGU RD T HE VOLSUNG

e a n c ie n t a fn ir But th re was the E , and the Face of Terror lay

k - On the huddled folds of the Serpent, that were blac and ashen grey sun In the desert lit by the and those twain looked each on each , And forth from t he Face of Terror went a sound of dreadful speech ? Child , child , who art thou that hast smitten bright child , of whence is thy birth ?

- a lo rie I am called the Wild thing Glorious, and I wend on the earth .

What m aster hath taught thee of murder —Thou hast wasted ’ ” fn ir s Fa day .

I , Sigurd , knew and desired , and the bright sword learned the way .

0 I am blind , Strong Compeller, in the bonds of Death and Hell

But thee shall the rattling Gold and the red rings bring unto bane .

Yet the rings mine hand shall scatter, and the earth shall gather ” 1 aga n .

Woe, woe l in the days passed over I bore the Helm of Dread,

I reared the Face of Terror, and the hoarded hate of the Dead I overcam e and was m ighty I was wise a n dm he art

“ In the waste where no man wandered , and the high house builded apart / 9 h m Till I met thine hand, Sigurd , and thy mi _t ordained fro of old 4 t he m fa r o ff G And I fought and fell in orning, and I die from the old .

Then all sank into silence , and the Son of Sigmund stood ’ d e se t a fn ir s On the torn and furrowed L by the p ool of F blood, d e ﬂl And the Serpent lay before him , w h y, s r e And over the Glittering Heath fair ho L the y, ’ And a light wind followed the sun and breathed o er the fateful place, ’ - As fres h as it furrows the sea plain or bows the acres face .

66 THE STORY OF SIGURD THE V OLSUNG

“ ” “ Thou sayest sooth , said Sigurd , thy deed and mine is done m sun But now our ways shall sunder, for here, eseemeth , the a ” Hath but little of deeds to do, and no love to win back .

k n But Regin dar ened before him , and exceeding grim was he grow , “ : And he Spake Thou hast slain my brother, and wherewith wilt thou atone

“ 0 r d Stand up’ Masj said Sigurd , O Singer of ancient ays t heﬁ alt lifhav e t he sun diz r in And take won thee, ere we wend on g

ways . 1s I have toiled and thou hast desired , and the Treasure surely anear, m ” And thou hast wisdo to ﬁnd it, and I have slain thy fear .

an d But Regin crouched darkened Thou hast slain my brother,

he said .

” “ fo r Take thou the Gold , quoth Sigurd , the ransom of my head

e Then R gin crouched and darkened , and over the earth he hung “ d And he said . Thou hast slain my brother, and the Go s are yet ” but young .

i And he spake T hdu hast slain m y bro t he r:and todayshalt thou be my thrall - - h Yea, a King shall be my cook boy and this heath my cooking all .

Then he crept to the ash - grey coils where the li fe of his brother

had lain , e a n And he drew a glaiv from his side and smote the smitten d ! slain, ’ o e rhe ad And tore the heart from Fafnir, while the eagles cried , ' ’ e n And sharp and shrill was their voice o er the trails of the dead .

Then Regin spake to Sigurd Of this slaying wilt thou be free m e Then gather thou ﬁre together and roast the heart for , n BOOK . REGIN 6 7

m a m m That I y eat it and live, and be thy aster and ore m m a n d For therein was ight and wisdo , the grudged and hoarded lore —O r else, depart on thy ways afraid from the Glittering Heath . 0

a bac kw a rd se t Then he fell and slept, nor his sword in the sheath .

o But Sigurd took the Heart, and wo d on the waste he found , ih The wood at grew and died , as it crept on the niggard ground ,

‘ And grew and died again , and lay like whitened bones ; his And the ernes cried over his head , as he builded hearth of stones, ’ n And kindled the ﬁre for cooki g, and sat and sang o er the roast ’ W o lﬂin s The song of his fathers of old , and the g gathering host

So there on the Glittering Heath rose up the little ﬂame, m And the dry sticks crackled a idst it, and alow the eagles came, e And sev n they were by tale , and they pitched all round about

- ﬁ re - The cookin g of Sigurd , and sent their song speech out m But nought he knoweth its wisdo , or the word that they would speak

And hot grew the Heart of Fafnir and sang amid the reek .

o d e e m e t h Then Sigurd l oketh on Regin , and he it overlong di ht e t h - m That he g the dear bought morsel , and the ight for the

Master of wrong, ’ So he reacheth his hand to the roast to see if the cooking be o er fa t m But the blood and the seethed fro it and scalded his finger sore, se t fle shl And he his hand to his mouth to quench the y smart, ’ And he j ast ed the flesh of t h?SErpe nt and the blood of Fafnir s Pi c art : h m T en there ca e a change upon him, for the speech of fowl he knew, And wise in t he ways t he beast- kind as the Dwarfs of old he rew h1s h And he knitted his brows and hearkened , and wrath in eart arose m For he felt beset of evil in a world of any foes . ’ R e in s saw But the hilts of the Wrath he handled , and g heart he , And how that the Foe of the Gods the net of death would draw 68 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

his se t And bright eyes ﬂashed and sparkled , and his mouth grew and stem

t he be an x t o As he hearkened the voice of eagles, and their song g learn .

six f And of the eagles cried to Sigurd not to tarry before the east, ’ e and th y urged him to kill Regin , who had planned Fafnir s death h1s 1 that he alone might live and fashion the world after ev l will .

he And the seventh Arise , O Sigurd , lest the hour overlate . - 13 For the sun in the mid noon Shineth , and swift the hand of Fate t he w o rldm Arise lest and the blind heart have its will,

‘ ‘ And o n c e a gamn Be tM su n d e re d go o dW

Lest love and hatred perish , lest the world forget its tale, sit d e e dle ss d re a m in in - And the Gods , g, the high walled heavenly vale .

Then swift ariseth Sigurd , and the Wrath in his hand is bare,

- And he looketh , and Regin sleepeth , and his eyes wide open glare m m But his lips s ile false in his drea ing, and his hand is on the sword ’ m m - For he drea s hi self the Master and the new world s fashioning lord , d ’ And his dream hath forgotten Sigur , and the King s life lies in the pit is n a w e t h him in He nought Death g upon , while the Dwarfs sit mastery .

10 But , how the eyes of Sigurd the heart of the guileful behold , Allfa t he r u rise t h And great is Odin , and p the Curse of the Gold , And the Bran stock blo o m e t h to heaven from the a n c 1e n t wondrous root ; ’ Si u rd s t he The summer hath shone on its blossoms, and g Wrath is

fruit .

s t he an d Then his second troke struck Sigurd , for Wrath ﬂashed thin

white’ ’ And twixt head and trunk of Reg in ﬁerce ran the fateful light ; - " ” And there lay brother by brother a faded thing and wan . II 6 BOOK . REGIN 9

But Sigurd cried in the desert So far have I wended on l Dead are the foes of God - home that would blend the good and the ill m l t he ir m l And the W yet be fa ous, and the Gods sha l hay e . N and forgotten , while the earth grows worse and

worse , ’ h With the blind heart king o er the people, and binding curse wit

curse .

H ow Si ur d t ook t o him the Tr ea sur e o the E An dv a r i g f lf .

a fn ir as So Sigurd ate of the heart of F , and he ate the longing to m w Gre fe ll be gone to ighty deeds gre great, and he leapt on y and sought the home of t he . D w e lle r amid the Gold on the edge of the ’ hin 1 heath . He strode through the doorway, and before lay golden o armour, golden coins, and g lden sands from rivers that none but m m the Dwarfs could ine . But ore wonderful than all other treasures

He l were the M ﬂ Qin g, and the Hauberk all of gold , while on m sk top of the midmost heap, glea ing like the brightest star in the y,

' On an d d ra e d Sigurd put the helm and the hauberk, gg out gold

Gre fe ll - wherewith he loaded y till the cloud grey horse shone , while the eagles ever bade him bring forth the treasure , and let the gold

. r shine in , the open And as the stars paled and the dawn g ew clearer, re fe ll e Sigurd and G y passed swiftly and lightly towards the w st .

H ow Si ur d a w ohe B r n hild u on H i h/1 g y p g .

m By long roads rideth Sigurd a idst that world of stone,

And somewhat south he turneth for he would not be alone , ’ - But longs for the dwellings of man folk, and the kingly people s speech , o m e n lau hr e a c h And the days of the glee and the j yance, where g to

each . 7 0 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

the G re fe ll But still desert endureth , and afar must y fare ’ a fn ir s From the wrack of the Glittering Heath , and F golden lair. 10 Long Sigurd rideth the waste, when , , on a morning of day m - m - Fro out of the tangled crag walls, a idst the cloud land grey m m m Co es up a ighty ountain , and it is as though there burns A m - torch a idst of its cloud wreath so thither Sigurd turns, For he deem s indeed from its topmost to look on the best of the earth Gre fe n e i he t h And y ll g beneath him , and his heart is full of mirth .

N ight falls, but yet rides S igurd , and hath no thought of rest, For he longs to climb that rock - world and behold the earth at its best m id - m But now the maze of the foot hills he seeth the light no ore, m And the stars are lovely and glea ing on the lightless heavenly ﬂoor . So up and up he w e n de t h till the night is wearing thin m is And he rideth a rift of the ountain , and all dark therein , Till the stars are dim med by dawning and the wakenin g world is cold

- Then afar in the upper rock wall a breach doth he behold , And a ﬂood of light poured inward the doubtful dawning blinds

So swift he rideth thither and the mouth of the breach he finds, And sitteth awhile on G re yfe ll on the m arvellous thing to gaze 10 a For , the side of Hindfell enwr pped by the fervent blaze , ’ And nought twixt earth and heaven save a world of flickering flame,

And a hurrying shifting tangle , where the dark rents went and came.

Great groweth the heart of Sigurd with uttermost desire, Gre fe ll and J i e r And he crieth kind to y , and they hasten up, l g h , Till he draweth rein in the dawning on the face of Hindfell ’ s stee 'p But who shall heed the dawning where the tongues of that wildﬁre leap ?

For they weave a wavering wall , that driveth over the heaven The wind that is born within it nor ever aside is it driven m - ﬂo o d m By the ightiest wind of the waste, and the rain a idst it is nought ; ’ And no wayfarer s d o o r and no windo w the hand of it s builder hath o wr ught . II BOOK . REGIN 7 1

But h u lift e t h t ereon is the Volsung smiling as its breath p his hair, m m m And his eyes shine bright with its i age, and his ail glea s white

and fair, And his war- helm pictures the heavens and the waning stars behind Gre fe ll ff ﬂa m e - But his neck is y stretching to snu at the wall blind , u he a v e t h t in kle t h And his cloudy ﬂank p , and the knitted mail, u m And the gold of the tter ost waters is waxen wan and pale . h i Now Sigurd turns in his saddle, and the hilt of the Wrat he sh fts,

And draws a girth the tighter then the gathered reins he lifts, ’ 5 And crieth aloud to Greyfell, and rides at the wildfire heart But the white wall wavers before him and the flame - flo o d rusheth apart ’ his 1s And high o er head it riseth , and wide and wild its roar As it beareth the mighty tidings to the very heavenly floor :

But he rideth through its roaring as the warrior rides the rye , When it bows with the wind of the summer and the hid spea1s

draw anigh . ’ m Gre fe ll s The white ﬂame licks his rai ent and sweeps through y mane, ’ a fn ir s And bathes both hands of Sigurd and the hilts of F bane, An d - m m winds about his war hel and ingles with his hair, But nought his raiment duske t h or dim s his glittering gear

Then it fails and fades and darkens till all seems left behind ,

- And dawn and the blaze is swallowed in mid mirk stark and blind . But forth a little further and a little further on him h And all is calm about , and he sees the scorched eart wan

Beneath a glimmering twilight, and he turns his conquering eyes, And a ring of pale slakg La t he s idm f Hindfell lies

And the world of the waste is beyond it and all is hushed and grey ,

' - - a ale in a n d . And the new risen moon is p g, the stars grow faint with day

sa w Then Sigurd looked before him and a Shield burg there he ,

A wall of the tiles of Odin wrought clear without a ﬂaw, — T he l si _gg_d_h y the lver gleaming, and the ruddy by the white t he s And blazoning of their glory were done upon them bright, 7 2 T HE STORY O F SIGURD T HE VOLSUNG

’ - a As of dear things wrought for the war lords new come to Odin s h ll .

- Piled high aloft to the heavens uprose that battle wall, ’ And far o er the topmost shield - rim for a banner Of fame there hung A glorious go ld e n b uc kle r ; and against the staff it rung ’ As the earliest wind of dawning u prose on Hindfell s face m And the light from the yellow east bea ed soft on the shielded place . " But t he Si a d o w n , Wrath cried out in answer as gM To the wasted soil of the desert by that ram part of renown lo w He oked but little beneath it, and the d elling of God it seemed , As aga inst its gleaming silence the eager Sigurd gleamed w e de t h He draweth not sword from scabbard , as the wall he n around , And it is but the wind and Sigurd that wakeneth sound o m re O But, l , to the ge he co eth , and the doors a pen wide, ga . W it hst a n d e t h he And no arder W , and no earls t threshold abide . ' SO he stands awhile and m arvels then the ba lef umght of the Wrath Gleam s bare in his re_ady hand as he w e n de t h the inward path

' Hé do u bt e t h m For so e guile of the Gods, or perchance some Dwarf ’ king s snare , O r a mock of the Giant people that shall fade in the morning a 1r him az e t h But he getteth in and g and a wall doth he behold ,

And the ruddy set by the white, and the silver by the gold ird e t h se t But within the garth that it no work of man is , But the utmost head of Hindfell ariseth higher yet ; t he - 0 And below in very midmost is a Giant fashioned mound , File d high as the rim s of the Shield- bu rg above the level ground ’ m - rlo rn And there, on that ound of the Giants, o er the wilderness E ,

m 1n m . A pale grey i age _ the orn

So there was Sigurd alone and he went from the shielded or, And aloft in the desert of W bore W - im n And he set his face to the cart mound , and beheld the age m ,

And the dawn was growing about it and , lo, the shape of a man h t h - t o Set fort to the eyeless desert on e tower gp of the w rld,

7 4 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

’ - Where the hammered ring knit collar constraineth the woman s . throat ; re n de t h n But the sharp Wrath b iteth and , and before it fail the ri gs, 10 m And, , the glea of the linen , and the light of golden things e Th n he driveth the blue steel onward , and through the skirt, and out, Till nought but the rippling linen is wrapping her about ; Then he deems her breath comes qui cker and her breast be gin s t o

heave,

- So he turns about the War Flame and rends down either sleeve, he m - Till r ar s lie white in her raiment, and a river of sun bright hair ’ Flows free o er bosom and shoulder and ﬂoods the desert bare .

u - he av e t h Then a ﬂush cometh over her visage and a sigh p her breast, s he And her eyelids quiver and open , and wakeneth into rest - she az e t h m Wide eyed on the dawning g , too glad to change or s ile, e And but little moveth her body, nor speaketh she yet for a whil w a ke n in s And yet kneels Sigurd moveless her eech to heed , ’ o f While soft the waves the daylight o er the starless heavens speed , And the gleam ing rims of the Shield - burg yet bright and brighter grow

- And the thin moon hangeth her horns dead white in the golden glow .

’ she Then turned and gazed on Sigurd , and her eyes met the Volsung s 5 4 3 3 : m And ighty and measureless now did the tide of his love arise, he r For their longing had met and mingled , and he knew of heart s he that loved , As she spake unto nothing but him and her lips with the speech - ﬂo o d moved

0 t he sle e ha t h , what is thing so mighty that my weary p___ torn,

- And rent the fallow bondage, and the wan woe over worn

’ He said The hand of Si gurd and the Sword of Sigmund s son , ’ And t he he a rt that the Volsungs fashioned this deed for thee hav e ” done . II BOOK . REGIN 7 5

“ But she said Where then is Odin that laid m e here alow ? ’ ” last e t h t h i m a n fo lk s Long g ggef g ft he world , and tan gled woe l

” He dwelleth above, said Sigurd , but I on the earth abide ,

And m w a v e s f . I ca e from the Glittering Heath the p j hy ﬁre to! ride

’ w s Then Sigurd looketh upon her, and the ord from his heart arise o f Thou art the fairest earth , and the wisest of the wise ; ’ 0 a m e e n who art thou that lovest I Sigurd , as I told

I have slain the Foe of the Gods, and gotten the Ancient Gold

days, ' ’ w é t w a in If should never sunder as we wend on the changing ways . a l ? O who art thou that lovest , thou fairest of l things born —" And what m eaneth thy SlEe p and thy slum ber in t he wilderness forlorn

Then the maiden told him that she had been the handmaid o f

‘ A ll- s he the father, but that grew too proud , and Odin had sent her s r she m s to Hindfell , where the leep thorn pierced he that ight leep he till she found the fearless heart s would wed . Such a one had she found now, and many were the words of prophetic wisdom and warni n g that fell from her lips on the ears of Si gurd m w e re But any though they W not enough for him, m who prayed her to speak with him ore of Wisdom . So together t he g sat on the side o f IIi n d f e Ha nd t a lke d of all that is t o be d t hé Tn o u n t a in and can be, and then gm , till beneath m m the they saw the kin gdo s of the earth stretching far away, and m Brynhild bade him look down on her ho e, saying

’ Yet I bid thee look on the land twixt the wood and the silver se a di e 1 In the bight of the swirlin g river, and the house that cherished There dwelleth mine e a rt hl sister and the kin that she ha t hl e d There mo rn by morn a o re t im e I woke on t e go den bed 7 6 T HE STORY O F SIGU RD T HE V OLSUNG

There eve by eve I tarried mid the speech and the lays of kings ; T here noon by noon I wandered and plucked the blossom ing things ; ’ L m da le The little land of y by the swirling river s side, Where Brynhild once was I called in the days ere my father died ’ L m dale The little land of y twixt the woodland and the sea, Where" on thee mine eyes shall brighten and thine eyes shall beam ” on me .

h - S i u n I shall seek thee there, said Sigurd , w en the day pring j j e g , ” n Ere W e wend the world together in the season of the su .

I shall bide thee there , said Brynhild , till the fulness of the days,

- And the time for the glory appointed , and the springing tide of ” W “ praise .

’ From his hand then draweth Sigurd An dvari s ancient Gold There is nought but the sky 21m as the ring together they

hold , a The shapen ancient token , that hath no ch nge nor end , m No change, and no beginning, no ﬂaw for God to end

Then Sigurd cries O Brynhild , now hearken while I swear, d ie m That the sun shall in the heavens and the day no ore be fair, m da le If I seek not love in Ly and the house that fostered thee, ’ And the land where thou a w ake d st twixt the woodland and the sea l ”

- s he w And cried O Sigurd , Sigurd , now hearken while I s ear d a That the y shall die for ever and the sun to blackness wear, ’ Ere I forget as I lie twixt wood and se a ” In the little land m da le and the house that fostere d me l

’ Then he set the ring on her ﬁnger and once, if ne er again ,

s o he a rts_w e re in. They kis ed and clung t gether, and their full and f B 0 0 K I I I .

BRYNHILD .

’ Si ur d sr idin t o the Niblun s Of g g g .

OW h B rynhild and Sigurd left Hindfell , and Bryn ild went to ’ dwell in her sister s house, but Sigurd abode not long in the

L m dale land of y , for his love urged him to great adventures wherein he m ight win glory beﬁtting the man who should w ed so noble a m wo an as B rynhild . So it befell o n e day in summer that he dight himself in the Helm

- t he h his of Aweing and the Mail coat all of gold , and girded Wrat to side to ride forth again . And on his saddle he bound the red rings ’ a fn ir s of F Treasure .

He im ir d the k o f Then he kissed the ancient King , and haile fol

o d - the land who came to give him g speed .

an d a ad And he gathered the reins together, set his f ce to the ro , And the glad steed neighed beneath him as they fared from the ’ King s abode . sk And out past the dewy closes but the shouts went up to the y, o o f e Though some for very s rrow forb re the ar well cry, Nor was any man but heavy that the godlike guest should go a w u And they craved for that glad he rt guileless, and that face itho t fo e a .

’ But fo rth by dale and lealand doth t heSo n o f Sigm un d wend; ’ Till far away lies Lym da le and the folk of the forest s e n d 3 d And he rides a heath unpeopled an ho lds the westward way, 7 7 7 8 THE STORY OF SIGURD THE VOLSUNG

Till a long way o ff before him com e up the mountains grey e Grey , huge beyond all telling, and the host of the heap d clouds, ’ 5 i The black and the white together, on that rock wall cop ng crowds .

So up and down he rideth , till at even of the day ’ ’ A hill s brow he o e r t o ppe t h that had hid the m ountains grey

Huge, blacker they showed than aforetime, white hung the cloud

ﬂecks there, sm kin fa 1r But red was the cloudy crown , for the sun was g A him wide plain lay beneath , and a river through it wound m Betwixt the lea and the acres, and the isty orchard ground But forth from the feet of the m ountains a rid ged hill there ran That upreared at its hitherm ost ending a builded burg of m a n m f r And Sigurd dee ed in his heart as he looked on the burg from a a , m That the high Gods scarce ight win it, if thereon they fell with war so So many and great were the walls, bore the towers on high

The threat of guarded battle, and the tale of victory .

For as waves on the 1ron river of the days whereof nothing 15 told so Stood up the many towers, stark and sharp and cold ; But dark - red and worn and ancient as the midm ost m ountain - sides Is the wall that goeth about them and its m ighty com pass hides

Full many a dwelling of man whence the reek now goeth aloft,

- And the voice of the house abiders, the sharp sounds blent with the soft ’ But one house in the midst is unhidden and high up o er the wall it goes ; Alo ft in m - the wind of the ountains its golden roof ridge glows, And down m id its buttressed feet is the wind ’ s voice never still ’ And the day and the night pass o er it and it changes to their will, 1s 15 i t a And whiles it glassy and dark, and whiles white and de d , 13 m 15 And whiles it grey as the sea ead , and whiles it angry red ; And it shim m ers under the sunshine and grows black to the threat

of the storm , m h t he - And dusk its gold roof glim ers w en rain clouds over it swarm , m BOO K . BRYNHILD 7 9

m And bright in the ﬁrst of the morning its ﬂa e doth it uplift,

When the light clouds rend before it and along its furrows drift .

’ i u rd s Then S g heart was glad as he beheld the city, and after a

m - while he ca e to a gate way set in the northern wall , and the gate

e a- him was long and dark as a s cave . But no man stayed as he rode

- through the dusk to the inner court yard , and saw the lofty roof of the hall before him, cold now and grey like a very cloud , for the sun

- m e n was fully set . But in the towers watch were calling one to another . To them he cried , saying

Ho t he , men of this mighty burg, to what folk of world am I come And who is the King of battles who dwells in this lordly hom e ? are - ? - Or perchance ye of the Elf kin are ye guest fain , kind at the

board , Or murder- churls and destroyers to gain and die by the sword Then the Spears in the forecourt glittered and the swords shone over

the wall , - a t he But the song of smitten harp strings c me faint from cloudy hall . And he hearkened a voice and a crying The house of Giuki the

King, o f t he Niblun h And the Burg g people and the eart of their warfaring .

m e n - There were many about him , and the wind in the wall nook sang, t he e And sp ars of the Niblungs glittered , and the swords in the fore o c urt rang . h But they looked on his face in the even , and t ey hushed their voices

and gazed , Fo r f t he m ear and great desire hearts of men a azed .

Now cometh an earl to King Giuki as he sits in godlike wise h Wit his sons, the Kings of battle, and his wife of the glittering eyes, And the King crie s out at his com ing to t e ll w hy t he w a t c h- horns blew ; “ l e But the ear saith Lord of the people, choos now what thou wilt do 80 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

' is - e For here a strange new comer, and he saith , to th e alone m an d a Will he tell of his na e and his kindred, the deeds that his h nd

hath done .

o Then upr se the King of the Niblungs, and was clad in purple and

pall, a t And his sheathed sword lay in his hand, as he g him adown the hall And abroad through the Niblun g doorway and a mighty m an he was

And wise and ancient of days so there by the earls doth he pass, And beholdeth the King on the war- steed and looketh up in his face ’ sm ile t h him fe n c éd But Sigurd upon in the Niblungs place, - be st ride r e As the King saith Gold , who into our garth wouldst rid , m Wilt thou tell thy na e to a King, who biddeth thee here abide ’ And have all good at our hands ?for unto the N iblu n gs home And the h e art o f a war- fain people from the weary road are ye come ’ so n am st And I am Giuki the King now if thou thee a God , Look not to se e me trem ble for I know of such that have trod n o r r U nfeared in the Burg of the Niblungs nor worser , bette at all May fare the folk of the Gods than the Kings in Giuki ’ s hall ’ So I bid thee abide in my house , and when many days are o er, a Thou sh lt tell us at last of thine errand , if thou bear us peace or war .

Then all rejoiced at his word till the swords on the bucklers rang, t e - m And adown from h red gold Treasure the Son of Sig und sprang, s him And he took the hand of Giuki, and kis ed soft and sweet, “ : ! bidd e st And spake Hail, ancient of days for thou me things m most eet, And thou knowest the good from the evil : few days a re ov er and gone Sin c e m y father was old in the world ere the deed of my making was won n e But Sigmund the Volsu g he was, full ripe of years and of fam ; a m u And I, who have never beheld him , Sig rd called of name T o o o a m s young in the w rld I waxen that a tale thereof hould be told, l And yet have I slain the Serpent , and gotten the Ancient Go d ,

8 2 . THE STORY OF SIGURD THE V OLSU NG

’ Si urd s Then the harps rang out in the hall , and men sang in g prai

‘’ But now on the da1s he m eeteth the kin of Giuki the wise ‘ e m Lo, here is the crown d Gri hild , the queen of the glittering eyes ; i ’ Lo, here is the goodly Gunnar with the face of a k ng s desire

Lo, here is Hogni that holdeth the wisdom tried in the ﬁre ; G ut t o rm m Lo, here is the youngest , who longs for the eeting swords ; o ak- m Niblu n Lo , here, as a rose in the boughs, a id the g lords ’ - Is the Maid of the Niblungs standing , the white armed Giuki s child

And all these looked long on Sigurd and their hearts upon him smiled .

Then all gave him greeting as one who should be the ’ - m m ighty deeds, and the fair ar ed Gudrun , Giuki s

i ' him m fe ast e brought a cup of welco e, and that night the Niblungs in gladness of heart .

’ O Si urd s w a r a r in in the com an o t he Ni blun s a nd o his f g f g p y f g , f

rea t ame a nd l or g f g y .

So Sigurd abode with the Niblungs all through summer and 'h arvest time till with the stark midwinter came tidings of war . Then the earls of Giuki donned dusky hauberks and led forth thei r ha n ds from the fortress, and the fair face and golden gear of Sigurd

- shone among those swart haired warriors . m They fell on the cities of the plains, but none ight resist the valour of Sigurd , and the Niblungs turned in triumph from the war, u brin ging rich spoil . So all that winter Sig rd fared to war with m 1n the and grew greater glory and more beloved of all men , but ever the thoughts of his heart turned to Lym dale and to Brynhild who awaited him there .

Now sheathed is the Wrath of Sigurd ; for as wax withstands the m ﬂa e, n d So the Kings of the land withstood him a the glory of his fame . 111 BOOK . BRYNHILD 8 3

s m And before the gra s is growing, or the kine have fared fro the stall ,

- - m 1n N iblun The song of the fair speech asters goes up the g hall , d And they sing of the golden Sigur and the face without a foe, And the lowly m a n exalted and the m ighty brought alow A n d t he sun m m m they say, when of su er shall co e aback to the land , It shall Shine on the ﬁelds of the tiller that fears n o heavy hand h t he That the sheaf shall be for the ploug er, and loaf for him that

sowed, w m Through every furro ed acre where the son of Sig und rode .

m e n m Full dear was Sigurd the Volsung to all ost and least, ’ m And now, as the spring drew onward , twas dee ed a goodly feast ’ - N iblun For the acre biders children by the g Burg to wait , m QI . If perchance the Son of Sig und should ride abroad by the gate

- For whosoever feared him , no little one, forsooth , Would shrink from the shining eyes and the hand that clave out tru th : n h1s From the heart of the wrack and the battle it was the , as gold gear burned ’ m O er the balks of the bridge and the river, that oft the other

turned , so n And spake to the laughing baby O little , and dear, I am a - When from the world departed , and whiles nights ye hear ’ m a n - s Si u rd s The best of folk longing for the lea t of g days, all Thou shalt hearken to their story, till they tell forth his praise, m And beco e belove d and a wonder, as thou sayest when all is sung, ‘ ’ t o o him And I once beheld in the days when I was young .

Y e a so n o f w 1t ho u t , they sing the g Sigurd and the face a foe, ’ t he And they Sing of prison s rending and the tyrant laid alow, ’ d he And the gol en thieves abasement, and t stilling of the churl, And the m ocking of the dastard where the chasing edges whirl ’ And they sing of the outland m aidens that thronged round Sigu rd s

hand i sun in t e w r - And g h streets of the foemen of the a delive red .land ; 8 4. THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

And they tell how the ships of the merchants come free and go at

their will , And how wives in peace and safety m ay crop the vine- clad hill m How the aiden sits in her bower, and the weaver sings at his loom, ’ And forget the kings of grasping and the greedy days of g loom ba t h m For by sea and hill and township the Son of Sig und been, e And looked on the folk unh eded , and the lowly people seen .

But he stood in the sight of the people, and sweet he was to see,

And no foe and no betrayer, and no envier now hath he B ut G m unnar the bright in the battle dee s him his earthly friend , ’ And Hogni is fain of his fellow, howso the day s work end, And Gu t t o rm the young is joyous of the help and gifts he hath And all these would shine beside him in the glory of his path i m a r There is none to hate or h nder, or the golden day, t he - And the light of love ﬂows plenteous, as sun beams hide the way.

t he C u o ev il d r in k tha t r imhild t he W ise- w i ’ a v e to Si ur d Of p f G ﬁ g g .

’ Now Gudrun the daughter of Giuki beheld Sigurd s glory and him knew the kindness of his heart, and set her love on , not knowing that all his thoughts were given to Brynhild . So Sigurd , seeing her sad and in no wise guessing the cause of her grief, strove to comfort her with kindly words, but her mood was still unchanged .

m - Then Gri hild the Queen , who was a witch wife and a woman m Gu drui m of crafty ind , marked the love of for Sigurd , and arked g, moreover how his power and honour in the ‘ land would soon be

she greater than that of her own sons . Therefore cast about for som e shift that might bind Sigurd to serve with the Niblungs all

- his life days . Now it befell one night that Sigurd had returned from warring

- N iblun n and sat on the high seat to sup with the g ki gs. His heart

8 6 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

1n m t w Men gazed and their hearts sank the , and hey kne not why it was fit ir m Why the lit hall was darkling, nor what had co e to pass n s For they saw the sorrow of Sigurd, who had see but his deed

erewhile,

‘ o f he m i ht And the face t g y darkened , who had known but the light m of its s ile .

But Grimhild looked and w as m erry : and she deemed her life was great And her lia n d a wonder of wonders to withstand the deeds of Fate For she saw by the face of Sigurd and the token of his eyes f That her will had abased the valiant, and ﬁlled the aithful with lies

’ But t he heart was changed in Sigurd as though it ne er had been His love of Brynhild perished as he gazed on the Niblun g Queen ’ e ’ Brynhild s belov d body was e en as a wasted hearth , m e No ore for bale or bl ssing, for plenty or for dearth . —O 1s ye that shall look hereafter, when the day of Sigurd done, IS m his And the last of his deeds acco plished , and eyes are shut in

the sun ,

When ye look and lon g for Sigurd , and the image of Sigurd behold , m And his white sword still as the oon , and his strong hand heavy and

cold ,

Then perchance shall ye think of this even , then perchance shall ye

wonder and cry , m w i hav e c , s t w t . Twi e over, King are we itten , and e e seen hee die i ‘ Men sa y that a little after the evil of that night s All waste is the burg of Brynhild, and there springeth a marvellou light L m dale On the desert hard by y , and few men know for why ;

But there are, who say that a wildﬁre thence roareth up to the sky

Round a glorious golden dwelling, wherein there sitteth a Queen e In rem mbrance of the wakening, and the slumber that hath been , BOOK m . BRYNHILD 87

W he re m a Maid there sitteth , who knows not hope nor rest

' M i ht . an d For remembrance of the g y, the Best come forth from the

Best .

Now after Sigurd took the witch - drink cam e a great hush upon

- m the feast hall for a space . But Gri hild was fain of that hour and m cried to the scalds for usic, and they hastened to strike the harp, but no joy m ingled with the sounds an d no man w as move d t o sin ging . N 0 word spake Sigurd till the feast was over then he strode out m him alone fro the hall and the folk fell back before . So he took a s a n d all teed and all that night he rode alone in the deedless dark , h the morrow, very eavy at heart yet knowing no cause for grief, and remembering all things save Brynhild . Niblun e At last he came again at sunset to the g gates, and ther cam e forth Giuki and Grimhild and the Niblu n g brethren with fair

“ - u ; So words of greeting, but in the door way Gudr n stood and wept ’ m so rro iasr had Sigurd entered with the , yet he knew that a ﬂood of

- come on his life days and that no more might he feel the joy he had:

m Niblu n o n known aforeti e in the g hall . Howbeit, when he looked saw the people and them in fear at his trouble, the kindness of his

e asid e « he heart was kindl d , and thrusting the heavy sorrow , lifted his head and spake wise words of good cheer so that the folk looking on m him were co forted .

O the W eddin o Si ur d the olsun f g f g V g .

’ But Gudrun knew Sigurd s heart and was sorrowful because of

i m h his grief and her great love for him , and when Gri hild tiade e r carry him wine , she arose and took the cup but could ﬁnd . no word u u to speak for ang ish . And Sig rd looking on her face sa w there a 8 8 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

a she kindness and sorrow like his own , and seeing it he knew that hi loved him . Then pity and love for her rose in s heart and com him forted , and he took the cup from her and spake, saying

“ us Here are glad men about , and a joyous folk of war,

And they that have loved thee for long, and they that have cherished mine heart sad But we twain alone are woeful , as folk sitting apart . m m e Ah , if I thy soul might gladden l if thy lips ight give peace l

Then belike were we gladdest of all for I love thee more than these .

The cup of goodwill that thou bearest, and the greeting thou wouldst sa ! h Turn hese to the cup of thy love, and the words of the trot plighting da y — The love that endureth for ever, and the never dying troth , ’ To face the Norns undoing, and the Gods amid their wrath .

And his clear voice saith r 0 O Gudrun , now hearken while I swea

That the sun shall die for ever and the day no more be fair, Ere I forget thy pity and thine inmost heart of love I

Yea, though the Kings be mighty, and the Gods be great above,

I will wade the ﬂood and the ﬁre , and the waste of war forlorn , To Niblu n look on the g dwelling, and the house where thou wert ” born .

S trange seemed t he words to Sigurd that his gathering love com e lle d p , ’ And sweet and strange desire o er his tangled trouble welled .

a But bright ﬂashed the eyes of Gudrun , and she s id King, as for me S m ? If thou awest the heart in my boso , what oath might better thee m Yet my words thy words shall cherish , as thy lips y lips have done . — t he Herewith I swear, O Sigurd , that earth shall hate the sun ,

90 T HE STO RY OF SIGU RD T HE VOLSUNG

Who exalteth the high this m orning and blesseth the masters of gain — “ For m e n drink the bridal of Sigurd and the white armed Niblun g

maid , b m ' ’ w h And the est with the best shall be ingled, and the gold it the ’ rl i gold o e a d .

’ m o n So, fair in the hall is the feasting and en s hearts are uplifted .

high , And they deem that the best of their life - days are surely drawing

anigh , a As now , one after other, uprise the sc lds renowned,

- e - u And their well belov d voices awake the hoped for so nd , m o f - In the idmost the high tide, and the joy of feasting lords . m Then cometh a hush and a waiting, and the light of any swords

Flows into the hall of Giuki by the doorway of the King, And am id those ﬂam es of battle the war - clad warriors bring S6n The Cup of daring Promise and the hallowed Boar of , ’ And m en s hearts grow big with longing and great is the hope - tide grown ; For bright the Son of Sigmund ariseth by the board ’ And unwinds the knitted peace - strings that ham per R e gin s Sword Then ﬁerce is the light on the high - seat as m e n se t down the ‘ Cup

Anigh the hand of Sigurd , and the ed ges blue rise up , And fall on the hallowed W ood - beast as a trum p of the woeful w ar Rings the voice of the m ighty V o lsung as he Speaks the words of yore

' in By the Earth that groweth and giveth, and by all the Earth s c as T hat izsiie n t for Gods and man - folk ; by the sun that shines on u s By t liiz Seili- Sea - Flood that beareth the life and death of men

By the and Stars that change not, though earth die out .Heavens

t lifiiiild t he By things of mountain, and the houseless waste and lone 111 1 B OOK . B RYNHILD 9

S6n By the prey of the Goths in the thicket and the holy Beast of , m I hallo w e to Odin for a leader of his host,

To do the deeds of the Highest, and never count the cost

- And I swear, that whatso great one Shall show the day and the deed ’ I shall ask not why nor wherefore, but the sword s desire shall speed

And I swear to seek no quarrel , nor to swerve aside for aught , he Though the right and the left blooming, and the straight way wend to nought

And I swear to abide and hearken the prayer of any thrall , ’ Though the war - torch be on the threshold and the fo e m e n s feet in the ball sit And I swear to on my throne in the guise of the kings of the earth , m Though the anguish past a ending, and the unheard woe have birth And I swear to wend in m y sorrow that none shall curse mine eyes u e lle t h For the scowl that q beseeching, and the hate that scorneth

the wise .

- So help me Earth and Heavens, and the Under sky and Seas,

And the Stars in their ordered houses, and the Norns that order these l

And he drank of the Cup of the Promise, and fair as a star he shone, ’ And all men rejoiced and wondered , and deemed Earth s glory won .

m m ’ Then came the girded aidens, and the sli earls daughters poured , And uprose the dark - haired Gunnar and bare was the N iblun g sword Blue it gleamed in the hand of the folk- king as he laid it low on the

Beast, And took oath as the Goths of aforetime in the hush of the people ’ s feast m I will work for the craving of Kings, and acco plish the will of

the great, w it hst a n de t h Nor ask what God , nor hearken the tales of fate ; m When a King y life hath exalted , and wrought for my hope and

my gam , e o For every deed he hath done me, th ret shall I fashion twain . 2 T HE O F T HE G .9 STORY SIGU RD VOLSUN I shall bear forth the fame of the Niblungs through all that hindereth a In my life sh ll I win great glory, and be merry in my death

SO - sweareth the lovely war king and drinketh of the Cup ,

And the joy of the people waxeth and their glad cry goeth up . ’ m e But again ca e the girded maidens earls daughters pour the win , And bare is the blade of Hogni in the feast - hall over the Swine ’ - “ Then he cries o er the hallowed Wood beast Earth , hearken , how I swear s m a n To be eech no for his helping, and to vex no God with prayer ;

And to seek out the will of the Norns, and look in the eyes of the curse ; e And to laugh while the lov aboundeth , lest the glad world grow 1nto worse Q Then if in the murder I laugh not, Earth , remember my name ’ And oft tell it aloud to the people for the N iblun gs fated shame

Then he drank of the Cup of the Promise, and all men hearkened and deem ed ”

That his speech was great and valiant, and as one of the wise he

seemed .

- - Then the linen folded maidens of the earl folk lift the gold , ’ Gu t t o rm s But the earls look each on the other, and place behold ,

And empty it lieth before them for the child hath wearied of peace, ’ - 1n . And he sits by the oars the East seas, and winneth fame s increase ’ Nor then , nor ever after, o er the Holy Beast he spake , ’ o Si urd s When mighty hearts were exalted for the g lden g sake .

Si ur d r ideth w ith the Niblun s a n d w ooeth B r n hild or g g , y f

Kin Gun n a r g .

- Now it fell on a day of the spring tide that followed on these things, That Sigurd fares t o the meadows with Gunnar and Hogni the Kings

9 4 THE STORY OF SIGU RD ‘ T HE VOLSUNG

m m him u t he But the s ile is departed fro , and the laugh ofSig rd young, his And of few words now is he waxen , and songs are seldom sung . Howbeit of all the sad faced was Si gurd loved the best ; ’ And m e n say : Is the king s heart m ighty beyond all hope of rest ? ! Lo, how he beareth the people how heavy their woes are grown 1n So oft were a God mid the Goth folk, if he dwelt the world .alone

Now Giuki the king was long grown old , and he died and was

- m buried beneath a great earth mound high on the ountains .

m So there lieth Giuki the King, mid steel and the gli mer of gold , As the sound of the feastful N iblu n gs round his m isty house is rolled N iblu n But Gunnar is King of the people , and the chief of the g land

A man beloved for his mercy, and his might and his open hand

A glorious kin g in the battle, a hearkener at the doom , un m A singer to sin g the s up fro the heart of the midnight gloom .

On a day sit the Kings 1n the high - se a t w he n Gri m hild saith to her son e O Gunnar, King belov d , a fair life hast thou won ; u On the ﬂood , in the ﬁeld hast thou wrought, and h ng the chambers with gold ; Far abroad mid many a people are the tidings of thee told e Niblun Now do a deed for thy moth r and the hallowed g hearth , i Lest the house ofthe mighty per sh , and our tale growwan with dearth .

If thou do the deed that I bid thee, and wed a wife of the Kings,

- No less shalt thou cleave the war helms and scatter the ruddy rings .

m He said Meseemeth , other, thou speakest not in haste,

But hast sought and found beforehand , lest thy fair words fall to waste .

She said Thou sayest the sooth I have found the thing I sought l S A Maid for thee shapen , and a Queen for thee is wrought L m da le m In the waste land hard by y a arvellous hall is built,

- - With its roof of the red gold beaten , and its wall stones over gilt ’ h Afar o er the heat men see it, but no man draweth nigher,

For the garth that goeth about it is nought but the roaring ﬁre, 111 BOOK . BRYNHILD 9 5

A white wall waving aloft and no window nor wicket is there , _ i W he re by t he shielded earl - folk or the sons of the m erchants may fare

But few things from me are hidden , and I know in that hall of gold - a r e ro lle d Sits Brynhild , white as a wild swan where the foamless seas ; o she And the daughter of Kin gs of the world , and the sister f Queens is , ’ And wise , and Odin s Chooser, and the Breath of Victory s he But for this cause sitteth thus in the ring of the Wavering Flame, That n o son of the Kings will she wed save the mightiest master of f ame , m a n And the who knoweth not fear, and the man foredoomed of fate To ride through her Wavering Fire to the door of her golden gate him she And for she sitteth and waiteth , and him shall cherish and love, sho u ld w it hst a n d Though the Kings of the world , it, and the Gods that i s t above . m l— Speak thou, O ighty Gunnar nay rather, Sigurd my son , Say who but the lord of the Niblungs should wed with this glor ious one

az e t h sa e t h Long Sigurd g upon her, and slow he y again

I know thy will , my mother of all the sons of men , ' Of all the Kings unwedded , and the kindred of the great, o It is meet that my brother Gunnar should ride to her g lden gate .

- m In the May morn riseth Gunnar with fair face and g lea ing eyes, his And he calleth on Sigurd brother, and he calleth on Hogni the wise m Today shall we fare to the wooing, for so doth our other bid

K - We shall go to gaze on marvels, and things from the ing folk hid .

—e t h So they do on the best of their war g ar, and their s eeds are dig t

for the road, ’ And forth to the sun n e ighe t h Gre yfe ll as he neighed neath the Golden Load e a But or ever they leap to the saddle, while yet in the door th y st nd , ‘ m - f h h h Thereto co eth Grimhild the wise wi e, and on eac ead layet her

hand, ' 96 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

m be fo 1e As she saith . Be ighty and wise, as the kings that came a o f For they knew of the ways of the Gods, and the cr ft the Gods they bore : And they knew how the shapes of m a n - folk are the very images he a rt s t hat m Of the abide within the , and they knew of the shaping

of these . m 0 m Be wise and ighty, Kings, and look in ine heart and behold ’ The craft that prevaileth o er semblance, and the treasured wisdom of old l

I hallow you thus for the day, and I hallow you thus for the night, m ’ m And I hallow you thus for the dawning with y fathers hidden ight . m Go now, for ye bear y will while I sit in the hall and Spin

And tonight shall be the weaving, and tomorn the web shall ye win .

So they leap to the saddles aloft, and they ride and speak no word , But the h 1lls and the dales are awakened by the clink of the sheathed sword bu t None looks in the face of the other, the earth and the heavens gaze, n And behold those ki gs of battle ride down the dusty ways .

' L m dale So they come to the Waste of y when the afternoon is begun , And afar they se e the ﬂa m e - blink on the grey sky under the sun

And they spur and speak no word , and no man to his fellow will turn But they see the hills draw upward and the earth beginning to burn ’ m su n And they ride, and the eve is co ing, and the hangs low o er

the earth , ’ re d . ﬂam e And the roars up to it from the midst of the desert s dearth . m None turns or speaks to his brother, but the Wrath glea s bare and red , ’ - Si u rd s And blood red is the Helm of Aweing on the golden g head,

And bare is the blade of Gunnar, and the ﬁrst of the three he rides, n d n And the wavering wall is before him a the golden su it hides .

’ o f so n o Then the heart a king s failed not, but he tossed his sw rd on high as Niblu n And laughed he spurred for the ﬁre, and cried the g cry

98 T HE STORY OF SIGU RD T HE VOLSUNG

Then Sigurd looked on the speaker, as one who would answer again , t he ﬁ re - But his words died out on waste and the blast made them vain .

Then he casteth the reins to his brother, and Gunnar praiseth his gift, And springeth aloft to the saddle as the fair sun fails from t he lift Gre fe ll And Sigurd looks on the burden that y doth uprear, The huge king towering upward in the dusky N iblu n g gear

There sits the eager Gunnar, and his heart desires the deed , ’ re c ke t h - e And of nought he and thinketh , but a fame stirr d warrior s need But Gre yfe ll trem bleth nothing and nought of the ﬁre doth reck his lie Then the spurs in ﬂank are smitten , and the reins loose on his

neck, — And the sharp cry Springeth fi om Gunnar no handbreadth stirred the beast ;

The dusk drew on and over and the light of the ﬁre increased , And still as a shard on the mountain in the sandy dale alone Gre fe ll t he Was the shape of the cloudy y , nor moved he more than stone

But right through the heart of the ﬁre for ever Sigurd stared , ’ - As he stood in the gold red litten with the Wrath s thin edges bared .

0 N word for a while Spake any, till Gunnar leaped to the earth , him a n d h And the anger wrought within , the ﬁerce words came to bi rt Who mocketh the King of the Niblungs in the desert land forlorn P ? - ? Is it thou , O Sigurd the Stranger is it thou , O younger born ? Dost thou laugh in the hall, O Mother dost thou spin , and laugh at the tale That has drawn thy son and thine eldest to the sword and the blaze of the bale ? fi Or thou, O God of the Goths, wilt thou hide and laugh thy ll, While the hands of the foster- brethren the blood of brothers Spill ?

But the awful voice of Sigurd across the wild went forth How changed are the words of G unnar where wend his w ays o f worth ' BOO K III . BRYNHILD

t he m I mock thee not in desert, as I mocked thee not in the ead When I swore beneath the turf- yoke to help thy fondest need m a n Nay, strengthen thine heart for the work, for the gift that thy hood awaits 0 N iblu n For I give thee a gift, g, that shall overload the Fates, A n d how may a King sustain it but forbear with the dark to strive s in n e t h For thy mother p and worketh, and her craft is awake and ” alive .

m Then Hogni spake fro the saddle The time, and the time is come m s in n e t h To gather the ight of our mother, and of her that p at home . 0 Forbear all words, Gunnar, and anigh to Sigurd stand , h And face to face behold him , and take his hand in thine and m a Then be thy will as his will , that his heart y mingle with thine, ’ And the love that he sware neath the earth - yoke with thine hope ” m ay intertwine .

Then the wrath from the Niblun g slippeth and the shame that anger

hath bred, ’ And the heavy wings of the dream tide ﬂit over Gu n n ar s head ’ ’ Si u rd s But he doth by his brother s bidding, and g hand he takes,

And he looks in the eyes of the Volsung, though scarce in the desert

he wakes . ‘ ’ There Hogni sits in the saddle aloof from the King s desire,

And little his lips are moving, as he stares on the rolling fire, s he sa And mutters the spells of his mother, and the words bade him y But the craft of the kings o f a fo r e t im e on those Kings of the battle lay w as Dark night spread behind them , and the fire flared up before, And unheard was the wind of the wasteland mid the white flame ’ s o wav ering r ar .

a z e t h r Long Sigurd g on Gunnar, till he sees, as th ough a cloud , ’ N iblu n The long black locks of the g, and the King s face set and proud N iblun Then the face is alone on the dark, and the dusky g mail 1 00 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

f him : f Is nought but the night be ore then whiles will the visage ail, az e t h e m And grow again as he g , black hair and gl a ing eyes, 1 n m i And fade aga n i to nothing, as for ore of v sion he tries 15 m Then all nought but the night , yea the waste of an e ptier thing, ﬁ re fe e le t h And the wall Sigurd forgetteth, nor the hand of the King m ? e Nay, what is it now he re embereth it is nought that aforetim

he knew, 1 m And no world is there left him to l ve , and no deed to rejoice in or rue ’ fa re t h - But frail and alone he , and as one in the Sphere stream s drift, By the starless em pty places that lie beyond the lift : 13 1n 13 Then at last he stayed his drifting, and he saith , It blind and dark ; he fe e le t h Yet the earth at his feet , and there cometh a change and

a spark, m 1n st a n t m m m And away an of ti e is the irk of the drea land rolled , ﬁ re - m m And there is the lit idnight, and before him an i age of gold ,

A man in the raiment of Gods , nor fashioned worser than they Full sad he gaz e t h on Sigurd from the great wide eyes and grey Aw e t h And the Helm that the people is set on the golden hair, w him is And the Mail of Gold en raps , and the Wrath in his hand bare .

’ h1s a n d hl S Then Sigurd looks on arm hand in his brother s hand, And thereon is the dark grey mail - gear we ll forged in the southern land

Then he looks on the sword that he beareth, and , lo, the eager blade That leaps in the hand of Gunnar when the kings are waxen a fxaid ’ u his - And he t rns face o er his shoulder, and the raven locks hang down - o f - f From the dark blue helm the Dwarf folk, and the rings o the iblu n N g crown . ’ f Then a red ﬂush riseth against him in the face ne er seen be ore, u Save dimly in the mirror or the b rnished targe of war, - d And the foster brethren sun er, and the clasped hands fall apart ; the But a change cometh over Sigurd, and ﬁerce pride leaps in his heart

’ 1 02 THE STORY O F SIGU RD THE V OLSU NG

And dark 1n the gear of the Niblungs through t he gleaming door he strode

All light within was that dwelling, and a marvellous hall it was, m But of gold were its hangings woven , and its pillars glea ing as glass, a 1n And Sigurd s id his heart, it was wrought erewhile for a God l o But he ooked athwart and endlong as alone its ﬂo r he trod , da m And lo, on the height of the is upreared a graven throne, And thereon a woman sitting in the golden place alone

Her face is fair and awful , and a gold crown girdeth her head

s he sun - h And a sword of the kings beareth , and her bright hair is s ed ’ O er the laps of the snow- white linen that ripples adown to her feet AS a swan on the billow unbroken ere the ﬁrth and the ocean meet,

- On the dark blue cloths she sitteth , in the height of the golden place,

he se t . Nor breaketh the hush of the hall , though her eyes on his face

Now he sees this is even the woman of whom the tale hath been told , ’ s he E en that was wrought for the Niblungs, the bride ordained

from of old ,

And hushed in the hall he standeth , and a long while looks in her eyes, h hi And the word he ath shapen for Gunnar to s lips may never arise .

’ The man in G u n n a r s semblance looked long and knew no deed she And looked , and her eyes were dreadful , and none would help

her need .

t he - Then the image of Gunnar trembled , and ﬂesh of the War King shrank ;

For he heard her voice on the silence, and his heart of her anguish drank i ? K ng, Ki ng, who art thou that comest, thou lord of the cloudy gear ” What deed for the weary - hearted shall t hy st ra n ge hands fashion here ?

The Speech o r her lips pierced through him like the point of t he

bitter sword , And he deemed that death were better than another spoken word c le n c he t h - as But he his hand on the war blade, and setteth his face

the brass, 111 1 B OOK . BRYNHILD 03 And the voice of his brother Gun’nar from out his lips doth pass

When thou lookest on me, O Goddess, thou seest Gunnar the King,

The King and the lord of the Niblungs, and the chief of their

warfaring . is But art thou indeed that Brynhild of whom the rumour and fame, he That s hideth the coming of kings to ride her Wavering Flame, - h ? Lest she wed the little earted, and the world grow evil and vile W 111 Fo r if thou be none other I speak again in a while .

“ She said : Art thou Gunnar the Stranger ! O art thou the man P that I see . P : 15 m e . Yea , verily I am Brynhild what other like unto I 0 O men of the Earth behold me . hast thou seen , labouring Earth ,

Such sorrow as my sorrow, or such evil as my birth

’ ’ Then spake the W ildﬁ re s Trampler that Gu n n ar s image bore m O Brynhild , mighty of women , be thou glorious ever ore l iblu n m id Niblun Thou seest Gunnar the N g, as he sits the g lords,

- And rides with the gods of battle in the fore front of the swords .

Hard rang his voice in the hall , and a while she spake no word , n And there stood the Image of Gun ar , and leaned on his bright blue sword s he m - But at last cried fro the high seat If I yet am alive and awake, k ” w . I kno no words for the speaking, nor what answer I may ma e She ceased and he answered nothing ; and a hush on the hall there lay And the moon slipped over t he w in d o w s as he clom b the he a v e n ly w ay ; And no whit stirred t he rai m ent of Brynhild till she hearkened t he ’ Wooer s voice, As he said Thou art none of the women that swear and forswear

and rej oice,

Forgetting the sorrow of kin gs and the Gods and the labouring earth . T hOu shalt wed with King Gunnar t he N iblun g an d increase his o h h w rt wit thy worth . ‘ 104 THE STORY O F SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

o ff h So spake he in semblance of Gunnar, and from his and he drew A ring of the spoils of the Southland , a marvel seen but of few, she And he set the ring on her ﬁnger, and turned to her lord and Spake “ 'I I thank thee , King, for thy goodwill, and thy pledge of love take . Depart with my troth to thy people but ere full ten days are o’ er

I shall come to the Sons of the Niblungs, and then shall we part no more o f - O Fr e ia Till the day of the change our life days, when din and y

shall call . f ’ Lo , here, my gift o the morning twas my dearest treasure of all

- But thou art become its master, and for thee was it fore ordained , Since thou art the man of mine oath and the best that the earth ” hath gained .

’ 10 v him And , twas the Grief of And ari , and the lack that made loth , ’ ’ - The last of the God folk s ransom, the Ring of Hindfell s oath ’ Si urd s Now on g hand it Shineth , and long he looketh thereon , e But it gav him back no memories of the days that were bygon e .

So forth from the hall goes the Wooer, and slow and slow he goes, As a conquered king from his city fares forth to meet his foes G re fe ll And he taketh the reins of y , nor yet will back him there, - f But afoot through the cold slaked ashes of yester eve doth are, h t he With his eyes cast down to the earth till he hearet wind , and a c r ’ raisdt h - And a face brow knitted and beholdeth men anigh,

- And beholdeth Hogni the King set grey on his coal black steed ,

And beholdeth the image of Sigurd , the King in the golden weed Then he stayeth and sta re t h astonished and setteth his hand to his sword

Till Hogni cries from his saddle, and his word is a kindly word

o f Hail , brother, the King of the people hail , helper my kin l Again from the death and t he tro uble great gifts hast thou set thee to win

1 06 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

on m l f an d And the Gods the Southland hangings s ile out ful air fain , fi And the song goes up of Sigurd , and the praise of his fame ful lled ,

But his speech in the dead sleep lieth , and the words of his wisdom are chilled ’ m e n sa i t he And y, the K ng is careful, for he thinks of people s weal , o And his heart is afraid for our tr uble, lest the Gods our joyance steal .

t he w as But that night , when feast over, to Gudrun Sigurd came, s he t he his she w as And noted ring on ﬁnger, and knew it nowise the same As the ring he was wont to carry so she bade him tell thereof e Then he turned unto her kindly, and his words wer words of love ’ Nor his life nor his death he heeded , but told her last night s tale ' he d re w Yea, forth the sword for his slaying, and whetted the edges of bale ;

For he took that Gold of Andvari , that Curse of the uttermost land ,

And he spake as a king that loveth , and set it on her hand

But her heart was exceeding joyous, as he kissed her sweet and soft , she m And bade her bear it for ever, that might re ember him oft ’ W hen his hand from t he world was departed and he sat in Odin s

home .

H B n hild s edded o the Niélz m ow ry w a w t Gun n a r g .

- e So ten days wore over, and on the morrow morn the folk wer

N iblu n o n all astir in the g house , till the watchers the towers cried to them tidings of a goodly com pany drawing nigh upon the road . Then the Niblungs got them to horse in glittering- gay raim ent an d went forth to meet the people of Brynhild . First rode bands of maidens arrayed in ﬁne linen and blue m a o broidered cloaks, and after the came a golden w in with h rses

- of snowy white and bench cloths of blue, and therein sat Brynhild

- e . e alone, clad in swan whit raiment and crowned with gold Th n 1 0 B OOK III . BRYNHILD 7

she they hailed her sweet and goodly, and so entered the darksome

- Niblu n gate way and came within the g Burg .

’ r So fair in the sun of the forecou t doth Brynhild s wain shine bright, m And the huge hall riseth before her, and the ernes cry out fro its height b And there y the door of the Niblungs she sees huge warriors stand ,

- Dark clad , by the shoulders greater than the best of any land , she And knoweth the chiefs ofthe Niblungs, the dreaded dukes of war

But one in cloudy raiment stands a very midst the door ,

And ruddy and bright is his visage , and his black locks wave in the wind And she knowet h the King of the Niblungs and the man she came to ﬁnd she Then nought lingered nor loitered , but stepped to the earth adown

- - With right hand reached to the War God , the wearer of the crown ; And she said “ I behold thee, Gunnar, the King of War that rode

Through the waves of the Flickering Fire to the door of mine abode,

m m e n And for this I needs must dee thee the best of all born , T he - highest hearted , the greatest, the staunchest of thy love

And that such the world yet holdeth , my heart is fain thereof

And for thee I deem was I fashioned , and for thee the oath I swore ’ In the days of my glory and wisdom , ere the days of youth were o er .

’ - ﬂo o d m May the ﬁre ne er stay thy glory, nor the ocean thy fa e l Through ages of all ages may the wide world praise thy nam e

Yea, oft may the word be spoken when low we lie at rest ‘ It befell in the days of Gunnar, the happiest and the best

All this may the high Gods give thee, and thereto a gift I give, ” so The body of Queen Brynhild long as both we live .

f t he - she With unmoved ace, unfaltering, blessin g words said ,

But the joy sprang up in Gunnar and increased his goodlihead , 1 08 T HE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

be And cast his arms about her and kissed her on the mouth , And he said “ The gift is greater than all treasure of the south so As glad as my heart this moment, glad may be thy life, ’ And the world be never weary of the joy of Gun n a r s wife

She spake no word , and smiled not , but she held his hand henceforth “ h. And he said Now take the greetings of my men , the most of wort

she f - Then turned her ace to the war dukes, and hearkened to their 1 pra se, h And she spake in few words sweetly , and blessed t eir coming days .

Then again spake Gunnar and said Lo, Hogni my brother is this ’ G ut t o rm - But is far on the East seas, and seeketh the warrior s bliss m so A third there is of my brethren , and y house holds none great ” In the hall by the side of my sister thy face doth he await .

f a she Then Brynhild gave air greeting to Hogni , but non turned and questioned Gunnar of his words concerning that brother who “ awaited her in the hall . I deemed the sons of Giuki had been but ” “ i - b three, said Brynhild . This fourth, th s hall a ider the mighty, is he akin to thee 3 ” And Gunnar answered

‘ He is nought of our blood , But the Gods have sent him to usward to work us measureless good

It is even Sigurd the Volsung, the best man ever born , m h The man that the Gods withstand not, y friend , and my brot er

sworn .

h She heard the name, and she changed not, but her feet went fort

as he led ,

- And under the cloudy roof tree Queen Brynhild bowed her head . m a n so Then , were there a ancient as had lived beyond his peers - r On t he earth , that beareth all things, a twice told tale of yea s, n o THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSU NG

’ o f m For the will the Norns is acco plished , and outworn is Grimhild s spell

And nought now shall blind or help him, and the tale shall be to tell

He hath seen the face of Brynhild , and he knows why she hath come, ’ And that his is the hand that hath drawn her to the Cloudy People s home hav e bid He knows of the net of the days, and the deeds that the Gods , And no whit of the sorrowthat shall be from his wakened soul is hid ‘ his re st ra in e t h re st rain e t h And glory his heart , and the hand of the strong From the hope of the fools o f desire and the wrong that a m e n de t h

w rong .

’ f e m And Brynhild s ac drew near him with eyes grown ste and strange .

— ’ Now she stands on the ﬂoor of the high seat, and for e en so little 3 space ’ Si u rd s As men may note delaying, she looketh on g face, Ere s he saith N ’ I have greeted many in the iblungs house today, And for thee is the last of m y greetings ere the feast shall wear away ’ Hail , Sigurd , son of the Volsungs l hail , lord of Odin s storm m Hail, rider of the wasteland and slayer of the Wor

If aught thy soul shall desire while yet thou livest on earth ,

I pray that thou mayst win it, nor forget its might and worth .

All grief, sharp scorn , sore longing, stark death in her voice he knew, he But gone forth is the doom of the Norns, and what shall answer

thereto , a m e n de t h lin e r P While the death that g s . and they twain shall dwell for awhile Niblun e In the g house together by the hearth that forged the guil .

So as m he spake a King of the people in who all fear is dead , - he And his anguish no man noted, as the greeting words said 1 BOOK III . B RYNHILD 1 1

f Hail , airest of all things fashioned hail, thou desire of eyes

Hail, chooser of the mightiest, and teacher of the wise

Hail , wife of my brother Gunnar in might may thy days endure , And in peace without a trouble that the world ’ s weal may be sure I

l e But the song sprang up in the hal , and the eagles cried from abov And forth to the freshness of May went t he joyance of the feast av e ~ e a r And Sigurd sat with the Niblungs, and g to most and to least, And showed no sign to the people of the grief that on him lay w as Nor seemeth he worser to any than he on the yesterday .

O the C on ten tion bet w ixt the ueen s f Q .

So now must Sigurd and Brynhild abide together in the Burg of the Niblungs , yet each must bear the burden of sorrow alone .

Brynhild held close converse with Gudrun , and behaved humbly towards her lest strife should arise between them . But Gudrun ,

ﬁlled with pride that she was the wife of so great a man as Sigurd , m dee ed it a little matter that all others should give her honour, and she knowing how Sigurd had ridden the ﬁre , cherished great scorn of Gunnar and Brynhild in her heart, and her pride waxed daily greater . Of the heart - wise Hogni men tell how he grew wiser day by day d m and more learne in the craft of his other Grimhild .

As for Gunnar, he lived with Brynhild in great honour and praise from all men , but the thought of how Sigurd had ridden the ﬁre in d his semblance lay heavy upon him . He broo ed thereon in bitter - so ness and envy, and the lie shadowed his life days that he had but small joy in his wife . him And Grimhild, marking his heavy mood, wrought upon with ’ cunning words and he gave ear to her . For ever she Spake of kings supplanters who bear away the praise fro m their lords after great deeds 1 1 2 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE “ V OLSU NG

he r are done, and often talk was of the mighty power that he holdeth m who knoweth the sha e of a king . So Gunnar hearkened and ill thoughts grew within him .

- m B ut fair faced , cal as a God who hath none to call his foes, Betwixt the Kings and the people the golden Sigurd goes ; m a n a n d No knowledge of he lacketh , the lore he gained of old

‘ F rom the ancient heart of the Serpent and the Wallower on the Gold - o f Springs fresh in the soul of Sigurd the heart Hogni he sees,

his se . And the heart of brother Gunnar, and he grieveth sore for the

m m It was ost in these latter days that his fa e went far abroad,

The helper, the overcomer, the righteous sundering sword

- m an The loveliest King of the King folk, the of sweetest speech , Whose ear is dull to no m a n that his helping shall beseech

- The eye bright seer of all things, that wasteth every wrong, m m The straightener of the crooked , the ha er of the strong L m s o, such was _the Son of Sig und in the day whereof I tell, l l The dread of the doom and the battle and a children loved him well . Now Gudrun ’ s scorn of Brynhild waxed greater as she thought she on the knowledge that she held , and it needed but a little that should speak out the whole tale . Such was her m ind when it befell her to go with Brynhild to Niblun bathe in the g river . There it chanced that they fell to talk o f m t he their husbands, and Gudrun na ed Sigurd best of the world . m Thereat Brynhild , stung by her love for Sigurd and the me ory of “ — so s he m it — : his broken troth , for dee ed , cried out , saying Thy ’ Gu n n a r s m m lord is but serving man to do his bidding, but y ate is

- the King of King folk, who rode the Wavering Fire and hath dared ” m e very death to win . Then Gudrun held out her hand and a golden gleam shone on her a t B rvn hild ﬁnger, the sight whereof waxed wan as a dead woman .

T HE ST RY O F T HE m , O SIGU RD VOLSUNG

u w ho o h e s pplanter of Kings, he hath shone like a serpent this l n g w il ” past amidst the honour of our kin ,

Then at last was Brynhild moved to look on him , and she besought : m e m a a him , saying Swear to , Gunnar, that I y live, and say th t ’ An dv ari s — o thou gavest ring to Gudrun thou, and not thy captain f ” w a r his . Thereby Gunnar understood that all falsehood was ' 1 m 1 ht known to her , so that never aga n g they two have any joy but together . He had no answering word , turned from her and h departed, for bitter shame was come on him and atred of Sigurd

burnt in his soul like ﬁre .

a s o f Then evening drew on , boding evil fell on Gudrun , and she sought her brothers that they might plead with Brynhild to

pardon her and forget her bitter taunts . But Gunnar she found seated alone arrayed in his war- gear and

' o h of his knees lay his sword , neither would he hear any word. f e urther pl ading with B rynhild . she Then sought Hogni, and behold , he was in the like guise, a n d sat as one that waits for a foe . So she sped to Sigurd, but chill

r '

fea r . fe ll o n her beholding him , for he was dight in the Helm of

golden hauberk, and the Wrath lay on his knees, neither would he then Speak to Brynhild So that heavy night passed away and there was but little sleep in

the abode of the Niblungs . And with the dawn Sigurd arose and ’ m sought Brynhild s cha ber where she lay as one dead . Like a pillar

of light he stood in the sunshine and the Wrath rattled by his side . And Brynhild looked on him and said “ Art thou com e to behold P — m ” rn e . Thou the mightiest and the worst of y betrayers . Then for very grief the breast of Sigurd heaved so that the rings of his

b r n 0 b I y y burst asunder and he cried live, Brynhild eloved For hereafter shalt thou know of the snare and the lie that entrapped us ” “ ’ ” 5 n d t h s . o e rl at e a e measureless grief of my oul It is , said Bryn BOO K III . B RYNHILD

“ h ma s a ild , for I y live no longer and the god h ve forgotten the ” m earth . And in such despair ust he leave her .

la zn o Si ur d the olsun Of the s y g f g V g .

high noon Brynhild sent for Gunnar and . sought to

sla 1n u w as the y g of Sigurd , for to s ch hatred her love

“ I look upon thee, said Brynhild , I know thy race and thy name, m ” Yet meseems the deed thou sparest, to a end thine evil and shame .

Nought, nought, he said , may amend it, save the hungry eyeless

sword ,

And the war without hope or honour, and the strife without reward .

“ Thou hast spoken the word , said Brynhild , if the word is enough

it is w ell .

Let us eat and drink and be merry , that all men of our words may

tell l.

“ h O all wise woman , said Gunnar, w at deed lieth under the P t o n gue W h at day for the dearth of the people , when the seed of thy sowing hath sprung ?”

: m She said Our garment is Sha e, and nought the web shall rend, t he a Save day without repentance, and the deed that nought my m a end .

“ “ ea m d an d c r e Sp k, mighty of wo en , sai Gunnar, yout the nam an d the d eed ’ That the ends of the Earth may hearken, and the Niblungs grievous 1 1 6 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VO LSUNG

m o m To slay, she said, is the deed , to slay a King ere the ,

m t he e o . And the na e is Sigurd Volsung, my lov and thy brother sw rn

She turned and departed from him , and he knew not whither she went ; But he took his sword from the girdle and the peace - strings round it

rent , h him t he And into the ouse he gat , and sunlit fair abode, - m But his heart in the mid irk waded , as through the halls he strode, m Till he came to a cha ber apart and Grimhild his mother was there, And there was his brother Hogni in the cloudy N iblun g gear Him - seemed there was silence between them as of them that have

spoken , and wait Till the words of their mouths be accomplished by slow unholpen Fate ’ e But they turned to the door, and beheld him, and he took his sheath d sword m And cast it adown betwixt the , and it clashed half bare on the board, An d Gri m hild spake as it clattered For whom are the peace -strings rent ? For whom is the blood - point whetted and the edge of thine intent He said For the heart of Sigurd and thus all is rent away ” his Betwixt this word and slaying, save a little hour of day .

Again spake Grimhild the wise- wife Where then is Gu t t o rm the brave ? ’ For he blent not his blood with the Volsung s, nor his oath to Sigurd a v e g ,

Nor called on Earth to witness, nor went beneath the yoke ; ’ And now is he Sigu rd s foem an and who m ay c urse his stroke ?

Then Hogni laughed and answered His feet on the threshold stand m Forged is thy sword , O Mother, and its hilts are co e to hand .

Gut t o rm e Ho, , enter , and hearken to the counsel of the wis l

’ ‘ ‘ ' JJ J ' 1 1 8 T HE ST O RY OF- SIGURO THE VO LSU N G

' ' no n o t f end n o r i n an d e r W And k ws ri k dred, the wrath in his h a t ells up, ’ ! o d m a b an d That no G y ear unmingled, he cries a wordless cry ,

t he o f h. As , last the day is departing and the dusk time drawing anig

“ m m ~ o f Then Gri hild goes , fro the chamber, and bringeth his harness

war, t hi s m And therewi h they array body, and he drinketh the cup once ore, 18 se t m he And his heart on the urder, and now may understand h i d u 1s t e S h s . What so l dight for laying, and what quarry is for han

‘ him m a n For again they tell of Sigurd , and the he remembereth,

‘ And praiseth his mighty name and his deeds that laughed on death .

No w d m dusk and ark draw over, and through the gli mering house

’ ' t o t he Niblu n s t he They go the place of g , high hall and glorious ; For hard by is the chamber of Sigurd there dight in their harness o f war o Gu t t o rm In their thrones sit Gunnar and H gni , but stands on the ﬂoo r With his blue blade naked before them : the torches ﬂare from the

e h 15 1n t e And the woven God folk wav r, but the hus deep h hall , s Niblu n s And tho e g faces change not, though the slow moon slip from her height ‘ 1s d h . And earth acol ere dawning, and new winds shake the nig t

‘ Now 1t was in the earliest dawn - dusk t hat Gut t o rm Stirred in his place

m - him m - And the ail rings tinkled upon , as he turned his hel hid face, And went forth from the hall and the high - seat ; but the Kings sat still 1n their pride And hearkened the clash of his going and heeded how it died .

’ Gut t o rmt o Si urd s m Slow, all alone goeth g cha ber door, 13 o n o And all open before him , and the white moon lies the ﬂ or his And the bed where Sigurd lieth with Gudrun on breast, BOOK III . B RYNHILD 1 1 9

he r bre at h m And light comes . fro her bosom in the joy of inﬁnite rest . G ut t o rm e m Then stands on the threshold , and his h art of the urder is fain t hi ks u And he h of the deeds of Sig rd , and praiseth his greatness and ga 1n bltie — 10 Bright is his blade in the moonlight but , how Sigurd lies,

- As the carven dead that die not , with fair wide open eyes ; le am e t h Gu t t o rm And their glory g on , and the hate in his heart is chilled And he shrin ke t h aback from the threshold and kn oweth not what

he willed . ’ r him Thereon he tu ned again to the hall, and the Kings beheld his - unstained sword in the torch light , but they cast him never a T hEn h word . shame and wrat urged him and he wended the ’ Si u rd s second time to g chamber, but yet again the dread eyes of

‘ the V olsung were open and he fled from their li ght to his biding brethren .

Now dieth moon and candle, and though the day be nigh - m as sk The roof of the hall fair builded see s far aloof the y, ' But a glimm er grows on the pavem ent and t he ernes on the roof ridge stir

Then the brethren hist and hearken , for a sound of feet they hear, And into the hall of the Niblungs a white thing cometh apace Gut t o rm u rise t h w e n d e t h But the sword of p , and he from his place, And the clash of steel goes with him yet loud as it may sound a - Still more they he r those footsteps light falling on the ground ,

And the hearts of the Niblungs waver, and their pride is smitten acold , m For they look on that latest co er, and Brynhild they behold m But she sits by their side in silence, and heeds the nothing more ’ - - Than the grey soft footed morning heeds yester even s war .

But Gut t o rm clashed in the cloisters and through the silence strode And scarce on the threshold o f Sigurd a little while abode : 1 20 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG There the moon from the floor hath departed and heaven without 15 gre

And afar ihthe eastern quarter faint glim m er streaks of day . a a d Close over the head of Sigurd the Wr th gleams wan n bare, t he Niblun And g woman stirreth , and her brow is knit with fear ’ h But the King s closed eyes are hidden , loose lie his empty ands, ’ There is nought twixt the sword of the slayer and the Wonder o f

all Lands . G ut t o rm - ra e a n d Then laughed in his war g , his sword leapt up on high ,

As he sprang to the bed from the threshold and cried a wordless cry, ’ h Si urd s And wit all the might of the Niblungs through g body thrust,

And turned and ﬂed from the chamber , and fell amid the dust, t he Within the door and without it, the slayer slain by slain For the cast of the sword of Sigurd had smitten his body atwain e t h r Whil yet his cry of onse throug the echoing chambe s went .

’ Woe s me l how the house of the Niblungs by another cry was rent, she The wakening wail of Gudrun , as shrank in the river of blood m From the breast of the ighty Sigurd he heard it and understood, Gut t o rm And rose up on the sword of , and turned from the country

of death , An d spake words of loving- kindness as he strove for life and breath

h Wail not , O c ild of the Niblungs I am smitten,but thou shalt live m t he In reme brance of our glory, mid gifts the Gods shall give

he r She stayed cry to hearken , and her heart well nigh stood still

But he spake Mourn not, O Gudrun , this stroke is the last of ill Fear leaveth the House ofthe Niblungs on this breaking of the m o m e 1” Mayst thou live, O woman belov d , unforsaken , unforlorn d i Then he sank aback on the swor , and down to his lips she bent If so me sound therefrom she might hearken ; for his breath was well - nigh spent

1 2 2 THE STO RY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

‘ - a re t he s And the Kings are clad in their war gear , and bared edge

of bale .

Then cold fear falleth upon them , but the noise and the clamour abate, And they look on the war -wise Gunnar and awhile for his word they wait ’ sis h But e en he riseth above them, doth a s riek through the tumult r 1n g

0 Awake, House of the Niblungs, for slain is Sigurd the King l

’ Niblu n Then nothing faltered Gunnar, but he stood o er the g folk, And over the hall woe stricken the words of pride he spoke

N iblu n is Mourn now, O people, for gone Sigurd our guest, I" g Gu t t o rm 18 18 And the King departed , and this our day of unrest ; ’ a ll m - 1s 3 But this of the Nor s was fore ordered , and herein Odin hand ; - N iblu n Cast down are the mighty of men folk, but the g house shall stand

Mourn then today and tomorrow, but the third day waken and live, ” For the Gods died not this morning, and great gifts they have to give .

He Spake and awhile was silence, and then did the cry outbreak, ’ A n d many there were of the Earl folk that wept for Sigu rd s sake t And hey wept for their little children , and they wept for those u nborn , Who Should know the earth without him and the world of his worth

forlorn .

So rent is the j o y of the N 1blu n gs and their sim ple days and fain P m m . Fro that ancient house are departed , and who shall buy the again m For he, the redee er, the helper, the crown of all their worth , o They looked upon him and wondered , they l ved, and they thrust

him forth . I B K 111 OO . BRYNHILD 1 23

t he mi ht Gr ie o Gud r un ov er Si ur d dea d Of g y f f g .

m a But as for the, grief of Gudrun over Sigurd no man y tell it . his Long She lay on body and spent herself in weeping, but at last Niblun she arose and cursed Brynhild and Gunnar and all the g house, saying

“ l . n O hearken , hearken Gunnar May the dear Gold drag thee adow , ’ Gre fe ll s And y ruddy Burden , and the Treasure of renown , ’ v And the rings that ye swore the oath on yea, if all a engers die, m May Earth , that ye bade reme ber, on the blood of Sigurd cry ! Be this land as w aste as the trothplight that the lips of fools have sworn !

- May it rain through this broken hall roof, and snow on the hearth forlorn !

‘ t o And may no man draw anigh it tell of the ruin and the wrack . m m Yea, may I be a ock for the idle if y feet come ever aback, m s e t If my heart think kind of the cha ber , if min eyes shall yearn a behold - f h o f The fair built house of my athers, the ouse beloved old

And therewith Gudrun fled forever from the Burg of the e r Niblungs, and none dared hinder or follow h , and none knew

h she w ither turned for refuge .

‘ O t he 5a 55 a w a B r n hild f [ a y of y . ‘

e m - m o rm n s o Onc more on the orrow g fair hineth the gl rious sun , iblu n And the N g children labour on a deed that shall be don e . ’ For out in the people s meadows they raise a bale on high , ash The oak and the together, and thereon shall the Mighty lie n o r s e Nor gold nor steel shall be lacking, avour of sw et Spice, h 1n a o e Nor clot s the Southl nds w ven, nor webs of untold pric 1 2 4 THE STO RY OF SIGURD THE V OLSUNG

is m The work grows, toil as nothing ; long blasts of the ighty horn ’ - From the topmost tower out wailing o er the woeful world are borne .

“ : . O But Brynhild cried to her maidens Now pen ark and chest , m And draw forth queenly rai ent of the loveliest and the best,

’ w - Red rings that the D arf lords fashioned , fair cloths that queens have

sewed , fo r To array the bride the mighty , and the traveller for the road .

They wept as they wro ught her bidding and did on her goodliest gear she - f But laughed mid the dainty linen , and the gold rings fashioned air m w as She arose from the bed of the Niblungs, and her face no ore wan A S - m id d s he a star in the dawn tide heavens, the usky house shone

And they that stood about her, their hearts were raised aloft Amid their fe ag a n d wonder then she Spake them kind and soft

' w he re w it h I Now give me the sword , O maidens, sheared the wind ’ When the Kings of Earth were gathered to know the Chooser s mind .

All sheathed the maidens brought it, and feared the hidden blade,

- she But the naked blue white edges across her knees laid ,

- u And spake The heaped p riches, the gear my fathers left, - m All dear bought woven wonders, all rings fro battle reft, m e n o All goods of desired , now strew them on the ﬂo r, m ’ And so share a ong you, maidens, the gifts of Brynhild s store .

i m She stahd Then upr ght by the bed ofthe Niblungs for a oment doth , ﬂashe t h And the blade bright in the chamber, but no more they hinder her hand Than if a God were sm 1t 1n g to rend the world in two

Then dulled are the glittering edges, and the bitter point cleaves through

- he r f m The breast of the all wise Brynhild , and eet fro the pavement

fail , ’ And the sigh o f he r heart is h e arken e d mid t he hush of the maidens

1 26 THE STORY OF SIGU RD THE VOLSUNG

kn e e le t h w And he do n by Sigurd, and bareth the Wrath to the sun

- That the beams are gathered about it, and from hilt to blood point run , And wide o ’ er the plain of the Niblungs doth the Light of the Bran

stock glare, m - Till the wondering ountain shepherds on that star of noontide stare, And fear for many an evil but t he ancient m an stands still - fl With the war ame on his Shoulder, nor thinks of good or of ill, ’ Till the fe et of Brynhild s bearers on the topmost bale are laid , ’ And her bed is dight by Sigurd s then he sinks the pale white blad e ’ And lays it twixt the sleepers, and leaves them there alone ‘ He — e , the last that shall ever behold them, and his days are w ll nigh

don e .

Then is silence o v er the plain in the noon shine t he torches pale As the best of the Niblun g Earl - folk bear ﬁre to the builded bale i n f Then a wind the west ariseth , and the white lames leap on high ,

And with one voice crieth the people a great and mighty cry, m e n u And cast p hands to the Heavens, and pray without a word, ’ v e As they that have seen God s visage, and the oice of the Father hav

heard . — c They are gone the lovely, the mighty, the hope of the an ient Earth l It Sha l labour and bear the burden as before that day of their birth .

Ye have heard of Sigurd aforetime, how the foes of God he slew ; How forth from the darksom e desert t he Gold of the Waters he drew a t he ‘ M o u n t ain a n t he How he w kened Love on , d wakened Brynhild

Bri ht, ’ ' lt u e all And d w g pon Earth for a s ason and shone in men s sight .

Ye have heard of the Cloudy People, and the dimming of the day, ’ An d l d s . the atter worl s confu ion , and Sigurd gone away

T H E END G L O S S A R Y

— A n . a e m e fo r x m ABBR EV I TI ON S . , noun ; , verb , f , co pare ; g , e a ple ;

t . i . p . , past tense ; past partic ple

Aba s em en t n d w d f . , casti g o n , e eat A cr e - bi de r i c f w in the d d i he d f m w i r , pea e ul orkers ﬁel s as ist nguis ro arr o s o w ho left their hom es to g to w a r . Am ber w n f n d o n the h o f the B l S e a a n d d , a y ello substa ce ou s ores a tic use “ ” f m d a n n m . The h m e n d ro very early ay s as or a ent sout ern , or tra ers f m th e h o f the M d c m h bu it ro s ores e iterranean, a e nort to y , fo r ' r e a s A r h x t ur e s . , a bo ’ “ " At w a z n t w o e The w d ha d m i his d w , in pieces , g s or s tten bo y at ain.

A v a il 72. w i f h e w . e d . , po er ; to av po er, to succe

Ba le d i d i n d h e 1 o f w d fo r u 1 . , saster, estruct o , eat a g r at p le oo bur ng

B a lhs i o f im e d m id . , p eces t b r use to ake a br g e B a n e d o f d i f e d m m , estruction or a cause estruct on ; o ten us to ean an ene y ’ ’ ” s la e r e . . S i urd s w o d 1s d F fn i a n d the o ld or y , g g s r calle a r s bane, in ’ S d h m f ha d th e i Fa fn i r s B sag a igur i sel t tle ane .

B a r ter x h fo r m e h n . , to g ive in e c ang e so t i g else

B a s t w n s m d o f the f o f s . , rappi g a e so t inner bark tree

B a th o the s w a n the . f , sea

- B a ttle a cr e d o f . , ﬁel battle

B a ker d . e , a rinking cup

B a ll h . ef , appen ’ B e r ud e f w n 1n i n be d i d h r g g , to eel un illing ess g vi g , to splease at anot e s ’ . L d t he W r d B d he d success oki is calle o l s eg ru g er, because like to .

f a n d h a n d h d i n he . cause ailure un appiness, ate success ot rs - B en ch clo ths i fo r . , cover ng s seats

B en t o f hi h n d . , a piece g g rou “ B e tz e tid e d d h m e . . Wh h h p ; beti ; to appen, co e to pass , g at at d, y b bi ti g

B zea en n m n . g , stor y , strugg li g

B ed e a bi d e t . d d m d w or “p abo e ; pp abo e ; to re ain , ell. B z ht e d c in r n g , a b n or urve a coast or iver ba k .

B i ll x w i h h d . , an a e t a long an le ' B la z o n n the o f c a o f m o f d s o f i g , painting , especially painting o ts ar s or recor v i d al ant eed s . 1 2 8 GLOSSARY

B o a r of s o”: I t w a s custom ary w hen m aking a n y solem n vow s to la y t he hand or sw ord on a sacred boar called the Boar o f st m or the Boar o f h Aton em ent . T e cerem ony seem s to have been also accom pan ied by d i d h d h m the C u o f D i P m 1n rink ng a raug t , calle in t is poe p ar ng ro ise, f n hon our o o e o f the god s . ’

B o d z n m i i f h i m . g , a isg v ng , a eeling t at ev l is to co e - B o le . , a tree trunk ’ - B o w s the a er e s a ee d the w n i h v ﬁ e ld . f , ben s g ro i g g ra n in a ar est

B r a n d w d . , a s or

B u chler s h d . , s iel s

B u r w n f . g , a to , a ortress fo r n B r n o f m o a d m d o f d . y y , a coat ar ur back breast, a e linke iron ring s

C a r /es s m w d d fo r m a n who w r . , peasant a conte ptuous or use a is not a arrio ' ha n e hz s l z e d ie a n d f m the if h h V h o r C g j , pass ro l e on eart to t at in al alla i N iflhe m .

Cho o s er . On e o f th e o f B h d she w a s o f the V o r titles ryn il , as one alkyries m aid ens w hom Od in sent into battl e s to single out fo r d eath the m e n - he ha d h i . V W f th o f B h d c osen to be sla n ictory a ter is ano er title ryn il , since s he brought victory to those fo r w hom it w a s app o inted a n d d eath to othe r s .

Chur l d m a n . , a g ru g ing , ung racious

C la w 5. o f he w h h . , p4 cleave, to pierce, , cut t roug C lois te r s f d n d - d a n d O the d e , a roo e passag e runni g roun a court yar pen on si d h - d tow ar s t e court yar .

Clo s e d . , a ﬁel - C lo ud w r ea th the d h f h the o f h h m . , clou t at o ten g at ers about top a ig ountain

C o m a s s m h . p , to contrive , acco plis ’

C o n s tr a i n f c a n d d . , to orce , to ontrol gui e

C o i n t he m ro w o f ic in w the o f w . p g , top ost br ks a all , top a all

C r a t w d o f m e d e . . f , skill , kno le ge so particular art, a tra e or occupation , g - r f song c a t.

C ull h i . , to c oose , p ck out

u a n P r o m i s e s e e B oa r o S on . C p of D r z g , f

D s d o f th e ﬂ e n d o f h wh the a i , a raise part oor at one a banquet all , ere principal persons sat .

Das ta r d w d . , a co ar Da w n - d a s h the w i i h d w e f the un f i n . , t l g t at a n b ore s is ully r se o the B a tt le R n w h the i i o f d d w r i Sh d D ay f , ag arok, en sp r ts ea ar ors oul “ ” h d s D a o Do o m ha s the m e join in the battle o f t e g o . y f sa m eaning .

Dea r th w n f m i . , a t, a ne , scarcity

De t f e . . d f . f , skil ul , g e t in every cunning

1 3 0 GLOSSARY

- - Falh l . I f n in d w h h w d e . . m a n f G h f , peop e t is o te jo e it ot er or s , g olk, ot olk ' F o lk o the w a r - w a n d s o r e r s t he o f d w f w ho ha d f f g , are race ar s g reat skill in the m akin g o f w eapons . “ ” Fo n d d O ld E n i h m e f h m im i , use in g l s to an oolis , or so et es only to g ve “ ” m h i in t he x th f d d m in th e p as s , as e pression y on est nee , ean g y ” e d greatest ne . - Fo o t hi lls the w h nd the o f hi h m n . , lo er ills rou base a very g ountai - Fo r e o r d a i n e d t d b t he w i o f the d i m . , se tle y ll go s in early t es

F o s ter i hi d fo r h e . . N o w w d , to rear, to br ng up a c l , to care , to s elter, g oul ” “ ” I fo ster S igurd ; the house that foste red m e . F r a n k/i n w - t o -d o f m o n e w ho n o t m h d , a ell ar er, is erely a ire servant.

F r e i a the w f o f Od a n d hi f o f the d d s . y , i e in c e go esse

Ga i n s a f . y , to resist, to re use a request Ga i n Ga m i t he o f hi h x d f the p g p, a na e g ven to state t ng s t at, e iste be ore d w a s - m Th w a s d h w orl ad e . ere suppose to ave been an em pty space d i th w n m till O n created e orld o f god s a d e n .

Ga r n er h m m e . , to g at er up, to store up so eti es , to r ap “ Ga r th f m w h h hi m a d e . . w h , an enclosure , a place ro ic t ng s y be g arnere , g it in h w ” the g arth t at it ( t he all! g ird eth . Gea r w d d w i h m m n d m a n , a or use t any ea ing s, as , ress , ar s , possessions , y ’ - hi h a ha s e . . w a r a ll m n m a n d t ng t at person or uses , g g ear, a a s ar our ’ - w m i m m . eapons a l g ear, a an s ar our “ W h hi Gi r d n d d e . . The a s id i d d , to tie rou , to be all roun , g r t to s e is g r e “ a w all d oth he behold but w ithin the garth that it g ird et h n o i ” w ork o f m a n s s e t . ‘ Gla iv e w d . , a s or

- Go d ho m e As d . , g ar Go ld -bes tr zd e r th e n m i S u d b G e he d w th , a e g ven to ig r y iuki b cause ro e ith e d h id treasure o f gol upon is sad d le. To bestr e is to stand over anythi n g n e fo h w ith o ot on eac sid e . - o o d hea r t n d h . G , ki ly stren gt Go o dlihea d w d o f w h h d m d , a or praise ic is g enerally use to e an bo ily beauty, but som etim es to m e an beauty o f character.

Gr av e l h lo w o n the n d . , to crouc g rou - Gu es t a i n h i d w m . f , osp table, rea y to elco e guests

Gui le n in n e d fo r a n i r . , cu n g , clever ess us ev l pu pose “ Guis e r n in d d s e . . h w a s the i o f his m , appea a ce, k , res , g suc gu se rai ent ’ ” fa 1r - d h r cla in unte s guise .

H a ler s o the ha w s e r s o f the e i .a. m n . f , pullers rop s , sea e

Ha llo w a fo r e m m h e . . I h w m e to to set ap rt a sol n purpose, to ake oly, g allo Od i fo r d o f his h n a lea er ost. GLOSSARY 1 3 1

n i n s w ff w hic h i o f d a n d H a g g , tapestry , oven stu on p ctures or ﬁgures g o s h w m id d e d d the w o f h e eroes ere e bro ere , us to ecorate alls ouses , .g . “ “ The w alls w ere strange a n d w ond rous w ith noble stor ies told ; t he ” d o n the h d g o s ang ing s stirre .

H a r n ess m . , ar our - H a uber k l . , a breast p ate

H ea t/e s a n d f m m m e e The d m . h , to ri e all , so eti es rely to rise, g oo eaves ” up d im throug h the g loom . H i h-s ea t the d i h f w h e the m o f h a n d his r 1n c 1 a l g , a s or c ie seat er aster a ouse p p guests s a t .

H i h t id e im o f f . g , t e estival “ ” H i n d e ll the w d m d - m in f m a n h a n d f , or eans eer ounta , since ell eans y ill, ” h w r hind is t e w ord e still use fo a d eer . H i r eli n g , a servant

H is t i i . to g ive attent on, to l sten

H i the r m os t . , nearest

H o a r d . G d o f e w h h the w e , a store enerally use a treasur ic o ner k eps ’ ” h e F f ir w d m i s d d d a n d bo a r d e d w d m selﬁs ly , g a n s is o calle g ru g e is o , i h “ h h d ” a n d h s gold t e eavy oar . ’ H oen i r o n e o f Od i n w i a n d m e o d w ho the h , n s so s a se bla el ss g , ot ers i e d w d n e w h a n d n e w wh bel ev , oul return to reign over a eaven a earth en Ragnarok w a s past.

H o l t w d d . , a oo lan

H o led f d . ﬁp , ettere

- H o r s e ed c d b h . f , roppe y orses ” - H o r s e he r d e o f h . H d m a n o f n m a n d , ke per orses er eans y keeper a i als ,

- i d w he w . h h h . n e h d e . d w d is g e rally jo ne it ot r or s, g s ep er , s ine er

Hud d led w d h m S . , t iste toget er in a s all pace

‘ “ - I n te n t in n i . I th e F w h m is the l d i , te t on, purpose n passag e , or o b oo po nt ” “ w h d a n d th e d o f hi n t ? the m n is A i w h m ette e g e t ne i ent ea ing , g a nst o ” th w d h d a n d w h m i s th ? is y s or s arpene , ag ainst o y purpose so keen

W L a n d hi h d f w h K i n f m l . K i n o the 0 s o m , a ily , re ations f % oki c il ren , one o w a s a m onstrous w olf w hich w a s to ﬁght ag ainst t he god s at Ragnarok . K i n e , cattle .

K i r t le . , a long cloak

La ch e . . H e w h w a s i a n d . The l h m d , loss , g kne t ere ru n lack ack t at a e ” him lo th is used to d escribe th e r i n g o f And vari w hich he w a s un w i u w ith t he o f his L To w h ill ng to g ive p rest treasure to oki . 71. be it ” “ ” f n d w a . out, or, to be ou nting

La . y , a song 1 3 2 GLOSSARY

Le a m d w . , a ea o

L eeches d s . , octor w Li e] ; illing . Le t th e h o f the sk h d the h o f th s f , arc y over ea , hig est part e ky. n h - Li n d e t e lim e tree . L i n ked m a il m m d o f d h , ar our a e ring s linke toget er. Li n tel the o f d - w a , top a oor y .

Lis t w h h . , to is , to c oose - - Li tton h d o . r e d h , lig te up f litten, torc litten. - L o n s hzos hi o f w a r . g j , s ps n w d learni g , kno le g e .

Lo th w d . , un illing , g rieve

M a r d is ﬁ ure . , to spoil , g

M a r h d d d . , boun ary , bor erlan M a s te r s o Go d -ho m e the d o f A d w m the f , g o s sgar against ho g iants a n d a ll

- m w w a r foul onsters ere constantly at . - M a tt o eh x . , a pick a e

M ea d m d w . , a ea o - M ew s e a . , a g ull - M id m ir h h d . M i r h d . , t ick arkness , arkness

M i d w a r d m d . , pri e , best ays M id w o r ld the h the h m o f m e n d n h d f m A d the , eart ; o e as isti guis e ro sgar ,

h m o f the d a n d N i ﬂhe i m th e h m o f the d d . o e go s , , o e ea M i n is h to g row less . M o o n w a he the h h o f i h m d b the m w , long straig t pat l g t a e y oon on ater. - M ur de r cha r ts ﬁ e i c e a n d s m e n d . , suspiciou rea y to slay a guest

M ute d m . , u b, silent

N ether w , lo er N i a r d d i m i d e the G n H h i s gg , g ru g ng , serly , unpro uctive, g litteri g eat i d ” called n g g ar g round .

N o r n s the h m id w ho d d d the f o f d a n d m e n . Th , t ree a ens eci e ates g o s eir n m w U rd V d a n d i a n d S d P P a n d F a n d a es ere , er kul , or ast, resent, uture,

h w m w fu h t he d h m e . . G f h is t ey ere ore po er l t an go s t e selves, g one ort ” the w o f the N ri h d h the m . ill or s, t at abi et ever sa e

’ ’ Od i n s d o o r w hi d . , a arrior s s el ’ Od i n s H a ll V h w h h w the o f w . , al alla, to ic ent souls arriors slain in battle

P a ll o f m m m n e d i n th e x i a n d . , a cloak state ost co o l y us e press on purple pall “ ” d i m h e He h he r as s g , very ; use to g ve e p asis , g lovet p sing ore, w he h w d m m h re bot or s are si ply e p atic.

1 3 4 GLOSSARY

“ ” S ha r d s e f m e . . t he h d o f i e o f . , brok n rag ents , g s ar s a g la v battle ld - bur f r f d B h w S hie o h . m g , a ort ess built s iel s urg eans eit er a to n, a castle, f e or a o rtr ss . S hie ld - w a ll t he d f c m a d b h m e n h d h h d , e en e e y ﬁg ting ol ing t eir s iel s close th h n d ba tog e er as t ey sta at y . “ n f S h t n . n i e . m n n in h 71. n i if , a trick, cun g plan, g y cu g s i ts ; to co tr ve, “ e . . t he m a n w h h a n d h d m a h f To f m be able, g ose eart an y s i t, pluck it ro ” h o a k- w t e oo d .

S hi m m er m a n d h n the h s . , to g lea c a ge colour as lig t alter c a n d h a ro ky isl near t e coast. S la he d d d o f h h ha s a n d is n o w , coole , put out use anyt ing t at been burning w n c o ld g ro . “ ” S le i ht n n in i e . L is d the M o f S h g , cu g , tr ck ry oki calle aster leig t because o f his skill i n d e ceit . ’ S lei n i r Od i h . I w a s e h a d i h f a n d d him p , n s orse t g r y , e g t eet, coul carry

an d a n d a n d d ﬂ h h the . over sea l , coul also y t roug air S lo t t he f b w d m , track le t y a il ani al .

S l o th id n e . , le ss

S m i th d o the w o f m h f w . y , to ork a s it , org e eapons

S o o th h. , trut

S o r e m h . I is e s d h w h h , very uc t g nerally u e about t ing s ic are evil or “ in f m m i m h i e . . m h the pa ul , but so eti es only to g ve e p as s , g a ber t at th m e n e sou ern lov sore . S ea r - he d e the i o f m in o - w d p g , br stling spears an ar y battle f battle oo , - w spear ood .

- S e ll d r en ched s t u e ﬁ e d w h lm d b m . p , p or over e e y ag ic S he r e - s tr ea m the d th e a ir o f h w d w h h the s ﬁ , space beyon t is orl , in ic planet h m o n h i or sp eres ove t e r courses .

S ta r h i ff h d . , st , ar , severe

S ta u n ch d f n c h n . , s s , u g g tea a t a in — S tea d n . it is f e i d h e w d e . . h d h , a place ; o t n jo ne to ot r or s , g all stea , a all “ the w h h ha s the n I w t he or place ere a all been , as in se tence, ent to “ - i d h d 71 s tea d o r bes tea d s a id e . . d p llare all stea . , to erve, to , g to stea ” m e th e h in ﬁg t .

S tea a a s t n h in f i hf m d . y , u c ang g , a t ul , un ove ’ S ti th m ith f . y , a blacks s org e

S tr a i t n r w m d . , ar o , cra pe

S tr i li n n m a n w o . p g , a you g just g ro n up ; f youngling “ ” S u n d e r e a e . . W e w e n d the n d n w . , to s p rate, g on su eri g ay s S u n - d o i h i f in m o f the s un i t i n g , a br g t spot l ke a a t i ag e , seen near cloudy w h eat er . m S w a d d li n h h w f d e . . the o f F f i a s s g , anyt ing t at raps or en ol s , g coils a n r p g “ ” over S igurd in the pit are called the sw ad d ling o f d eath . GLOSSARY 1 3 5

- - r t ha i r ed d h i e d . S w a , ark a r

a the t he n in o f m w n e hi d a o . w h o f the S w , lo g l e o corn b n a re per f s at es ” w d i e . h o f d d i n a . s or , eaps ea b ttle

e hi d . Ta rg , s l a e “ a r r w i n e . . T i I s a w d . T y , to a t, to li g er, g arry t ll y a or ” - r a ll . S ho r t li v ed thr a lls o the o d s m o m e n d w f Th , a slave f g , rtal , not ar s or g ia n ts . “ “ id w h m f h f t he i h id . d e im e . . the Ti , t e , g t e en y at er ell ; n g t t e

s o Ud z n w a r hi d So c e d e a Od in w a s o d o f w a r . Ti le f , S el s , all b c use g

i ler t he h n d o f the d d w h h s h . T l , a le ru er ic steer a s ip

To i ls n f t . , s ares, et ers - To m o r n m w m n n . , to orro or i g

a i n n i n b i . Tr , to e t ce, bri g y tr ckery - n Tr ee ”bo le tree tru k .

h m i e m o f m . Tr o t a pro se , g nerally a pro ise arriage - cf n a Tr o th ﬁ lz ht prom i sed i m rriag e .

Tr o w t o i . , bel eve - - w Tw z bz ll an axe w ith a d ouble ed ged blad e. I t a s the w eapon w hich Od i n n carried w hen he appeared to m e .

bit te d n h the n o t i n . Un , ever taug t to obey bit, broken

Un ho l e n n h e d . H i s the o ld f rm o f the . h l d . p , u el p olpen o e p e pe

Un s ta ble h n n o t in . , c a geable, last g

tt er m o s t ho r n the i n fo r R a n . I w a s e ie d h H im d U , s g al g arok t b l ve t at e all , o n e o f t he g o d s w ho guard e d a brid g e called Bifrost betw een Asg ard d he t h w d w o n his ho w hic h w u d the i a n t ear , oul blo a blast rn o l be s gn f r t he beg inning o f the g reat battle betw een t he god s a n d the pow ers oqe v i l .

Ven o m . , poison

- l n o o h n o r d w . Wa l , g b ll an openi . en in a a “ W i t /[m r o ll the d e . . F f i t he w l w the about upon g roun , g a n r, a lo er on ’’ g o idto

Wa n a in h d w h ff . , p le , p c e it su ering

Wa n e f d w w d im . , to a e a ay , g ro ” ’ - - Wa r d i n w a lls d in w . Wa r di n w a lls o d ea th m n m g , guar g alls g f , a a s ar our h e e d th f m him t at k ps ea ro . - “ Wa r d s e . i . d w d o . w d . Fa fn r is a d the d , keepers, g oor ar s ; f ar en c lle gol w ” ard en . - Wa r w a n d w d . , a s or W r a f t he a c h . y , care ul, ever on w t 13 6 GLOSSARY

Wa s te d w w e . . S d is d w , to estroy, to s eep a ay , g igur sai to aste every w ron g .

Wax e n w m . , g ro n, beco e

Wea l h in d f . , app ess , g oo ortune W e d e - a r r a a n m e o f h i m e n w h h h d g y , arrang e nt ﬁg t ng in ic t ey stoo close e tog ether i n the form o f a triang l . We ed d , ress . W ell u i o f the d d o f f n p, to r se as a spring bubbles out g roun ; use eeli g s “ ” w h the m a n d w e . . W h in his h it eaning to arise g ro strong , g rat eart ” w ells up . - We lte r the a n d i o f th e w . , toss r pple sea aves

Wen d o . , to g “ ” Whette d i d m d h e . . the w h d W h. , st rre up, a e s arp or eager, g ette rat

While o m e i n the i m . , past , once upon a t e

Whiles f m m im e . , ro ti e to t wh w h Whi t m i ﬂ e . . a very s all part cle , a tri e, g never a it, no it - W i ht m a n e e w i h m . g , a , a creatur , g sea g ts, g reat sea onsters

Wis e w a m e a f the f h n o f. , y , ann r, ter as io / - IViteh w i e w i h. W f h m w m . f , tc i e ere eans o an

W o ld h f e n d m c n . , a ill ; o t use to ean open ou try W o o d - cr a t n w d o f th e w d a n d o f a ll h m e His f , k o le g e oo s creatures in t e , g - ” w d f w x d e h he m d the o f t he . oo cra t a e so g r at , t at see e king creatures

W o t n w . , to k o

Wr a t h f d . Wr a t h o a m i ht ba ttle the d d f , stri e , estruction, ruins f g y , ea le t on the ﬁeld .

w m m . ork en, akers “ w i d o f sh e . . W h a n d f w e bent, t ste out ape, g rit en oul re the . ” h d h m d i t i an s t at a e g lor ous .

Wr i tten s ea r d w h e w d . p , a Spear carve it lett rs or or s

“ Yea r n f d w d e . . M h him d h , to g, to eel ten erness to ar s , g y eart to ot ”lon yearn. ” Yo r e n a o a d i n th e x of f m e , lo g g ; gener lly use e pression yore, or erly, onc i m upon a t e.

P r i n t e d i n E n g l a n d a t T H E B ALL AN T Y N E P RE S S

S p o r r rs w o n a B A LL A T Y E <5 C o . L T D o . . N N

C o l c h e s t e r . L o n d o n 8 E t o n