Volsunga Saga Old Norse and Icelandic Mythologies

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the Northern Lands, while the world standeth fast.
The story tells that, on a day, as Gudrun sat in her bower,
she fell to saying, Better was life in those days when I had
Sigurd; he who was far above other men as gold is above iron,
or the leek over other grass of the field, or the hart over other
wild things; until my brethren begrudged me such a man, the
first and best of all men; and so they might not sleep or they
had slain him. Huge clamour made Grani when he saw his
master and lord sore wounded, and then I spoke to him even
as with a man, but he fell drooping down to the earth, for he
knew that Sigurd was slain.
Thereafter Gudrun gat her gone into the wild woods, and
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heard on all ways round about her the howling of wolves, home; and their horses were clad in mail-coats, and every
and deemed death a merrier thing than life. Then she went knight of them had his helm done over with gold or with
till she came to the hall of King Alf, and sat there in Denmark silver.
with Thora, the daughter of Hakon, for seven seasons, and Grimhild was of their company, for she said that their er-
abode with good welcome. And she set forth her needlework rand would never be brought fairly to pass if she sat at home.
before her and did thereinto many deeds and great, and fair There were well five hundred men, and noble men rode
plays after the fashion of those days, swords and byrnies, and with them. There was Waldemar of Denmark, and Eymod
all the gear of kings, and the ship of King Sigmund sailing and Jarisleif withal. So they went into the hall of King Alf,
along the land; yea, and they wrought there how they fought, and there abode them the Longbeards and Franks, and Sax-
Sigar and Siggeir, south in Fion. Such was their disport; and ons: they fared with all their war-gear, and had over them red
now Gudrun was somewhat solaced of her grief. fur-coats. Even as the song says
So Grimhild comes to hear where Gudrun has take up her
abode, and she calls her sons to talk with her, and asks whether Byrnies short cut,
they will make atonement to Gudrun for her son and her Strong helms hammered,
husband, and said that it was but meet and right to do so. Girt with good swords,
Then Gunnar spake, and said that he would atone for her Red hair gleaming.
sorrows with gold.
So they send for their friends, and array their horses, their They were fain to choose good gifts for their sister, and
helms, and their shields, and their byrnies, and all their war- spake softly to her, but in none of them would she trow.
gear; and their journey was furnished forth in the noblest wise, Then Gunnar brought unto her a drink mingled with hurtful
and no champion who was of the great men might abide at things, and this she must needs drink, and with the king
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thereof she had no more memory of their guilt against her.
But in that drink was blended the might of the earth and And so now, when their hearts are-brought anigh to each
the sea with the blood of her son; and in that horn were all other, great cheer they made: then came Grimhild to Gudrun,
letters cut and reddened with blood, as is said hereunder and spake.
All hail to thee, daughter! I give thee gold and all kinds of
good things to take to thee after thy father, dear bought rings
On the horn s face were there
All the kin of letters and bed-gear of the maids of the Huns, the most courteous
Cut aright and reddened, and well dight of all women; and thus is thy husband atoned
How should I rede them rightly?
for: and thereafter shalt thou be given to Atli, the mighty
The ling-fish long
king, and be mistress of all his might. Cast not all thy friends
Of the land of Hadding,
aside for one man s sake, but do according to our bidding.
Wheat-ears unshorn,
Gudrun answers, Never will I wed Atli the King; unseemly
And wild things inwards.
it is for us to get offspring betwixt us.
Grimhild says, Nourish not thy wrath; it shall be to thee as
In that beer were mingled
if Sigurd and Sigmund were alive when thou hast borne sons.
Many ills together,
Gudrun says, I cannot take my heart from thoughts of
Blood of all the wood
him, for he was the first of all men.
And brown-burnt acorns,
Grimhild says, So it is shapen that thou must have this
The black dew of the hearth,
king and none else.
The God-doomed dead beast s inwards,
Says Gudrun, Give not this man to me, for an evil thing
And the swine s liver sodden
shall come upon thy kin from him, and to his own sons shall
Because all wrongs that deadens.
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he deal evil, and be rewarded with a grim revenge thereafter. CHAPTER XXXIV
Then waxed Grimhild fell at those words, and spake, Do
even as we bid thee, and take therefore great honour, and our Atli bids the Giukings to him
friendship, and the steads withal called Vinbjorg and Valbjorg. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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