The Earlier Lay of Helgi Hundingsbani
© 2023 Edward Pettit, CC BY-NC 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0308.12
Here begins a poem about Helgi Hundingsbani and the death of Hǫðbroddr and his men.
Lay of the Vǫlsungar
- It was early in ages when eagles screamed,
holy waters bowed down from Himinfjǫll,
when to Helgi the great-hearted
Borghildr had given birth in Brálundr. - Night fell in the farmstead, Nornir came,
those who shaped a life for the princeling;
they decreed that he would become the most famous king
and be thought the best of Buðli’s descendants. - They twisted fate-strands with strength,
when he broke strongholds in Brálundr;
they set in order the golden strings
and fastened them under the middle of the moon’s hall. - East and west they concealed the ends,
where the praiseworthy one possessed lands in between;
Neri’s kinswoman threw onto the north-road
one fastening — she decreed that it should always hold. - One thing caused anguish to the kinsman of the Ylfingar,
and to the girl who gave birth to the beloved one:
raven spoke to raven — it sat on a high branch —
in anticipation of food: ‘I know something! - ‘Sigmundr’s son stands in his mail-coat,
one day old, now day has come!
He whets his eyes as warriors do —
that one’s a friend of wolves — we shall be cheerful!’ - He seemed to the host to be a descendant of Dagr,
they said good years had come among men;
the leader himself went from battle-turmoil
to bring a noble leek to the young warrior. - He gave him the name ‘Helgi’, and Hringstaðir,
Sólfjǫll, Snæfjǫll and Sigarsvellir,
Hringstǫð, Hátún and Himinvangar,
[and] a decorated blood-snake, to the brother of Sinfjǫtli. - Then he began to grow in the bosom of friends,
a noble-born elm, in the light of bliss;
he repaid and gave gold to his retinue,
the ruler did not spare blood-splattered hoards. - The leader waited [only] a short time for war,
once the marshal was fifteen winters old;
and he had slain the hard Hundingr,
the one who long ruled lands and thanes. - From Sigmundr’s boy Hundingr’s sons
then demanded riches and rings,
because they had to requite the boar
for his great wealth-taking and their father’s death. - Buðli’s descendant did not offer up remedies,
none the quicker did the relatives receive kin-compensation;
he said there would be the prospect of the great storm
of grey spears and the anger of Óðinn. - Warriors advance to the sword-assembly,
that which they laid down at Logafjǫll;
Fróði’s peace was torn apart between enemies,
Viðrir’s corpse-eager bitches go about the island. - The leader sat himself down, when he had slain
Álfr and Eyjólfr, beneath Arasteinn,
Hjǫrvarðr and Hávarðr, the sons of Hundingr —
he had destroyed the whole family of spear-Mímir. - Then light sprang from Logafjǫll,
and from those lights came lightnings;
then it was under helmets on Himinvangar;
their mail-coats were bespattered with blood,
and from their spears stood rays of light. - Dagr’s descendant asked this early,
from a wolf-lair, of the southern women,
if they would go home with the warriors that night;
there was thrumming of elm-bows. - And from her horse Hǫgni’s daughter —
the din of shield-rims subsided — spoke to the prince:
‘I think that we have other tasks
than to drink beer with the ring-breaker. - ‘My father has promised his maiden
to the fierce son of Granmarr;
but, Helgi, I’ve called Hǫðbroddr
a king bold as a cat’s son! - ‘That marshal will come in a few nights,
unless you direct him to a slaughter-assembly
or take the maiden from the munificent prince.’ - ‘Don’t you be afraid of Ísungr’s slayer!
First there will be the din of combats, unless I’m dead!’ - The all-ruler sent emissaries from there,
through air and over sea, to muster sailors,
to offer abundant light of Ógn
to men and to their boys. - ‘Bid them go speedily to the ships
and prepare [to depart] from Brandey!’
There the prince waited, until there came
innumerable heroes from Heðinsey. - And there from the shores, from Stafnsnes,
his boats glided out and [they were] adorned with gold;
at that Helgi asked Hjǫrleifr:
‘Have you inspected the bold men?’ - And the young king spoke to others:
‘[It would be a] slow [task],’ he said, ‘to tally from Trǫnueyrr
the long-headed ships beneath the sailors,
those which set out into Ǫrvasund!’ - ‘Twelve hundred trusty men,
though in Hátún the king’s battle-host
is double the size — I expect a din!’ - The captain took down the stem-tents,
so that the multitude of munificent men awoke,
and the descendants of Dagr see ‘day’s brow’,
and the princes hoisted up by the mast
weave-fastened [cloths] in Varinsfjǫrðr. - There was din of oars and clanking of irons,
shield-rim clashed with shield-rim, vikings rowed;
plunging ahead beneath noblemen
went the prince’s fleet, far from lands. - Thus it was to hear, when they came together,
Kólga’s sister and the long keels,
as if cliffs or sea would break! - Helgi had the high sail drawn higher,
the crew did not shrink from the meeting with the waves,
when an awful daughter of Ægir
wanted to capsize the stay-bridle-horses. - And, from above, Sigrún, army-brave,
safeguarded them and their ship;
strongly the king’s roaring-sea beast wrenched itself
from Rán — from her hand — at Gnipalundr. - So that there, during the evening, in Unavágar,
the attractively equipped ships floated;
and they themselves from Svarinshaugr
scrutinized the army with an anxious mind. - Well-born Guðmundr asked this:
‘Who is the land-ruler, the one who steers this force
and leads a fell force to land?’ - Sinfjǫtli spoke — he slung up by the yardarm
his red shield, its rim was of gold;
there was a sound-warder, the one who knew how to answer
and exchange words with noblemen! - ‘Say this this evening, when you’re feeding swine
and enticing your bitches to their swill,
that the Ylfingar have come from the east,
eager for battle, from Gnipalundr! - ‘There Hǫðbroddr will find Helgi,
a flight-averse prince, in the fleet’s midst,
the one who has often sated eagles,
while you were kissing slave-girls at querns!’ - ‘You remember, marshal, few ancient tales,
when you fling falsehoods at noblemen!
You’ve eaten wolves’ dainties
and brought about your brother’s death,
often sucked wounds with a cold mouth —
hated everywhere, you’ve slithered into a heap of stones!’ - ‘You were a seeress on Varinsey,
a deceit-wise woman, you drew together lies!
You said you wanted to possess no man,
[no] mail-coated fighter, except Sinfjǫtli! - ‘You were the wounding one, a witch, a valkyrie,
awful, immensely mighty, at Alfaðir’s!
The unique champions would all fight each other,
headstrong woman, for your sake! - ‘Nine wolves we two had begotten on Sága’s ness —
I alone was their father!’ - ‘You weren’t the father of Fenrir’s wolves,
older than all, as I recall,
because giants’ maidens gelded you
before Gnipalundr, on Þórsnes! - ‘You were Siggeir’s stepson, you were at home lying under haystacks,
accustomed to wolf-songs out in the woods!
Every sort of disaster came upon you,
when you pierced your brother’s breast!
You made yourself famous from dreadful deeds!’ - ‘You were Grani’s bride on Brávǫllr,
gold-bridled, you were made for galloping!
I had ridden you, giantess(?), to exhaustion on many roads,
scrawny beneath a saddle, downhill! - ‘You appeared to be an indecent youth,
when you milked Gullnir’s goats,
and on another occasion [you were] Imðr’s daughter,
one with a tattered dress — do you want a longer list?’ - ‘I would sooner sate ravens
on your corpses at Frekasteinn,
than entice your bitches to their swill
or feed gelded boars — may fiends deal with you!’ - ‘It would be more fitting by far, Sinfjǫtli, for you two
to engage in war and to gladden eagles
than it is to cast useless words at each other,
even if the ring-breakers deal in hatreds! - ‘Granmarr’s sons don’t seem good to me,
yet it befits princes to speak truly;
they have made it clear at Móinsheimar
that they have the spirit to wield swords.’ - They made run from the realm
Svipuðr and Sveggjuðr, to Sólheimar,
[through] dewy dales, [over] dark hillsides;
Mist’s sea shook, wherever the young men went. - They met the prince at the courtyard-gate,
said severely that a king had come;
outside stood Hǫðbroddr, encased in a helmet,
he considered the horse-ride of his kin:
‘Why is there a look of anxiety on the Hniflungar?’ - ‘Swift longships head to the sand here,
harts of mast-rings and long yardarms,
many shields, shaven oars,
the noble host of a sea-king, happy Ylfingar. - ‘Fifteen companies go ashore,
yet there are seven thousand out in Sogn;
there lie here within the gates before Gnipalundr
blue-black sea-beasts and [they’re] adorned with gold.
There is their greatest multitude by far —
Helgi won’t delay the sword-meeting now!’ - ‘May bridled horses run to mighty assemblies,
and Sporvitnir to Sparinsheiðr,
Mélnir and Mýlnir to Myrkviðr!
Let no man linger behind,
of those who know how to wield wound-flames! - ‘Summon Hǫgni and Hringr’s sons,
Atli and Yngvi, Álfr the Old;
they’re eager to engage in war —
let’s give the Vǫlsungar some resistance!’ - It was in only a blink of an eye that
pale weapon-points came together at Frekasteinn;
Helgi, slayer of Hundingr, was always
first in the army, where men fought each other,
keen on fighting, wholly averse to flight —
that king had a hard mood-acorn! - There came from the sky helmet-creatures, from above —
the clamour of spears grew — they who protected the prince;
then Sigrún said this — wound-creatures flew,
the horse of the troll-woman ate from Huginn’s barley: - ‘Unharmed, prince, you shall profit from men,
descendant of Yngvi, and enjoy life,
since you have felled the flight-averse boar,
the one who caused the death of a frightful one! - ‘And for you, Buðli’s descendant, are most befitting
both red rings and the mighty maiden!
Unharmed, Buðli’s descendant, you shall enjoy both
Hǫgni’s daughter and Hringstaðir,
victory and lands — then the battle is concluded!’
* Original text modified by the editor for clarification and ease of reading