About Sinfjǫtli’s Death
© 2023 Edward Pettit, CC BY-NC 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0308.15
Sigmundr, Vǫlsungr’s son, was king in Frakkland. Sinfjǫtli was the eldest of his sons, second was Helgi, third Hámundr. Borghildr, Sigmundr’s wife, had a brother who was called . . . . And Sinfjǫtli, her stepson, and . . . . they both asked to marry the one woman, and for that reason Sinfjǫtli slew him. And when he came home, Borghildr asked him to go away, but Sigmundr offered her compensation, and she had to accept that. But at the funeral feast, Borghildr served ale. She took poison, a great hornful, and brought it to Sinfjǫtli. And when he looked in the horn, he perceived that poison was in it, and he said to Sigmundr: ‘The drink is cloudy, father.’ Sigmundr took the horn and drained it. It is said that Sigmundr was so strongly made that poison could never hurt him outside or inside. But all his sons withstood poison [only] outside on their skin. Borghildr brought another horn to Sinfjǫtli, and asked him to drink, and everything went as before. And, again, the third time she brought him the horn, but with insulting words with it, if he did not drain it. He spoke again as before with Sigmundr. He said: ‘Let your moustache strain it then, son!’ Sinfjǫtli drank and died at once.
Sigmundr carried him a long way in his arms and came to a fjord slender and long, and there was a little ship and a lone man in it. He offered Sigmundr passage over the fjord. But when Sigmundr brought the body out to the ship, then the boat was [fully] laden. The old man said to Sigmundr that he would have to go along the shore inside the fjord. The old man pushed the ship out and vanished at once.
King Sigmundr stayed a long time in Danmǫrk in the kingdom of Borghildr, after he married her. Then Sigmundr went south into Frakkland, to the kingdom that he owned there. Then he married Hjǫrdís, daughter of King Eylimi. Their son was Sigurðr. King Sigmundr fell in battle before Hundingr’s sons. And Hjǫrdís then gave herself in marriage to Álfr, son of King Hjálprekr. Sigurðr grew up there in his childhood.
Sigmundr and all his sons were far above all other men in strength and stature and courage and all accomplishments. Sigurðr was foremost of all then, and in the ancient traditions all people call him superior to all men and the noblest of army-kings.
* Original text modified by the editor for clarification and ease of reading