The Lay of Helgi Hjǫrvarðsson
© 2023 Edward Pettit, CC BY-NC 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0308.13
About Hjǫrvarðr and Sigrlinn
There was a king called Hjǫrvarðr. He had four wives. One was called Álfhildr; their son was called Heðinn. The second was called Særeiðr; their son was called Humlungr. The third was called Sinrjóð; their son was called Hymlingr.
King Hjǫrvarðr had vowed this solemnly, that he would possess the woman whom he knew to be the most beautiful. He learnt that King Sváfnir had the fairest daughter of all; she was called Sigrlinn. His earl was called Iðmundr. Atli was his son, who went to ask for Sigrlinn on the king’s behalf. He stayed the whole winter with King Sváfnir.
There was an earl there called Fránmarr, Sigrlinn’s foster-father; his daughter was called Álǫf. The earl decided that he was to be denied the maiden, and Atli went home.
Atli, the earl’s son, stood one day in a certain grove, and a bird sat in the branches up above him and it had heard that his men called the women whom King Hjǫrvarðr had the most beautiful. The bird chirped, and Atli listened to what it said.
It said:
- ‘Have you seen Sigrlinn, Sváfnir’s daughter,
the fairest of maidens in Munarheimr?
Yet Hjǫrvarðr’s wives
seem suitable to men in Glasislundr!’
Atli said:
- ‘Would you speak further, wise-spirited bird
to Atli, Iðmundr’s son?’
The bird said:
‘I will, if Buðli’s descendant would offer me sacrifice,
and I can choose that which I want from the king’s court!’
Atli said:
- ‘Choose neither Hjǫrvarðr nor his sons,
nor the marshal’s fair brides,
not the brides, those which Buðli’s descendant has!
Let’s make a fine bargain together! That’s the mark of friends!’
The bird said:
- ‘I’ll choose temples, many outdoor sanctuaries,
golden-horned cows from the king’s farmstead,
if Sigrlinn sleeps in his arms
and accompanies the boar without compulsion.’
This was before Atli set out. And when he came back and the king asked him for tidings, he said:
- ‘We have hardship and on no account our errand;
our horses became exhausted on a mighty mountain,
then we had to wade the Sæmorn;
then Sváfnir’s daughter, endowed with rings,
was denied us, whom we wanted to have.’
The king ordered that they should go a second time. He himself went. And when they came up onto a mountain, and they saw in Svávaland burning land and great ‘horse-smokes’, the king rode from the mountain forward into the land and made camp for the night by a river. Atli kept watch and went over the river. He found a house. A great bird was sitting on the house and kept watch and had fallen asleep. Atli shot the bird to death with a spear, and in the house he found Sigrlinn, the king’s daughter, and Álǫf, the earl’s daughter, and he took them both away with him. Earl Fránmarr had changed himself into the form of an eagle and defended the women against the army with magic.
There was a king called Hróðmarr, Sigrlinn’s suitor. He slew the king of Svávaland and had pillaged and burnt the land. King Hjǫrvarðr married Sigrlinn, and Atli Álǫf. Hjǫrvarðr and Sigrlinn had a son mighty and handsome. He was silent. No name stuck to him. He sat on a burial mound. He saw nine valkyries riding, and one was the noblest.
She said:
- ‘You’ll be late, Helgi, to rule rings,
mighty strife-apple-tree, or Rǫðulsvellir —
an eagle screamed early — if you always keep silent,
even if, king, you prove your hard heart!’ - ‘What will you let accompany the name “Helgi”,
bright-faced bride, since you have the authority to offer?
Think well before all decisions!
I won’t accept it, unless I have you!’ - ‘I know of swords lying in Sigarshólmr,
four fewer than fifty;
one of them is better than all [others],
the bale of battle-brooches(?), and adorned with gold. - ‘A ring is in the hilt, courage is in the middle,
terror is in the point, for the one who gets to possess it;
along the edge lies a blood-stained snake,
and on the slaughter-cord(?) an adder lashes its tail!’
There was a king called Eylimi. His daughter was Sváva. She was a valkyrie and rode air and sea. She gave Helgi this name and protected him often thereafter in battles.
Helgi said:
- ‘You’re not, Hjǫrvarðr, a king of sound counsel,
army’s point-wise one, even if you are famous;
you let fire consume the settlements of boars,
but they had done no harm to you. - ‘And Hróðmarr shall rule rings,
those which our kinsmen owned;
that prince has least regard for his life,
he intends to govern the inheritance of an entirely dead [family]!’
Hjǫrvarðr replied that he would get Helgi help, if he is willing to avenge his maternal grandfather. Then Helgi fetched the sword which Sváva directed him to. Then he went, and Atli [with him], and they felled Hróðmarr and performed many mighty deeds. He slew the giant Hati, when he was sitting on a certain rock. Helgi and Atli moored their ships in Hatafjǫrðr. Atli kept watch for the first part of the night.
Hrímgerðr, Hati’s daughter, said:
- ‘Who are [these] heroes in Hatafjǫrðr?
Your ships are hung with shields;
you’re acting boldly, I suspect you’re not anxious about yourselves!
Make known to me the king’s name!’
Atli said:
- ‘He’s called Helgi, and you can never
cause harm to the king!
“Iron-strongholds” are around the nobleman’s ships —
troll-women cannot destroy us!’ - ‘What are you named,’ said Hrímgerðr, ‘hugely mighty hero?
What do men call you?
Your marshal trusts you, when he lets you
stand in the boat’s fair stem!’ - ‘I’m called Atli, I shall be atrocious to you —
I’m much the grimmest to giantesses!
I’ve often stood in the damp stem
and abused evening-riders! - ‘What are you called, corpse-greedy witch?
Name your father, troll-woman!
It’s further down by nine leagues you should be,
and may fir-trees grow on your trunk!’ - ‘I’m called Hrímgerðr, my father was called Hati,
whom I knew to be the most immensely mighty giant;
he had many brides taken from their dwelling,
until Helgi hewed him down.’ - ‘You, witch, were in front of the warlord’s ships
and lay in wait in the fjord’s mouth;
you wanted to give the prince’s warriors to Rán,
if a sharp point didn’t pierce your whale-flesh!’ - ‘You’re deluded now, Atli, I say you’re dreaming;
you’re letting your eyebrows sink over your lashes;
my mother lay in wait for the munificent man’s ships —
I drowned Hlǫðvarðr’s sons in the sea! - ‘You’d neigh, Atli, if you weren’t gelded —
Hrímgerðr’s raising her tail!
I think your heart’s farther back, Atli,
even if you have the voice of a reindeer-stag!’ - ‘I’ll seem a reindeer-stag to you, if you could try [me]
and [if] I stepped onto land from the sea!
You’ll be all battered, if I put all my heart into it,
and lower your tail, Hrímgerðr!’ - ‘Atli, come ashore, if you trust your strength,
and let’s meet in Varinn’s bay!
It’s a rightening of the ribs you’ll receive, warrior,
if you come into my clutches!’ - ‘I won’t come until the men awake
and keep watch for the prince;
it would be no surprise to me should a witch
come up beneath our ship.’ - ‘Awake, Helgi, and pay compensation to Hrímgerðr,
since you had Hati hacked!
If for a single night she can sleep beside the boar,
then she’ll have compensation for her sorrows!’ - ‘He’s called Loðinn, [the one] who shall have you — you’re loathsome to mankind!
That giant lives on Þolley,
an extremely wise ogre, the worst of lava-dwellers;
he’s an appropriate man for you!’ - ‘You’d rather have that one, Helgi, who spied out havens
the other night among men;
the sea-golden maiden seemed to me to have strength;
here she stepped ashore from the sea
and fastened your fleet thus;
she alone brings it about that I cannot
slay the men of Buðli’s descendant.’ - ‘Hear now, Hrímgerðr, if I compensate you for your sorrows,
speak to the warrior more fully:
was she a lone creature who protected the prince’s ships,
or did more of them journey together?’ - ‘Thrice nine maidens, yet one rode in front,
a maiden white under helm;
the horses shook themselves, from their manes came
dew in deep dales,
hail in high woods;
thence comes a good harvest among men;
all that I saw was hateful to me!’ - ‘Look east now, Hrímgerðr, since Helgi
has struck you with Hel-staves!
On land and on water the prince’s fleet is protected
and the leader’s men likewise!’ - ‘It’s day now, Hrímgerðr, and Atli has delayed you
to your life’s end!
A laughable harbour’s [land]mark you’ll seem to be,
there where you stand in the likeness of a stone!’
King Helgi was an almighty warrior. He came to King Eylimi and asked for Sváva, his daughter. Helgi and Sváva exchanged vows and loved each other very much. Sváva stayed at home with her father, but Helgi went raiding. Sváva was still a valkyrie, as before. Heðinn was at home with his father, King Hjǫrvarðr, in Nóregr.
Heðinn went home alone from a wood on Yule Eve and met a troll-woman. She rode a wolf and had snakes on the bridle, and she offered Heðinn her company. ‘No!’, he said. She said: ‘You shall pay for this at the oath-cup!’ During the evening they swore oaths. A sacrificial boar was brought forward. Men laid their hands on it there, and men then made solemn vows at the oath-cup. Heðinn made a solemn vow to [have] Sváva, Eylimi’s daughter, beloved of Helgi, his brother, and he regretted it so much that he went away on wild paths south in the land and met Helgi, his brother.
Helgi said:
- ‘Welcome, Heðinn! What new tidings can you
tell of from Nóregr?
Why, prince, have you been driven from the land
and come alone to find us?’ - ‘A much greater misdeed has befallen me:
I have chosen the king-born one,
your bride, at the oath-cup!’ - ‘Don’t blame yourself! The ale-talk of us both
will come true, Heðinn:
a prince has summoned me to an island,
in three nights I must come there;
I doubt that I shall come back;
such [an outcome] may then turn out for the good, if it must be!’ - ‘You said, Helgi, that Heðinn was
worthy of good from you and great gifts;
it’s more seemly for you to redden your sword
than to give peace to your opponents.’
Helgi said that because he suspected his doom and that his fetches had visited Heðinn when he saw the woman riding the wolf.
There was a king called Álfr, son of Hróðmarr, who, for Helgi, had marked a field with hazel poles [for a duel] on Sigarsvellir before three nights had passed.
Then Helgi said:
- ‘She rode on a wolf when it had grown dark,
a woman who offered him escort;
she knew that Sigrlinn’s son
would be slain at Sigarsvellir.’
There was a great fight, and Helgi received a mortal wound there.
- Helgi sent Sigarr riding
after Eylimi’s only daughter;
he bids her get ready swiftly,
if she wishes to find the marshal alive. - ‘Helgi has sent me here,
to speak with you yourself, Sváva;
the ruler said he wants to meet you,
before the nobly born one’s breath fails. - ‘What has become of Helgi, Hjǫrvarðr’s son?
Harshly it is that sorrows have sought me!
If sea deceived him or sword bit him,
I shall do harm to that one among men!’ - ‘He fell here this morning at Frekasteinn,
Buðli’s descendant, the man who was best under the sun;
Álfr will achieve victory over all,
although this time ought not to be.’ - ‘Hail, Sváva! You must share your heart,
this will be our last meeting in the world;
blood begins to flow under Buðli’s descendant —
a sword has come very near to my heart. - ‘I bid you, Sváva — don’t weep, bride! —
if you will hear my words,
that you prepare a bed for Heðinn
and turn your love towards the young boar.’ - ‘I had said this in Munarheimr,
when Helgi gave me rings:
I would not willingly, after the marshal had passed away,
put my arms around an unknown boar.’ - ‘Kiss me, Sváva! I shall not come
to visit Rógheimr or Rǫðulsfjǫll,
before I have avenged Hjǫrvarðr’s son,
the descendant of Buðli who was best under the sun!’
It is said that Helgi and Sváva were born again.
* Original text modified by the editor for clarification and ease of reading