REGINSMOL

[Contents]REGINSMOLThe Ballad of Regin[Contents]Introductory NoteTheReginsmolimmediately follows theGripisspoin theCodex Regius, and in addition stanzas 1, 2, 6, and 18 are quoted in theVolsungasaga, and stanzas 13–26 in theNornageststhattr. In no instance is the title of the poem stated, and inRegiusthere stands before the introductory prose, very faintly written, what appears to be “Of Sigurth.” As a result, various titles have been affixed to it, the two most often used being “the Ballad of Regin” and “the First Lay of Sigurth Fafnisbane.”As a matter of fact, it is by no means clear that the compiler of the Eddic collection regarded this or either of the two following poems, theFafnismoland theSigrdrifumol, as separate and distinct poems at all. There are no specific titles given, and the prose notes link the three poems in a fairly consecutive whole. Furthermore, the prose passage introducing theReginsmolconnects directly withFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and only the insertion of theGripisspoat this point, which may well have been done by some stupid copyist, breaks the continuity of the story.For convenience I have here followed the usual plan of dividing this material into distinct parts, or poems, but I greatly doubt if this division is logically sound. The compiler seems, rather, to have undertaken to set down the story of Sigurth in consecutive form, making use of all the verse with which he was familiar, and which, by any stretch of the imagination, could be made to fit, filling up the gaps with prose narrative notes based on the living oral tradition.This view is supported by the fact that not one of the three poems in question, and least of all theReginsmol, can possibly be regarded as a unit. For one thing, each of them includes both types of stanza commonly used in the Eddic poems, and this, notwithstanding the efforts of Grundtvig and Müllenhoff to prove the contrary, is almost if not quite conclusive proof that each poem consists of material taken from more than one source. Furthermore, there is nowhere continuity within the verse itself for more than a very few stanzas. An analysis of theReginsmolshows that stanzas 1–4, 6–10, and 12, all in Ljothahattr stanza form, seem to belong together as fragments of a poem dealing with[357]Loki’s (not Andvari’s) curse on the gold taken by the gods from Andvari and paid to Hreithmar, together with Hreithmar’s death at the hands of his son, Fafnir, as the first result of this curse. Stanza 5, in Fornyrthislag, is a curse on the gold, here ascribed to Andvari, but the only proper name in the stanza,Gust, is quite unidentifiable, and the stanza may originally have had to do with a totally different story. Stanza 11, likewise in Fornyrthislag, is merely a father’s demand that his daughter rear a family to avenge his death; there is nothing in it to link it necessarily with the dying Hreithmar. Stanzas 13–18, all in Fornyrthislag, give Regin’s welcome to Sigurth (stanzas 13–14), Sigurth’s announcement that he will avenge his father’s death on the sons of Hunding before he seeks any treasure (stanza 15), and a dialogue between a certain Hnikar, who is really Othin, and Regin, as the latter and Sigurth are on the point of being shipwrecked. This section (stanzas 13–18) bears a striking resemblance to the Helgi lays, and may well have come originally from that cycle. Next follows a passage in Ljothahattr form (stanzas 19–22 and 24–25) in which Hnikar-Othin gives some general advice as to lucky omens and good conduct in battle; the entire passage might equally well stand in theHovamol, and I suspect that it originally came from just such a collection of wise saws. Inserted in this passage is stanza 23, in Fornyrthislag, likewise on the conduct of battle, with a bit of tactical advice included. The “poem” ends with a single stanza, in Fornyrthislag, simply stating that the bloody fight is over and that Sigurth fought well—a statement equally applicable to any part of the hero’s career.Finnur Jonsson has divided theReginsmolinto two poems, or rather into two sets of fragments, but this, as the foregoing analysis has indicated, does not appear to go nearly far enough. It accords much better with the facts to assume that the compiler of the collection represented by theCodex Regius, having set out to tell the story of Sigurth, took his verse fragments pretty much wherever he happened to find them. In this connection, it should be remembered that in the fluid state of oral tradition poems, fragments, and stanzas passed readily and frequently from one story to another. Tradition, never critical, doubtless connected with the Sigurth story much verse that never originated there.If the entire passage beginning with the proseFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and, except for theGripisspo, including theReginsmol,Fafnismol, andSigrdrifumol, be regarded as a highly uncritical[358]piece of compilation, rendered consecutive by the compiler’s prose narrative, its difficulties are largely smoothed away; any other way of looking at it results in utterly inconclusive attempts to reconstruct poems some of which quite possibly never existed.The twenty-six stanzas and accompanying prose notes included under the heading ofReginsmolbelong almost wholly to the northern part of the Sigurth legend; the mythological features have no counterpart in the southern stories, and only here and there is there any betrayal of the tradition’s Frankish home. The story of Andvari, Loki, and Hreithmar is purely Norse, as is the concluding section containing Othin’s counsels. If we assume that the passage dealing with the victory over Hunding’s sons belongs to the Helgi cycle (cf. introductory notes toHelgakvitha HjorvarthssonarandHelgakvitha Hundingsbana I), there is very little left to reflect the Sigurth tradition proper.Regarding the general development of the story of Sigurth in the North, see the introductory note to theGripisspo.[Contents]Sigurth went to Hjalprek’s stud and chose for himself a horse, who thereafter was called Grani. At that time Regin, the son of Hreithmar, was come to Hjalprek’s home; he was more ingenious than all other men, and a dwarf in stature; he was wise, fierce and skilled in magic. Regin undertook Sigurth’s bringing up and teaching, and loved him much. He told Sigurth of his forefathers, and also of this: that once Othin and Hönir and Loki had come to Andvari’s waterfall, and in the fall were many fish. Andvari was a dwarf, who had dwelt long in the waterfall in the shape of a pike, and there he got his food. “Otr was the name of a brother of ours,” said Regin, “who often went into the fall in the shape of an otter; he had caught a salmon, and sat on the high bank eating it with his eyes shut. Loki threw a stone at him and killed him; the gods thought they had had great good luck, and[359]stripped the skin off the otter. That same evening they sought a night’s lodging at Hreithmar’s house, and showed their booty. Then we seized them, and told them, as ransom for their lives, to fill the otter skin with gold, and completely cover it outside as well with red gold. Then they sent Loki to get the gold; he went to Ron and got her net, and went then to Andvari’s fall and cast the net in front of the pike, and the pike leaped into the net.” Then Loki said:1.“What is the fish   |   that runs in the flood,And itself from ill cannot save?If thy head thou wouldst   |   from hell redeem,Find me the water’s flame.”[360]Andvari spake:2.“Andvari am I,   |   and Oin my father,In many a fall have I fared;An evil Norn   |   in olden daysDoomed me in waters to dwell.”Loki spake:3.“Andvari, say,   |   if thou seekest stillTo live in the land of men,What payment is set   |   for the sons of menWho war with lying words?”Andvari spake:4.“A mighty payment   |   the men must makeWho in Vathgelmir’s waters wade;On a long road lead   |   the lying wordsThat one to another utters.”Loki saw all the gold that Andvari had. But when[361]he had brought forth all the gold, he held back one ring, and Loki took this from him. The dwarf went into his rocky hole and said:5.“Now shall the gold   |   that Gust once hadBring their death   |   to brothers twain,And evil be   |   for heroes eight;Joy of my wealth   |   shall no man win.”The gods gave Hreithmar the gold, and filled up the otter-skin, and stood it on its feet. Then the gods had to heap up gold and hide it. And when that was done, Hreithmar came forward and saw a single whisker, and bade them cover it. Then Othin brought out the ring Andvaranaut and covered the hair. Then Loki said:6.“The gold is given,   |   and great the priceThou hast my head to save;[362]But fortune thy sons   |   shall find not there,The bane of ye both it is.”Hreithmar spake:7.“Gifts ye gave,   |   but ye gave not kindly,Gave not with hearts that were whole;Your lives ere this   |   should ye all have lost,If sooner this fate I had seen.”Loki spake:8.“Worse is this   |   that methinks I see,For a maid shall kinsmen clash;Heroes unborn   |   thereby shall be,I deem, to hatred doomed.”Hreithmar spake:9.“The gold so red   |   shall I rule, methinks,So long as I shall live;Nought of fear   |   for thy threats I feel,So get ye hence to your homes.”Fafnir and Regin asked Hreithmar for a share of the wealth that was paid for the slaying of their brother, Otr. This he refused, and Fafnir thrust his sword through the[363]body of his father, Hreithmar, while he was sleeping. Hreithmar called to his daughters:10.“Lyngheith and Lofnheith,   |   fled is my life,And mighty now is my need!”Lyngheith spake:“Though a sister loses   |   her father, seldomRevenge on her brother she brings.”Hreithmar spake:11.“A daughter, woman   |   with wolf’s heart, bear,If thou hast no son   |   with the hero brave;If one weds the maid,   |   for the need is mighty,Their son for thy hurt   |   may vengeance seek.”Then Hreithmar died, and Fafnir took all the gold. Thereupon Regin asked to have his inheritance from his father, but Fafnir refused this. Then Regin asked counsel[364]of Lyngheith, his sister, how he should win his inheritance. She said:12.“In friendly wise   |   the wealth shalt thou askOf thy brother, and better will;Not seemly is it   |   to seek with the swordFafnir’s treasure to take.”All these happenings did Regin tell to Sigurth.One day, when he came to Regin’s house, he was gladly welcomed. Regin said:13.“Hither the son   |   of Sigmund is come,The hero eager,   |   here to our hall;His courage is more   |   than an ancient man’s,And battle I hope   |   from the hardy wolf.14.“Here shall I foster   |   the fearless prince,Now Yngvi’s heir   |   to us is come;The noblest hero   |   beneath the sun,The threads of his fate   |   all lands enfold.”[365]Sigurth was there continually with Regin, who said to Sigurth that Fafnir lay at Gnitaheith, and was in the shape of a dragon. He had a fear-helm, of which all living creatures were terrified. Regin made Sigurth the sword which was called Gram; it was so sharp that when he thrust it down into the Rhine, and let a strand of wool drift against it with the stream, it cleft the strand asunder as if it were water. With this sword Sigurth cleft asunder Regin’s anvil. After that Regin egged Sigurth on to slay Fafnir, but he said:15.“Loud will the sons   |   of Hunding laugh,Who low did Eylimi   |   lay in death,If the hero sooner   |   seeks the redRings to find   |   than his father’s vengeance.”King Hjalprek gave Sigurth a fleet for the avenging[366]of his father. They ran into a great storm, and were off a certain headland. A man stood on the mountain, and said:16.“Who yonder rides   |   on Rævil’s steeds,O’er towering waves   |   and waters wild?The sail-horses all   |   with sweat are dripping,Nor can the sea-steeds   |   the gale withstand.”Regin answered:17.“On the sea-trees here   |   are Sigurth and I,The storm wind drives us   |   on to our death;The waves crash down   |   on the forward deck,And the roller-steeds sink;   |   who seeks our names?”The Man spake:18.“Hnikar I was   |   when Volsung onceGladdened the ravens   |   and battle gave;Call me the Man   |   from the Mountain now,Feng or Fjolnir;   |   with you will I fare.”[367]They sailed to the land, and the man went on board the ship, and the storm subsided. Sigurth spake:19.“Hnikar, say,   |   for thou seest the fateThat to gods and men is given;What sign is fairest   |   for him who fights,And best for the swinging of swords?”Hnikar spake:20.“Many the signs,   |   if men but knew,That are good for the swinging of swords;It is well, methinks,   |   if the warrior meetsA raven black on his road.21.“Another it is   |   if out thou art come,And art ready forth to fare,To behold on the path   |   before thy houseTwo fighters greedy of fame.22.“Third it is well   |   if a howling wolfThou hearest under the ash;And fortune comes   |   if thy foe thou seestEre thee the hero beholds.23.“A man shall fight not   |   when he must faceThe moon’s bright sister   |   setting late;[368]Win he shall   |   who well can see,And wedge-like forms   |   his men for the fray.24.“Foul is the sign   |   if thy foot shall stumbleAs thou goest forth to fight;Goddesses baneful   |   at both thy sidesWill that wounds thou shalt get.25.“Combed and washed   |   shall the wise man go,And a meal at morn shall take;For unknown it is   |   where at eve he may be;It is ill thy luck to lose.”Sigurth had a great battle with Lyngvi, the son of[369]Hunding, and his brothers; there Lyngvi fell, and his two brothers with him. After the battle Regin said:26.“Now the bloody eagle   |   with biting swordIs carved on the back   |   of Sigmund’s killer;Few were more fierce   |   in fight than his son,Who reddened the earth   |   and gladdened the ravens.”Sigurth went home to Hjalprek’s house; thereupon Regin egged him on to fight with Fafnir.[356][Contents]NOTES[359]Prose.Hjalprek: father of Alf, Sigurth’s step-father; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, and note.Grani: cf.Gripisspo, 5 and note.Regin(“Counsel-Giver”): undoubtedly he goes back to the smith of the German story; in theThithrekssagaversion he is called Mimir, while Regin is there the name of the dragon (here Regin’s brother, Fafnir). TheVoluspo(stanza 12) names a Regin among the dwarfs, and the name may have assisted in making Regin a dwarf here.Hreithmar: nothing is known of him outside of this story.Othin,HönirandLoki: these same three gods appear in company inVoluspo, 17–18.Andvari’s fall: according to Snorri, who tells this entire story in theSkaldskaparmal, Andvari’s fall was in the world of the dark elves, while the one where Loki killed the otter was not; here, however, the two are considered identical.With his eyes shut: according to Snorri, Otr ate with his eyes shut becausehewas so greedy that he could not bear to see the food before him diminishing.Ron: wife of the sea-god Ægir, who draws down drowning men with her net; cf.Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar, 18 and note. Snorri says that Loki caught the pike with his hands.1.Snorri quotes this stanza.Water’s flame: gold, so called because Ægir, the sea-god, was wont to light his hall with gold.[360]2.Snorri quotes this stanza. The name of the speaker is not given in the manuscripts.Oin: nothing further is known of Andvari’s father.Norn: cf.Voluspo, 20.3.Stanzas 3–4 may well be fragments of some other poem. Certainly Loki’s question does not fit the situation, and the passage looks like an extract from some such poem asVafthruthnismol. InRegiusthe phrase “Loki spake” stands in the middle of line 1.4.The manuscript does not name the speaker.Vathgelmir(“Raging to Wade”): a river not elsewhere mentioned, but cf.Voluspo, 39.Prose.Snorri says Andvari’s ring had the power to create new gold. In this it resembled Baldr’s ring, Draupnir; cf.Skirnismol, 21 and note.[361]5.This stanza apparently comes from a different source from stanzas 1–4 (or 1–2 if 3–4 are interpolated) and 6–10; cf. Introductory Note. In theVolsungasagaAndvari lays his curse particularly on the ring.Gust: possibly a name for Andvari himself, or for an earlier possessor of the treasure.Brothers twain: Fafnir and Regin.Heroes eight: the word “eight” may easily have been substituted for something like “all” to make the stanza fit the case; the “eight” in question are presumably Sigurth, Gotthorm, Gunnar, Hogni, Atli, Erp, Sorli and Hamther, all of whom are slain in the course of the story. But the stanza may originally not have referred to Andvari’s treasure at all.Prose.Andvaranaut: “Andvari’s Gem.”6.Snorri quotes this stanza, introducing it, as here, with “Then Loki said” in the prose.Regiusomits this phrase, but inserts “said Loki” in line 1.[362]8.The word translated “maid” in line 2 is obscure, and “gold” may be meant. Apparently, however, the reference is to the fight between Sigurth and the sons of Gjuki over Brynhild. The manuscript does not name the speaker, and many editions assign this stanza to Hreithmar.9.The manuscript includes “said Hreithmar” (abbreviated) in the middle of line 1, and some editors have followed this.[363]10.Hreithmar’s daughters do not appear elsewhere. It has been suggested that originally stanza 10 was followed by one in which Lofnheith lamented her inability to avenge her father, as she was married and had no son.11.Apparently an interpolation (cf. Introductory Note). Vigfusson tries to reconstruct lines 2 and 4 to fit the Ljothahattr rhythm, but without much success. Hreithmar urges his daughter, as she has no sons, to bear a daughter who, in turn, will have a son to avenge his great-grandfather. Grundtvig worked out an ingenious theory to fit this stanza, making Sigurth’s grandfather, Eylimi, the husband of Lyngheith’s daughter, but there is absolutely no evidence to support this. The stanza may have nothing to do with Hreithmar.[364]13.This and the following stanza may be out of place here, really belonging, together with their introductory prose sentence, in the opening prose passage, following the first sentence describing Regin. Certainly they seem to relate to Regin’s first meeting with Sigurth. Stanzas 13–26, interspersed with prose, are quoted in theNornageststhattr. Stanzas 13–18 may be the remnants of a lost poem belonging to the Helgi cycle (cf. Introductory Note).Hardy wolf: warrior, i.e., Sigurth.14.Yngvi’s heir: Yngvi was one of the sons of the Danish king Halfdan the Old, and traditionally an ancestor of Helgi (cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 57 and note). Calling Sigurth[365]a descendant of Yngvi is, of course, absurd, and the use of this phrase is one of the many reasons for believing that stanzas 13–18 belonged originally to the Helgi cycle.The threads, etc.: another link with Helgi; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 3–4. As Helgi was likewise regarded as a son of Sigmund, stanzas 13–14 would fit him just as well as Sigurth.Prose.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fear-helm: the word “ægis-hjalmr,” which occurs both here and inFafnismol, suggests an extraordinarily interesting, and still disputed, question of etymology.Gram: according to theVolsungasagaRegin forged this sword from the fragments of the sword given by Othin to Sigmund (cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note).15.Regarding thesons of HundingandEylimi, father of Sigurth’s mother, all of whom belong to the Helgi tradition, cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note.Prose.The fleet, and the subsequent storm, are also reminiscent[366]of the Helgi cycle; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 29–31, andII, prose after stanza 16.A man: Othin.16.Rævil’s steeds(Rævil was a sea-king, possibly the grandson of Ragnar Lothbrok mentioned in theHervararsaga),sail-horsesandsea-steedsall mean “ships.”17.Sea-treesandroller-steeds(the latter because ships were pulled up on shore by means of rollers) both mean “ships.”18.TheVolsungasagaquotes this stanza.HnikarandFjolnir: Othin gives himself both these names inGrimnismol, 47;Feng(“The Seizer”) does not appear elsewhere. According to theVolsungasaga, no one knew Othin’s name when he came to Volsung’s house and left the sword there for Sigmund.[367]19.This and the following stanzas are strongly suggestive of theHovamol, and probably came originally from some such collection.23.This stanza is clearly an interpolation, drawn in by the[368]common-sense advice, as distinct from omens, given in the last lines of stanza 22.Moon’s sister: the sun; cf.Vafthruthnismol, 23 and note.Wedge-like: the wedge formation (prescribed anew in 1920 for the United States Army under certain circumstances) was said to have been invented by Othin himself, and taught by him only to the most favored warriors.24.Goddesses: Norse mythology included an almost limitless number of minor deities, the female ones, both kind and unkind, being generally classed among the lesser Norns.25.This stanza almost certainly had nothing originally to do with the others in this passage; it may have been taken from a longer version of theHovamolitself.Prose.Lyngvi: the son of Hunding who killed Sigmund in jealousy of his marriage with Hjordis; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note. TheVolsungasaganames one brother who was with Lyngvi in the battle, Hjorvarth, and Sigurth kills him as readily as if he had not already been killed long before by Helgi. But, as has been seen, it was nothing for a man to be killed in two or three different ways.[369]26.Bloody eagle, etc.: theNornageststhattrdescribes the manner in which the captured Lyngvi was put to death. “Regin advised that they should carve the bloody eagle on his back. So Regin took his sword and cleft Lyngvi’s back so that he severed his back from his ribs, and then drew out his lungs. So died Lyngvi with great courage.”Prose.InRegiusthere is no break of any kind between this prose passage and the prose introduction to theFafnismol(cf. Introductory Note).[370][Contents]FAFNISMOLThe Ballad of Fafnir[Contents]Introductory NoteThe so-calledFafnismol, contained in full in theCodex Regius, where it immediately follows theReginsmolwithout any indication of a break, is quoted by Snorri in theGylfaginning(stanza 13) and theSkaldskaparmal(stanzas 32 and 33), and stanzas 6, 3, and 4 appear in theSverrissaga. Although theVolsungasagadoes not actually quote any of the stanzas, it gives a very close prose parallel to the whole poem in chapters 18 and 19.The general character of theFafnismol, and its probable relation to theReginsmoland theSigrdrifumol, have been discussed in the introductory note to theReginsmol. While it is far more nearly a unit than theReginsmol, it shows many of the same characteristics. It has the same mixture of stanza forms, although in this case only nine stanzas (32–33, 35–36 and 40–44) vary from the normal Ljothahattr measure. It shows, though to a much less marked extent, the same tendency to introduce passages from extraneous sources, such as the question-and-answer passage in stanzas 11–15. At the same time, in this instance it is quite clear that one distinct poem, including probably stanzas 1–10, 16–23, 25–31, and 34–39, underlay the compilation which we here have. This may, perhaps, have been a long poem (not, however, the “Long” Sigurth Lay; see introductory note toBrot af Sigurtharkvithu) dealing with the Regin-Fafnir-Sigurth-Brynhild story, and including, besides most of theFafnismol, stanzas 1–4 and 6–11 of theReginsmoland part of the so-calledSigrdrifumol, together with much that has been lost. The original poem may, on the other hand, have confined itself to the Fafnir episode.In any case, and while the extantFafnismolcan be spoken of as a distinct poem far more justly than theReginsmol, there is still no indication that the compiler regarded it as a poem by itself. His prose notes run on without a break, and the verses simply cover a dramatic episode in Sigurth’s early life. The fact that the work of compilation has been done more intelligently than in the case of theReginsmolseems to have resulted chiefly from the compiler’s having been familiar with longer consecutive verse passages dealing with the Fafnir episode.[371]TheReginsmolis little more than a clumsy mosaic, but in theFafnismolit is possible to distinguish between the main substance of the poem and the interpolations.Here, as in theReginsmol, there is very little that bespeaks the German origin of the Sigurth story. Sigurth’s winning of the treasure is in itself undoubtedly a part of the earlier southern legend, but the manner in which he does it is thoroughly Norse. Moreover, the concluding section, which points toward the finding of the sleeping Brynhild, relates entirely to the northern Valkyrie, the warrior-maiden punished by Othin, and not at all to the southern Brynhild the daughter of Buthli. TheFafnismolis, however, sharply distinguished from theReginsmolby showing no clear traces of the Helgi tradition, although a part of the bird song (stanzas 40–44, in Fornyrthislag form, as distinct from the body of the poem) sounds suspiciously like the bird passage in the beginning of theHelgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar. Regarding the general relations of the various sets of traditions in shaping the story of Sigurth, see the introductory note toGripisspo.TheFafnismol, together with a part of theSigrdrifumol, has indirectly become the best known of all the Eddic poems, for the reason that Wagner used it, with remarkably little change of outline, as the basis for his “Siegfried.”[Contents]Sigurth and Regin went up to the Gnitaheith, and found there the track that Fafnir made when he crawled to water. Then Sigurth made a great trench across the path, and took his place therein. When Fafnir crawled from his gold, he blew out venom, and it ran down from above on Sigurth’s head. But when Fafnir crawled over the trench, then Sigurth thrust his sword into his body[372]to the heart. Fafnir writhed and struck out with his head and tail. Sigurth leaped from the trench, and each looked at the other. Fafnir said:1.“Youth, oh, youth!   |   of whom then, youth, art thou born?Say whose son thou art,Who in Fafnir’s blood   |   thy bright blade reddened,And struck thy sword to my heart.”Sigurth concealed his name because it was believed in olden times that the word of a dying man might have great power if he cursed his foe by his name. He said:2.“The Noble Hart   |   my name, and I goA motherless man abroad;Father I had not,   |   as others have,And lonely ever I live.”[373]Fafnir spake:3.“If father thou hadst not,   |   as others have,By what wonder wast thou born?(Though thy name on the day   |   of my death thou hidest,Thou knowest now thou dost lie.)”Sigurth spake:4.“My race, methinks,   |   is unknown to thee,And so am I myself;Sigurth my name,   |   and Sigmund’s son,Who smote thee thus with the sword.”Fafnir spake:5.“Who drove thee on?   |   why wert thou drivenMy life to make me lose?A father brave   |   had the bright-eyed youth,For bold in boyhood thou art.”Sigurth spake:6.“My heart did drive me,   |   my hand fulfilled,And my shining sword so sharp;Few are keen   |   when old age comes,Who timid in boyhood be.”[374]Fafnir spake:7.“If thou mightest grow   |   thy friends among,One might see thee fiercely fight;But bound thou art,   |   and in battle taken,And to fear are prisoners prone.”Sigurth spake:8.“Thou blamest me, Fafnir,   |   that I see from afarThe wealth that my father’s was;Not bound am I,   |   though in battle taken,Thou hast found that free I live.”Fafnir spake:9.“In all I say   |   dost thou hatred see,Yet truth alone do I tell;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:10.“Some one the hoard   |   shall ever hold,Till the destined day shall come;For a time there is   |   when every manShall journey hence to hell.”Fafnir spake:11.“The fate of the Norns   |   before the headland[375]Thou findest, and doom of a fool;In the water shalt drown   |   if thou row ’gainst the wind,All danger is near to death.”Sigurth spake:12.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:Who are the Norns   |   who are helpful in need,And the babe from the mother bring?”Fafnir spake:13.“Of many births   |   the Norns must be,Nor one in race they were;Some to gods, others   |   to elves are kin,And Dvalin’s daughters some.”Sigurth spake:14.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:[376]How call they the isle   |   where all the godsAnd Surt shall sword-sweat mingle?”Fafnir spake:15.“Oskopnir is it,   |   where all the godsShall seek the play of swords;Bilrost breaks   |   when they cross the bridge,And the steeds shall swim in the flood.16.“The fear-helm I wore   |   to afright mankind,While guarding my gold I lay;Mightier seemed I   |   than any man,For a fiercer never I found.”Sigurth spake:17.“The fear-helm surely   |   no man shieldsWhen he faces a valiant foe;Oft one finds,   |   when the foe he meets,That he is not the bravest of all.”Fafnir spake:18.“Venom I breathed   |   when bright I layBy the hoard my father had;[377](There was none so mighty   |   as dared to meet me,And weapons nor wiles I feared.)”Sigurth spake:19.“Glittering worm,   |   thy hissing was great,And hard didst show thy heart;But hatred more   |   have the sons of menFor him who owns the helm.”Fafnir spake:20.“I counsel thee, Sigurth,   |   heed my speech,And ride thou homeward hence;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:21.“Thy counsel is given,   |   but go I shallTo the gold in the heather hidden;And, Fafnir, thou   |   with death dost fight,Lying where Hel shall have thee.”Fafnir spake:22.“Regin betrayed me,   |   and thee will betray,Us both to death will he bring;[378]His life, methinks,   |   must Fafnir lose,For the mightier man wast thou.”Regin had gone to a distance while Sigurth fought Fafnir, and came back while Sigurth was wiping the blood from his sword. Regin said:23.“Hail to thee, Sigurth!   |   Thou victory hast,And Fafnir in fight hast slain;Of all the men   |   who tread the earth,Most fearless art thou, methinks.”Sigurth spake:24.“Unknown it is,   |   when all are together,(The sons of the glorious gods,)Who bravest born shall seem;Some are valiant   |   who redden no swordIn the blood of a foeman’s breast.”Regin spake:25.“Glad art thou, Sigurth,   |   of battle gained,As Gram with grass thou cleansest;My brother fierce   |   in fight hast slain,And somewhat I did myself.”[379]Sigurth spake:26.“Afar didst thou go   |   while Fafnir reddenedWith his blood my blade so keen;With the might of the dragon   |   my strength I matched,While thou in the heather didst hide.”Regin spake:27.“Longer wouldst thou   |   in the heather have letYon hoary giant hide,Had the weapon availed not   |   that once I forged,The keen-edged blade thou didst bear.”Sigurth spake:28.“Better is heart   |   than a mighty bladeFor him who shall fiercely fight;The brave man well   |   shall fight and win,Though dull his blade may be.29.“Brave men better   |   than cowards be,When the clash of battle comes;And better the glad   |   than the gloomy manShall face what before him lies.30.“Thy rede it was   |   that I should ride[380]Hither o’er mountains high;The glittering worm   |   would have wealth and lifeIf thou hadst not mocked at my might.”Then Regin went up to Fafnir and cut out his heart with his sword, that was named Rithil, and then he drank blood from the wounds. Regin said:31.“Sit now, Sigurth,   |   for sleep will I,Hold Fafnir’s heart to the fire;For all his heart   |   shall eaten be,Since deep of blood I have drunk.”Sigurth took Fafnir’s heart and cooked it on a spit. When he thought that it was fully cooked, and the blood foamed out of the heart, then he tried it with his finger to see whether it was fully cooked. He burned his finger, and put it in his mouth. But when Fafnir’s heart’s-blood came on his tongue, he understood the speech of birds. He heard nut-hatches chattering in the thickets. A nut-hatch said:32.“There sits Sigurth,   |   sprinkled with blood,And Fafnir’s heart   |   with fire he cooks;[381]Wise were the breaker   |   of rings, I ween,To eat the life-muscles   |   all so bright.”A second spake:33.“There Regin lies,   |   and plans he laysThe youth to betray   |   who trusts him well;Lying words   |   with wiles will he speak,Till his brother the maker   |   of mischief avenges.”A third spake:34.“Less by a head   |   let the chatterer hoaryGo from here to hell;Then all of the wealth   |   he alone can wield,The gold that Fafnir guarded.”A fourth spake:35.“Wise would he seem   |   if so he would heedThe counsel good   |   we sisters give;[382]Thought he would give,   |   and the ravens gladden,There is ever a wolf   |   where his ears I spy.”A fifth spake:36.“Less wise must be   |   the tree of battleThan to me would seem   |   the leader of men,If forth he lets   |   one brother fare,When he of the other   |   the slayer is.”A sixth spake:37.“Most foolish he seems   |   if he shall spareHis foe, the bane of the folk;There Regin lies,   |   who hath wronged him so,Yet falsehood knows he not.”A seventh spake:38.“Let the head from the frost-cold   |   giant be hewed,And let him of rings be robbed;Then all the wealth   |   which Fafnir’s wasShall belong to thee alone.”Sigurth spake:39.“Not so rich a fate   |   shall Regin have[383]As the tale of my death to tell;For soon the brothers   |   both shall die,And hence to hell shall go.”Sigurth hewed off Regin’s head, and then he ate Fafnir’s heart, and drank the blood of both Regin and Fafnir. Then Sigurth heard what the nut-hatch said:40.“Bind, Sigurth, the golden   |   rings together,Not kingly is it   |   aught to fear;I know a maid,   |   there is none so fair,Rich in gold,   |   if thou mightest get her.41.“Green the paths   |   that to Gjuki lead,[384]And his fate the way   |   to the wanderer shows;The doughty king   |   a daughter has,That thou as a bride   |   mayst, Sigurth, buy.”Another spake:42.“A hall stands high   |   on Hindarfjoll,All with flame   |   is it ringed without;Warriors wise   |   did make it onceOut of the flaming   |   light of the flood.43.“On the mountain sleeps   |   a battle-maid,And about her plays   |   the bane of the wood;Ygg with the thorn   |   hath smitten her thus,For she felled the fighter   |   he fain would save.44.“There mayst thou behold   |   the maiden helmed,Who forth on Vingskornir   |   rode from the fight;The victory-bringer   |   her sleep shall break not,Thou heroes’ son,   |   so the Norns have set.”[385]Sigurth rode along Fafnir’s trail to his lair, and found it open. The gate-posts were of iron, and the gates; of iron, too, were all the beams in the house, which was dug down into the earth. There Sigurth found a mighty store of gold, and he filled two chests full thereof; he took the fear-helm and a golden mail-coat and the sword Hrotti, and many other precious things, and loaded Grani with them, but the horse would not go forward until Sigurth mounted on his back.[370][Contents]NOTES[371]Prose.The prose follows the concluding prose passage of theReginsmolwithout any interruption; the heading “Of Fafnir’s Death” is written in the manuscript very faintly just before stanza 1.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fafnir: Regin’s brother: cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14.Venom: in theVolsungasaga[372]it was the blood, and not the venom, that poured down on Sigurth’s head. Sigurth was much worried about this danger, and before he dug the trench asked Regin what would happen if the dragon’s blood overcame him. Regin thereupon taunted him with cowardice (Sigurth refers to this taunt in stanza 30, but the stanza embodying it has disappeared). After Sigurth had dug his trench, an old man (Othin, of course) appeared and advised him to dig other trenches to carry off the blood, which he did, thereby escaping harm.1.The first line in the original, as here, is unusually long, but dramatically very effective on that account.3.The names of the speakers do not appear in the manuscript, though they seem originally to have been indicated in the[373]margin for stanzas 3–30. The last two lines of stanza 3 are missing in the manuscript, with no gap indicated, but theVolsungasagaprose paraphrase indicates that something was omitted, and the lines here given are conjecturally reconstructed from this paraphrase.4.The manuscript marks line 3 as the beginning of a stanza.5.Line 4, utterly obscure in the manuscript, is guesswork.[374]7.Fafnir here refers to the fact that Hjordis, mother of the still unborn Sigurth, was captured by Alf after Sigmund’s death; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, note.11.Stanzas 11–15 are probably interpolated, and come from[375]a poem similar toVafthruthnismol.The headland: Fafnir is apparently quoting proverbs; this one seems to mean that disaster (“the fate of the Norns”) awaits when one rounds the first headland (i.e., at the beginning of life’s voyage, in youth). The third line is a commentary on obstinate rashness. TheVolsungasagaparaphrases stanzas 11–15 throughout.12.Norns: cf. stanza 13 and note. Sigurth has no possible interest in knowing what Norns are helpful in childbirth, but interpolations were seldom logical.13.Snorri quotes this stanza. There were minor Norns, or fates, in addition to the three great Norns, regarding whom cf.Voluspo, 20.Dvalin: chief of the dwarfs; cf.Voluspo, 14.[376]14.Surt: ruler of the fire world; the reference is to the last great battle.Sword-sweat: blood.15.Oskopnir(“Not-Made”): apparently another name for Vigrith, which is named inVafthruthnismol, 18, as the final battle-ground.Bilrost(or Bifrost): the rainbow bridge which breaks beneath Surt’s followers; cf.Grimnismol, 29 and note.16.With this stanza Fafnir returns to the situation.Fear-helm: regarding the “ægis-hjalmr” cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14 and note.[377]18.Lines 3–4 do not appear in the manuscript, and no gap is indicated; they are here conjecturally paraphrased from the prose passage in theVolsungasaga.20.It has been suggested that this stanza is spurious, and that stanza 21 ought to follow stanza 22. Lines 3–4, abbreviated in the manuscript, are identical with lines 3–4 of stanza 9. TheVolsungasagaparaphrase in place of these two lines makes[378]Fafnir say: “For it often happens that he who gets a deadly wound yet avenges himself.” It is quite likely that two stanzas have been lost.22.TheVolsungasagaplaces its paraphrase of this stanza between those of stanzas 15 and 16.24.Line 2 is probably spurious, but it is a phrase typical of such poems asGrimnismolorVafthruthnismol.25.Gram: Sigurth’s sword; cf.Reginsmol, prose after 14.[379]26.In the manuscript stanzas 26–29 stand after stanza 31, which fails to make clear sense; they are here rearranged in accordance with theVolsungasagaparaphrase.28–29.Almost certainly interpolated from some such poem as theHovamol. Even the faithfulVolsungasagafails to paraphrase stanza 29.[380]30.Something has evidently been lost before this stanza. Sigurth clearly refers to Regin’s reproach when he was digging the trench (cf. note on introductory prose), but the poem does not give such a passage.Prose.Rithil(“Swift-Moving”): Snorri calls the sword Refil (“Serpent”).32.That the birds’ stanzas come from more than one source[381]is fairly apparent, but whether from two or from three or more is uncertain. It is also far from clear how many birds are speaking. The manuscript numbers II, III, and IV in the margin with numerals; theVolsungasagamakes a different bird speak each time. There are almost as many guesses as there are editions. I suspect that in the original poem there was one bird, speaking stanzas 34 and 37. Stanza 38 is little more than a repetition of stanza 34, and may well have been a later addition. As for the stanzas in Fornyrthislag (32–33 and 35–36), they apparently come from another poem, in which several birds speak (cf. “we sisters” in stanza 35). This may be the same poem from which stanzas 40–44 were taken, as well as some of the Fornyrthislag stanzas in theSigrdrifumol.34.Some editions turn this speech from the third person into the second, but the manuscript is clear enough.[382]35.Wolf, etc.: the phrase is nearly equivalent to “there must be fire where there is smoke.” The proverb appears elsewhere in Old Norse.36.Tree of battle: warrior.37.Here, as in stanza 34, some editions turn the speech from the third person into the second.38.Giant: Regin was certainly not a frost-giant, and the whole stanza looks like some copyist’s blundering reproduction of stanza 34.[383]40.Neither the manuscript nor any of the editions suggest the existence of more than one bird in stanzas 40–44. It seems to me, however, that there are not only two birds, but two distinct stories. Stanzas 40–41 apply solely to Guthrun, and suggest that Sigurth will go straight to Gunnar’s hall. Stanzas 42–44, on the other hand, apply solely to Brynhild, and indicate that Sigurth will find her before he visits the Gjukungs. The confusion which existed between these two versions of the story, and which involved a fundamental difference in the final working out of Brynhild’s revenge, is commented on in the note onGripisspo, 13. In the present passage it is possible that two birds are speaking, each reflecting one version of the story; it seems even more likely that one speech or the other (40–41 or 42–44) reflects the original form of the narrative, the other having been added, either later or from another poem. In theVolsungasagathe whole passage is condensed into a few words by one bird: “Wiser were it if he should then ride up on Hindarfjoll, where Brynhild sleeps, and there would he get much wisdom.” The Guthrun-bird does not appear at all.41.Gjuki: father of Gunnar and Guthrun: cf.Gripisspo, 13 and note.[384]42.Hindarfjoll: “Mountain of the Hind.”Light of the flood: gold; cf.Reginsmol, 1 and note.43.Battle-maid: Brynhild, here clearly defined as a Valkyrie.Bane of the wood: fire.Ygg: Othin; cf.Grimnismol, 53.The thorn: a prose note inSigrdrifumolcalls it “sleep-thorn.”The fighter: the story of the reason for Brynhild’s punishment is told in the prose following stanza 4 ofSigrdrifumol.44.Vingskornir: Brynhild’s horse, not elsewhere mentioned.Victory-bringer: the word thus translated is in the original “sigrdrifa.” The compiler of the collection, not being familiar with this word, assumed that it was a proper name, and in the prose following stanza 4 of theSigrdrifumolhe specifically states that this was the Valkyrie’s name. Editors, until recently,[385]have followed him in this error, failing to recognize that “sigrdrifa” was simply an epithet for Brynhild. It is from this blunder that the so-calledSigrdrifumoltakes its name. Brynhild’s dual personality as a Valkyrie and as the daughter of Buthli has made plenty of trouble, but the addition of a second Valkyrie in the person of the supposed “Sigrdrifa” has made still more.Prose.There is no break in the manuscript between the end of this prose passage and the beginning of the one introducing theSigrdrifumol: some editors include the entire prose passage with one poem or the other.Hrotti; “Thruster.”[386]

[Contents]REGINSMOLThe Ballad of Regin[Contents]Introductory NoteTheReginsmolimmediately follows theGripisspoin theCodex Regius, and in addition stanzas 1, 2, 6, and 18 are quoted in theVolsungasaga, and stanzas 13–26 in theNornageststhattr. In no instance is the title of the poem stated, and inRegiusthere stands before the introductory prose, very faintly written, what appears to be “Of Sigurth.” As a result, various titles have been affixed to it, the two most often used being “the Ballad of Regin” and “the First Lay of Sigurth Fafnisbane.”As a matter of fact, it is by no means clear that the compiler of the Eddic collection regarded this or either of the two following poems, theFafnismoland theSigrdrifumol, as separate and distinct poems at all. There are no specific titles given, and the prose notes link the three poems in a fairly consecutive whole. Furthermore, the prose passage introducing theReginsmolconnects directly withFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and only the insertion of theGripisspoat this point, which may well have been done by some stupid copyist, breaks the continuity of the story.For convenience I have here followed the usual plan of dividing this material into distinct parts, or poems, but I greatly doubt if this division is logically sound. The compiler seems, rather, to have undertaken to set down the story of Sigurth in consecutive form, making use of all the verse with which he was familiar, and which, by any stretch of the imagination, could be made to fit, filling up the gaps with prose narrative notes based on the living oral tradition.This view is supported by the fact that not one of the three poems in question, and least of all theReginsmol, can possibly be regarded as a unit. For one thing, each of them includes both types of stanza commonly used in the Eddic poems, and this, notwithstanding the efforts of Grundtvig and Müllenhoff to prove the contrary, is almost if not quite conclusive proof that each poem consists of material taken from more than one source. Furthermore, there is nowhere continuity within the verse itself for more than a very few stanzas. An analysis of theReginsmolshows that stanzas 1–4, 6–10, and 12, all in Ljothahattr stanza form, seem to belong together as fragments of a poem dealing with[357]Loki’s (not Andvari’s) curse on the gold taken by the gods from Andvari and paid to Hreithmar, together with Hreithmar’s death at the hands of his son, Fafnir, as the first result of this curse. Stanza 5, in Fornyrthislag, is a curse on the gold, here ascribed to Andvari, but the only proper name in the stanza,Gust, is quite unidentifiable, and the stanza may originally have had to do with a totally different story. Stanza 11, likewise in Fornyrthislag, is merely a father’s demand that his daughter rear a family to avenge his death; there is nothing in it to link it necessarily with the dying Hreithmar. Stanzas 13–18, all in Fornyrthislag, give Regin’s welcome to Sigurth (stanzas 13–14), Sigurth’s announcement that he will avenge his father’s death on the sons of Hunding before he seeks any treasure (stanza 15), and a dialogue between a certain Hnikar, who is really Othin, and Regin, as the latter and Sigurth are on the point of being shipwrecked. This section (stanzas 13–18) bears a striking resemblance to the Helgi lays, and may well have come originally from that cycle. Next follows a passage in Ljothahattr form (stanzas 19–22 and 24–25) in which Hnikar-Othin gives some general advice as to lucky omens and good conduct in battle; the entire passage might equally well stand in theHovamol, and I suspect that it originally came from just such a collection of wise saws. Inserted in this passage is stanza 23, in Fornyrthislag, likewise on the conduct of battle, with a bit of tactical advice included. The “poem” ends with a single stanza, in Fornyrthislag, simply stating that the bloody fight is over and that Sigurth fought well—a statement equally applicable to any part of the hero’s career.Finnur Jonsson has divided theReginsmolinto two poems, or rather into two sets of fragments, but this, as the foregoing analysis has indicated, does not appear to go nearly far enough. It accords much better with the facts to assume that the compiler of the collection represented by theCodex Regius, having set out to tell the story of Sigurth, took his verse fragments pretty much wherever he happened to find them. In this connection, it should be remembered that in the fluid state of oral tradition poems, fragments, and stanzas passed readily and frequently from one story to another. Tradition, never critical, doubtless connected with the Sigurth story much verse that never originated there.If the entire passage beginning with the proseFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and, except for theGripisspo, including theReginsmol,Fafnismol, andSigrdrifumol, be regarded as a highly uncritical[358]piece of compilation, rendered consecutive by the compiler’s prose narrative, its difficulties are largely smoothed away; any other way of looking at it results in utterly inconclusive attempts to reconstruct poems some of which quite possibly never existed.The twenty-six stanzas and accompanying prose notes included under the heading ofReginsmolbelong almost wholly to the northern part of the Sigurth legend; the mythological features have no counterpart in the southern stories, and only here and there is there any betrayal of the tradition’s Frankish home. The story of Andvari, Loki, and Hreithmar is purely Norse, as is the concluding section containing Othin’s counsels. If we assume that the passage dealing with the victory over Hunding’s sons belongs to the Helgi cycle (cf. introductory notes toHelgakvitha HjorvarthssonarandHelgakvitha Hundingsbana I), there is very little left to reflect the Sigurth tradition proper.Regarding the general development of the story of Sigurth in the North, see the introductory note to theGripisspo.[Contents]Sigurth went to Hjalprek’s stud and chose for himself a horse, who thereafter was called Grani. At that time Regin, the son of Hreithmar, was come to Hjalprek’s home; he was more ingenious than all other men, and a dwarf in stature; he was wise, fierce and skilled in magic. Regin undertook Sigurth’s bringing up and teaching, and loved him much. He told Sigurth of his forefathers, and also of this: that once Othin and Hönir and Loki had come to Andvari’s waterfall, and in the fall were many fish. Andvari was a dwarf, who had dwelt long in the waterfall in the shape of a pike, and there he got his food. “Otr was the name of a brother of ours,” said Regin, “who often went into the fall in the shape of an otter; he had caught a salmon, and sat on the high bank eating it with his eyes shut. Loki threw a stone at him and killed him; the gods thought they had had great good luck, and[359]stripped the skin off the otter. That same evening they sought a night’s lodging at Hreithmar’s house, and showed their booty. Then we seized them, and told them, as ransom for their lives, to fill the otter skin with gold, and completely cover it outside as well with red gold. Then they sent Loki to get the gold; he went to Ron and got her net, and went then to Andvari’s fall and cast the net in front of the pike, and the pike leaped into the net.” Then Loki said:1.“What is the fish   |   that runs in the flood,And itself from ill cannot save?If thy head thou wouldst   |   from hell redeem,Find me the water’s flame.”[360]Andvari spake:2.“Andvari am I,   |   and Oin my father,In many a fall have I fared;An evil Norn   |   in olden daysDoomed me in waters to dwell.”Loki spake:3.“Andvari, say,   |   if thou seekest stillTo live in the land of men,What payment is set   |   for the sons of menWho war with lying words?”Andvari spake:4.“A mighty payment   |   the men must makeWho in Vathgelmir’s waters wade;On a long road lead   |   the lying wordsThat one to another utters.”Loki saw all the gold that Andvari had. But when[361]he had brought forth all the gold, he held back one ring, and Loki took this from him. The dwarf went into his rocky hole and said:5.“Now shall the gold   |   that Gust once hadBring their death   |   to brothers twain,And evil be   |   for heroes eight;Joy of my wealth   |   shall no man win.”The gods gave Hreithmar the gold, and filled up the otter-skin, and stood it on its feet. Then the gods had to heap up gold and hide it. And when that was done, Hreithmar came forward and saw a single whisker, and bade them cover it. Then Othin brought out the ring Andvaranaut and covered the hair. Then Loki said:6.“The gold is given,   |   and great the priceThou hast my head to save;[362]But fortune thy sons   |   shall find not there,The bane of ye both it is.”Hreithmar spake:7.“Gifts ye gave,   |   but ye gave not kindly,Gave not with hearts that were whole;Your lives ere this   |   should ye all have lost,If sooner this fate I had seen.”Loki spake:8.“Worse is this   |   that methinks I see,For a maid shall kinsmen clash;Heroes unborn   |   thereby shall be,I deem, to hatred doomed.”Hreithmar spake:9.“The gold so red   |   shall I rule, methinks,So long as I shall live;Nought of fear   |   for thy threats I feel,So get ye hence to your homes.”Fafnir and Regin asked Hreithmar for a share of the wealth that was paid for the slaying of their brother, Otr. This he refused, and Fafnir thrust his sword through the[363]body of his father, Hreithmar, while he was sleeping. Hreithmar called to his daughters:10.“Lyngheith and Lofnheith,   |   fled is my life,And mighty now is my need!”Lyngheith spake:“Though a sister loses   |   her father, seldomRevenge on her brother she brings.”Hreithmar spake:11.“A daughter, woman   |   with wolf’s heart, bear,If thou hast no son   |   with the hero brave;If one weds the maid,   |   for the need is mighty,Their son for thy hurt   |   may vengeance seek.”Then Hreithmar died, and Fafnir took all the gold. Thereupon Regin asked to have his inheritance from his father, but Fafnir refused this. Then Regin asked counsel[364]of Lyngheith, his sister, how he should win his inheritance. She said:12.“In friendly wise   |   the wealth shalt thou askOf thy brother, and better will;Not seemly is it   |   to seek with the swordFafnir’s treasure to take.”All these happenings did Regin tell to Sigurth.One day, when he came to Regin’s house, he was gladly welcomed. Regin said:13.“Hither the son   |   of Sigmund is come,The hero eager,   |   here to our hall;His courage is more   |   than an ancient man’s,And battle I hope   |   from the hardy wolf.14.“Here shall I foster   |   the fearless prince,Now Yngvi’s heir   |   to us is come;The noblest hero   |   beneath the sun,The threads of his fate   |   all lands enfold.”[365]Sigurth was there continually with Regin, who said to Sigurth that Fafnir lay at Gnitaheith, and was in the shape of a dragon. He had a fear-helm, of which all living creatures were terrified. Regin made Sigurth the sword which was called Gram; it was so sharp that when he thrust it down into the Rhine, and let a strand of wool drift against it with the stream, it cleft the strand asunder as if it were water. With this sword Sigurth cleft asunder Regin’s anvil. After that Regin egged Sigurth on to slay Fafnir, but he said:15.“Loud will the sons   |   of Hunding laugh,Who low did Eylimi   |   lay in death,If the hero sooner   |   seeks the redRings to find   |   than his father’s vengeance.”King Hjalprek gave Sigurth a fleet for the avenging[366]of his father. They ran into a great storm, and were off a certain headland. A man stood on the mountain, and said:16.“Who yonder rides   |   on Rævil’s steeds,O’er towering waves   |   and waters wild?The sail-horses all   |   with sweat are dripping,Nor can the sea-steeds   |   the gale withstand.”Regin answered:17.“On the sea-trees here   |   are Sigurth and I,The storm wind drives us   |   on to our death;The waves crash down   |   on the forward deck,And the roller-steeds sink;   |   who seeks our names?”The Man spake:18.“Hnikar I was   |   when Volsung onceGladdened the ravens   |   and battle gave;Call me the Man   |   from the Mountain now,Feng or Fjolnir;   |   with you will I fare.”[367]They sailed to the land, and the man went on board the ship, and the storm subsided. Sigurth spake:19.“Hnikar, say,   |   for thou seest the fateThat to gods and men is given;What sign is fairest   |   for him who fights,And best for the swinging of swords?”Hnikar spake:20.“Many the signs,   |   if men but knew,That are good for the swinging of swords;It is well, methinks,   |   if the warrior meetsA raven black on his road.21.“Another it is   |   if out thou art come,And art ready forth to fare,To behold on the path   |   before thy houseTwo fighters greedy of fame.22.“Third it is well   |   if a howling wolfThou hearest under the ash;And fortune comes   |   if thy foe thou seestEre thee the hero beholds.23.“A man shall fight not   |   when he must faceThe moon’s bright sister   |   setting late;[368]Win he shall   |   who well can see,And wedge-like forms   |   his men for the fray.24.“Foul is the sign   |   if thy foot shall stumbleAs thou goest forth to fight;Goddesses baneful   |   at both thy sidesWill that wounds thou shalt get.25.“Combed and washed   |   shall the wise man go,And a meal at morn shall take;For unknown it is   |   where at eve he may be;It is ill thy luck to lose.”Sigurth had a great battle with Lyngvi, the son of[369]Hunding, and his brothers; there Lyngvi fell, and his two brothers with him. After the battle Regin said:26.“Now the bloody eagle   |   with biting swordIs carved on the back   |   of Sigmund’s killer;Few were more fierce   |   in fight than his son,Who reddened the earth   |   and gladdened the ravens.”Sigurth went home to Hjalprek’s house; thereupon Regin egged him on to fight with Fafnir.[356][Contents]NOTES[359]Prose.Hjalprek: father of Alf, Sigurth’s step-father; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, and note.Grani: cf.Gripisspo, 5 and note.Regin(“Counsel-Giver”): undoubtedly he goes back to the smith of the German story; in theThithrekssagaversion he is called Mimir, while Regin is there the name of the dragon (here Regin’s brother, Fafnir). TheVoluspo(stanza 12) names a Regin among the dwarfs, and the name may have assisted in making Regin a dwarf here.Hreithmar: nothing is known of him outside of this story.Othin,HönirandLoki: these same three gods appear in company inVoluspo, 17–18.Andvari’s fall: according to Snorri, who tells this entire story in theSkaldskaparmal, Andvari’s fall was in the world of the dark elves, while the one where Loki killed the otter was not; here, however, the two are considered identical.With his eyes shut: according to Snorri, Otr ate with his eyes shut becausehewas so greedy that he could not bear to see the food before him diminishing.Ron: wife of the sea-god Ægir, who draws down drowning men with her net; cf.Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar, 18 and note. Snorri says that Loki caught the pike with his hands.1.Snorri quotes this stanza.Water’s flame: gold, so called because Ægir, the sea-god, was wont to light his hall with gold.[360]2.Snorri quotes this stanza. The name of the speaker is not given in the manuscripts.Oin: nothing further is known of Andvari’s father.Norn: cf.Voluspo, 20.3.Stanzas 3–4 may well be fragments of some other poem. Certainly Loki’s question does not fit the situation, and the passage looks like an extract from some such poem asVafthruthnismol. InRegiusthe phrase “Loki spake” stands in the middle of line 1.4.The manuscript does not name the speaker.Vathgelmir(“Raging to Wade”): a river not elsewhere mentioned, but cf.Voluspo, 39.Prose.Snorri says Andvari’s ring had the power to create new gold. In this it resembled Baldr’s ring, Draupnir; cf.Skirnismol, 21 and note.[361]5.This stanza apparently comes from a different source from stanzas 1–4 (or 1–2 if 3–4 are interpolated) and 6–10; cf. Introductory Note. In theVolsungasagaAndvari lays his curse particularly on the ring.Gust: possibly a name for Andvari himself, or for an earlier possessor of the treasure.Brothers twain: Fafnir and Regin.Heroes eight: the word “eight” may easily have been substituted for something like “all” to make the stanza fit the case; the “eight” in question are presumably Sigurth, Gotthorm, Gunnar, Hogni, Atli, Erp, Sorli and Hamther, all of whom are slain in the course of the story. But the stanza may originally not have referred to Andvari’s treasure at all.Prose.Andvaranaut: “Andvari’s Gem.”6.Snorri quotes this stanza, introducing it, as here, with “Then Loki said” in the prose.Regiusomits this phrase, but inserts “said Loki” in line 1.[362]8.The word translated “maid” in line 2 is obscure, and “gold” may be meant. Apparently, however, the reference is to the fight between Sigurth and the sons of Gjuki over Brynhild. The manuscript does not name the speaker, and many editions assign this stanza to Hreithmar.9.The manuscript includes “said Hreithmar” (abbreviated) in the middle of line 1, and some editors have followed this.[363]10.Hreithmar’s daughters do not appear elsewhere. It has been suggested that originally stanza 10 was followed by one in which Lofnheith lamented her inability to avenge her father, as she was married and had no son.11.Apparently an interpolation (cf. Introductory Note). Vigfusson tries to reconstruct lines 2 and 4 to fit the Ljothahattr rhythm, but without much success. Hreithmar urges his daughter, as she has no sons, to bear a daughter who, in turn, will have a son to avenge his great-grandfather. Grundtvig worked out an ingenious theory to fit this stanza, making Sigurth’s grandfather, Eylimi, the husband of Lyngheith’s daughter, but there is absolutely no evidence to support this. The stanza may have nothing to do with Hreithmar.[364]13.This and the following stanza may be out of place here, really belonging, together with their introductory prose sentence, in the opening prose passage, following the first sentence describing Regin. Certainly they seem to relate to Regin’s first meeting with Sigurth. Stanzas 13–26, interspersed with prose, are quoted in theNornageststhattr. Stanzas 13–18 may be the remnants of a lost poem belonging to the Helgi cycle (cf. Introductory Note).Hardy wolf: warrior, i.e., Sigurth.14.Yngvi’s heir: Yngvi was one of the sons of the Danish king Halfdan the Old, and traditionally an ancestor of Helgi (cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 57 and note). Calling Sigurth[365]a descendant of Yngvi is, of course, absurd, and the use of this phrase is one of the many reasons for believing that stanzas 13–18 belonged originally to the Helgi cycle.The threads, etc.: another link with Helgi; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 3–4. As Helgi was likewise regarded as a son of Sigmund, stanzas 13–14 would fit him just as well as Sigurth.Prose.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fear-helm: the word “ægis-hjalmr,” which occurs both here and inFafnismol, suggests an extraordinarily interesting, and still disputed, question of etymology.Gram: according to theVolsungasagaRegin forged this sword from the fragments of the sword given by Othin to Sigmund (cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note).15.Regarding thesons of HundingandEylimi, father of Sigurth’s mother, all of whom belong to the Helgi tradition, cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note.Prose.The fleet, and the subsequent storm, are also reminiscent[366]of the Helgi cycle; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 29–31, andII, prose after stanza 16.A man: Othin.16.Rævil’s steeds(Rævil was a sea-king, possibly the grandson of Ragnar Lothbrok mentioned in theHervararsaga),sail-horsesandsea-steedsall mean “ships.”17.Sea-treesandroller-steeds(the latter because ships were pulled up on shore by means of rollers) both mean “ships.”18.TheVolsungasagaquotes this stanza.HnikarandFjolnir: Othin gives himself both these names inGrimnismol, 47;Feng(“The Seizer”) does not appear elsewhere. According to theVolsungasaga, no one knew Othin’s name when he came to Volsung’s house and left the sword there for Sigmund.[367]19.This and the following stanzas are strongly suggestive of theHovamol, and probably came originally from some such collection.23.This stanza is clearly an interpolation, drawn in by the[368]common-sense advice, as distinct from omens, given in the last lines of stanza 22.Moon’s sister: the sun; cf.Vafthruthnismol, 23 and note.Wedge-like: the wedge formation (prescribed anew in 1920 for the United States Army under certain circumstances) was said to have been invented by Othin himself, and taught by him only to the most favored warriors.24.Goddesses: Norse mythology included an almost limitless number of minor deities, the female ones, both kind and unkind, being generally classed among the lesser Norns.25.This stanza almost certainly had nothing originally to do with the others in this passage; it may have been taken from a longer version of theHovamolitself.Prose.Lyngvi: the son of Hunding who killed Sigmund in jealousy of his marriage with Hjordis; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note. TheVolsungasaganames one brother who was with Lyngvi in the battle, Hjorvarth, and Sigurth kills him as readily as if he had not already been killed long before by Helgi. But, as has been seen, it was nothing for a man to be killed in two or three different ways.[369]26.Bloody eagle, etc.: theNornageststhattrdescribes the manner in which the captured Lyngvi was put to death. “Regin advised that they should carve the bloody eagle on his back. So Regin took his sword and cleft Lyngvi’s back so that he severed his back from his ribs, and then drew out his lungs. So died Lyngvi with great courage.”Prose.InRegiusthere is no break of any kind between this prose passage and the prose introduction to theFafnismol(cf. Introductory Note).[370][Contents]FAFNISMOLThe Ballad of Fafnir[Contents]Introductory NoteThe so-calledFafnismol, contained in full in theCodex Regius, where it immediately follows theReginsmolwithout any indication of a break, is quoted by Snorri in theGylfaginning(stanza 13) and theSkaldskaparmal(stanzas 32 and 33), and stanzas 6, 3, and 4 appear in theSverrissaga. Although theVolsungasagadoes not actually quote any of the stanzas, it gives a very close prose parallel to the whole poem in chapters 18 and 19.The general character of theFafnismol, and its probable relation to theReginsmoland theSigrdrifumol, have been discussed in the introductory note to theReginsmol. While it is far more nearly a unit than theReginsmol, it shows many of the same characteristics. It has the same mixture of stanza forms, although in this case only nine stanzas (32–33, 35–36 and 40–44) vary from the normal Ljothahattr measure. It shows, though to a much less marked extent, the same tendency to introduce passages from extraneous sources, such as the question-and-answer passage in stanzas 11–15. At the same time, in this instance it is quite clear that one distinct poem, including probably stanzas 1–10, 16–23, 25–31, and 34–39, underlay the compilation which we here have. This may, perhaps, have been a long poem (not, however, the “Long” Sigurth Lay; see introductory note toBrot af Sigurtharkvithu) dealing with the Regin-Fafnir-Sigurth-Brynhild story, and including, besides most of theFafnismol, stanzas 1–4 and 6–11 of theReginsmoland part of the so-calledSigrdrifumol, together with much that has been lost. The original poem may, on the other hand, have confined itself to the Fafnir episode.In any case, and while the extantFafnismolcan be spoken of as a distinct poem far more justly than theReginsmol, there is still no indication that the compiler regarded it as a poem by itself. His prose notes run on without a break, and the verses simply cover a dramatic episode in Sigurth’s early life. The fact that the work of compilation has been done more intelligently than in the case of theReginsmolseems to have resulted chiefly from the compiler’s having been familiar with longer consecutive verse passages dealing with the Fafnir episode.[371]TheReginsmolis little more than a clumsy mosaic, but in theFafnismolit is possible to distinguish between the main substance of the poem and the interpolations.Here, as in theReginsmol, there is very little that bespeaks the German origin of the Sigurth story. Sigurth’s winning of the treasure is in itself undoubtedly a part of the earlier southern legend, but the manner in which he does it is thoroughly Norse. Moreover, the concluding section, which points toward the finding of the sleeping Brynhild, relates entirely to the northern Valkyrie, the warrior-maiden punished by Othin, and not at all to the southern Brynhild the daughter of Buthli. TheFafnismolis, however, sharply distinguished from theReginsmolby showing no clear traces of the Helgi tradition, although a part of the bird song (stanzas 40–44, in Fornyrthislag form, as distinct from the body of the poem) sounds suspiciously like the bird passage in the beginning of theHelgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar. Regarding the general relations of the various sets of traditions in shaping the story of Sigurth, see the introductory note toGripisspo.TheFafnismol, together with a part of theSigrdrifumol, has indirectly become the best known of all the Eddic poems, for the reason that Wagner used it, with remarkably little change of outline, as the basis for his “Siegfried.”[Contents]Sigurth and Regin went up to the Gnitaheith, and found there the track that Fafnir made when he crawled to water. Then Sigurth made a great trench across the path, and took his place therein. When Fafnir crawled from his gold, he blew out venom, and it ran down from above on Sigurth’s head. But when Fafnir crawled over the trench, then Sigurth thrust his sword into his body[372]to the heart. Fafnir writhed and struck out with his head and tail. Sigurth leaped from the trench, and each looked at the other. Fafnir said:1.“Youth, oh, youth!   |   of whom then, youth, art thou born?Say whose son thou art,Who in Fafnir’s blood   |   thy bright blade reddened,And struck thy sword to my heart.”Sigurth concealed his name because it was believed in olden times that the word of a dying man might have great power if he cursed his foe by his name. He said:2.“The Noble Hart   |   my name, and I goA motherless man abroad;Father I had not,   |   as others have,And lonely ever I live.”[373]Fafnir spake:3.“If father thou hadst not,   |   as others have,By what wonder wast thou born?(Though thy name on the day   |   of my death thou hidest,Thou knowest now thou dost lie.)”Sigurth spake:4.“My race, methinks,   |   is unknown to thee,And so am I myself;Sigurth my name,   |   and Sigmund’s son,Who smote thee thus with the sword.”Fafnir spake:5.“Who drove thee on?   |   why wert thou drivenMy life to make me lose?A father brave   |   had the bright-eyed youth,For bold in boyhood thou art.”Sigurth spake:6.“My heart did drive me,   |   my hand fulfilled,And my shining sword so sharp;Few are keen   |   when old age comes,Who timid in boyhood be.”[374]Fafnir spake:7.“If thou mightest grow   |   thy friends among,One might see thee fiercely fight;But bound thou art,   |   and in battle taken,And to fear are prisoners prone.”Sigurth spake:8.“Thou blamest me, Fafnir,   |   that I see from afarThe wealth that my father’s was;Not bound am I,   |   though in battle taken,Thou hast found that free I live.”Fafnir spake:9.“In all I say   |   dost thou hatred see,Yet truth alone do I tell;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:10.“Some one the hoard   |   shall ever hold,Till the destined day shall come;For a time there is   |   when every manShall journey hence to hell.”Fafnir spake:11.“The fate of the Norns   |   before the headland[375]Thou findest, and doom of a fool;In the water shalt drown   |   if thou row ’gainst the wind,All danger is near to death.”Sigurth spake:12.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:Who are the Norns   |   who are helpful in need,And the babe from the mother bring?”Fafnir spake:13.“Of many births   |   the Norns must be,Nor one in race they were;Some to gods, others   |   to elves are kin,And Dvalin’s daughters some.”Sigurth spake:14.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:[376]How call they the isle   |   where all the godsAnd Surt shall sword-sweat mingle?”Fafnir spake:15.“Oskopnir is it,   |   where all the godsShall seek the play of swords;Bilrost breaks   |   when they cross the bridge,And the steeds shall swim in the flood.16.“The fear-helm I wore   |   to afright mankind,While guarding my gold I lay;Mightier seemed I   |   than any man,For a fiercer never I found.”Sigurth spake:17.“The fear-helm surely   |   no man shieldsWhen he faces a valiant foe;Oft one finds,   |   when the foe he meets,That he is not the bravest of all.”Fafnir spake:18.“Venom I breathed   |   when bright I layBy the hoard my father had;[377](There was none so mighty   |   as dared to meet me,And weapons nor wiles I feared.)”Sigurth spake:19.“Glittering worm,   |   thy hissing was great,And hard didst show thy heart;But hatred more   |   have the sons of menFor him who owns the helm.”Fafnir spake:20.“I counsel thee, Sigurth,   |   heed my speech,And ride thou homeward hence;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:21.“Thy counsel is given,   |   but go I shallTo the gold in the heather hidden;And, Fafnir, thou   |   with death dost fight,Lying where Hel shall have thee.”Fafnir spake:22.“Regin betrayed me,   |   and thee will betray,Us both to death will he bring;[378]His life, methinks,   |   must Fafnir lose,For the mightier man wast thou.”Regin had gone to a distance while Sigurth fought Fafnir, and came back while Sigurth was wiping the blood from his sword. Regin said:23.“Hail to thee, Sigurth!   |   Thou victory hast,And Fafnir in fight hast slain;Of all the men   |   who tread the earth,Most fearless art thou, methinks.”Sigurth spake:24.“Unknown it is,   |   when all are together,(The sons of the glorious gods,)Who bravest born shall seem;Some are valiant   |   who redden no swordIn the blood of a foeman’s breast.”Regin spake:25.“Glad art thou, Sigurth,   |   of battle gained,As Gram with grass thou cleansest;My brother fierce   |   in fight hast slain,And somewhat I did myself.”[379]Sigurth spake:26.“Afar didst thou go   |   while Fafnir reddenedWith his blood my blade so keen;With the might of the dragon   |   my strength I matched,While thou in the heather didst hide.”Regin spake:27.“Longer wouldst thou   |   in the heather have letYon hoary giant hide,Had the weapon availed not   |   that once I forged,The keen-edged blade thou didst bear.”Sigurth spake:28.“Better is heart   |   than a mighty bladeFor him who shall fiercely fight;The brave man well   |   shall fight and win,Though dull his blade may be.29.“Brave men better   |   than cowards be,When the clash of battle comes;And better the glad   |   than the gloomy manShall face what before him lies.30.“Thy rede it was   |   that I should ride[380]Hither o’er mountains high;The glittering worm   |   would have wealth and lifeIf thou hadst not mocked at my might.”Then Regin went up to Fafnir and cut out his heart with his sword, that was named Rithil, and then he drank blood from the wounds. Regin said:31.“Sit now, Sigurth,   |   for sleep will I,Hold Fafnir’s heart to the fire;For all his heart   |   shall eaten be,Since deep of blood I have drunk.”Sigurth took Fafnir’s heart and cooked it on a spit. When he thought that it was fully cooked, and the blood foamed out of the heart, then he tried it with his finger to see whether it was fully cooked. He burned his finger, and put it in his mouth. But when Fafnir’s heart’s-blood came on his tongue, he understood the speech of birds. He heard nut-hatches chattering in the thickets. A nut-hatch said:32.“There sits Sigurth,   |   sprinkled with blood,And Fafnir’s heart   |   with fire he cooks;[381]Wise were the breaker   |   of rings, I ween,To eat the life-muscles   |   all so bright.”A second spake:33.“There Regin lies,   |   and plans he laysThe youth to betray   |   who trusts him well;Lying words   |   with wiles will he speak,Till his brother the maker   |   of mischief avenges.”A third spake:34.“Less by a head   |   let the chatterer hoaryGo from here to hell;Then all of the wealth   |   he alone can wield,The gold that Fafnir guarded.”A fourth spake:35.“Wise would he seem   |   if so he would heedThe counsel good   |   we sisters give;[382]Thought he would give,   |   and the ravens gladden,There is ever a wolf   |   where his ears I spy.”A fifth spake:36.“Less wise must be   |   the tree of battleThan to me would seem   |   the leader of men,If forth he lets   |   one brother fare,When he of the other   |   the slayer is.”A sixth spake:37.“Most foolish he seems   |   if he shall spareHis foe, the bane of the folk;There Regin lies,   |   who hath wronged him so,Yet falsehood knows he not.”A seventh spake:38.“Let the head from the frost-cold   |   giant be hewed,And let him of rings be robbed;Then all the wealth   |   which Fafnir’s wasShall belong to thee alone.”Sigurth spake:39.“Not so rich a fate   |   shall Regin have[383]As the tale of my death to tell;For soon the brothers   |   both shall die,And hence to hell shall go.”Sigurth hewed off Regin’s head, and then he ate Fafnir’s heart, and drank the blood of both Regin and Fafnir. Then Sigurth heard what the nut-hatch said:40.“Bind, Sigurth, the golden   |   rings together,Not kingly is it   |   aught to fear;I know a maid,   |   there is none so fair,Rich in gold,   |   if thou mightest get her.41.“Green the paths   |   that to Gjuki lead,[384]And his fate the way   |   to the wanderer shows;The doughty king   |   a daughter has,That thou as a bride   |   mayst, Sigurth, buy.”Another spake:42.“A hall stands high   |   on Hindarfjoll,All with flame   |   is it ringed without;Warriors wise   |   did make it onceOut of the flaming   |   light of the flood.43.“On the mountain sleeps   |   a battle-maid,And about her plays   |   the bane of the wood;Ygg with the thorn   |   hath smitten her thus,For she felled the fighter   |   he fain would save.44.“There mayst thou behold   |   the maiden helmed,Who forth on Vingskornir   |   rode from the fight;The victory-bringer   |   her sleep shall break not,Thou heroes’ son,   |   so the Norns have set.”[385]Sigurth rode along Fafnir’s trail to his lair, and found it open. The gate-posts were of iron, and the gates; of iron, too, were all the beams in the house, which was dug down into the earth. There Sigurth found a mighty store of gold, and he filled two chests full thereof; he took the fear-helm and a golden mail-coat and the sword Hrotti, and many other precious things, and loaded Grani with them, but the horse would not go forward until Sigurth mounted on his back.[370][Contents]NOTES[371]Prose.The prose follows the concluding prose passage of theReginsmolwithout any interruption; the heading “Of Fafnir’s Death” is written in the manuscript very faintly just before stanza 1.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fafnir: Regin’s brother: cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14.Venom: in theVolsungasaga[372]it was the blood, and not the venom, that poured down on Sigurth’s head. Sigurth was much worried about this danger, and before he dug the trench asked Regin what would happen if the dragon’s blood overcame him. Regin thereupon taunted him with cowardice (Sigurth refers to this taunt in stanza 30, but the stanza embodying it has disappeared). After Sigurth had dug his trench, an old man (Othin, of course) appeared and advised him to dig other trenches to carry off the blood, which he did, thereby escaping harm.1.The first line in the original, as here, is unusually long, but dramatically very effective on that account.3.The names of the speakers do not appear in the manuscript, though they seem originally to have been indicated in the[373]margin for stanzas 3–30. The last two lines of stanza 3 are missing in the manuscript, with no gap indicated, but theVolsungasagaprose paraphrase indicates that something was omitted, and the lines here given are conjecturally reconstructed from this paraphrase.4.The manuscript marks line 3 as the beginning of a stanza.5.Line 4, utterly obscure in the manuscript, is guesswork.[374]7.Fafnir here refers to the fact that Hjordis, mother of the still unborn Sigurth, was captured by Alf after Sigmund’s death; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, note.11.Stanzas 11–15 are probably interpolated, and come from[375]a poem similar toVafthruthnismol.The headland: Fafnir is apparently quoting proverbs; this one seems to mean that disaster (“the fate of the Norns”) awaits when one rounds the first headland (i.e., at the beginning of life’s voyage, in youth). The third line is a commentary on obstinate rashness. TheVolsungasagaparaphrases stanzas 11–15 throughout.12.Norns: cf. stanza 13 and note. Sigurth has no possible interest in knowing what Norns are helpful in childbirth, but interpolations were seldom logical.13.Snorri quotes this stanza. There were minor Norns, or fates, in addition to the three great Norns, regarding whom cf.Voluspo, 20.Dvalin: chief of the dwarfs; cf.Voluspo, 14.[376]14.Surt: ruler of the fire world; the reference is to the last great battle.Sword-sweat: blood.15.Oskopnir(“Not-Made”): apparently another name for Vigrith, which is named inVafthruthnismol, 18, as the final battle-ground.Bilrost(or Bifrost): the rainbow bridge which breaks beneath Surt’s followers; cf.Grimnismol, 29 and note.16.With this stanza Fafnir returns to the situation.Fear-helm: regarding the “ægis-hjalmr” cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14 and note.[377]18.Lines 3–4 do not appear in the manuscript, and no gap is indicated; they are here conjecturally paraphrased from the prose passage in theVolsungasaga.20.It has been suggested that this stanza is spurious, and that stanza 21 ought to follow stanza 22. Lines 3–4, abbreviated in the manuscript, are identical with lines 3–4 of stanza 9. TheVolsungasagaparaphrase in place of these two lines makes[378]Fafnir say: “For it often happens that he who gets a deadly wound yet avenges himself.” It is quite likely that two stanzas have been lost.22.TheVolsungasagaplaces its paraphrase of this stanza between those of stanzas 15 and 16.24.Line 2 is probably spurious, but it is a phrase typical of such poems asGrimnismolorVafthruthnismol.25.Gram: Sigurth’s sword; cf.Reginsmol, prose after 14.[379]26.In the manuscript stanzas 26–29 stand after stanza 31, which fails to make clear sense; they are here rearranged in accordance with theVolsungasagaparaphrase.28–29.Almost certainly interpolated from some such poem as theHovamol. Even the faithfulVolsungasagafails to paraphrase stanza 29.[380]30.Something has evidently been lost before this stanza. Sigurth clearly refers to Regin’s reproach when he was digging the trench (cf. note on introductory prose), but the poem does not give such a passage.Prose.Rithil(“Swift-Moving”): Snorri calls the sword Refil (“Serpent”).32.That the birds’ stanzas come from more than one source[381]is fairly apparent, but whether from two or from three or more is uncertain. It is also far from clear how many birds are speaking. The manuscript numbers II, III, and IV in the margin with numerals; theVolsungasagamakes a different bird speak each time. There are almost as many guesses as there are editions. I suspect that in the original poem there was one bird, speaking stanzas 34 and 37. Stanza 38 is little more than a repetition of stanza 34, and may well have been a later addition. As for the stanzas in Fornyrthislag (32–33 and 35–36), they apparently come from another poem, in which several birds speak (cf. “we sisters” in stanza 35). This may be the same poem from which stanzas 40–44 were taken, as well as some of the Fornyrthislag stanzas in theSigrdrifumol.34.Some editions turn this speech from the third person into the second, but the manuscript is clear enough.[382]35.Wolf, etc.: the phrase is nearly equivalent to “there must be fire where there is smoke.” The proverb appears elsewhere in Old Norse.36.Tree of battle: warrior.37.Here, as in stanza 34, some editions turn the speech from the third person into the second.38.Giant: Regin was certainly not a frost-giant, and the whole stanza looks like some copyist’s blundering reproduction of stanza 34.[383]40.Neither the manuscript nor any of the editions suggest the existence of more than one bird in stanzas 40–44. It seems to me, however, that there are not only two birds, but two distinct stories. Stanzas 40–41 apply solely to Guthrun, and suggest that Sigurth will go straight to Gunnar’s hall. Stanzas 42–44, on the other hand, apply solely to Brynhild, and indicate that Sigurth will find her before he visits the Gjukungs. The confusion which existed between these two versions of the story, and which involved a fundamental difference in the final working out of Brynhild’s revenge, is commented on in the note onGripisspo, 13. In the present passage it is possible that two birds are speaking, each reflecting one version of the story; it seems even more likely that one speech or the other (40–41 or 42–44) reflects the original form of the narrative, the other having been added, either later or from another poem. In theVolsungasagathe whole passage is condensed into a few words by one bird: “Wiser were it if he should then ride up on Hindarfjoll, where Brynhild sleeps, and there would he get much wisdom.” The Guthrun-bird does not appear at all.41.Gjuki: father of Gunnar and Guthrun: cf.Gripisspo, 13 and note.[384]42.Hindarfjoll: “Mountain of the Hind.”Light of the flood: gold; cf.Reginsmol, 1 and note.43.Battle-maid: Brynhild, here clearly defined as a Valkyrie.Bane of the wood: fire.Ygg: Othin; cf.Grimnismol, 53.The thorn: a prose note inSigrdrifumolcalls it “sleep-thorn.”The fighter: the story of the reason for Brynhild’s punishment is told in the prose following stanza 4 ofSigrdrifumol.44.Vingskornir: Brynhild’s horse, not elsewhere mentioned.Victory-bringer: the word thus translated is in the original “sigrdrifa.” The compiler of the collection, not being familiar with this word, assumed that it was a proper name, and in the prose following stanza 4 of theSigrdrifumolhe specifically states that this was the Valkyrie’s name. Editors, until recently,[385]have followed him in this error, failing to recognize that “sigrdrifa” was simply an epithet for Brynhild. It is from this blunder that the so-calledSigrdrifumoltakes its name. Brynhild’s dual personality as a Valkyrie and as the daughter of Buthli has made plenty of trouble, but the addition of a second Valkyrie in the person of the supposed “Sigrdrifa” has made still more.Prose.There is no break in the manuscript between the end of this prose passage and the beginning of the one introducing theSigrdrifumol: some editors include the entire prose passage with one poem or the other.Hrotti; “Thruster.”[386]

[Contents]REGINSMOLThe Ballad of Regin[Contents]Introductory NoteTheReginsmolimmediately follows theGripisspoin theCodex Regius, and in addition stanzas 1, 2, 6, and 18 are quoted in theVolsungasaga, and stanzas 13–26 in theNornageststhattr. In no instance is the title of the poem stated, and inRegiusthere stands before the introductory prose, very faintly written, what appears to be “Of Sigurth.” As a result, various titles have been affixed to it, the two most often used being “the Ballad of Regin” and “the First Lay of Sigurth Fafnisbane.”As a matter of fact, it is by no means clear that the compiler of the Eddic collection regarded this or either of the two following poems, theFafnismoland theSigrdrifumol, as separate and distinct poems at all. There are no specific titles given, and the prose notes link the three poems in a fairly consecutive whole. Furthermore, the prose passage introducing theReginsmolconnects directly withFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and only the insertion of theGripisspoat this point, which may well have been done by some stupid copyist, breaks the continuity of the story.For convenience I have here followed the usual plan of dividing this material into distinct parts, or poems, but I greatly doubt if this division is logically sound. The compiler seems, rather, to have undertaken to set down the story of Sigurth in consecutive form, making use of all the verse with which he was familiar, and which, by any stretch of the imagination, could be made to fit, filling up the gaps with prose narrative notes based on the living oral tradition.This view is supported by the fact that not one of the three poems in question, and least of all theReginsmol, can possibly be regarded as a unit. For one thing, each of them includes both types of stanza commonly used in the Eddic poems, and this, notwithstanding the efforts of Grundtvig and Müllenhoff to prove the contrary, is almost if not quite conclusive proof that each poem consists of material taken from more than one source. Furthermore, there is nowhere continuity within the verse itself for more than a very few stanzas. An analysis of theReginsmolshows that stanzas 1–4, 6–10, and 12, all in Ljothahattr stanza form, seem to belong together as fragments of a poem dealing with[357]Loki’s (not Andvari’s) curse on the gold taken by the gods from Andvari and paid to Hreithmar, together with Hreithmar’s death at the hands of his son, Fafnir, as the first result of this curse. Stanza 5, in Fornyrthislag, is a curse on the gold, here ascribed to Andvari, but the only proper name in the stanza,Gust, is quite unidentifiable, and the stanza may originally have had to do with a totally different story. Stanza 11, likewise in Fornyrthislag, is merely a father’s demand that his daughter rear a family to avenge his death; there is nothing in it to link it necessarily with the dying Hreithmar. Stanzas 13–18, all in Fornyrthislag, give Regin’s welcome to Sigurth (stanzas 13–14), Sigurth’s announcement that he will avenge his father’s death on the sons of Hunding before he seeks any treasure (stanza 15), and a dialogue between a certain Hnikar, who is really Othin, and Regin, as the latter and Sigurth are on the point of being shipwrecked. This section (stanzas 13–18) bears a striking resemblance to the Helgi lays, and may well have come originally from that cycle. Next follows a passage in Ljothahattr form (stanzas 19–22 and 24–25) in which Hnikar-Othin gives some general advice as to lucky omens and good conduct in battle; the entire passage might equally well stand in theHovamol, and I suspect that it originally came from just such a collection of wise saws. Inserted in this passage is stanza 23, in Fornyrthislag, likewise on the conduct of battle, with a bit of tactical advice included. The “poem” ends with a single stanza, in Fornyrthislag, simply stating that the bloody fight is over and that Sigurth fought well—a statement equally applicable to any part of the hero’s career.Finnur Jonsson has divided theReginsmolinto two poems, or rather into two sets of fragments, but this, as the foregoing analysis has indicated, does not appear to go nearly far enough. It accords much better with the facts to assume that the compiler of the collection represented by theCodex Regius, having set out to tell the story of Sigurth, took his verse fragments pretty much wherever he happened to find them. In this connection, it should be remembered that in the fluid state of oral tradition poems, fragments, and stanzas passed readily and frequently from one story to another. Tradition, never critical, doubtless connected with the Sigurth story much verse that never originated there.If the entire passage beginning with the proseFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and, except for theGripisspo, including theReginsmol,Fafnismol, andSigrdrifumol, be regarded as a highly uncritical[358]piece of compilation, rendered consecutive by the compiler’s prose narrative, its difficulties are largely smoothed away; any other way of looking at it results in utterly inconclusive attempts to reconstruct poems some of which quite possibly never existed.The twenty-six stanzas and accompanying prose notes included under the heading ofReginsmolbelong almost wholly to the northern part of the Sigurth legend; the mythological features have no counterpart in the southern stories, and only here and there is there any betrayal of the tradition’s Frankish home. The story of Andvari, Loki, and Hreithmar is purely Norse, as is the concluding section containing Othin’s counsels. If we assume that the passage dealing with the victory over Hunding’s sons belongs to the Helgi cycle (cf. introductory notes toHelgakvitha HjorvarthssonarandHelgakvitha Hundingsbana I), there is very little left to reflect the Sigurth tradition proper.Regarding the general development of the story of Sigurth in the North, see the introductory note to theGripisspo.[Contents]Sigurth went to Hjalprek’s stud and chose for himself a horse, who thereafter was called Grani. At that time Regin, the son of Hreithmar, was come to Hjalprek’s home; he was more ingenious than all other men, and a dwarf in stature; he was wise, fierce and skilled in magic. Regin undertook Sigurth’s bringing up and teaching, and loved him much. He told Sigurth of his forefathers, and also of this: that once Othin and Hönir and Loki had come to Andvari’s waterfall, and in the fall were many fish. Andvari was a dwarf, who had dwelt long in the waterfall in the shape of a pike, and there he got his food. “Otr was the name of a brother of ours,” said Regin, “who often went into the fall in the shape of an otter; he had caught a salmon, and sat on the high bank eating it with his eyes shut. Loki threw a stone at him and killed him; the gods thought they had had great good luck, and[359]stripped the skin off the otter. That same evening they sought a night’s lodging at Hreithmar’s house, and showed their booty. Then we seized them, and told them, as ransom for their lives, to fill the otter skin with gold, and completely cover it outside as well with red gold. Then they sent Loki to get the gold; he went to Ron and got her net, and went then to Andvari’s fall and cast the net in front of the pike, and the pike leaped into the net.” Then Loki said:1.“What is the fish   |   that runs in the flood,And itself from ill cannot save?If thy head thou wouldst   |   from hell redeem,Find me the water’s flame.”[360]Andvari spake:2.“Andvari am I,   |   and Oin my father,In many a fall have I fared;An evil Norn   |   in olden daysDoomed me in waters to dwell.”Loki spake:3.“Andvari, say,   |   if thou seekest stillTo live in the land of men,What payment is set   |   for the sons of menWho war with lying words?”Andvari spake:4.“A mighty payment   |   the men must makeWho in Vathgelmir’s waters wade;On a long road lead   |   the lying wordsThat one to another utters.”Loki saw all the gold that Andvari had. But when[361]he had brought forth all the gold, he held back one ring, and Loki took this from him. The dwarf went into his rocky hole and said:5.“Now shall the gold   |   that Gust once hadBring their death   |   to brothers twain,And evil be   |   for heroes eight;Joy of my wealth   |   shall no man win.”The gods gave Hreithmar the gold, and filled up the otter-skin, and stood it on its feet. Then the gods had to heap up gold and hide it. And when that was done, Hreithmar came forward and saw a single whisker, and bade them cover it. Then Othin brought out the ring Andvaranaut and covered the hair. Then Loki said:6.“The gold is given,   |   and great the priceThou hast my head to save;[362]But fortune thy sons   |   shall find not there,The bane of ye both it is.”Hreithmar spake:7.“Gifts ye gave,   |   but ye gave not kindly,Gave not with hearts that were whole;Your lives ere this   |   should ye all have lost,If sooner this fate I had seen.”Loki spake:8.“Worse is this   |   that methinks I see,For a maid shall kinsmen clash;Heroes unborn   |   thereby shall be,I deem, to hatred doomed.”Hreithmar spake:9.“The gold so red   |   shall I rule, methinks,So long as I shall live;Nought of fear   |   for thy threats I feel,So get ye hence to your homes.”Fafnir and Regin asked Hreithmar for a share of the wealth that was paid for the slaying of their brother, Otr. This he refused, and Fafnir thrust his sword through the[363]body of his father, Hreithmar, while he was sleeping. Hreithmar called to his daughters:10.“Lyngheith and Lofnheith,   |   fled is my life,And mighty now is my need!”Lyngheith spake:“Though a sister loses   |   her father, seldomRevenge on her brother she brings.”Hreithmar spake:11.“A daughter, woman   |   with wolf’s heart, bear,If thou hast no son   |   with the hero brave;If one weds the maid,   |   for the need is mighty,Their son for thy hurt   |   may vengeance seek.”Then Hreithmar died, and Fafnir took all the gold. Thereupon Regin asked to have his inheritance from his father, but Fafnir refused this. Then Regin asked counsel[364]of Lyngheith, his sister, how he should win his inheritance. She said:12.“In friendly wise   |   the wealth shalt thou askOf thy brother, and better will;Not seemly is it   |   to seek with the swordFafnir’s treasure to take.”All these happenings did Regin tell to Sigurth.One day, when he came to Regin’s house, he was gladly welcomed. Regin said:13.“Hither the son   |   of Sigmund is come,The hero eager,   |   here to our hall;His courage is more   |   than an ancient man’s,And battle I hope   |   from the hardy wolf.14.“Here shall I foster   |   the fearless prince,Now Yngvi’s heir   |   to us is come;The noblest hero   |   beneath the sun,The threads of his fate   |   all lands enfold.”[365]Sigurth was there continually with Regin, who said to Sigurth that Fafnir lay at Gnitaheith, and was in the shape of a dragon. He had a fear-helm, of which all living creatures were terrified. Regin made Sigurth the sword which was called Gram; it was so sharp that when he thrust it down into the Rhine, and let a strand of wool drift against it with the stream, it cleft the strand asunder as if it were water. With this sword Sigurth cleft asunder Regin’s anvil. After that Regin egged Sigurth on to slay Fafnir, but he said:15.“Loud will the sons   |   of Hunding laugh,Who low did Eylimi   |   lay in death,If the hero sooner   |   seeks the redRings to find   |   than his father’s vengeance.”King Hjalprek gave Sigurth a fleet for the avenging[366]of his father. They ran into a great storm, and were off a certain headland. A man stood on the mountain, and said:16.“Who yonder rides   |   on Rævil’s steeds,O’er towering waves   |   and waters wild?The sail-horses all   |   with sweat are dripping,Nor can the sea-steeds   |   the gale withstand.”Regin answered:17.“On the sea-trees here   |   are Sigurth and I,The storm wind drives us   |   on to our death;The waves crash down   |   on the forward deck,And the roller-steeds sink;   |   who seeks our names?”The Man spake:18.“Hnikar I was   |   when Volsung onceGladdened the ravens   |   and battle gave;Call me the Man   |   from the Mountain now,Feng or Fjolnir;   |   with you will I fare.”[367]They sailed to the land, and the man went on board the ship, and the storm subsided. Sigurth spake:19.“Hnikar, say,   |   for thou seest the fateThat to gods and men is given;What sign is fairest   |   for him who fights,And best for the swinging of swords?”Hnikar spake:20.“Many the signs,   |   if men but knew,That are good for the swinging of swords;It is well, methinks,   |   if the warrior meetsA raven black on his road.21.“Another it is   |   if out thou art come,And art ready forth to fare,To behold on the path   |   before thy houseTwo fighters greedy of fame.22.“Third it is well   |   if a howling wolfThou hearest under the ash;And fortune comes   |   if thy foe thou seestEre thee the hero beholds.23.“A man shall fight not   |   when he must faceThe moon’s bright sister   |   setting late;[368]Win he shall   |   who well can see,And wedge-like forms   |   his men for the fray.24.“Foul is the sign   |   if thy foot shall stumbleAs thou goest forth to fight;Goddesses baneful   |   at both thy sidesWill that wounds thou shalt get.25.“Combed and washed   |   shall the wise man go,And a meal at morn shall take;For unknown it is   |   where at eve he may be;It is ill thy luck to lose.”Sigurth had a great battle with Lyngvi, the son of[369]Hunding, and his brothers; there Lyngvi fell, and his two brothers with him. After the battle Regin said:26.“Now the bloody eagle   |   with biting swordIs carved on the back   |   of Sigmund’s killer;Few were more fierce   |   in fight than his son,Who reddened the earth   |   and gladdened the ravens.”Sigurth went home to Hjalprek’s house; thereupon Regin egged him on to fight with Fafnir.[356][Contents]NOTES[359]Prose.Hjalprek: father of Alf, Sigurth’s step-father; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, and note.Grani: cf.Gripisspo, 5 and note.Regin(“Counsel-Giver”): undoubtedly he goes back to the smith of the German story; in theThithrekssagaversion he is called Mimir, while Regin is there the name of the dragon (here Regin’s brother, Fafnir). TheVoluspo(stanza 12) names a Regin among the dwarfs, and the name may have assisted in making Regin a dwarf here.Hreithmar: nothing is known of him outside of this story.Othin,HönirandLoki: these same three gods appear in company inVoluspo, 17–18.Andvari’s fall: according to Snorri, who tells this entire story in theSkaldskaparmal, Andvari’s fall was in the world of the dark elves, while the one where Loki killed the otter was not; here, however, the two are considered identical.With his eyes shut: according to Snorri, Otr ate with his eyes shut becausehewas so greedy that he could not bear to see the food before him diminishing.Ron: wife of the sea-god Ægir, who draws down drowning men with her net; cf.Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar, 18 and note. Snorri says that Loki caught the pike with his hands.1.Snorri quotes this stanza.Water’s flame: gold, so called because Ægir, the sea-god, was wont to light his hall with gold.[360]2.Snorri quotes this stanza. The name of the speaker is not given in the manuscripts.Oin: nothing further is known of Andvari’s father.Norn: cf.Voluspo, 20.3.Stanzas 3–4 may well be fragments of some other poem. Certainly Loki’s question does not fit the situation, and the passage looks like an extract from some such poem asVafthruthnismol. InRegiusthe phrase “Loki spake” stands in the middle of line 1.4.The manuscript does not name the speaker.Vathgelmir(“Raging to Wade”): a river not elsewhere mentioned, but cf.Voluspo, 39.Prose.Snorri says Andvari’s ring had the power to create new gold. In this it resembled Baldr’s ring, Draupnir; cf.Skirnismol, 21 and note.[361]5.This stanza apparently comes from a different source from stanzas 1–4 (or 1–2 if 3–4 are interpolated) and 6–10; cf. Introductory Note. In theVolsungasagaAndvari lays his curse particularly on the ring.Gust: possibly a name for Andvari himself, or for an earlier possessor of the treasure.Brothers twain: Fafnir and Regin.Heroes eight: the word “eight” may easily have been substituted for something like “all” to make the stanza fit the case; the “eight” in question are presumably Sigurth, Gotthorm, Gunnar, Hogni, Atli, Erp, Sorli and Hamther, all of whom are slain in the course of the story. But the stanza may originally not have referred to Andvari’s treasure at all.Prose.Andvaranaut: “Andvari’s Gem.”6.Snorri quotes this stanza, introducing it, as here, with “Then Loki said” in the prose.Regiusomits this phrase, but inserts “said Loki” in line 1.[362]8.The word translated “maid” in line 2 is obscure, and “gold” may be meant. Apparently, however, the reference is to the fight between Sigurth and the sons of Gjuki over Brynhild. The manuscript does not name the speaker, and many editions assign this stanza to Hreithmar.9.The manuscript includes “said Hreithmar” (abbreviated) in the middle of line 1, and some editors have followed this.[363]10.Hreithmar’s daughters do not appear elsewhere. It has been suggested that originally stanza 10 was followed by one in which Lofnheith lamented her inability to avenge her father, as she was married and had no son.11.Apparently an interpolation (cf. Introductory Note). Vigfusson tries to reconstruct lines 2 and 4 to fit the Ljothahattr rhythm, but without much success. Hreithmar urges his daughter, as she has no sons, to bear a daughter who, in turn, will have a son to avenge his great-grandfather. Grundtvig worked out an ingenious theory to fit this stanza, making Sigurth’s grandfather, Eylimi, the husband of Lyngheith’s daughter, but there is absolutely no evidence to support this. The stanza may have nothing to do with Hreithmar.[364]13.This and the following stanza may be out of place here, really belonging, together with their introductory prose sentence, in the opening prose passage, following the first sentence describing Regin. Certainly they seem to relate to Regin’s first meeting with Sigurth. Stanzas 13–26, interspersed with prose, are quoted in theNornageststhattr. Stanzas 13–18 may be the remnants of a lost poem belonging to the Helgi cycle (cf. Introductory Note).Hardy wolf: warrior, i.e., Sigurth.14.Yngvi’s heir: Yngvi was one of the sons of the Danish king Halfdan the Old, and traditionally an ancestor of Helgi (cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 57 and note). Calling Sigurth[365]a descendant of Yngvi is, of course, absurd, and the use of this phrase is one of the many reasons for believing that stanzas 13–18 belonged originally to the Helgi cycle.The threads, etc.: another link with Helgi; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 3–4. As Helgi was likewise regarded as a son of Sigmund, stanzas 13–14 would fit him just as well as Sigurth.Prose.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fear-helm: the word “ægis-hjalmr,” which occurs both here and inFafnismol, suggests an extraordinarily interesting, and still disputed, question of etymology.Gram: according to theVolsungasagaRegin forged this sword from the fragments of the sword given by Othin to Sigmund (cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note).15.Regarding thesons of HundingandEylimi, father of Sigurth’s mother, all of whom belong to the Helgi tradition, cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note.Prose.The fleet, and the subsequent storm, are also reminiscent[366]of the Helgi cycle; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 29–31, andII, prose after stanza 16.A man: Othin.16.Rævil’s steeds(Rævil was a sea-king, possibly the grandson of Ragnar Lothbrok mentioned in theHervararsaga),sail-horsesandsea-steedsall mean “ships.”17.Sea-treesandroller-steeds(the latter because ships were pulled up on shore by means of rollers) both mean “ships.”18.TheVolsungasagaquotes this stanza.HnikarandFjolnir: Othin gives himself both these names inGrimnismol, 47;Feng(“The Seizer”) does not appear elsewhere. According to theVolsungasaga, no one knew Othin’s name when he came to Volsung’s house and left the sword there for Sigmund.[367]19.This and the following stanzas are strongly suggestive of theHovamol, and probably came originally from some such collection.23.This stanza is clearly an interpolation, drawn in by the[368]common-sense advice, as distinct from omens, given in the last lines of stanza 22.Moon’s sister: the sun; cf.Vafthruthnismol, 23 and note.Wedge-like: the wedge formation (prescribed anew in 1920 for the United States Army under certain circumstances) was said to have been invented by Othin himself, and taught by him only to the most favored warriors.24.Goddesses: Norse mythology included an almost limitless number of minor deities, the female ones, both kind and unkind, being generally classed among the lesser Norns.25.This stanza almost certainly had nothing originally to do with the others in this passage; it may have been taken from a longer version of theHovamolitself.Prose.Lyngvi: the son of Hunding who killed Sigmund in jealousy of his marriage with Hjordis; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note. TheVolsungasaganames one brother who was with Lyngvi in the battle, Hjorvarth, and Sigurth kills him as readily as if he had not already been killed long before by Helgi. But, as has been seen, it was nothing for a man to be killed in two or three different ways.[369]26.Bloody eagle, etc.: theNornageststhattrdescribes the manner in which the captured Lyngvi was put to death. “Regin advised that they should carve the bloody eagle on his back. So Regin took his sword and cleft Lyngvi’s back so that he severed his back from his ribs, and then drew out his lungs. So died Lyngvi with great courage.”Prose.InRegiusthere is no break of any kind between this prose passage and the prose introduction to theFafnismol(cf. Introductory Note).[370]

REGINSMOLThe Ballad of Regin

[Contents]Introductory NoteTheReginsmolimmediately follows theGripisspoin theCodex Regius, and in addition stanzas 1, 2, 6, and 18 are quoted in theVolsungasaga, and stanzas 13–26 in theNornageststhattr. In no instance is the title of the poem stated, and inRegiusthere stands before the introductory prose, very faintly written, what appears to be “Of Sigurth.” As a result, various titles have been affixed to it, the two most often used being “the Ballad of Regin” and “the First Lay of Sigurth Fafnisbane.”As a matter of fact, it is by no means clear that the compiler of the Eddic collection regarded this or either of the two following poems, theFafnismoland theSigrdrifumol, as separate and distinct poems at all. There are no specific titles given, and the prose notes link the three poems in a fairly consecutive whole. Furthermore, the prose passage introducing theReginsmolconnects directly withFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and only the insertion of theGripisspoat this point, which may well have been done by some stupid copyist, breaks the continuity of the story.For convenience I have here followed the usual plan of dividing this material into distinct parts, or poems, but I greatly doubt if this division is logically sound. The compiler seems, rather, to have undertaken to set down the story of Sigurth in consecutive form, making use of all the verse with which he was familiar, and which, by any stretch of the imagination, could be made to fit, filling up the gaps with prose narrative notes based on the living oral tradition.This view is supported by the fact that not one of the three poems in question, and least of all theReginsmol, can possibly be regarded as a unit. For one thing, each of them includes both types of stanza commonly used in the Eddic poems, and this, notwithstanding the efforts of Grundtvig and Müllenhoff to prove the contrary, is almost if not quite conclusive proof that each poem consists of material taken from more than one source. Furthermore, there is nowhere continuity within the verse itself for more than a very few stanzas. An analysis of theReginsmolshows that stanzas 1–4, 6–10, and 12, all in Ljothahattr stanza form, seem to belong together as fragments of a poem dealing with[357]Loki’s (not Andvari’s) curse on the gold taken by the gods from Andvari and paid to Hreithmar, together with Hreithmar’s death at the hands of his son, Fafnir, as the first result of this curse. Stanza 5, in Fornyrthislag, is a curse on the gold, here ascribed to Andvari, but the only proper name in the stanza,Gust, is quite unidentifiable, and the stanza may originally have had to do with a totally different story. Stanza 11, likewise in Fornyrthislag, is merely a father’s demand that his daughter rear a family to avenge his death; there is nothing in it to link it necessarily with the dying Hreithmar. Stanzas 13–18, all in Fornyrthislag, give Regin’s welcome to Sigurth (stanzas 13–14), Sigurth’s announcement that he will avenge his father’s death on the sons of Hunding before he seeks any treasure (stanza 15), and a dialogue between a certain Hnikar, who is really Othin, and Regin, as the latter and Sigurth are on the point of being shipwrecked. This section (stanzas 13–18) bears a striking resemblance to the Helgi lays, and may well have come originally from that cycle. Next follows a passage in Ljothahattr form (stanzas 19–22 and 24–25) in which Hnikar-Othin gives some general advice as to lucky omens and good conduct in battle; the entire passage might equally well stand in theHovamol, and I suspect that it originally came from just such a collection of wise saws. Inserted in this passage is stanza 23, in Fornyrthislag, likewise on the conduct of battle, with a bit of tactical advice included. The “poem” ends with a single stanza, in Fornyrthislag, simply stating that the bloody fight is over and that Sigurth fought well—a statement equally applicable to any part of the hero’s career.Finnur Jonsson has divided theReginsmolinto two poems, or rather into two sets of fragments, but this, as the foregoing analysis has indicated, does not appear to go nearly far enough. It accords much better with the facts to assume that the compiler of the collection represented by theCodex Regius, having set out to tell the story of Sigurth, took his verse fragments pretty much wherever he happened to find them. In this connection, it should be remembered that in the fluid state of oral tradition poems, fragments, and stanzas passed readily and frequently from one story to another. Tradition, never critical, doubtless connected with the Sigurth story much verse that never originated there.If the entire passage beginning with the proseFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and, except for theGripisspo, including theReginsmol,Fafnismol, andSigrdrifumol, be regarded as a highly uncritical[358]piece of compilation, rendered consecutive by the compiler’s prose narrative, its difficulties are largely smoothed away; any other way of looking at it results in utterly inconclusive attempts to reconstruct poems some of which quite possibly never existed.The twenty-six stanzas and accompanying prose notes included under the heading ofReginsmolbelong almost wholly to the northern part of the Sigurth legend; the mythological features have no counterpart in the southern stories, and only here and there is there any betrayal of the tradition’s Frankish home. The story of Andvari, Loki, and Hreithmar is purely Norse, as is the concluding section containing Othin’s counsels. If we assume that the passage dealing with the victory over Hunding’s sons belongs to the Helgi cycle (cf. introductory notes toHelgakvitha HjorvarthssonarandHelgakvitha Hundingsbana I), there is very little left to reflect the Sigurth tradition proper.Regarding the general development of the story of Sigurth in the North, see the introductory note to theGripisspo.[Contents]Sigurth went to Hjalprek’s stud and chose for himself a horse, who thereafter was called Grani. At that time Regin, the son of Hreithmar, was come to Hjalprek’s home; he was more ingenious than all other men, and a dwarf in stature; he was wise, fierce and skilled in magic. Regin undertook Sigurth’s bringing up and teaching, and loved him much. He told Sigurth of his forefathers, and also of this: that once Othin and Hönir and Loki had come to Andvari’s waterfall, and in the fall were many fish. Andvari was a dwarf, who had dwelt long in the waterfall in the shape of a pike, and there he got his food. “Otr was the name of a brother of ours,” said Regin, “who often went into the fall in the shape of an otter; he had caught a salmon, and sat on the high bank eating it with his eyes shut. Loki threw a stone at him and killed him; the gods thought they had had great good luck, and[359]stripped the skin off the otter. That same evening they sought a night’s lodging at Hreithmar’s house, and showed their booty. Then we seized them, and told them, as ransom for their lives, to fill the otter skin with gold, and completely cover it outside as well with red gold. Then they sent Loki to get the gold; he went to Ron and got her net, and went then to Andvari’s fall and cast the net in front of the pike, and the pike leaped into the net.” Then Loki said:1.“What is the fish   |   that runs in the flood,And itself from ill cannot save?If thy head thou wouldst   |   from hell redeem,Find me the water’s flame.”[360]Andvari spake:2.“Andvari am I,   |   and Oin my father,In many a fall have I fared;An evil Norn   |   in olden daysDoomed me in waters to dwell.”Loki spake:3.“Andvari, say,   |   if thou seekest stillTo live in the land of men,What payment is set   |   for the sons of menWho war with lying words?”Andvari spake:4.“A mighty payment   |   the men must makeWho in Vathgelmir’s waters wade;On a long road lead   |   the lying wordsThat one to another utters.”Loki saw all the gold that Andvari had. But when[361]he had brought forth all the gold, he held back one ring, and Loki took this from him. The dwarf went into his rocky hole and said:5.“Now shall the gold   |   that Gust once hadBring their death   |   to brothers twain,And evil be   |   for heroes eight;Joy of my wealth   |   shall no man win.”The gods gave Hreithmar the gold, and filled up the otter-skin, and stood it on its feet. Then the gods had to heap up gold and hide it. And when that was done, Hreithmar came forward and saw a single whisker, and bade them cover it. Then Othin brought out the ring Andvaranaut and covered the hair. Then Loki said:6.“The gold is given,   |   and great the priceThou hast my head to save;[362]But fortune thy sons   |   shall find not there,The bane of ye both it is.”Hreithmar spake:7.“Gifts ye gave,   |   but ye gave not kindly,Gave not with hearts that were whole;Your lives ere this   |   should ye all have lost,If sooner this fate I had seen.”Loki spake:8.“Worse is this   |   that methinks I see,For a maid shall kinsmen clash;Heroes unborn   |   thereby shall be,I deem, to hatred doomed.”Hreithmar spake:9.“The gold so red   |   shall I rule, methinks,So long as I shall live;Nought of fear   |   for thy threats I feel,So get ye hence to your homes.”Fafnir and Regin asked Hreithmar for a share of the wealth that was paid for the slaying of their brother, Otr. This he refused, and Fafnir thrust his sword through the[363]body of his father, Hreithmar, while he was sleeping. Hreithmar called to his daughters:10.“Lyngheith and Lofnheith,   |   fled is my life,And mighty now is my need!”Lyngheith spake:“Though a sister loses   |   her father, seldomRevenge on her brother she brings.”Hreithmar spake:11.“A daughter, woman   |   with wolf’s heart, bear,If thou hast no son   |   with the hero brave;If one weds the maid,   |   for the need is mighty,Their son for thy hurt   |   may vengeance seek.”Then Hreithmar died, and Fafnir took all the gold. Thereupon Regin asked to have his inheritance from his father, but Fafnir refused this. Then Regin asked counsel[364]of Lyngheith, his sister, how he should win his inheritance. She said:12.“In friendly wise   |   the wealth shalt thou askOf thy brother, and better will;Not seemly is it   |   to seek with the swordFafnir’s treasure to take.”All these happenings did Regin tell to Sigurth.One day, when he came to Regin’s house, he was gladly welcomed. Regin said:13.“Hither the son   |   of Sigmund is come,The hero eager,   |   here to our hall;His courage is more   |   than an ancient man’s,And battle I hope   |   from the hardy wolf.14.“Here shall I foster   |   the fearless prince,Now Yngvi’s heir   |   to us is come;The noblest hero   |   beneath the sun,The threads of his fate   |   all lands enfold.”[365]Sigurth was there continually with Regin, who said to Sigurth that Fafnir lay at Gnitaheith, and was in the shape of a dragon. He had a fear-helm, of which all living creatures were terrified. Regin made Sigurth the sword which was called Gram; it was so sharp that when he thrust it down into the Rhine, and let a strand of wool drift against it with the stream, it cleft the strand asunder as if it were water. With this sword Sigurth cleft asunder Regin’s anvil. After that Regin egged Sigurth on to slay Fafnir, but he said:15.“Loud will the sons   |   of Hunding laugh,Who low did Eylimi   |   lay in death,If the hero sooner   |   seeks the redRings to find   |   than his father’s vengeance.”King Hjalprek gave Sigurth a fleet for the avenging[366]of his father. They ran into a great storm, and were off a certain headland. A man stood on the mountain, and said:16.“Who yonder rides   |   on Rævil’s steeds,O’er towering waves   |   and waters wild?The sail-horses all   |   with sweat are dripping,Nor can the sea-steeds   |   the gale withstand.”Regin answered:17.“On the sea-trees here   |   are Sigurth and I,The storm wind drives us   |   on to our death;The waves crash down   |   on the forward deck,And the roller-steeds sink;   |   who seeks our names?”The Man spake:18.“Hnikar I was   |   when Volsung onceGladdened the ravens   |   and battle gave;Call me the Man   |   from the Mountain now,Feng or Fjolnir;   |   with you will I fare.”[367]They sailed to the land, and the man went on board the ship, and the storm subsided. Sigurth spake:19.“Hnikar, say,   |   for thou seest the fateThat to gods and men is given;What sign is fairest   |   for him who fights,And best for the swinging of swords?”Hnikar spake:20.“Many the signs,   |   if men but knew,That are good for the swinging of swords;It is well, methinks,   |   if the warrior meetsA raven black on his road.21.“Another it is   |   if out thou art come,And art ready forth to fare,To behold on the path   |   before thy houseTwo fighters greedy of fame.22.“Third it is well   |   if a howling wolfThou hearest under the ash;And fortune comes   |   if thy foe thou seestEre thee the hero beholds.23.“A man shall fight not   |   when he must faceThe moon’s bright sister   |   setting late;[368]Win he shall   |   who well can see,And wedge-like forms   |   his men for the fray.24.“Foul is the sign   |   if thy foot shall stumbleAs thou goest forth to fight;Goddesses baneful   |   at both thy sidesWill that wounds thou shalt get.25.“Combed and washed   |   shall the wise man go,And a meal at morn shall take;For unknown it is   |   where at eve he may be;It is ill thy luck to lose.”Sigurth had a great battle with Lyngvi, the son of[369]Hunding, and his brothers; there Lyngvi fell, and his two brothers with him. After the battle Regin said:26.“Now the bloody eagle   |   with biting swordIs carved on the back   |   of Sigmund’s killer;Few were more fierce   |   in fight than his son,Who reddened the earth   |   and gladdened the ravens.”Sigurth went home to Hjalprek’s house; thereupon Regin egged him on to fight with Fafnir.[356][Contents]NOTES[359]Prose.Hjalprek: father of Alf, Sigurth’s step-father; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, and note.Grani: cf.Gripisspo, 5 and note.Regin(“Counsel-Giver”): undoubtedly he goes back to the smith of the German story; in theThithrekssagaversion he is called Mimir, while Regin is there the name of the dragon (here Regin’s brother, Fafnir). TheVoluspo(stanza 12) names a Regin among the dwarfs, and the name may have assisted in making Regin a dwarf here.Hreithmar: nothing is known of him outside of this story.Othin,HönirandLoki: these same three gods appear in company inVoluspo, 17–18.Andvari’s fall: according to Snorri, who tells this entire story in theSkaldskaparmal, Andvari’s fall was in the world of the dark elves, while the one where Loki killed the otter was not; here, however, the two are considered identical.With his eyes shut: according to Snorri, Otr ate with his eyes shut becausehewas so greedy that he could not bear to see the food before him diminishing.Ron: wife of the sea-god Ægir, who draws down drowning men with her net; cf.Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar, 18 and note. Snorri says that Loki caught the pike with his hands.1.Snorri quotes this stanza.Water’s flame: gold, so called because Ægir, the sea-god, was wont to light his hall with gold.[360]2.Snorri quotes this stanza. The name of the speaker is not given in the manuscripts.Oin: nothing further is known of Andvari’s father.Norn: cf.Voluspo, 20.3.Stanzas 3–4 may well be fragments of some other poem. Certainly Loki’s question does not fit the situation, and the passage looks like an extract from some such poem asVafthruthnismol. InRegiusthe phrase “Loki spake” stands in the middle of line 1.4.The manuscript does not name the speaker.Vathgelmir(“Raging to Wade”): a river not elsewhere mentioned, but cf.Voluspo, 39.Prose.Snorri says Andvari’s ring had the power to create new gold. In this it resembled Baldr’s ring, Draupnir; cf.Skirnismol, 21 and note.[361]5.This stanza apparently comes from a different source from stanzas 1–4 (or 1–2 if 3–4 are interpolated) and 6–10; cf. Introductory Note. In theVolsungasagaAndvari lays his curse particularly on the ring.Gust: possibly a name for Andvari himself, or for an earlier possessor of the treasure.Brothers twain: Fafnir and Regin.Heroes eight: the word “eight” may easily have been substituted for something like “all” to make the stanza fit the case; the “eight” in question are presumably Sigurth, Gotthorm, Gunnar, Hogni, Atli, Erp, Sorli and Hamther, all of whom are slain in the course of the story. But the stanza may originally not have referred to Andvari’s treasure at all.Prose.Andvaranaut: “Andvari’s Gem.”6.Snorri quotes this stanza, introducing it, as here, with “Then Loki said” in the prose.Regiusomits this phrase, but inserts “said Loki” in line 1.[362]8.The word translated “maid” in line 2 is obscure, and “gold” may be meant. Apparently, however, the reference is to the fight between Sigurth and the sons of Gjuki over Brynhild. The manuscript does not name the speaker, and many editions assign this stanza to Hreithmar.9.The manuscript includes “said Hreithmar” (abbreviated) in the middle of line 1, and some editors have followed this.[363]10.Hreithmar’s daughters do not appear elsewhere. It has been suggested that originally stanza 10 was followed by one in which Lofnheith lamented her inability to avenge her father, as she was married and had no son.11.Apparently an interpolation (cf. Introductory Note). Vigfusson tries to reconstruct lines 2 and 4 to fit the Ljothahattr rhythm, but without much success. Hreithmar urges his daughter, as she has no sons, to bear a daughter who, in turn, will have a son to avenge his great-grandfather. Grundtvig worked out an ingenious theory to fit this stanza, making Sigurth’s grandfather, Eylimi, the husband of Lyngheith’s daughter, but there is absolutely no evidence to support this. The stanza may have nothing to do with Hreithmar.[364]13.This and the following stanza may be out of place here, really belonging, together with their introductory prose sentence, in the opening prose passage, following the first sentence describing Regin. Certainly they seem to relate to Regin’s first meeting with Sigurth. Stanzas 13–26, interspersed with prose, are quoted in theNornageststhattr. Stanzas 13–18 may be the remnants of a lost poem belonging to the Helgi cycle (cf. Introductory Note).Hardy wolf: warrior, i.e., Sigurth.14.Yngvi’s heir: Yngvi was one of the sons of the Danish king Halfdan the Old, and traditionally an ancestor of Helgi (cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 57 and note). Calling Sigurth[365]a descendant of Yngvi is, of course, absurd, and the use of this phrase is one of the many reasons for believing that stanzas 13–18 belonged originally to the Helgi cycle.The threads, etc.: another link with Helgi; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 3–4. As Helgi was likewise regarded as a son of Sigmund, stanzas 13–14 would fit him just as well as Sigurth.Prose.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fear-helm: the word “ægis-hjalmr,” which occurs both here and inFafnismol, suggests an extraordinarily interesting, and still disputed, question of etymology.Gram: according to theVolsungasagaRegin forged this sword from the fragments of the sword given by Othin to Sigmund (cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note).15.Regarding thesons of HundingandEylimi, father of Sigurth’s mother, all of whom belong to the Helgi tradition, cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note.Prose.The fleet, and the subsequent storm, are also reminiscent[366]of the Helgi cycle; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 29–31, andII, prose after stanza 16.A man: Othin.16.Rævil’s steeds(Rævil was a sea-king, possibly the grandson of Ragnar Lothbrok mentioned in theHervararsaga),sail-horsesandsea-steedsall mean “ships.”17.Sea-treesandroller-steeds(the latter because ships were pulled up on shore by means of rollers) both mean “ships.”18.TheVolsungasagaquotes this stanza.HnikarandFjolnir: Othin gives himself both these names inGrimnismol, 47;Feng(“The Seizer”) does not appear elsewhere. According to theVolsungasaga, no one knew Othin’s name when he came to Volsung’s house and left the sword there for Sigmund.[367]19.This and the following stanzas are strongly suggestive of theHovamol, and probably came originally from some such collection.23.This stanza is clearly an interpolation, drawn in by the[368]common-sense advice, as distinct from omens, given in the last lines of stanza 22.Moon’s sister: the sun; cf.Vafthruthnismol, 23 and note.Wedge-like: the wedge formation (prescribed anew in 1920 for the United States Army under certain circumstances) was said to have been invented by Othin himself, and taught by him only to the most favored warriors.24.Goddesses: Norse mythology included an almost limitless number of minor deities, the female ones, both kind and unkind, being generally classed among the lesser Norns.25.This stanza almost certainly had nothing originally to do with the others in this passage; it may have been taken from a longer version of theHovamolitself.Prose.Lyngvi: the son of Hunding who killed Sigmund in jealousy of his marriage with Hjordis; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note. TheVolsungasaganames one brother who was with Lyngvi in the battle, Hjorvarth, and Sigurth kills him as readily as if he had not already been killed long before by Helgi. But, as has been seen, it was nothing for a man to be killed in two or three different ways.[369]26.Bloody eagle, etc.: theNornageststhattrdescribes the manner in which the captured Lyngvi was put to death. “Regin advised that they should carve the bloody eagle on his back. So Regin took his sword and cleft Lyngvi’s back so that he severed his back from his ribs, and then drew out his lungs. So died Lyngvi with great courage.”Prose.InRegiusthere is no break of any kind between this prose passage and the prose introduction to theFafnismol(cf. Introductory Note).[370]

[Contents]Introductory NoteTheReginsmolimmediately follows theGripisspoin theCodex Regius, and in addition stanzas 1, 2, 6, and 18 are quoted in theVolsungasaga, and stanzas 13–26 in theNornageststhattr. In no instance is the title of the poem stated, and inRegiusthere stands before the introductory prose, very faintly written, what appears to be “Of Sigurth.” As a result, various titles have been affixed to it, the two most often used being “the Ballad of Regin” and “the First Lay of Sigurth Fafnisbane.”As a matter of fact, it is by no means clear that the compiler of the Eddic collection regarded this or either of the two following poems, theFafnismoland theSigrdrifumol, as separate and distinct poems at all. There are no specific titles given, and the prose notes link the three poems in a fairly consecutive whole. Furthermore, the prose passage introducing theReginsmolconnects directly withFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and only the insertion of theGripisspoat this point, which may well have been done by some stupid copyist, breaks the continuity of the story.For convenience I have here followed the usual plan of dividing this material into distinct parts, or poems, but I greatly doubt if this division is logically sound. The compiler seems, rather, to have undertaken to set down the story of Sigurth in consecutive form, making use of all the verse with which he was familiar, and which, by any stretch of the imagination, could be made to fit, filling up the gaps with prose narrative notes based on the living oral tradition.This view is supported by the fact that not one of the three poems in question, and least of all theReginsmol, can possibly be regarded as a unit. For one thing, each of them includes both types of stanza commonly used in the Eddic poems, and this, notwithstanding the efforts of Grundtvig and Müllenhoff to prove the contrary, is almost if not quite conclusive proof that each poem consists of material taken from more than one source. Furthermore, there is nowhere continuity within the verse itself for more than a very few stanzas. An analysis of theReginsmolshows that stanzas 1–4, 6–10, and 12, all in Ljothahattr stanza form, seem to belong together as fragments of a poem dealing with[357]Loki’s (not Andvari’s) curse on the gold taken by the gods from Andvari and paid to Hreithmar, together with Hreithmar’s death at the hands of his son, Fafnir, as the first result of this curse. Stanza 5, in Fornyrthislag, is a curse on the gold, here ascribed to Andvari, but the only proper name in the stanza,Gust, is quite unidentifiable, and the stanza may originally have had to do with a totally different story. Stanza 11, likewise in Fornyrthislag, is merely a father’s demand that his daughter rear a family to avenge his death; there is nothing in it to link it necessarily with the dying Hreithmar. Stanzas 13–18, all in Fornyrthislag, give Regin’s welcome to Sigurth (stanzas 13–14), Sigurth’s announcement that he will avenge his father’s death on the sons of Hunding before he seeks any treasure (stanza 15), and a dialogue between a certain Hnikar, who is really Othin, and Regin, as the latter and Sigurth are on the point of being shipwrecked. This section (stanzas 13–18) bears a striking resemblance to the Helgi lays, and may well have come originally from that cycle. Next follows a passage in Ljothahattr form (stanzas 19–22 and 24–25) in which Hnikar-Othin gives some general advice as to lucky omens and good conduct in battle; the entire passage might equally well stand in theHovamol, and I suspect that it originally came from just such a collection of wise saws. Inserted in this passage is stanza 23, in Fornyrthislag, likewise on the conduct of battle, with a bit of tactical advice included. The “poem” ends with a single stanza, in Fornyrthislag, simply stating that the bloody fight is over and that Sigurth fought well—a statement equally applicable to any part of the hero’s career.Finnur Jonsson has divided theReginsmolinto two poems, or rather into two sets of fragments, but this, as the foregoing analysis has indicated, does not appear to go nearly far enough. It accords much better with the facts to assume that the compiler of the collection represented by theCodex Regius, having set out to tell the story of Sigurth, took his verse fragments pretty much wherever he happened to find them. In this connection, it should be remembered that in the fluid state of oral tradition poems, fragments, and stanzas passed readily and frequently from one story to another. Tradition, never critical, doubtless connected with the Sigurth story much verse that never originated there.If the entire passage beginning with the proseFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and, except for theGripisspo, including theReginsmol,Fafnismol, andSigrdrifumol, be regarded as a highly uncritical[358]piece of compilation, rendered consecutive by the compiler’s prose narrative, its difficulties are largely smoothed away; any other way of looking at it results in utterly inconclusive attempts to reconstruct poems some of which quite possibly never existed.The twenty-six stanzas and accompanying prose notes included under the heading ofReginsmolbelong almost wholly to the northern part of the Sigurth legend; the mythological features have no counterpart in the southern stories, and only here and there is there any betrayal of the tradition’s Frankish home. The story of Andvari, Loki, and Hreithmar is purely Norse, as is the concluding section containing Othin’s counsels. If we assume that the passage dealing with the victory over Hunding’s sons belongs to the Helgi cycle (cf. introductory notes toHelgakvitha HjorvarthssonarandHelgakvitha Hundingsbana I), there is very little left to reflect the Sigurth tradition proper.Regarding the general development of the story of Sigurth in the North, see the introductory note to theGripisspo.

Introductory Note

TheReginsmolimmediately follows theGripisspoin theCodex Regius, and in addition stanzas 1, 2, 6, and 18 are quoted in theVolsungasaga, and stanzas 13–26 in theNornageststhattr. In no instance is the title of the poem stated, and inRegiusthere stands before the introductory prose, very faintly written, what appears to be “Of Sigurth.” As a result, various titles have been affixed to it, the two most often used being “the Ballad of Regin” and “the First Lay of Sigurth Fafnisbane.”As a matter of fact, it is by no means clear that the compiler of the Eddic collection regarded this or either of the two following poems, theFafnismoland theSigrdrifumol, as separate and distinct poems at all. There are no specific titles given, and the prose notes link the three poems in a fairly consecutive whole. Furthermore, the prose passage introducing theReginsmolconnects directly withFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and only the insertion of theGripisspoat this point, which may well have been done by some stupid copyist, breaks the continuity of the story.For convenience I have here followed the usual plan of dividing this material into distinct parts, or poems, but I greatly doubt if this division is logically sound. The compiler seems, rather, to have undertaken to set down the story of Sigurth in consecutive form, making use of all the verse with which he was familiar, and which, by any stretch of the imagination, could be made to fit, filling up the gaps with prose narrative notes based on the living oral tradition.This view is supported by the fact that not one of the three poems in question, and least of all theReginsmol, can possibly be regarded as a unit. For one thing, each of them includes both types of stanza commonly used in the Eddic poems, and this, notwithstanding the efforts of Grundtvig and Müllenhoff to prove the contrary, is almost if not quite conclusive proof that each poem consists of material taken from more than one source. Furthermore, there is nowhere continuity within the verse itself for more than a very few stanzas. An analysis of theReginsmolshows that stanzas 1–4, 6–10, and 12, all in Ljothahattr stanza form, seem to belong together as fragments of a poem dealing with[357]Loki’s (not Andvari’s) curse on the gold taken by the gods from Andvari and paid to Hreithmar, together with Hreithmar’s death at the hands of his son, Fafnir, as the first result of this curse. Stanza 5, in Fornyrthislag, is a curse on the gold, here ascribed to Andvari, but the only proper name in the stanza,Gust, is quite unidentifiable, and the stanza may originally have had to do with a totally different story. Stanza 11, likewise in Fornyrthislag, is merely a father’s demand that his daughter rear a family to avenge his death; there is nothing in it to link it necessarily with the dying Hreithmar. Stanzas 13–18, all in Fornyrthislag, give Regin’s welcome to Sigurth (stanzas 13–14), Sigurth’s announcement that he will avenge his father’s death on the sons of Hunding before he seeks any treasure (stanza 15), and a dialogue between a certain Hnikar, who is really Othin, and Regin, as the latter and Sigurth are on the point of being shipwrecked. This section (stanzas 13–18) bears a striking resemblance to the Helgi lays, and may well have come originally from that cycle. Next follows a passage in Ljothahattr form (stanzas 19–22 and 24–25) in which Hnikar-Othin gives some general advice as to lucky omens and good conduct in battle; the entire passage might equally well stand in theHovamol, and I suspect that it originally came from just such a collection of wise saws. Inserted in this passage is stanza 23, in Fornyrthislag, likewise on the conduct of battle, with a bit of tactical advice included. The “poem” ends with a single stanza, in Fornyrthislag, simply stating that the bloody fight is over and that Sigurth fought well—a statement equally applicable to any part of the hero’s career.Finnur Jonsson has divided theReginsmolinto two poems, or rather into two sets of fragments, but this, as the foregoing analysis has indicated, does not appear to go nearly far enough. It accords much better with the facts to assume that the compiler of the collection represented by theCodex Regius, having set out to tell the story of Sigurth, took his verse fragments pretty much wherever he happened to find them. In this connection, it should be remembered that in the fluid state of oral tradition poems, fragments, and stanzas passed readily and frequently from one story to another. Tradition, never critical, doubtless connected with the Sigurth story much verse that never originated there.If the entire passage beginning with the proseFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and, except for theGripisspo, including theReginsmol,Fafnismol, andSigrdrifumol, be regarded as a highly uncritical[358]piece of compilation, rendered consecutive by the compiler’s prose narrative, its difficulties are largely smoothed away; any other way of looking at it results in utterly inconclusive attempts to reconstruct poems some of which quite possibly never existed.The twenty-six stanzas and accompanying prose notes included under the heading ofReginsmolbelong almost wholly to the northern part of the Sigurth legend; the mythological features have no counterpart in the southern stories, and only here and there is there any betrayal of the tradition’s Frankish home. The story of Andvari, Loki, and Hreithmar is purely Norse, as is the concluding section containing Othin’s counsels. If we assume that the passage dealing with the victory over Hunding’s sons belongs to the Helgi cycle (cf. introductory notes toHelgakvitha HjorvarthssonarandHelgakvitha Hundingsbana I), there is very little left to reflect the Sigurth tradition proper.Regarding the general development of the story of Sigurth in the North, see the introductory note to theGripisspo.

TheReginsmolimmediately follows theGripisspoin theCodex Regius, and in addition stanzas 1, 2, 6, and 18 are quoted in theVolsungasaga, and stanzas 13–26 in theNornageststhattr. In no instance is the title of the poem stated, and inRegiusthere stands before the introductory prose, very faintly written, what appears to be “Of Sigurth.” As a result, various titles have been affixed to it, the two most often used being “the Ballad of Regin” and “the First Lay of Sigurth Fafnisbane.”

As a matter of fact, it is by no means clear that the compiler of the Eddic collection regarded this or either of the two following poems, theFafnismoland theSigrdrifumol, as separate and distinct poems at all. There are no specific titles given, and the prose notes link the three poems in a fairly consecutive whole. Furthermore, the prose passage introducing theReginsmolconnects directly withFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and only the insertion of theGripisspoat this point, which may well have been done by some stupid copyist, breaks the continuity of the story.

For convenience I have here followed the usual plan of dividing this material into distinct parts, or poems, but I greatly doubt if this division is logically sound. The compiler seems, rather, to have undertaken to set down the story of Sigurth in consecutive form, making use of all the verse with which he was familiar, and which, by any stretch of the imagination, could be made to fit, filling up the gaps with prose narrative notes based on the living oral tradition.

This view is supported by the fact that not one of the three poems in question, and least of all theReginsmol, can possibly be regarded as a unit. For one thing, each of them includes both types of stanza commonly used in the Eddic poems, and this, notwithstanding the efforts of Grundtvig and Müllenhoff to prove the contrary, is almost if not quite conclusive proof that each poem consists of material taken from more than one source. Furthermore, there is nowhere continuity within the verse itself for more than a very few stanzas. An analysis of theReginsmolshows that stanzas 1–4, 6–10, and 12, all in Ljothahattr stanza form, seem to belong together as fragments of a poem dealing with[357]Loki’s (not Andvari’s) curse on the gold taken by the gods from Andvari and paid to Hreithmar, together with Hreithmar’s death at the hands of his son, Fafnir, as the first result of this curse. Stanza 5, in Fornyrthislag, is a curse on the gold, here ascribed to Andvari, but the only proper name in the stanza,Gust, is quite unidentifiable, and the stanza may originally have had to do with a totally different story. Stanza 11, likewise in Fornyrthislag, is merely a father’s demand that his daughter rear a family to avenge his death; there is nothing in it to link it necessarily with the dying Hreithmar. Stanzas 13–18, all in Fornyrthislag, give Regin’s welcome to Sigurth (stanzas 13–14), Sigurth’s announcement that he will avenge his father’s death on the sons of Hunding before he seeks any treasure (stanza 15), and a dialogue between a certain Hnikar, who is really Othin, and Regin, as the latter and Sigurth are on the point of being shipwrecked. This section (stanzas 13–18) bears a striking resemblance to the Helgi lays, and may well have come originally from that cycle. Next follows a passage in Ljothahattr form (stanzas 19–22 and 24–25) in which Hnikar-Othin gives some general advice as to lucky omens and good conduct in battle; the entire passage might equally well stand in theHovamol, and I suspect that it originally came from just such a collection of wise saws. Inserted in this passage is stanza 23, in Fornyrthislag, likewise on the conduct of battle, with a bit of tactical advice included. The “poem” ends with a single stanza, in Fornyrthislag, simply stating that the bloody fight is over and that Sigurth fought well—a statement equally applicable to any part of the hero’s career.

Finnur Jonsson has divided theReginsmolinto two poems, or rather into two sets of fragments, but this, as the foregoing analysis has indicated, does not appear to go nearly far enough. It accords much better with the facts to assume that the compiler of the collection represented by theCodex Regius, having set out to tell the story of Sigurth, took his verse fragments pretty much wherever he happened to find them. In this connection, it should be remembered that in the fluid state of oral tradition poems, fragments, and stanzas passed readily and frequently from one story to another. Tradition, never critical, doubtless connected with the Sigurth story much verse that never originated there.

If the entire passage beginning with the proseFra Dautha Sinfjotla, and, except for theGripisspo, including theReginsmol,Fafnismol, andSigrdrifumol, be regarded as a highly uncritical[358]piece of compilation, rendered consecutive by the compiler’s prose narrative, its difficulties are largely smoothed away; any other way of looking at it results in utterly inconclusive attempts to reconstruct poems some of which quite possibly never existed.

The twenty-six stanzas and accompanying prose notes included under the heading ofReginsmolbelong almost wholly to the northern part of the Sigurth legend; the mythological features have no counterpart in the southern stories, and only here and there is there any betrayal of the tradition’s Frankish home. The story of Andvari, Loki, and Hreithmar is purely Norse, as is the concluding section containing Othin’s counsels. If we assume that the passage dealing with the victory over Hunding’s sons belongs to the Helgi cycle (cf. introductory notes toHelgakvitha HjorvarthssonarandHelgakvitha Hundingsbana I), there is very little left to reflect the Sigurth tradition proper.

Regarding the general development of the story of Sigurth in the North, see the introductory note to theGripisspo.

[Contents]Sigurth went to Hjalprek’s stud and chose for himself a horse, who thereafter was called Grani. At that time Regin, the son of Hreithmar, was come to Hjalprek’s home; he was more ingenious than all other men, and a dwarf in stature; he was wise, fierce and skilled in magic. Regin undertook Sigurth’s bringing up and teaching, and loved him much. He told Sigurth of his forefathers, and also of this: that once Othin and Hönir and Loki had come to Andvari’s waterfall, and in the fall were many fish. Andvari was a dwarf, who had dwelt long in the waterfall in the shape of a pike, and there he got his food. “Otr was the name of a brother of ours,” said Regin, “who often went into the fall in the shape of an otter; he had caught a salmon, and sat on the high bank eating it with his eyes shut. Loki threw a stone at him and killed him; the gods thought they had had great good luck, and[359]stripped the skin off the otter. That same evening they sought a night’s lodging at Hreithmar’s house, and showed their booty. Then we seized them, and told them, as ransom for their lives, to fill the otter skin with gold, and completely cover it outside as well with red gold. Then they sent Loki to get the gold; he went to Ron and got her net, and went then to Andvari’s fall and cast the net in front of the pike, and the pike leaped into the net.” Then Loki said:1.“What is the fish   |   that runs in the flood,And itself from ill cannot save?If thy head thou wouldst   |   from hell redeem,Find me the water’s flame.”[360]Andvari spake:2.“Andvari am I,   |   and Oin my father,In many a fall have I fared;An evil Norn   |   in olden daysDoomed me in waters to dwell.”Loki spake:3.“Andvari, say,   |   if thou seekest stillTo live in the land of men,What payment is set   |   for the sons of menWho war with lying words?”Andvari spake:4.“A mighty payment   |   the men must makeWho in Vathgelmir’s waters wade;On a long road lead   |   the lying wordsThat one to another utters.”Loki saw all the gold that Andvari had. But when[361]he had brought forth all the gold, he held back one ring, and Loki took this from him. The dwarf went into his rocky hole and said:5.“Now shall the gold   |   that Gust once hadBring their death   |   to brothers twain,And evil be   |   for heroes eight;Joy of my wealth   |   shall no man win.”The gods gave Hreithmar the gold, and filled up the otter-skin, and stood it on its feet. Then the gods had to heap up gold and hide it. And when that was done, Hreithmar came forward and saw a single whisker, and bade them cover it. Then Othin brought out the ring Andvaranaut and covered the hair. Then Loki said:6.“The gold is given,   |   and great the priceThou hast my head to save;[362]But fortune thy sons   |   shall find not there,The bane of ye both it is.”Hreithmar spake:7.“Gifts ye gave,   |   but ye gave not kindly,Gave not with hearts that were whole;Your lives ere this   |   should ye all have lost,If sooner this fate I had seen.”Loki spake:8.“Worse is this   |   that methinks I see,For a maid shall kinsmen clash;Heroes unborn   |   thereby shall be,I deem, to hatred doomed.”Hreithmar spake:9.“The gold so red   |   shall I rule, methinks,So long as I shall live;Nought of fear   |   for thy threats I feel,So get ye hence to your homes.”Fafnir and Regin asked Hreithmar for a share of the wealth that was paid for the slaying of their brother, Otr. This he refused, and Fafnir thrust his sword through the[363]body of his father, Hreithmar, while he was sleeping. Hreithmar called to his daughters:10.“Lyngheith and Lofnheith,   |   fled is my life,And mighty now is my need!”Lyngheith spake:“Though a sister loses   |   her father, seldomRevenge on her brother she brings.”Hreithmar spake:11.“A daughter, woman   |   with wolf’s heart, bear,If thou hast no son   |   with the hero brave;If one weds the maid,   |   for the need is mighty,Their son for thy hurt   |   may vengeance seek.”Then Hreithmar died, and Fafnir took all the gold. Thereupon Regin asked to have his inheritance from his father, but Fafnir refused this. Then Regin asked counsel[364]of Lyngheith, his sister, how he should win his inheritance. She said:12.“In friendly wise   |   the wealth shalt thou askOf thy brother, and better will;Not seemly is it   |   to seek with the swordFafnir’s treasure to take.”All these happenings did Regin tell to Sigurth.One day, when he came to Regin’s house, he was gladly welcomed. Regin said:13.“Hither the son   |   of Sigmund is come,The hero eager,   |   here to our hall;His courage is more   |   than an ancient man’s,And battle I hope   |   from the hardy wolf.14.“Here shall I foster   |   the fearless prince,Now Yngvi’s heir   |   to us is come;The noblest hero   |   beneath the sun,The threads of his fate   |   all lands enfold.”[365]Sigurth was there continually with Regin, who said to Sigurth that Fafnir lay at Gnitaheith, and was in the shape of a dragon. He had a fear-helm, of which all living creatures were terrified. Regin made Sigurth the sword which was called Gram; it was so sharp that when he thrust it down into the Rhine, and let a strand of wool drift against it with the stream, it cleft the strand asunder as if it were water. With this sword Sigurth cleft asunder Regin’s anvil. After that Regin egged Sigurth on to slay Fafnir, but he said:15.“Loud will the sons   |   of Hunding laugh,Who low did Eylimi   |   lay in death,If the hero sooner   |   seeks the redRings to find   |   than his father’s vengeance.”King Hjalprek gave Sigurth a fleet for the avenging[366]of his father. They ran into a great storm, and were off a certain headland. A man stood on the mountain, and said:16.“Who yonder rides   |   on Rævil’s steeds,O’er towering waves   |   and waters wild?The sail-horses all   |   with sweat are dripping,Nor can the sea-steeds   |   the gale withstand.”Regin answered:17.“On the sea-trees here   |   are Sigurth and I,The storm wind drives us   |   on to our death;The waves crash down   |   on the forward deck,And the roller-steeds sink;   |   who seeks our names?”The Man spake:18.“Hnikar I was   |   when Volsung onceGladdened the ravens   |   and battle gave;Call me the Man   |   from the Mountain now,Feng or Fjolnir;   |   with you will I fare.”[367]They sailed to the land, and the man went on board the ship, and the storm subsided. Sigurth spake:19.“Hnikar, say,   |   for thou seest the fateThat to gods and men is given;What sign is fairest   |   for him who fights,And best for the swinging of swords?”Hnikar spake:20.“Many the signs,   |   if men but knew,That are good for the swinging of swords;It is well, methinks,   |   if the warrior meetsA raven black on his road.21.“Another it is   |   if out thou art come,And art ready forth to fare,To behold on the path   |   before thy houseTwo fighters greedy of fame.22.“Third it is well   |   if a howling wolfThou hearest under the ash;And fortune comes   |   if thy foe thou seestEre thee the hero beholds.23.“A man shall fight not   |   when he must faceThe moon’s bright sister   |   setting late;[368]Win he shall   |   who well can see,And wedge-like forms   |   his men for the fray.24.“Foul is the sign   |   if thy foot shall stumbleAs thou goest forth to fight;Goddesses baneful   |   at both thy sidesWill that wounds thou shalt get.25.“Combed and washed   |   shall the wise man go,And a meal at morn shall take;For unknown it is   |   where at eve he may be;It is ill thy luck to lose.”Sigurth had a great battle with Lyngvi, the son of[369]Hunding, and his brothers; there Lyngvi fell, and his two brothers with him. After the battle Regin said:26.“Now the bloody eagle   |   with biting swordIs carved on the back   |   of Sigmund’s killer;Few were more fierce   |   in fight than his son,Who reddened the earth   |   and gladdened the ravens.”Sigurth went home to Hjalprek’s house; thereupon Regin egged him on to fight with Fafnir.[356]

Sigurth went to Hjalprek’s stud and chose for himself a horse, who thereafter was called Grani. At that time Regin, the son of Hreithmar, was come to Hjalprek’s home; he was more ingenious than all other men, and a dwarf in stature; he was wise, fierce and skilled in magic. Regin undertook Sigurth’s bringing up and teaching, and loved him much. He told Sigurth of his forefathers, and also of this: that once Othin and Hönir and Loki had come to Andvari’s waterfall, and in the fall were many fish. Andvari was a dwarf, who had dwelt long in the waterfall in the shape of a pike, and there he got his food. “Otr was the name of a brother of ours,” said Regin, “who often went into the fall in the shape of an otter; he had caught a salmon, and sat on the high bank eating it with his eyes shut. Loki threw a stone at him and killed him; the gods thought they had had great good luck, and[359]stripped the skin off the otter. That same evening they sought a night’s lodging at Hreithmar’s house, and showed their booty. Then we seized them, and told them, as ransom for their lives, to fill the otter skin with gold, and completely cover it outside as well with red gold. Then they sent Loki to get the gold; he went to Ron and got her net, and went then to Andvari’s fall and cast the net in front of the pike, and the pike leaped into the net.” Then Loki said:1.“What is the fish   |   that runs in the flood,And itself from ill cannot save?If thy head thou wouldst   |   from hell redeem,Find me the water’s flame.”[360]Andvari spake:2.“Andvari am I,   |   and Oin my father,In many a fall have I fared;An evil Norn   |   in olden daysDoomed me in waters to dwell.”Loki spake:3.“Andvari, say,   |   if thou seekest stillTo live in the land of men,What payment is set   |   for the sons of menWho war with lying words?”Andvari spake:4.“A mighty payment   |   the men must makeWho in Vathgelmir’s waters wade;On a long road lead   |   the lying wordsThat one to another utters.”Loki saw all the gold that Andvari had. But when[361]he had brought forth all the gold, he held back one ring, and Loki took this from him. The dwarf went into his rocky hole and said:5.“Now shall the gold   |   that Gust once hadBring their death   |   to brothers twain,And evil be   |   for heroes eight;Joy of my wealth   |   shall no man win.”The gods gave Hreithmar the gold, and filled up the otter-skin, and stood it on its feet. Then the gods had to heap up gold and hide it. And when that was done, Hreithmar came forward and saw a single whisker, and bade them cover it. Then Othin brought out the ring Andvaranaut and covered the hair. Then Loki said:6.“The gold is given,   |   and great the priceThou hast my head to save;[362]But fortune thy sons   |   shall find not there,The bane of ye both it is.”Hreithmar spake:7.“Gifts ye gave,   |   but ye gave not kindly,Gave not with hearts that were whole;Your lives ere this   |   should ye all have lost,If sooner this fate I had seen.”Loki spake:8.“Worse is this   |   that methinks I see,For a maid shall kinsmen clash;Heroes unborn   |   thereby shall be,I deem, to hatred doomed.”Hreithmar spake:9.“The gold so red   |   shall I rule, methinks,So long as I shall live;Nought of fear   |   for thy threats I feel,So get ye hence to your homes.”Fafnir and Regin asked Hreithmar for a share of the wealth that was paid for the slaying of their brother, Otr. This he refused, and Fafnir thrust his sword through the[363]body of his father, Hreithmar, while he was sleeping. Hreithmar called to his daughters:10.“Lyngheith and Lofnheith,   |   fled is my life,And mighty now is my need!”Lyngheith spake:“Though a sister loses   |   her father, seldomRevenge on her brother she brings.”Hreithmar spake:11.“A daughter, woman   |   with wolf’s heart, bear,If thou hast no son   |   with the hero brave;If one weds the maid,   |   for the need is mighty,Their son for thy hurt   |   may vengeance seek.”Then Hreithmar died, and Fafnir took all the gold. Thereupon Regin asked to have his inheritance from his father, but Fafnir refused this. Then Regin asked counsel[364]of Lyngheith, his sister, how he should win his inheritance. She said:12.“In friendly wise   |   the wealth shalt thou askOf thy brother, and better will;Not seemly is it   |   to seek with the swordFafnir’s treasure to take.”All these happenings did Regin tell to Sigurth.One day, when he came to Regin’s house, he was gladly welcomed. Regin said:13.“Hither the son   |   of Sigmund is come,The hero eager,   |   here to our hall;His courage is more   |   than an ancient man’s,And battle I hope   |   from the hardy wolf.14.“Here shall I foster   |   the fearless prince,Now Yngvi’s heir   |   to us is come;The noblest hero   |   beneath the sun,The threads of his fate   |   all lands enfold.”[365]Sigurth was there continually with Regin, who said to Sigurth that Fafnir lay at Gnitaheith, and was in the shape of a dragon. He had a fear-helm, of which all living creatures were terrified. Regin made Sigurth the sword which was called Gram; it was so sharp that when he thrust it down into the Rhine, and let a strand of wool drift against it with the stream, it cleft the strand asunder as if it were water. With this sword Sigurth cleft asunder Regin’s anvil. After that Regin egged Sigurth on to slay Fafnir, but he said:15.“Loud will the sons   |   of Hunding laugh,Who low did Eylimi   |   lay in death,If the hero sooner   |   seeks the redRings to find   |   than his father’s vengeance.”King Hjalprek gave Sigurth a fleet for the avenging[366]of his father. They ran into a great storm, and were off a certain headland. A man stood on the mountain, and said:16.“Who yonder rides   |   on Rævil’s steeds,O’er towering waves   |   and waters wild?The sail-horses all   |   with sweat are dripping,Nor can the sea-steeds   |   the gale withstand.”Regin answered:17.“On the sea-trees here   |   are Sigurth and I,The storm wind drives us   |   on to our death;The waves crash down   |   on the forward deck,And the roller-steeds sink;   |   who seeks our names?”The Man spake:18.“Hnikar I was   |   when Volsung onceGladdened the ravens   |   and battle gave;Call me the Man   |   from the Mountain now,Feng or Fjolnir;   |   with you will I fare.”[367]They sailed to the land, and the man went on board the ship, and the storm subsided. Sigurth spake:19.“Hnikar, say,   |   for thou seest the fateThat to gods and men is given;What sign is fairest   |   for him who fights,And best for the swinging of swords?”Hnikar spake:20.“Many the signs,   |   if men but knew,That are good for the swinging of swords;It is well, methinks,   |   if the warrior meetsA raven black on his road.21.“Another it is   |   if out thou art come,And art ready forth to fare,To behold on the path   |   before thy houseTwo fighters greedy of fame.22.“Third it is well   |   if a howling wolfThou hearest under the ash;And fortune comes   |   if thy foe thou seestEre thee the hero beholds.23.“A man shall fight not   |   when he must faceThe moon’s bright sister   |   setting late;[368]Win he shall   |   who well can see,And wedge-like forms   |   his men for the fray.24.“Foul is the sign   |   if thy foot shall stumbleAs thou goest forth to fight;Goddesses baneful   |   at both thy sidesWill that wounds thou shalt get.25.“Combed and washed   |   shall the wise man go,And a meal at morn shall take;For unknown it is   |   where at eve he may be;It is ill thy luck to lose.”Sigurth had a great battle with Lyngvi, the son of[369]Hunding, and his brothers; there Lyngvi fell, and his two brothers with him. After the battle Regin said:26.“Now the bloody eagle   |   with biting swordIs carved on the back   |   of Sigmund’s killer;Few were more fierce   |   in fight than his son,Who reddened the earth   |   and gladdened the ravens.”Sigurth went home to Hjalprek’s house; thereupon Regin egged him on to fight with Fafnir.[356]

Sigurth went to Hjalprek’s stud and chose for himself a horse, who thereafter was called Grani. At that time Regin, the son of Hreithmar, was come to Hjalprek’s home; he was more ingenious than all other men, and a dwarf in stature; he was wise, fierce and skilled in magic. Regin undertook Sigurth’s bringing up and teaching, and loved him much. He told Sigurth of his forefathers, and also of this: that once Othin and Hönir and Loki had come to Andvari’s waterfall, and in the fall were many fish. Andvari was a dwarf, who had dwelt long in the waterfall in the shape of a pike, and there he got his food. “Otr was the name of a brother of ours,” said Regin, “who often went into the fall in the shape of an otter; he had caught a salmon, and sat on the high bank eating it with his eyes shut. Loki threw a stone at him and killed him; the gods thought they had had great good luck, and[359]stripped the skin off the otter. That same evening they sought a night’s lodging at Hreithmar’s house, and showed their booty. Then we seized them, and told them, as ransom for their lives, to fill the otter skin with gold, and completely cover it outside as well with red gold. Then they sent Loki to get the gold; he went to Ron and got her net, and went then to Andvari’s fall and cast the net in front of the pike, and the pike leaped into the net.” Then Loki said:

1.“What is the fish   |   that runs in the flood,And itself from ill cannot save?If thy head thou wouldst   |   from hell redeem,Find me the water’s flame.”

1.“What is the fish   |   that runs in the flood,

And itself from ill cannot save?

If thy head thou wouldst   |   from hell redeem,

Find me the water’s flame.”

[360]

Andvari spake:

2.“Andvari am I,   |   and Oin my father,In many a fall have I fared;An evil Norn   |   in olden daysDoomed me in waters to dwell.”

2.“Andvari am I,   |   and Oin my father,

In many a fall have I fared;

An evil Norn   |   in olden days

Doomed me in waters to dwell.”

Loki spake:

3.“Andvari, say,   |   if thou seekest stillTo live in the land of men,What payment is set   |   for the sons of menWho war with lying words?”

3.“Andvari, say,   |   if thou seekest still

To live in the land of men,

What payment is set   |   for the sons of men

Who war with lying words?”

Andvari spake:

4.“A mighty payment   |   the men must makeWho in Vathgelmir’s waters wade;On a long road lead   |   the lying wordsThat one to another utters.”

4.“A mighty payment   |   the men must make

Who in Vathgelmir’s waters wade;

On a long road lead   |   the lying words

That one to another utters.”

Loki saw all the gold that Andvari had. But when[361]he had brought forth all the gold, he held back one ring, and Loki took this from him. The dwarf went into his rocky hole and said:

5.“Now shall the gold   |   that Gust once hadBring their death   |   to brothers twain,And evil be   |   for heroes eight;Joy of my wealth   |   shall no man win.”

5.“Now shall the gold   |   that Gust once had

Bring their death   |   to brothers twain,

And evil be   |   for heroes eight;

Joy of my wealth   |   shall no man win.”

The gods gave Hreithmar the gold, and filled up the otter-skin, and stood it on its feet. Then the gods had to heap up gold and hide it. And when that was done, Hreithmar came forward and saw a single whisker, and bade them cover it. Then Othin brought out the ring Andvaranaut and covered the hair. Then Loki said:

6.“The gold is given,   |   and great the priceThou hast my head to save;[362]But fortune thy sons   |   shall find not there,The bane of ye both it is.”

6.“The gold is given,   |   and great the price

Thou hast my head to save;[362]

But fortune thy sons   |   shall find not there,

The bane of ye both it is.”

Hreithmar spake:

7.“Gifts ye gave,   |   but ye gave not kindly,Gave not with hearts that were whole;Your lives ere this   |   should ye all have lost,If sooner this fate I had seen.”

7.“Gifts ye gave,   |   but ye gave not kindly,

Gave not with hearts that were whole;

Your lives ere this   |   should ye all have lost,

If sooner this fate I had seen.”

Loki spake:

8.“Worse is this   |   that methinks I see,For a maid shall kinsmen clash;Heroes unborn   |   thereby shall be,I deem, to hatred doomed.”

8.“Worse is this   |   that methinks I see,

For a maid shall kinsmen clash;

Heroes unborn   |   thereby shall be,

I deem, to hatred doomed.”

Hreithmar spake:

9.“The gold so red   |   shall I rule, methinks,So long as I shall live;Nought of fear   |   for thy threats I feel,So get ye hence to your homes.”

9.“The gold so red   |   shall I rule, methinks,

So long as I shall live;

Nought of fear   |   for thy threats I feel,

So get ye hence to your homes.”

Fafnir and Regin asked Hreithmar for a share of the wealth that was paid for the slaying of their brother, Otr. This he refused, and Fafnir thrust his sword through the[363]body of his father, Hreithmar, while he was sleeping. Hreithmar called to his daughters:

10.“Lyngheith and Lofnheith,   |   fled is my life,And mighty now is my need!”

10.“Lyngheith and Lofnheith,   |   fled is my life,

And mighty now is my need!”

Lyngheith spake:

“Though a sister loses   |   her father, seldomRevenge on her brother she brings.”

“Though a sister loses   |   her father, seldom

Revenge on her brother she brings.”

Hreithmar spake:

11.“A daughter, woman   |   with wolf’s heart, bear,If thou hast no son   |   with the hero brave;If one weds the maid,   |   for the need is mighty,Their son for thy hurt   |   may vengeance seek.”

11.“A daughter, woman   |   with wolf’s heart, bear,

If thou hast no son   |   with the hero brave;

If one weds the maid,   |   for the need is mighty,

Their son for thy hurt   |   may vengeance seek.”

Then Hreithmar died, and Fafnir took all the gold. Thereupon Regin asked to have his inheritance from his father, but Fafnir refused this. Then Regin asked counsel[364]of Lyngheith, his sister, how he should win his inheritance. She said:

12.“In friendly wise   |   the wealth shalt thou askOf thy brother, and better will;Not seemly is it   |   to seek with the swordFafnir’s treasure to take.”

12.“In friendly wise   |   the wealth shalt thou ask

Of thy brother, and better will;

Not seemly is it   |   to seek with the sword

Fafnir’s treasure to take.”

All these happenings did Regin tell to Sigurth.

One day, when he came to Regin’s house, he was gladly welcomed. Regin said:

13.“Hither the son   |   of Sigmund is come,The hero eager,   |   here to our hall;His courage is more   |   than an ancient man’s,And battle I hope   |   from the hardy wolf.

13.“Hither the son   |   of Sigmund is come,

The hero eager,   |   here to our hall;

His courage is more   |   than an ancient man’s,

And battle I hope   |   from the hardy wolf.

14.“Here shall I foster   |   the fearless prince,Now Yngvi’s heir   |   to us is come;The noblest hero   |   beneath the sun,The threads of his fate   |   all lands enfold.”

14.“Here shall I foster   |   the fearless prince,

Now Yngvi’s heir   |   to us is come;

The noblest hero   |   beneath the sun,

The threads of his fate   |   all lands enfold.”

[365]

Sigurth was there continually with Regin, who said to Sigurth that Fafnir lay at Gnitaheith, and was in the shape of a dragon. He had a fear-helm, of which all living creatures were terrified. Regin made Sigurth the sword which was called Gram; it was so sharp that when he thrust it down into the Rhine, and let a strand of wool drift against it with the stream, it cleft the strand asunder as if it were water. With this sword Sigurth cleft asunder Regin’s anvil. After that Regin egged Sigurth on to slay Fafnir, but he said:

15.“Loud will the sons   |   of Hunding laugh,Who low did Eylimi   |   lay in death,If the hero sooner   |   seeks the redRings to find   |   than his father’s vengeance.”

15.“Loud will the sons   |   of Hunding laugh,

Who low did Eylimi   |   lay in death,

If the hero sooner   |   seeks the red

Rings to find   |   than his father’s vengeance.”

King Hjalprek gave Sigurth a fleet for the avenging[366]of his father. They ran into a great storm, and were off a certain headland. A man stood on the mountain, and said:

16.“Who yonder rides   |   on Rævil’s steeds,O’er towering waves   |   and waters wild?The sail-horses all   |   with sweat are dripping,Nor can the sea-steeds   |   the gale withstand.”

16.“Who yonder rides   |   on Rævil’s steeds,

O’er towering waves   |   and waters wild?

The sail-horses all   |   with sweat are dripping,

Nor can the sea-steeds   |   the gale withstand.”

Regin answered:

17.“On the sea-trees here   |   are Sigurth and I,The storm wind drives us   |   on to our death;The waves crash down   |   on the forward deck,And the roller-steeds sink;   |   who seeks our names?”

17.“On the sea-trees here   |   are Sigurth and I,

The storm wind drives us   |   on to our death;

The waves crash down   |   on the forward deck,

And the roller-steeds sink;   |   who seeks our names?”

The Man spake:

18.“Hnikar I was   |   when Volsung onceGladdened the ravens   |   and battle gave;Call me the Man   |   from the Mountain now,Feng or Fjolnir;   |   with you will I fare.”

18.“Hnikar I was   |   when Volsung once

Gladdened the ravens   |   and battle gave;

Call me the Man   |   from the Mountain now,

Feng or Fjolnir;   |   with you will I fare.”

[367]

They sailed to the land, and the man went on board the ship, and the storm subsided. Sigurth spake:

19.“Hnikar, say,   |   for thou seest the fateThat to gods and men is given;What sign is fairest   |   for him who fights,And best for the swinging of swords?”

19.“Hnikar, say,   |   for thou seest the fate

That to gods and men is given;

What sign is fairest   |   for him who fights,

And best for the swinging of swords?”

Hnikar spake:

20.“Many the signs,   |   if men but knew,That are good for the swinging of swords;It is well, methinks,   |   if the warrior meetsA raven black on his road.

20.“Many the signs,   |   if men but knew,

That are good for the swinging of swords;

It is well, methinks,   |   if the warrior meets

A raven black on his road.

21.“Another it is   |   if out thou art come,And art ready forth to fare,To behold on the path   |   before thy houseTwo fighters greedy of fame.

21.“Another it is   |   if out thou art come,

And art ready forth to fare,

To behold on the path   |   before thy house

Two fighters greedy of fame.

22.“Third it is well   |   if a howling wolfThou hearest under the ash;And fortune comes   |   if thy foe thou seestEre thee the hero beholds.

22.“Third it is well   |   if a howling wolf

Thou hearest under the ash;

And fortune comes   |   if thy foe thou seest

Ere thee the hero beholds.

23.“A man shall fight not   |   when he must faceThe moon’s bright sister   |   setting late;[368]Win he shall   |   who well can see,And wedge-like forms   |   his men for the fray.

23.“A man shall fight not   |   when he must face

The moon’s bright sister   |   setting late;[368]

Win he shall   |   who well can see,

And wedge-like forms   |   his men for the fray.

24.“Foul is the sign   |   if thy foot shall stumbleAs thou goest forth to fight;Goddesses baneful   |   at both thy sidesWill that wounds thou shalt get.

24.“Foul is the sign   |   if thy foot shall stumble

As thou goest forth to fight;

Goddesses baneful   |   at both thy sides

Will that wounds thou shalt get.

25.“Combed and washed   |   shall the wise man go,And a meal at morn shall take;For unknown it is   |   where at eve he may be;It is ill thy luck to lose.”

25.“Combed and washed   |   shall the wise man go,

And a meal at morn shall take;

For unknown it is   |   where at eve he may be;

It is ill thy luck to lose.”

Sigurth had a great battle with Lyngvi, the son of[369]Hunding, and his brothers; there Lyngvi fell, and his two brothers with him. After the battle Regin said:

26.“Now the bloody eagle   |   with biting swordIs carved on the back   |   of Sigmund’s killer;Few were more fierce   |   in fight than his son,Who reddened the earth   |   and gladdened the ravens.”

26.“Now the bloody eagle   |   with biting sword

Is carved on the back   |   of Sigmund’s killer;

Few were more fierce   |   in fight than his son,

Who reddened the earth   |   and gladdened the ravens.”

Sigurth went home to Hjalprek’s house; thereupon Regin egged him on to fight with Fafnir.[356]

[Contents]NOTES[359]Prose.Hjalprek: father of Alf, Sigurth’s step-father; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, and note.Grani: cf.Gripisspo, 5 and note.Regin(“Counsel-Giver”): undoubtedly he goes back to the smith of the German story; in theThithrekssagaversion he is called Mimir, while Regin is there the name of the dragon (here Regin’s brother, Fafnir). TheVoluspo(stanza 12) names a Regin among the dwarfs, and the name may have assisted in making Regin a dwarf here.Hreithmar: nothing is known of him outside of this story.Othin,HönirandLoki: these same three gods appear in company inVoluspo, 17–18.Andvari’s fall: according to Snorri, who tells this entire story in theSkaldskaparmal, Andvari’s fall was in the world of the dark elves, while the one where Loki killed the otter was not; here, however, the two are considered identical.With his eyes shut: according to Snorri, Otr ate with his eyes shut becausehewas so greedy that he could not bear to see the food before him diminishing.Ron: wife of the sea-god Ægir, who draws down drowning men with her net; cf.Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar, 18 and note. Snorri says that Loki caught the pike with his hands.1.Snorri quotes this stanza.Water’s flame: gold, so called because Ægir, the sea-god, was wont to light his hall with gold.[360]2.Snorri quotes this stanza. The name of the speaker is not given in the manuscripts.Oin: nothing further is known of Andvari’s father.Norn: cf.Voluspo, 20.3.Stanzas 3–4 may well be fragments of some other poem. Certainly Loki’s question does not fit the situation, and the passage looks like an extract from some such poem asVafthruthnismol. InRegiusthe phrase “Loki spake” stands in the middle of line 1.4.The manuscript does not name the speaker.Vathgelmir(“Raging to Wade”): a river not elsewhere mentioned, but cf.Voluspo, 39.Prose.Snorri says Andvari’s ring had the power to create new gold. In this it resembled Baldr’s ring, Draupnir; cf.Skirnismol, 21 and note.[361]5.This stanza apparently comes from a different source from stanzas 1–4 (or 1–2 if 3–4 are interpolated) and 6–10; cf. Introductory Note. In theVolsungasagaAndvari lays his curse particularly on the ring.Gust: possibly a name for Andvari himself, or for an earlier possessor of the treasure.Brothers twain: Fafnir and Regin.Heroes eight: the word “eight” may easily have been substituted for something like “all” to make the stanza fit the case; the “eight” in question are presumably Sigurth, Gotthorm, Gunnar, Hogni, Atli, Erp, Sorli and Hamther, all of whom are slain in the course of the story. But the stanza may originally not have referred to Andvari’s treasure at all.Prose.Andvaranaut: “Andvari’s Gem.”6.Snorri quotes this stanza, introducing it, as here, with “Then Loki said” in the prose.Regiusomits this phrase, but inserts “said Loki” in line 1.[362]8.The word translated “maid” in line 2 is obscure, and “gold” may be meant. Apparently, however, the reference is to the fight between Sigurth and the sons of Gjuki over Brynhild. The manuscript does not name the speaker, and many editions assign this stanza to Hreithmar.9.The manuscript includes “said Hreithmar” (abbreviated) in the middle of line 1, and some editors have followed this.[363]10.Hreithmar’s daughters do not appear elsewhere. It has been suggested that originally stanza 10 was followed by one in which Lofnheith lamented her inability to avenge her father, as she was married and had no son.11.Apparently an interpolation (cf. Introductory Note). Vigfusson tries to reconstruct lines 2 and 4 to fit the Ljothahattr rhythm, but without much success. Hreithmar urges his daughter, as she has no sons, to bear a daughter who, in turn, will have a son to avenge his great-grandfather. Grundtvig worked out an ingenious theory to fit this stanza, making Sigurth’s grandfather, Eylimi, the husband of Lyngheith’s daughter, but there is absolutely no evidence to support this. The stanza may have nothing to do with Hreithmar.[364]13.This and the following stanza may be out of place here, really belonging, together with their introductory prose sentence, in the opening prose passage, following the first sentence describing Regin. Certainly they seem to relate to Regin’s first meeting with Sigurth. Stanzas 13–26, interspersed with prose, are quoted in theNornageststhattr. Stanzas 13–18 may be the remnants of a lost poem belonging to the Helgi cycle (cf. Introductory Note).Hardy wolf: warrior, i.e., Sigurth.14.Yngvi’s heir: Yngvi was one of the sons of the Danish king Halfdan the Old, and traditionally an ancestor of Helgi (cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 57 and note). Calling Sigurth[365]a descendant of Yngvi is, of course, absurd, and the use of this phrase is one of the many reasons for believing that stanzas 13–18 belonged originally to the Helgi cycle.The threads, etc.: another link with Helgi; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 3–4. As Helgi was likewise regarded as a son of Sigmund, stanzas 13–14 would fit him just as well as Sigurth.Prose.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fear-helm: the word “ægis-hjalmr,” which occurs both here and inFafnismol, suggests an extraordinarily interesting, and still disputed, question of etymology.Gram: according to theVolsungasagaRegin forged this sword from the fragments of the sword given by Othin to Sigmund (cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note).15.Regarding thesons of HundingandEylimi, father of Sigurth’s mother, all of whom belong to the Helgi tradition, cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note.Prose.The fleet, and the subsequent storm, are also reminiscent[366]of the Helgi cycle; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 29–31, andII, prose after stanza 16.A man: Othin.16.Rævil’s steeds(Rævil was a sea-king, possibly the grandson of Ragnar Lothbrok mentioned in theHervararsaga),sail-horsesandsea-steedsall mean “ships.”17.Sea-treesandroller-steeds(the latter because ships were pulled up on shore by means of rollers) both mean “ships.”18.TheVolsungasagaquotes this stanza.HnikarandFjolnir: Othin gives himself both these names inGrimnismol, 47;Feng(“The Seizer”) does not appear elsewhere. According to theVolsungasaga, no one knew Othin’s name when he came to Volsung’s house and left the sword there for Sigmund.[367]19.This and the following stanzas are strongly suggestive of theHovamol, and probably came originally from some such collection.23.This stanza is clearly an interpolation, drawn in by the[368]common-sense advice, as distinct from omens, given in the last lines of stanza 22.Moon’s sister: the sun; cf.Vafthruthnismol, 23 and note.Wedge-like: the wedge formation (prescribed anew in 1920 for the United States Army under certain circumstances) was said to have been invented by Othin himself, and taught by him only to the most favored warriors.24.Goddesses: Norse mythology included an almost limitless number of minor deities, the female ones, both kind and unkind, being generally classed among the lesser Norns.25.This stanza almost certainly had nothing originally to do with the others in this passage; it may have been taken from a longer version of theHovamolitself.Prose.Lyngvi: the son of Hunding who killed Sigmund in jealousy of his marriage with Hjordis; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note. TheVolsungasaganames one brother who was with Lyngvi in the battle, Hjorvarth, and Sigurth kills him as readily as if he had not already been killed long before by Helgi. But, as has been seen, it was nothing for a man to be killed in two or three different ways.[369]26.Bloody eagle, etc.: theNornageststhattrdescribes the manner in which the captured Lyngvi was put to death. “Regin advised that they should carve the bloody eagle on his back. So Regin took his sword and cleft Lyngvi’s back so that he severed his back from his ribs, and then drew out his lungs. So died Lyngvi with great courage.”Prose.InRegiusthere is no break of any kind between this prose passage and the prose introduction to theFafnismol(cf. Introductory Note).[370]

NOTES[359]

[359]

Prose.Hjalprek: father of Alf, Sigurth’s step-father; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, and note.Grani: cf.Gripisspo, 5 and note.Regin(“Counsel-Giver”): undoubtedly he goes back to the smith of the German story; in theThithrekssagaversion he is called Mimir, while Regin is there the name of the dragon (here Regin’s brother, Fafnir). TheVoluspo(stanza 12) names a Regin among the dwarfs, and the name may have assisted in making Regin a dwarf here.Hreithmar: nothing is known of him outside of this story.Othin,HönirandLoki: these same three gods appear in company inVoluspo, 17–18.Andvari’s fall: according to Snorri, who tells this entire story in theSkaldskaparmal, Andvari’s fall was in the world of the dark elves, while the one where Loki killed the otter was not; here, however, the two are considered identical.With his eyes shut: according to Snorri, Otr ate with his eyes shut becausehewas so greedy that he could not bear to see the food before him diminishing.Ron: wife of the sea-god Ægir, who draws down drowning men with her net; cf.Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar, 18 and note. Snorri says that Loki caught the pike with his hands.1.Snorri quotes this stanza.Water’s flame: gold, so called because Ægir, the sea-god, was wont to light his hall with gold.[360]2.Snorri quotes this stanza. The name of the speaker is not given in the manuscripts.Oin: nothing further is known of Andvari’s father.Norn: cf.Voluspo, 20.3.Stanzas 3–4 may well be fragments of some other poem. Certainly Loki’s question does not fit the situation, and the passage looks like an extract from some such poem asVafthruthnismol. InRegiusthe phrase “Loki spake” stands in the middle of line 1.4.The manuscript does not name the speaker.Vathgelmir(“Raging to Wade”): a river not elsewhere mentioned, but cf.Voluspo, 39.Prose.Snorri says Andvari’s ring had the power to create new gold. In this it resembled Baldr’s ring, Draupnir; cf.Skirnismol, 21 and note.[361]5.This stanza apparently comes from a different source from stanzas 1–4 (or 1–2 if 3–4 are interpolated) and 6–10; cf. Introductory Note. In theVolsungasagaAndvari lays his curse particularly on the ring.Gust: possibly a name for Andvari himself, or for an earlier possessor of the treasure.Brothers twain: Fafnir and Regin.Heroes eight: the word “eight” may easily have been substituted for something like “all” to make the stanza fit the case; the “eight” in question are presumably Sigurth, Gotthorm, Gunnar, Hogni, Atli, Erp, Sorli and Hamther, all of whom are slain in the course of the story. But the stanza may originally not have referred to Andvari’s treasure at all.Prose.Andvaranaut: “Andvari’s Gem.”6.Snorri quotes this stanza, introducing it, as here, with “Then Loki said” in the prose.Regiusomits this phrase, but inserts “said Loki” in line 1.[362]8.The word translated “maid” in line 2 is obscure, and “gold” may be meant. Apparently, however, the reference is to the fight between Sigurth and the sons of Gjuki over Brynhild. The manuscript does not name the speaker, and many editions assign this stanza to Hreithmar.9.The manuscript includes “said Hreithmar” (abbreviated) in the middle of line 1, and some editors have followed this.[363]10.Hreithmar’s daughters do not appear elsewhere. It has been suggested that originally stanza 10 was followed by one in which Lofnheith lamented her inability to avenge her father, as she was married and had no son.11.Apparently an interpolation (cf. Introductory Note). Vigfusson tries to reconstruct lines 2 and 4 to fit the Ljothahattr rhythm, but without much success. Hreithmar urges his daughter, as she has no sons, to bear a daughter who, in turn, will have a son to avenge his great-grandfather. Grundtvig worked out an ingenious theory to fit this stanza, making Sigurth’s grandfather, Eylimi, the husband of Lyngheith’s daughter, but there is absolutely no evidence to support this. The stanza may have nothing to do with Hreithmar.[364]13.This and the following stanza may be out of place here, really belonging, together with their introductory prose sentence, in the opening prose passage, following the first sentence describing Regin. Certainly they seem to relate to Regin’s first meeting with Sigurth. Stanzas 13–26, interspersed with prose, are quoted in theNornageststhattr. Stanzas 13–18 may be the remnants of a lost poem belonging to the Helgi cycle (cf. Introductory Note).Hardy wolf: warrior, i.e., Sigurth.14.Yngvi’s heir: Yngvi was one of the sons of the Danish king Halfdan the Old, and traditionally an ancestor of Helgi (cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 57 and note). Calling Sigurth[365]a descendant of Yngvi is, of course, absurd, and the use of this phrase is one of the many reasons for believing that stanzas 13–18 belonged originally to the Helgi cycle.The threads, etc.: another link with Helgi; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 3–4. As Helgi was likewise regarded as a son of Sigmund, stanzas 13–14 would fit him just as well as Sigurth.Prose.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fear-helm: the word “ægis-hjalmr,” which occurs both here and inFafnismol, suggests an extraordinarily interesting, and still disputed, question of etymology.Gram: according to theVolsungasagaRegin forged this sword from the fragments of the sword given by Othin to Sigmund (cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note).15.Regarding thesons of HundingandEylimi, father of Sigurth’s mother, all of whom belong to the Helgi tradition, cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note.Prose.The fleet, and the subsequent storm, are also reminiscent[366]of the Helgi cycle; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 29–31, andII, prose after stanza 16.A man: Othin.16.Rævil’s steeds(Rævil was a sea-king, possibly the grandson of Ragnar Lothbrok mentioned in theHervararsaga),sail-horsesandsea-steedsall mean “ships.”17.Sea-treesandroller-steeds(the latter because ships were pulled up on shore by means of rollers) both mean “ships.”18.TheVolsungasagaquotes this stanza.HnikarandFjolnir: Othin gives himself both these names inGrimnismol, 47;Feng(“The Seizer”) does not appear elsewhere. According to theVolsungasaga, no one knew Othin’s name when he came to Volsung’s house and left the sword there for Sigmund.[367]19.This and the following stanzas are strongly suggestive of theHovamol, and probably came originally from some such collection.23.This stanza is clearly an interpolation, drawn in by the[368]common-sense advice, as distinct from omens, given in the last lines of stanza 22.Moon’s sister: the sun; cf.Vafthruthnismol, 23 and note.Wedge-like: the wedge formation (prescribed anew in 1920 for the United States Army under certain circumstances) was said to have been invented by Othin himself, and taught by him only to the most favored warriors.24.Goddesses: Norse mythology included an almost limitless number of minor deities, the female ones, both kind and unkind, being generally classed among the lesser Norns.25.This stanza almost certainly had nothing originally to do with the others in this passage; it may have been taken from a longer version of theHovamolitself.Prose.Lyngvi: the son of Hunding who killed Sigmund in jealousy of his marriage with Hjordis; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note. TheVolsungasaganames one brother who was with Lyngvi in the battle, Hjorvarth, and Sigurth kills him as readily as if he had not already been killed long before by Helgi. But, as has been seen, it was nothing for a man to be killed in two or three different ways.[369]26.Bloody eagle, etc.: theNornageststhattrdescribes the manner in which the captured Lyngvi was put to death. “Regin advised that they should carve the bloody eagle on his back. So Regin took his sword and cleft Lyngvi’s back so that he severed his back from his ribs, and then drew out his lungs. So died Lyngvi with great courage.”Prose.InRegiusthere is no break of any kind between this prose passage and the prose introduction to theFafnismol(cf. Introductory Note).[370]

Prose.Hjalprek: father of Alf, Sigurth’s step-father; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, and note.Grani: cf.Gripisspo, 5 and note.Regin(“Counsel-Giver”): undoubtedly he goes back to the smith of the German story; in theThithrekssagaversion he is called Mimir, while Regin is there the name of the dragon (here Regin’s brother, Fafnir). TheVoluspo(stanza 12) names a Regin among the dwarfs, and the name may have assisted in making Regin a dwarf here.Hreithmar: nothing is known of him outside of this story.Othin,HönirandLoki: these same three gods appear in company inVoluspo, 17–18.Andvari’s fall: according to Snorri, who tells this entire story in theSkaldskaparmal, Andvari’s fall was in the world of the dark elves, while the one where Loki killed the otter was not; here, however, the two are considered identical.With his eyes shut: according to Snorri, Otr ate with his eyes shut becausehewas so greedy that he could not bear to see the food before him diminishing.Ron: wife of the sea-god Ægir, who draws down drowning men with her net; cf.Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar, 18 and note. Snorri says that Loki caught the pike with his hands.

1.Snorri quotes this stanza.Water’s flame: gold, so called because Ægir, the sea-god, was wont to light his hall with gold.[360]

2.Snorri quotes this stanza. The name of the speaker is not given in the manuscripts.Oin: nothing further is known of Andvari’s father.Norn: cf.Voluspo, 20.

3.Stanzas 3–4 may well be fragments of some other poem. Certainly Loki’s question does not fit the situation, and the passage looks like an extract from some such poem asVafthruthnismol. InRegiusthe phrase “Loki spake” stands in the middle of line 1.

4.The manuscript does not name the speaker.Vathgelmir(“Raging to Wade”): a river not elsewhere mentioned, but cf.Voluspo, 39.

Prose.Snorri says Andvari’s ring had the power to create new gold. In this it resembled Baldr’s ring, Draupnir; cf.Skirnismol, 21 and note.[361]

5.This stanza apparently comes from a different source from stanzas 1–4 (or 1–2 if 3–4 are interpolated) and 6–10; cf. Introductory Note. In theVolsungasagaAndvari lays his curse particularly on the ring.Gust: possibly a name for Andvari himself, or for an earlier possessor of the treasure.Brothers twain: Fafnir and Regin.Heroes eight: the word “eight” may easily have been substituted for something like “all” to make the stanza fit the case; the “eight” in question are presumably Sigurth, Gotthorm, Gunnar, Hogni, Atli, Erp, Sorli and Hamther, all of whom are slain in the course of the story. But the stanza may originally not have referred to Andvari’s treasure at all.

Prose.Andvaranaut: “Andvari’s Gem.”

6.Snorri quotes this stanza, introducing it, as here, with “Then Loki said” in the prose.Regiusomits this phrase, but inserts “said Loki” in line 1.[362]

8.The word translated “maid” in line 2 is obscure, and “gold” may be meant. Apparently, however, the reference is to the fight between Sigurth and the sons of Gjuki over Brynhild. The manuscript does not name the speaker, and many editions assign this stanza to Hreithmar.

9.The manuscript includes “said Hreithmar” (abbreviated) in the middle of line 1, and some editors have followed this.[363]

10.Hreithmar’s daughters do not appear elsewhere. It has been suggested that originally stanza 10 was followed by one in which Lofnheith lamented her inability to avenge her father, as she was married and had no son.

11.Apparently an interpolation (cf. Introductory Note). Vigfusson tries to reconstruct lines 2 and 4 to fit the Ljothahattr rhythm, but without much success. Hreithmar urges his daughter, as she has no sons, to bear a daughter who, in turn, will have a son to avenge his great-grandfather. Grundtvig worked out an ingenious theory to fit this stanza, making Sigurth’s grandfather, Eylimi, the husband of Lyngheith’s daughter, but there is absolutely no evidence to support this. The stanza may have nothing to do with Hreithmar.[364]

13.This and the following stanza may be out of place here, really belonging, together with their introductory prose sentence, in the opening prose passage, following the first sentence describing Regin. Certainly they seem to relate to Regin’s first meeting with Sigurth. Stanzas 13–26, interspersed with prose, are quoted in theNornageststhattr. Stanzas 13–18 may be the remnants of a lost poem belonging to the Helgi cycle (cf. Introductory Note).Hardy wolf: warrior, i.e., Sigurth.

14.Yngvi’s heir: Yngvi was one of the sons of the Danish king Halfdan the Old, and traditionally an ancestor of Helgi (cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 57 and note). Calling Sigurth[365]a descendant of Yngvi is, of course, absurd, and the use of this phrase is one of the many reasons for believing that stanzas 13–18 belonged originally to the Helgi cycle.The threads, etc.: another link with Helgi; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 3–4. As Helgi was likewise regarded as a son of Sigmund, stanzas 13–14 would fit him just as well as Sigurth.

Prose.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fear-helm: the word “ægis-hjalmr,” which occurs both here and inFafnismol, suggests an extraordinarily interesting, and still disputed, question of etymology.Gram: according to theVolsungasagaRegin forged this sword from the fragments of the sword given by Othin to Sigmund (cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note).

15.Regarding thesons of HundingandEylimi, father of Sigurth’s mother, all of whom belong to the Helgi tradition, cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note.

Prose.The fleet, and the subsequent storm, are also reminiscent[366]of the Helgi cycle; cf.Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I, 29–31, andII, prose after stanza 16.A man: Othin.

16.Rævil’s steeds(Rævil was a sea-king, possibly the grandson of Ragnar Lothbrok mentioned in theHervararsaga),sail-horsesandsea-steedsall mean “ships.”

17.Sea-treesandroller-steeds(the latter because ships were pulled up on shore by means of rollers) both mean “ships.”

18.TheVolsungasagaquotes this stanza.HnikarandFjolnir: Othin gives himself both these names inGrimnismol, 47;Feng(“The Seizer”) does not appear elsewhere. According to theVolsungasaga, no one knew Othin’s name when he came to Volsung’s house and left the sword there for Sigmund.[367]

19.This and the following stanzas are strongly suggestive of theHovamol, and probably came originally from some such collection.

23.This stanza is clearly an interpolation, drawn in by the[368]common-sense advice, as distinct from omens, given in the last lines of stanza 22.Moon’s sister: the sun; cf.Vafthruthnismol, 23 and note.Wedge-like: the wedge formation (prescribed anew in 1920 for the United States Army under certain circumstances) was said to have been invented by Othin himself, and taught by him only to the most favored warriors.

24.Goddesses: Norse mythology included an almost limitless number of minor deities, the female ones, both kind and unkind, being generally classed among the lesser Norns.

25.This stanza almost certainly had nothing originally to do with the others in this passage; it may have been taken from a longer version of theHovamolitself.

Prose.Lyngvi: the son of Hunding who killed Sigmund in jealousy of his marriage with Hjordis; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotlaand note. TheVolsungasaganames one brother who was with Lyngvi in the battle, Hjorvarth, and Sigurth kills him as readily as if he had not already been killed long before by Helgi. But, as has been seen, it was nothing for a man to be killed in two or three different ways.[369]

26.Bloody eagle, etc.: theNornageststhattrdescribes the manner in which the captured Lyngvi was put to death. “Regin advised that they should carve the bloody eagle on his back. So Regin took his sword and cleft Lyngvi’s back so that he severed his back from his ribs, and then drew out his lungs. So died Lyngvi with great courage.”

Prose.InRegiusthere is no break of any kind between this prose passage and the prose introduction to theFafnismol(cf. Introductory Note).[370]

[Contents]FAFNISMOLThe Ballad of Fafnir[Contents]Introductory NoteThe so-calledFafnismol, contained in full in theCodex Regius, where it immediately follows theReginsmolwithout any indication of a break, is quoted by Snorri in theGylfaginning(stanza 13) and theSkaldskaparmal(stanzas 32 and 33), and stanzas 6, 3, and 4 appear in theSverrissaga. Although theVolsungasagadoes not actually quote any of the stanzas, it gives a very close prose parallel to the whole poem in chapters 18 and 19.The general character of theFafnismol, and its probable relation to theReginsmoland theSigrdrifumol, have been discussed in the introductory note to theReginsmol. While it is far more nearly a unit than theReginsmol, it shows many of the same characteristics. It has the same mixture of stanza forms, although in this case only nine stanzas (32–33, 35–36 and 40–44) vary from the normal Ljothahattr measure. It shows, though to a much less marked extent, the same tendency to introduce passages from extraneous sources, such as the question-and-answer passage in stanzas 11–15. At the same time, in this instance it is quite clear that one distinct poem, including probably stanzas 1–10, 16–23, 25–31, and 34–39, underlay the compilation which we here have. This may, perhaps, have been a long poem (not, however, the “Long” Sigurth Lay; see introductory note toBrot af Sigurtharkvithu) dealing with the Regin-Fafnir-Sigurth-Brynhild story, and including, besides most of theFafnismol, stanzas 1–4 and 6–11 of theReginsmoland part of the so-calledSigrdrifumol, together with much that has been lost. The original poem may, on the other hand, have confined itself to the Fafnir episode.In any case, and while the extantFafnismolcan be spoken of as a distinct poem far more justly than theReginsmol, there is still no indication that the compiler regarded it as a poem by itself. His prose notes run on without a break, and the verses simply cover a dramatic episode in Sigurth’s early life. The fact that the work of compilation has been done more intelligently than in the case of theReginsmolseems to have resulted chiefly from the compiler’s having been familiar with longer consecutive verse passages dealing with the Fafnir episode.[371]TheReginsmolis little more than a clumsy mosaic, but in theFafnismolit is possible to distinguish between the main substance of the poem and the interpolations.Here, as in theReginsmol, there is very little that bespeaks the German origin of the Sigurth story. Sigurth’s winning of the treasure is in itself undoubtedly a part of the earlier southern legend, but the manner in which he does it is thoroughly Norse. Moreover, the concluding section, which points toward the finding of the sleeping Brynhild, relates entirely to the northern Valkyrie, the warrior-maiden punished by Othin, and not at all to the southern Brynhild the daughter of Buthli. TheFafnismolis, however, sharply distinguished from theReginsmolby showing no clear traces of the Helgi tradition, although a part of the bird song (stanzas 40–44, in Fornyrthislag form, as distinct from the body of the poem) sounds suspiciously like the bird passage in the beginning of theHelgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar. Regarding the general relations of the various sets of traditions in shaping the story of Sigurth, see the introductory note toGripisspo.TheFafnismol, together with a part of theSigrdrifumol, has indirectly become the best known of all the Eddic poems, for the reason that Wagner used it, with remarkably little change of outline, as the basis for his “Siegfried.”[Contents]Sigurth and Regin went up to the Gnitaheith, and found there the track that Fafnir made when he crawled to water. Then Sigurth made a great trench across the path, and took his place therein. When Fafnir crawled from his gold, he blew out venom, and it ran down from above on Sigurth’s head. But when Fafnir crawled over the trench, then Sigurth thrust his sword into his body[372]to the heart. Fafnir writhed and struck out with his head and tail. Sigurth leaped from the trench, and each looked at the other. Fafnir said:1.“Youth, oh, youth!   |   of whom then, youth, art thou born?Say whose son thou art,Who in Fafnir’s blood   |   thy bright blade reddened,And struck thy sword to my heart.”Sigurth concealed his name because it was believed in olden times that the word of a dying man might have great power if he cursed his foe by his name. He said:2.“The Noble Hart   |   my name, and I goA motherless man abroad;Father I had not,   |   as others have,And lonely ever I live.”[373]Fafnir spake:3.“If father thou hadst not,   |   as others have,By what wonder wast thou born?(Though thy name on the day   |   of my death thou hidest,Thou knowest now thou dost lie.)”Sigurth spake:4.“My race, methinks,   |   is unknown to thee,And so am I myself;Sigurth my name,   |   and Sigmund’s son,Who smote thee thus with the sword.”Fafnir spake:5.“Who drove thee on?   |   why wert thou drivenMy life to make me lose?A father brave   |   had the bright-eyed youth,For bold in boyhood thou art.”Sigurth spake:6.“My heart did drive me,   |   my hand fulfilled,And my shining sword so sharp;Few are keen   |   when old age comes,Who timid in boyhood be.”[374]Fafnir spake:7.“If thou mightest grow   |   thy friends among,One might see thee fiercely fight;But bound thou art,   |   and in battle taken,And to fear are prisoners prone.”Sigurth spake:8.“Thou blamest me, Fafnir,   |   that I see from afarThe wealth that my father’s was;Not bound am I,   |   though in battle taken,Thou hast found that free I live.”Fafnir spake:9.“In all I say   |   dost thou hatred see,Yet truth alone do I tell;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:10.“Some one the hoard   |   shall ever hold,Till the destined day shall come;For a time there is   |   when every manShall journey hence to hell.”Fafnir spake:11.“The fate of the Norns   |   before the headland[375]Thou findest, and doom of a fool;In the water shalt drown   |   if thou row ’gainst the wind,All danger is near to death.”Sigurth spake:12.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:Who are the Norns   |   who are helpful in need,And the babe from the mother bring?”Fafnir spake:13.“Of many births   |   the Norns must be,Nor one in race they were;Some to gods, others   |   to elves are kin,And Dvalin’s daughters some.”Sigurth spake:14.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:[376]How call they the isle   |   where all the godsAnd Surt shall sword-sweat mingle?”Fafnir spake:15.“Oskopnir is it,   |   where all the godsShall seek the play of swords;Bilrost breaks   |   when they cross the bridge,And the steeds shall swim in the flood.16.“The fear-helm I wore   |   to afright mankind,While guarding my gold I lay;Mightier seemed I   |   than any man,For a fiercer never I found.”Sigurth spake:17.“The fear-helm surely   |   no man shieldsWhen he faces a valiant foe;Oft one finds,   |   when the foe he meets,That he is not the bravest of all.”Fafnir spake:18.“Venom I breathed   |   when bright I layBy the hoard my father had;[377](There was none so mighty   |   as dared to meet me,And weapons nor wiles I feared.)”Sigurth spake:19.“Glittering worm,   |   thy hissing was great,And hard didst show thy heart;But hatred more   |   have the sons of menFor him who owns the helm.”Fafnir spake:20.“I counsel thee, Sigurth,   |   heed my speech,And ride thou homeward hence;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:21.“Thy counsel is given,   |   but go I shallTo the gold in the heather hidden;And, Fafnir, thou   |   with death dost fight,Lying where Hel shall have thee.”Fafnir spake:22.“Regin betrayed me,   |   and thee will betray,Us both to death will he bring;[378]His life, methinks,   |   must Fafnir lose,For the mightier man wast thou.”Regin had gone to a distance while Sigurth fought Fafnir, and came back while Sigurth was wiping the blood from his sword. Regin said:23.“Hail to thee, Sigurth!   |   Thou victory hast,And Fafnir in fight hast slain;Of all the men   |   who tread the earth,Most fearless art thou, methinks.”Sigurth spake:24.“Unknown it is,   |   when all are together,(The sons of the glorious gods,)Who bravest born shall seem;Some are valiant   |   who redden no swordIn the blood of a foeman’s breast.”Regin spake:25.“Glad art thou, Sigurth,   |   of battle gained,As Gram with grass thou cleansest;My brother fierce   |   in fight hast slain,And somewhat I did myself.”[379]Sigurth spake:26.“Afar didst thou go   |   while Fafnir reddenedWith his blood my blade so keen;With the might of the dragon   |   my strength I matched,While thou in the heather didst hide.”Regin spake:27.“Longer wouldst thou   |   in the heather have letYon hoary giant hide,Had the weapon availed not   |   that once I forged,The keen-edged blade thou didst bear.”Sigurth spake:28.“Better is heart   |   than a mighty bladeFor him who shall fiercely fight;The brave man well   |   shall fight and win,Though dull his blade may be.29.“Brave men better   |   than cowards be,When the clash of battle comes;And better the glad   |   than the gloomy manShall face what before him lies.30.“Thy rede it was   |   that I should ride[380]Hither o’er mountains high;The glittering worm   |   would have wealth and lifeIf thou hadst not mocked at my might.”Then Regin went up to Fafnir and cut out his heart with his sword, that was named Rithil, and then he drank blood from the wounds. Regin said:31.“Sit now, Sigurth,   |   for sleep will I,Hold Fafnir’s heart to the fire;For all his heart   |   shall eaten be,Since deep of blood I have drunk.”Sigurth took Fafnir’s heart and cooked it on a spit. When he thought that it was fully cooked, and the blood foamed out of the heart, then he tried it with his finger to see whether it was fully cooked. He burned his finger, and put it in his mouth. But when Fafnir’s heart’s-blood came on his tongue, he understood the speech of birds. He heard nut-hatches chattering in the thickets. A nut-hatch said:32.“There sits Sigurth,   |   sprinkled with blood,And Fafnir’s heart   |   with fire he cooks;[381]Wise were the breaker   |   of rings, I ween,To eat the life-muscles   |   all so bright.”A second spake:33.“There Regin lies,   |   and plans he laysThe youth to betray   |   who trusts him well;Lying words   |   with wiles will he speak,Till his brother the maker   |   of mischief avenges.”A third spake:34.“Less by a head   |   let the chatterer hoaryGo from here to hell;Then all of the wealth   |   he alone can wield,The gold that Fafnir guarded.”A fourth spake:35.“Wise would he seem   |   if so he would heedThe counsel good   |   we sisters give;[382]Thought he would give,   |   and the ravens gladden,There is ever a wolf   |   where his ears I spy.”A fifth spake:36.“Less wise must be   |   the tree of battleThan to me would seem   |   the leader of men,If forth he lets   |   one brother fare,When he of the other   |   the slayer is.”A sixth spake:37.“Most foolish he seems   |   if he shall spareHis foe, the bane of the folk;There Regin lies,   |   who hath wronged him so,Yet falsehood knows he not.”A seventh spake:38.“Let the head from the frost-cold   |   giant be hewed,And let him of rings be robbed;Then all the wealth   |   which Fafnir’s wasShall belong to thee alone.”Sigurth spake:39.“Not so rich a fate   |   shall Regin have[383]As the tale of my death to tell;For soon the brothers   |   both shall die,And hence to hell shall go.”Sigurth hewed off Regin’s head, and then he ate Fafnir’s heart, and drank the blood of both Regin and Fafnir. Then Sigurth heard what the nut-hatch said:40.“Bind, Sigurth, the golden   |   rings together,Not kingly is it   |   aught to fear;I know a maid,   |   there is none so fair,Rich in gold,   |   if thou mightest get her.41.“Green the paths   |   that to Gjuki lead,[384]And his fate the way   |   to the wanderer shows;The doughty king   |   a daughter has,That thou as a bride   |   mayst, Sigurth, buy.”Another spake:42.“A hall stands high   |   on Hindarfjoll,All with flame   |   is it ringed without;Warriors wise   |   did make it onceOut of the flaming   |   light of the flood.43.“On the mountain sleeps   |   a battle-maid,And about her plays   |   the bane of the wood;Ygg with the thorn   |   hath smitten her thus,For she felled the fighter   |   he fain would save.44.“There mayst thou behold   |   the maiden helmed,Who forth on Vingskornir   |   rode from the fight;The victory-bringer   |   her sleep shall break not,Thou heroes’ son,   |   so the Norns have set.”[385]Sigurth rode along Fafnir’s trail to his lair, and found it open. The gate-posts were of iron, and the gates; of iron, too, were all the beams in the house, which was dug down into the earth. There Sigurth found a mighty store of gold, and he filled two chests full thereof; he took the fear-helm and a golden mail-coat and the sword Hrotti, and many other precious things, and loaded Grani with them, but the horse would not go forward until Sigurth mounted on his back.[370][Contents]NOTES[371]Prose.The prose follows the concluding prose passage of theReginsmolwithout any interruption; the heading “Of Fafnir’s Death” is written in the manuscript very faintly just before stanza 1.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fafnir: Regin’s brother: cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14.Venom: in theVolsungasaga[372]it was the blood, and not the venom, that poured down on Sigurth’s head. Sigurth was much worried about this danger, and before he dug the trench asked Regin what would happen if the dragon’s blood overcame him. Regin thereupon taunted him with cowardice (Sigurth refers to this taunt in stanza 30, but the stanza embodying it has disappeared). After Sigurth had dug his trench, an old man (Othin, of course) appeared and advised him to dig other trenches to carry off the blood, which he did, thereby escaping harm.1.The first line in the original, as here, is unusually long, but dramatically very effective on that account.3.The names of the speakers do not appear in the manuscript, though they seem originally to have been indicated in the[373]margin for stanzas 3–30. The last two lines of stanza 3 are missing in the manuscript, with no gap indicated, but theVolsungasagaprose paraphrase indicates that something was omitted, and the lines here given are conjecturally reconstructed from this paraphrase.4.The manuscript marks line 3 as the beginning of a stanza.5.Line 4, utterly obscure in the manuscript, is guesswork.[374]7.Fafnir here refers to the fact that Hjordis, mother of the still unborn Sigurth, was captured by Alf after Sigmund’s death; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, note.11.Stanzas 11–15 are probably interpolated, and come from[375]a poem similar toVafthruthnismol.The headland: Fafnir is apparently quoting proverbs; this one seems to mean that disaster (“the fate of the Norns”) awaits when one rounds the first headland (i.e., at the beginning of life’s voyage, in youth). The third line is a commentary on obstinate rashness. TheVolsungasagaparaphrases stanzas 11–15 throughout.12.Norns: cf. stanza 13 and note. Sigurth has no possible interest in knowing what Norns are helpful in childbirth, but interpolations were seldom logical.13.Snorri quotes this stanza. There were minor Norns, or fates, in addition to the three great Norns, regarding whom cf.Voluspo, 20.Dvalin: chief of the dwarfs; cf.Voluspo, 14.[376]14.Surt: ruler of the fire world; the reference is to the last great battle.Sword-sweat: blood.15.Oskopnir(“Not-Made”): apparently another name for Vigrith, which is named inVafthruthnismol, 18, as the final battle-ground.Bilrost(or Bifrost): the rainbow bridge which breaks beneath Surt’s followers; cf.Grimnismol, 29 and note.16.With this stanza Fafnir returns to the situation.Fear-helm: regarding the “ægis-hjalmr” cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14 and note.[377]18.Lines 3–4 do not appear in the manuscript, and no gap is indicated; they are here conjecturally paraphrased from the prose passage in theVolsungasaga.20.It has been suggested that this stanza is spurious, and that stanza 21 ought to follow stanza 22. Lines 3–4, abbreviated in the manuscript, are identical with lines 3–4 of stanza 9. TheVolsungasagaparaphrase in place of these two lines makes[378]Fafnir say: “For it often happens that he who gets a deadly wound yet avenges himself.” It is quite likely that two stanzas have been lost.22.TheVolsungasagaplaces its paraphrase of this stanza between those of stanzas 15 and 16.24.Line 2 is probably spurious, but it is a phrase typical of such poems asGrimnismolorVafthruthnismol.25.Gram: Sigurth’s sword; cf.Reginsmol, prose after 14.[379]26.In the manuscript stanzas 26–29 stand after stanza 31, which fails to make clear sense; they are here rearranged in accordance with theVolsungasagaparaphrase.28–29.Almost certainly interpolated from some such poem as theHovamol. Even the faithfulVolsungasagafails to paraphrase stanza 29.[380]30.Something has evidently been lost before this stanza. Sigurth clearly refers to Regin’s reproach when he was digging the trench (cf. note on introductory prose), but the poem does not give such a passage.Prose.Rithil(“Swift-Moving”): Snorri calls the sword Refil (“Serpent”).32.That the birds’ stanzas come from more than one source[381]is fairly apparent, but whether from two or from three or more is uncertain. It is also far from clear how many birds are speaking. The manuscript numbers II, III, and IV in the margin with numerals; theVolsungasagamakes a different bird speak each time. There are almost as many guesses as there are editions. I suspect that in the original poem there was one bird, speaking stanzas 34 and 37. Stanza 38 is little more than a repetition of stanza 34, and may well have been a later addition. As for the stanzas in Fornyrthislag (32–33 and 35–36), they apparently come from another poem, in which several birds speak (cf. “we sisters” in stanza 35). This may be the same poem from which stanzas 40–44 were taken, as well as some of the Fornyrthislag stanzas in theSigrdrifumol.34.Some editions turn this speech from the third person into the second, but the manuscript is clear enough.[382]35.Wolf, etc.: the phrase is nearly equivalent to “there must be fire where there is smoke.” The proverb appears elsewhere in Old Norse.36.Tree of battle: warrior.37.Here, as in stanza 34, some editions turn the speech from the third person into the second.38.Giant: Regin was certainly not a frost-giant, and the whole stanza looks like some copyist’s blundering reproduction of stanza 34.[383]40.Neither the manuscript nor any of the editions suggest the existence of more than one bird in stanzas 40–44. It seems to me, however, that there are not only two birds, but two distinct stories. Stanzas 40–41 apply solely to Guthrun, and suggest that Sigurth will go straight to Gunnar’s hall. Stanzas 42–44, on the other hand, apply solely to Brynhild, and indicate that Sigurth will find her before he visits the Gjukungs. The confusion which existed between these two versions of the story, and which involved a fundamental difference in the final working out of Brynhild’s revenge, is commented on in the note onGripisspo, 13. In the present passage it is possible that two birds are speaking, each reflecting one version of the story; it seems even more likely that one speech or the other (40–41 or 42–44) reflects the original form of the narrative, the other having been added, either later or from another poem. In theVolsungasagathe whole passage is condensed into a few words by one bird: “Wiser were it if he should then ride up on Hindarfjoll, where Brynhild sleeps, and there would he get much wisdom.” The Guthrun-bird does not appear at all.41.Gjuki: father of Gunnar and Guthrun: cf.Gripisspo, 13 and note.[384]42.Hindarfjoll: “Mountain of the Hind.”Light of the flood: gold; cf.Reginsmol, 1 and note.43.Battle-maid: Brynhild, here clearly defined as a Valkyrie.Bane of the wood: fire.Ygg: Othin; cf.Grimnismol, 53.The thorn: a prose note inSigrdrifumolcalls it “sleep-thorn.”The fighter: the story of the reason for Brynhild’s punishment is told in the prose following stanza 4 ofSigrdrifumol.44.Vingskornir: Brynhild’s horse, not elsewhere mentioned.Victory-bringer: the word thus translated is in the original “sigrdrifa.” The compiler of the collection, not being familiar with this word, assumed that it was a proper name, and in the prose following stanza 4 of theSigrdrifumolhe specifically states that this was the Valkyrie’s name. Editors, until recently,[385]have followed him in this error, failing to recognize that “sigrdrifa” was simply an epithet for Brynhild. It is from this blunder that the so-calledSigrdrifumoltakes its name. Brynhild’s dual personality as a Valkyrie and as the daughter of Buthli has made plenty of trouble, but the addition of a second Valkyrie in the person of the supposed “Sigrdrifa” has made still more.Prose.There is no break in the manuscript between the end of this prose passage and the beginning of the one introducing theSigrdrifumol: some editors include the entire prose passage with one poem or the other.Hrotti; “Thruster.”[386]

FAFNISMOLThe Ballad of Fafnir

[Contents]Introductory NoteThe so-calledFafnismol, contained in full in theCodex Regius, where it immediately follows theReginsmolwithout any indication of a break, is quoted by Snorri in theGylfaginning(stanza 13) and theSkaldskaparmal(stanzas 32 and 33), and stanzas 6, 3, and 4 appear in theSverrissaga. Although theVolsungasagadoes not actually quote any of the stanzas, it gives a very close prose parallel to the whole poem in chapters 18 and 19.The general character of theFafnismol, and its probable relation to theReginsmoland theSigrdrifumol, have been discussed in the introductory note to theReginsmol. While it is far more nearly a unit than theReginsmol, it shows many of the same characteristics. It has the same mixture of stanza forms, although in this case only nine stanzas (32–33, 35–36 and 40–44) vary from the normal Ljothahattr measure. It shows, though to a much less marked extent, the same tendency to introduce passages from extraneous sources, such as the question-and-answer passage in stanzas 11–15. At the same time, in this instance it is quite clear that one distinct poem, including probably stanzas 1–10, 16–23, 25–31, and 34–39, underlay the compilation which we here have. This may, perhaps, have been a long poem (not, however, the “Long” Sigurth Lay; see introductory note toBrot af Sigurtharkvithu) dealing with the Regin-Fafnir-Sigurth-Brynhild story, and including, besides most of theFafnismol, stanzas 1–4 and 6–11 of theReginsmoland part of the so-calledSigrdrifumol, together with much that has been lost. The original poem may, on the other hand, have confined itself to the Fafnir episode.In any case, and while the extantFafnismolcan be spoken of as a distinct poem far more justly than theReginsmol, there is still no indication that the compiler regarded it as a poem by itself. His prose notes run on without a break, and the verses simply cover a dramatic episode in Sigurth’s early life. The fact that the work of compilation has been done more intelligently than in the case of theReginsmolseems to have resulted chiefly from the compiler’s having been familiar with longer consecutive verse passages dealing with the Fafnir episode.[371]TheReginsmolis little more than a clumsy mosaic, but in theFafnismolit is possible to distinguish between the main substance of the poem and the interpolations.Here, as in theReginsmol, there is very little that bespeaks the German origin of the Sigurth story. Sigurth’s winning of the treasure is in itself undoubtedly a part of the earlier southern legend, but the manner in which he does it is thoroughly Norse. Moreover, the concluding section, which points toward the finding of the sleeping Brynhild, relates entirely to the northern Valkyrie, the warrior-maiden punished by Othin, and not at all to the southern Brynhild the daughter of Buthli. TheFafnismolis, however, sharply distinguished from theReginsmolby showing no clear traces of the Helgi tradition, although a part of the bird song (stanzas 40–44, in Fornyrthislag form, as distinct from the body of the poem) sounds suspiciously like the bird passage in the beginning of theHelgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar. Regarding the general relations of the various sets of traditions in shaping the story of Sigurth, see the introductory note toGripisspo.TheFafnismol, together with a part of theSigrdrifumol, has indirectly become the best known of all the Eddic poems, for the reason that Wagner used it, with remarkably little change of outline, as the basis for his “Siegfried.”[Contents]Sigurth and Regin went up to the Gnitaheith, and found there the track that Fafnir made when he crawled to water. Then Sigurth made a great trench across the path, and took his place therein. When Fafnir crawled from his gold, he blew out venom, and it ran down from above on Sigurth’s head. But when Fafnir crawled over the trench, then Sigurth thrust his sword into his body[372]to the heart. Fafnir writhed and struck out with his head and tail. Sigurth leaped from the trench, and each looked at the other. Fafnir said:1.“Youth, oh, youth!   |   of whom then, youth, art thou born?Say whose son thou art,Who in Fafnir’s blood   |   thy bright blade reddened,And struck thy sword to my heart.”Sigurth concealed his name because it was believed in olden times that the word of a dying man might have great power if he cursed his foe by his name. He said:2.“The Noble Hart   |   my name, and I goA motherless man abroad;Father I had not,   |   as others have,And lonely ever I live.”[373]Fafnir spake:3.“If father thou hadst not,   |   as others have,By what wonder wast thou born?(Though thy name on the day   |   of my death thou hidest,Thou knowest now thou dost lie.)”Sigurth spake:4.“My race, methinks,   |   is unknown to thee,And so am I myself;Sigurth my name,   |   and Sigmund’s son,Who smote thee thus with the sword.”Fafnir spake:5.“Who drove thee on?   |   why wert thou drivenMy life to make me lose?A father brave   |   had the bright-eyed youth,For bold in boyhood thou art.”Sigurth spake:6.“My heart did drive me,   |   my hand fulfilled,And my shining sword so sharp;Few are keen   |   when old age comes,Who timid in boyhood be.”[374]Fafnir spake:7.“If thou mightest grow   |   thy friends among,One might see thee fiercely fight;But bound thou art,   |   and in battle taken,And to fear are prisoners prone.”Sigurth spake:8.“Thou blamest me, Fafnir,   |   that I see from afarThe wealth that my father’s was;Not bound am I,   |   though in battle taken,Thou hast found that free I live.”Fafnir spake:9.“In all I say   |   dost thou hatred see,Yet truth alone do I tell;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:10.“Some one the hoard   |   shall ever hold,Till the destined day shall come;For a time there is   |   when every manShall journey hence to hell.”Fafnir spake:11.“The fate of the Norns   |   before the headland[375]Thou findest, and doom of a fool;In the water shalt drown   |   if thou row ’gainst the wind,All danger is near to death.”Sigurth spake:12.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:Who are the Norns   |   who are helpful in need,And the babe from the mother bring?”Fafnir spake:13.“Of many births   |   the Norns must be,Nor one in race they were;Some to gods, others   |   to elves are kin,And Dvalin’s daughters some.”Sigurth spake:14.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:[376]How call they the isle   |   where all the godsAnd Surt shall sword-sweat mingle?”Fafnir spake:15.“Oskopnir is it,   |   where all the godsShall seek the play of swords;Bilrost breaks   |   when they cross the bridge,And the steeds shall swim in the flood.16.“The fear-helm I wore   |   to afright mankind,While guarding my gold I lay;Mightier seemed I   |   than any man,For a fiercer never I found.”Sigurth spake:17.“The fear-helm surely   |   no man shieldsWhen he faces a valiant foe;Oft one finds,   |   when the foe he meets,That he is not the bravest of all.”Fafnir spake:18.“Venom I breathed   |   when bright I layBy the hoard my father had;[377](There was none so mighty   |   as dared to meet me,And weapons nor wiles I feared.)”Sigurth spake:19.“Glittering worm,   |   thy hissing was great,And hard didst show thy heart;But hatred more   |   have the sons of menFor him who owns the helm.”Fafnir spake:20.“I counsel thee, Sigurth,   |   heed my speech,And ride thou homeward hence;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:21.“Thy counsel is given,   |   but go I shallTo the gold in the heather hidden;And, Fafnir, thou   |   with death dost fight,Lying where Hel shall have thee.”Fafnir spake:22.“Regin betrayed me,   |   and thee will betray,Us both to death will he bring;[378]His life, methinks,   |   must Fafnir lose,For the mightier man wast thou.”Regin had gone to a distance while Sigurth fought Fafnir, and came back while Sigurth was wiping the blood from his sword. Regin said:23.“Hail to thee, Sigurth!   |   Thou victory hast,And Fafnir in fight hast slain;Of all the men   |   who tread the earth,Most fearless art thou, methinks.”Sigurth spake:24.“Unknown it is,   |   when all are together,(The sons of the glorious gods,)Who bravest born shall seem;Some are valiant   |   who redden no swordIn the blood of a foeman’s breast.”Regin spake:25.“Glad art thou, Sigurth,   |   of battle gained,As Gram with grass thou cleansest;My brother fierce   |   in fight hast slain,And somewhat I did myself.”[379]Sigurth spake:26.“Afar didst thou go   |   while Fafnir reddenedWith his blood my blade so keen;With the might of the dragon   |   my strength I matched,While thou in the heather didst hide.”Regin spake:27.“Longer wouldst thou   |   in the heather have letYon hoary giant hide,Had the weapon availed not   |   that once I forged,The keen-edged blade thou didst bear.”Sigurth spake:28.“Better is heart   |   than a mighty bladeFor him who shall fiercely fight;The brave man well   |   shall fight and win,Though dull his blade may be.29.“Brave men better   |   than cowards be,When the clash of battle comes;And better the glad   |   than the gloomy manShall face what before him lies.30.“Thy rede it was   |   that I should ride[380]Hither o’er mountains high;The glittering worm   |   would have wealth and lifeIf thou hadst not mocked at my might.”Then Regin went up to Fafnir and cut out his heart with his sword, that was named Rithil, and then he drank blood from the wounds. Regin said:31.“Sit now, Sigurth,   |   for sleep will I,Hold Fafnir’s heart to the fire;For all his heart   |   shall eaten be,Since deep of blood I have drunk.”Sigurth took Fafnir’s heart and cooked it on a spit. When he thought that it was fully cooked, and the blood foamed out of the heart, then he tried it with his finger to see whether it was fully cooked. He burned his finger, and put it in his mouth. But when Fafnir’s heart’s-blood came on his tongue, he understood the speech of birds. He heard nut-hatches chattering in the thickets. A nut-hatch said:32.“There sits Sigurth,   |   sprinkled with blood,And Fafnir’s heart   |   with fire he cooks;[381]Wise were the breaker   |   of rings, I ween,To eat the life-muscles   |   all so bright.”A second spake:33.“There Regin lies,   |   and plans he laysThe youth to betray   |   who trusts him well;Lying words   |   with wiles will he speak,Till his brother the maker   |   of mischief avenges.”A third spake:34.“Less by a head   |   let the chatterer hoaryGo from here to hell;Then all of the wealth   |   he alone can wield,The gold that Fafnir guarded.”A fourth spake:35.“Wise would he seem   |   if so he would heedThe counsel good   |   we sisters give;[382]Thought he would give,   |   and the ravens gladden,There is ever a wolf   |   where his ears I spy.”A fifth spake:36.“Less wise must be   |   the tree of battleThan to me would seem   |   the leader of men,If forth he lets   |   one brother fare,When he of the other   |   the slayer is.”A sixth spake:37.“Most foolish he seems   |   if he shall spareHis foe, the bane of the folk;There Regin lies,   |   who hath wronged him so,Yet falsehood knows he not.”A seventh spake:38.“Let the head from the frost-cold   |   giant be hewed,And let him of rings be robbed;Then all the wealth   |   which Fafnir’s wasShall belong to thee alone.”Sigurth spake:39.“Not so rich a fate   |   shall Regin have[383]As the tale of my death to tell;For soon the brothers   |   both shall die,And hence to hell shall go.”Sigurth hewed off Regin’s head, and then he ate Fafnir’s heart, and drank the blood of both Regin and Fafnir. Then Sigurth heard what the nut-hatch said:40.“Bind, Sigurth, the golden   |   rings together,Not kingly is it   |   aught to fear;I know a maid,   |   there is none so fair,Rich in gold,   |   if thou mightest get her.41.“Green the paths   |   that to Gjuki lead,[384]And his fate the way   |   to the wanderer shows;The doughty king   |   a daughter has,That thou as a bride   |   mayst, Sigurth, buy.”Another spake:42.“A hall stands high   |   on Hindarfjoll,All with flame   |   is it ringed without;Warriors wise   |   did make it onceOut of the flaming   |   light of the flood.43.“On the mountain sleeps   |   a battle-maid,And about her plays   |   the bane of the wood;Ygg with the thorn   |   hath smitten her thus,For she felled the fighter   |   he fain would save.44.“There mayst thou behold   |   the maiden helmed,Who forth on Vingskornir   |   rode from the fight;The victory-bringer   |   her sleep shall break not,Thou heroes’ son,   |   so the Norns have set.”[385]Sigurth rode along Fafnir’s trail to his lair, and found it open. The gate-posts were of iron, and the gates; of iron, too, were all the beams in the house, which was dug down into the earth. There Sigurth found a mighty store of gold, and he filled two chests full thereof; he took the fear-helm and a golden mail-coat and the sword Hrotti, and many other precious things, and loaded Grani with them, but the horse would not go forward until Sigurth mounted on his back.[370][Contents]NOTES[371]Prose.The prose follows the concluding prose passage of theReginsmolwithout any interruption; the heading “Of Fafnir’s Death” is written in the manuscript very faintly just before stanza 1.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fafnir: Regin’s brother: cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14.Venom: in theVolsungasaga[372]it was the blood, and not the venom, that poured down on Sigurth’s head. Sigurth was much worried about this danger, and before he dug the trench asked Regin what would happen if the dragon’s blood overcame him. Regin thereupon taunted him with cowardice (Sigurth refers to this taunt in stanza 30, but the stanza embodying it has disappeared). After Sigurth had dug his trench, an old man (Othin, of course) appeared and advised him to dig other trenches to carry off the blood, which he did, thereby escaping harm.1.The first line in the original, as here, is unusually long, but dramatically very effective on that account.3.The names of the speakers do not appear in the manuscript, though they seem originally to have been indicated in the[373]margin for stanzas 3–30. The last two lines of stanza 3 are missing in the manuscript, with no gap indicated, but theVolsungasagaprose paraphrase indicates that something was omitted, and the lines here given are conjecturally reconstructed from this paraphrase.4.The manuscript marks line 3 as the beginning of a stanza.5.Line 4, utterly obscure in the manuscript, is guesswork.[374]7.Fafnir here refers to the fact that Hjordis, mother of the still unborn Sigurth, was captured by Alf after Sigmund’s death; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, note.11.Stanzas 11–15 are probably interpolated, and come from[375]a poem similar toVafthruthnismol.The headland: Fafnir is apparently quoting proverbs; this one seems to mean that disaster (“the fate of the Norns”) awaits when one rounds the first headland (i.e., at the beginning of life’s voyage, in youth). The third line is a commentary on obstinate rashness. TheVolsungasagaparaphrases stanzas 11–15 throughout.12.Norns: cf. stanza 13 and note. Sigurth has no possible interest in knowing what Norns are helpful in childbirth, but interpolations were seldom logical.13.Snorri quotes this stanza. There were minor Norns, or fates, in addition to the three great Norns, regarding whom cf.Voluspo, 20.Dvalin: chief of the dwarfs; cf.Voluspo, 14.[376]14.Surt: ruler of the fire world; the reference is to the last great battle.Sword-sweat: blood.15.Oskopnir(“Not-Made”): apparently another name for Vigrith, which is named inVafthruthnismol, 18, as the final battle-ground.Bilrost(or Bifrost): the rainbow bridge which breaks beneath Surt’s followers; cf.Grimnismol, 29 and note.16.With this stanza Fafnir returns to the situation.Fear-helm: regarding the “ægis-hjalmr” cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14 and note.[377]18.Lines 3–4 do not appear in the manuscript, and no gap is indicated; they are here conjecturally paraphrased from the prose passage in theVolsungasaga.20.It has been suggested that this stanza is spurious, and that stanza 21 ought to follow stanza 22. Lines 3–4, abbreviated in the manuscript, are identical with lines 3–4 of stanza 9. TheVolsungasagaparaphrase in place of these two lines makes[378]Fafnir say: “For it often happens that he who gets a deadly wound yet avenges himself.” It is quite likely that two stanzas have been lost.22.TheVolsungasagaplaces its paraphrase of this stanza between those of stanzas 15 and 16.24.Line 2 is probably spurious, but it is a phrase typical of such poems asGrimnismolorVafthruthnismol.25.Gram: Sigurth’s sword; cf.Reginsmol, prose after 14.[379]26.In the manuscript stanzas 26–29 stand after stanza 31, which fails to make clear sense; they are here rearranged in accordance with theVolsungasagaparaphrase.28–29.Almost certainly interpolated from some such poem as theHovamol. Even the faithfulVolsungasagafails to paraphrase stanza 29.[380]30.Something has evidently been lost before this stanza. Sigurth clearly refers to Regin’s reproach when he was digging the trench (cf. note on introductory prose), but the poem does not give such a passage.Prose.Rithil(“Swift-Moving”): Snorri calls the sword Refil (“Serpent”).32.That the birds’ stanzas come from more than one source[381]is fairly apparent, but whether from two or from three or more is uncertain. It is also far from clear how many birds are speaking. The manuscript numbers II, III, and IV in the margin with numerals; theVolsungasagamakes a different bird speak each time. There are almost as many guesses as there are editions. I suspect that in the original poem there was one bird, speaking stanzas 34 and 37. Stanza 38 is little more than a repetition of stanza 34, and may well have been a later addition. As for the stanzas in Fornyrthislag (32–33 and 35–36), they apparently come from another poem, in which several birds speak (cf. “we sisters” in stanza 35). This may be the same poem from which stanzas 40–44 were taken, as well as some of the Fornyrthislag stanzas in theSigrdrifumol.34.Some editions turn this speech from the third person into the second, but the manuscript is clear enough.[382]35.Wolf, etc.: the phrase is nearly equivalent to “there must be fire where there is smoke.” The proverb appears elsewhere in Old Norse.36.Tree of battle: warrior.37.Here, as in stanza 34, some editions turn the speech from the third person into the second.38.Giant: Regin was certainly not a frost-giant, and the whole stanza looks like some copyist’s blundering reproduction of stanza 34.[383]40.Neither the manuscript nor any of the editions suggest the existence of more than one bird in stanzas 40–44. It seems to me, however, that there are not only two birds, but two distinct stories. Stanzas 40–41 apply solely to Guthrun, and suggest that Sigurth will go straight to Gunnar’s hall. Stanzas 42–44, on the other hand, apply solely to Brynhild, and indicate that Sigurth will find her before he visits the Gjukungs. The confusion which existed between these two versions of the story, and which involved a fundamental difference in the final working out of Brynhild’s revenge, is commented on in the note onGripisspo, 13. In the present passage it is possible that two birds are speaking, each reflecting one version of the story; it seems even more likely that one speech or the other (40–41 or 42–44) reflects the original form of the narrative, the other having been added, either later or from another poem. In theVolsungasagathe whole passage is condensed into a few words by one bird: “Wiser were it if he should then ride up on Hindarfjoll, where Brynhild sleeps, and there would he get much wisdom.” The Guthrun-bird does not appear at all.41.Gjuki: father of Gunnar and Guthrun: cf.Gripisspo, 13 and note.[384]42.Hindarfjoll: “Mountain of the Hind.”Light of the flood: gold; cf.Reginsmol, 1 and note.43.Battle-maid: Brynhild, here clearly defined as a Valkyrie.Bane of the wood: fire.Ygg: Othin; cf.Grimnismol, 53.The thorn: a prose note inSigrdrifumolcalls it “sleep-thorn.”The fighter: the story of the reason for Brynhild’s punishment is told in the prose following stanza 4 ofSigrdrifumol.44.Vingskornir: Brynhild’s horse, not elsewhere mentioned.Victory-bringer: the word thus translated is in the original “sigrdrifa.” The compiler of the collection, not being familiar with this word, assumed that it was a proper name, and in the prose following stanza 4 of theSigrdrifumolhe specifically states that this was the Valkyrie’s name. Editors, until recently,[385]have followed him in this error, failing to recognize that “sigrdrifa” was simply an epithet for Brynhild. It is from this blunder that the so-calledSigrdrifumoltakes its name. Brynhild’s dual personality as a Valkyrie and as the daughter of Buthli has made plenty of trouble, but the addition of a second Valkyrie in the person of the supposed “Sigrdrifa” has made still more.Prose.There is no break in the manuscript between the end of this prose passage and the beginning of the one introducing theSigrdrifumol: some editors include the entire prose passage with one poem or the other.Hrotti; “Thruster.”[386]

[Contents]Introductory NoteThe so-calledFafnismol, contained in full in theCodex Regius, where it immediately follows theReginsmolwithout any indication of a break, is quoted by Snorri in theGylfaginning(stanza 13) and theSkaldskaparmal(stanzas 32 and 33), and stanzas 6, 3, and 4 appear in theSverrissaga. Although theVolsungasagadoes not actually quote any of the stanzas, it gives a very close prose parallel to the whole poem in chapters 18 and 19.The general character of theFafnismol, and its probable relation to theReginsmoland theSigrdrifumol, have been discussed in the introductory note to theReginsmol. While it is far more nearly a unit than theReginsmol, it shows many of the same characteristics. It has the same mixture of stanza forms, although in this case only nine stanzas (32–33, 35–36 and 40–44) vary from the normal Ljothahattr measure. It shows, though to a much less marked extent, the same tendency to introduce passages from extraneous sources, such as the question-and-answer passage in stanzas 11–15. At the same time, in this instance it is quite clear that one distinct poem, including probably stanzas 1–10, 16–23, 25–31, and 34–39, underlay the compilation which we here have. This may, perhaps, have been a long poem (not, however, the “Long” Sigurth Lay; see introductory note toBrot af Sigurtharkvithu) dealing with the Regin-Fafnir-Sigurth-Brynhild story, and including, besides most of theFafnismol, stanzas 1–4 and 6–11 of theReginsmoland part of the so-calledSigrdrifumol, together with much that has been lost. The original poem may, on the other hand, have confined itself to the Fafnir episode.In any case, and while the extantFafnismolcan be spoken of as a distinct poem far more justly than theReginsmol, there is still no indication that the compiler regarded it as a poem by itself. His prose notes run on without a break, and the verses simply cover a dramatic episode in Sigurth’s early life. The fact that the work of compilation has been done more intelligently than in the case of theReginsmolseems to have resulted chiefly from the compiler’s having been familiar with longer consecutive verse passages dealing with the Fafnir episode.[371]TheReginsmolis little more than a clumsy mosaic, but in theFafnismolit is possible to distinguish between the main substance of the poem and the interpolations.Here, as in theReginsmol, there is very little that bespeaks the German origin of the Sigurth story. Sigurth’s winning of the treasure is in itself undoubtedly a part of the earlier southern legend, but the manner in which he does it is thoroughly Norse. Moreover, the concluding section, which points toward the finding of the sleeping Brynhild, relates entirely to the northern Valkyrie, the warrior-maiden punished by Othin, and not at all to the southern Brynhild the daughter of Buthli. TheFafnismolis, however, sharply distinguished from theReginsmolby showing no clear traces of the Helgi tradition, although a part of the bird song (stanzas 40–44, in Fornyrthislag form, as distinct from the body of the poem) sounds suspiciously like the bird passage in the beginning of theHelgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar. Regarding the general relations of the various sets of traditions in shaping the story of Sigurth, see the introductory note toGripisspo.TheFafnismol, together with a part of theSigrdrifumol, has indirectly become the best known of all the Eddic poems, for the reason that Wagner used it, with remarkably little change of outline, as the basis for his “Siegfried.”

Introductory Note

The so-calledFafnismol, contained in full in theCodex Regius, where it immediately follows theReginsmolwithout any indication of a break, is quoted by Snorri in theGylfaginning(stanza 13) and theSkaldskaparmal(stanzas 32 and 33), and stanzas 6, 3, and 4 appear in theSverrissaga. Although theVolsungasagadoes not actually quote any of the stanzas, it gives a very close prose parallel to the whole poem in chapters 18 and 19.The general character of theFafnismol, and its probable relation to theReginsmoland theSigrdrifumol, have been discussed in the introductory note to theReginsmol. While it is far more nearly a unit than theReginsmol, it shows many of the same characteristics. It has the same mixture of stanza forms, although in this case only nine stanzas (32–33, 35–36 and 40–44) vary from the normal Ljothahattr measure. It shows, though to a much less marked extent, the same tendency to introduce passages from extraneous sources, such as the question-and-answer passage in stanzas 11–15. At the same time, in this instance it is quite clear that one distinct poem, including probably stanzas 1–10, 16–23, 25–31, and 34–39, underlay the compilation which we here have. This may, perhaps, have been a long poem (not, however, the “Long” Sigurth Lay; see introductory note toBrot af Sigurtharkvithu) dealing with the Regin-Fafnir-Sigurth-Brynhild story, and including, besides most of theFafnismol, stanzas 1–4 and 6–11 of theReginsmoland part of the so-calledSigrdrifumol, together with much that has been lost. The original poem may, on the other hand, have confined itself to the Fafnir episode.In any case, and while the extantFafnismolcan be spoken of as a distinct poem far more justly than theReginsmol, there is still no indication that the compiler regarded it as a poem by itself. His prose notes run on without a break, and the verses simply cover a dramatic episode in Sigurth’s early life. The fact that the work of compilation has been done more intelligently than in the case of theReginsmolseems to have resulted chiefly from the compiler’s having been familiar with longer consecutive verse passages dealing with the Fafnir episode.[371]TheReginsmolis little more than a clumsy mosaic, but in theFafnismolit is possible to distinguish between the main substance of the poem and the interpolations.Here, as in theReginsmol, there is very little that bespeaks the German origin of the Sigurth story. Sigurth’s winning of the treasure is in itself undoubtedly a part of the earlier southern legend, but the manner in which he does it is thoroughly Norse. Moreover, the concluding section, which points toward the finding of the sleeping Brynhild, relates entirely to the northern Valkyrie, the warrior-maiden punished by Othin, and not at all to the southern Brynhild the daughter of Buthli. TheFafnismolis, however, sharply distinguished from theReginsmolby showing no clear traces of the Helgi tradition, although a part of the bird song (stanzas 40–44, in Fornyrthislag form, as distinct from the body of the poem) sounds suspiciously like the bird passage in the beginning of theHelgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar. Regarding the general relations of the various sets of traditions in shaping the story of Sigurth, see the introductory note toGripisspo.TheFafnismol, together with a part of theSigrdrifumol, has indirectly become the best known of all the Eddic poems, for the reason that Wagner used it, with remarkably little change of outline, as the basis for his “Siegfried.”

The so-calledFafnismol, contained in full in theCodex Regius, where it immediately follows theReginsmolwithout any indication of a break, is quoted by Snorri in theGylfaginning(stanza 13) and theSkaldskaparmal(stanzas 32 and 33), and stanzas 6, 3, and 4 appear in theSverrissaga. Although theVolsungasagadoes not actually quote any of the stanzas, it gives a very close prose parallel to the whole poem in chapters 18 and 19.

The general character of theFafnismol, and its probable relation to theReginsmoland theSigrdrifumol, have been discussed in the introductory note to theReginsmol. While it is far more nearly a unit than theReginsmol, it shows many of the same characteristics. It has the same mixture of stanza forms, although in this case only nine stanzas (32–33, 35–36 and 40–44) vary from the normal Ljothahattr measure. It shows, though to a much less marked extent, the same tendency to introduce passages from extraneous sources, such as the question-and-answer passage in stanzas 11–15. At the same time, in this instance it is quite clear that one distinct poem, including probably stanzas 1–10, 16–23, 25–31, and 34–39, underlay the compilation which we here have. This may, perhaps, have been a long poem (not, however, the “Long” Sigurth Lay; see introductory note toBrot af Sigurtharkvithu) dealing with the Regin-Fafnir-Sigurth-Brynhild story, and including, besides most of theFafnismol, stanzas 1–4 and 6–11 of theReginsmoland part of the so-calledSigrdrifumol, together with much that has been lost. The original poem may, on the other hand, have confined itself to the Fafnir episode.

In any case, and while the extantFafnismolcan be spoken of as a distinct poem far more justly than theReginsmol, there is still no indication that the compiler regarded it as a poem by itself. His prose notes run on without a break, and the verses simply cover a dramatic episode in Sigurth’s early life. The fact that the work of compilation has been done more intelligently than in the case of theReginsmolseems to have resulted chiefly from the compiler’s having been familiar with longer consecutive verse passages dealing with the Fafnir episode.[371]TheReginsmolis little more than a clumsy mosaic, but in theFafnismolit is possible to distinguish between the main substance of the poem and the interpolations.

Here, as in theReginsmol, there is very little that bespeaks the German origin of the Sigurth story. Sigurth’s winning of the treasure is in itself undoubtedly a part of the earlier southern legend, but the manner in which he does it is thoroughly Norse. Moreover, the concluding section, which points toward the finding of the sleeping Brynhild, relates entirely to the northern Valkyrie, the warrior-maiden punished by Othin, and not at all to the southern Brynhild the daughter of Buthli. TheFafnismolis, however, sharply distinguished from theReginsmolby showing no clear traces of the Helgi tradition, although a part of the bird song (stanzas 40–44, in Fornyrthislag form, as distinct from the body of the poem) sounds suspiciously like the bird passage in the beginning of theHelgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar. Regarding the general relations of the various sets of traditions in shaping the story of Sigurth, see the introductory note toGripisspo.

TheFafnismol, together with a part of theSigrdrifumol, has indirectly become the best known of all the Eddic poems, for the reason that Wagner used it, with remarkably little change of outline, as the basis for his “Siegfried.”

[Contents]Sigurth and Regin went up to the Gnitaheith, and found there the track that Fafnir made when he crawled to water. Then Sigurth made a great trench across the path, and took his place therein. When Fafnir crawled from his gold, he blew out venom, and it ran down from above on Sigurth’s head. But when Fafnir crawled over the trench, then Sigurth thrust his sword into his body[372]to the heart. Fafnir writhed and struck out with his head and tail. Sigurth leaped from the trench, and each looked at the other. Fafnir said:1.“Youth, oh, youth!   |   of whom then, youth, art thou born?Say whose son thou art,Who in Fafnir’s blood   |   thy bright blade reddened,And struck thy sword to my heart.”Sigurth concealed his name because it was believed in olden times that the word of a dying man might have great power if he cursed his foe by his name. He said:2.“The Noble Hart   |   my name, and I goA motherless man abroad;Father I had not,   |   as others have,And lonely ever I live.”[373]Fafnir spake:3.“If father thou hadst not,   |   as others have,By what wonder wast thou born?(Though thy name on the day   |   of my death thou hidest,Thou knowest now thou dost lie.)”Sigurth spake:4.“My race, methinks,   |   is unknown to thee,And so am I myself;Sigurth my name,   |   and Sigmund’s son,Who smote thee thus with the sword.”Fafnir spake:5.“Who drove thee on?   |   why wert thou drivenMy life to make me lose?A father brave   |   had the bright-eyed youth,For bold in boyhood thou art.”Sigurth spake:6.“My heart did drive me,   |   my hand fulfilled,And my shining sword so sharp;Few are keen   |   when old age comes,Who timid in boyhood be.”[374]Fafnir spake:7.“If thou mightest grow   |   thy friends among,One might see thee fiercely fight;But bound thou art,   |   and in battle taken,And to fear are prisoners prone.”Sigurth spake:8.“Thou blamest me, Fafnir,   |   that I see from afarThe wealth that my father’s was;Not bound am I,   |   though in battle taken,Thou hast found that free I live.”Fafnir spake:9.“In all I say   |   dost thou hatred see,Yet truth alone do I tell;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:10.“Some one the hoard   |   shall ever hold,Till the destined day shall come;For a time there is   |   when every manShall journey hence to hell.”Fafnir spake:11.“The fate of the Norns   |   before the headland[375]Thou findest, and doom of a fool;In the water shalt drown   |   if thou row ’gainst the wind,All danger is near to death.”Sigurth spake:12.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:Who are the Norns   |   who are helpful in need,And the babe from the mother bring?”Fafnir spake:13.“Of many births   |   the Norns must be,Nor one in race they were;Some to gods, others   |   to elves are kin,And Dvalin’s daughters some.”Sigurth spake:14.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:[376]How call they the isle   |   where all the godsAnd Surt shall sword-sweat mingle?”Fafnir spake:15.“Oskopnir is it,   |   where all the godsShall seek the play of swords;Bilrost breaks   |   when they cross the bridge,And the steeds shall swim in the flood.16.“The fear-helm I wore   |   to afright mankind,While guarding my gold I lay;Mightier seemed I   |   than any man,For a fiercer never I found.”Sigurth spake:17.“The fear-helm surely   |   no man shieldsWhen he faces a valiant foe;Oft one finds,   |   when the foe he meets,That he is not the bravest of all.”Fafnir spake:18.“Venom I breathed   |   when bright I layBy the hoard my father had;[377](There was none so mighty   |   as dared to meet me,And weapons nor wiles I feared.)”Sigurth spake:19.“Glittering worm,   |   thy hissing was great,And hard didst show thy heart;But hatred more   |   have the sons of menFor him who owns the helm.”Fafnir spake:20.“I counsel thee, Sigurth,   |   heed my speech,And ride thou homeward hence;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:21.“Thy counsel is given,   |   but go I shallTo the gold in the heather hidden;And, Fafnir, thou   |   with death dost fight,Lying where Hel shall have thee.”Fafnir spake:22.“Regin betrayed me,   |   and thee will betray,Us both to death will he bring;[378]His life, methinks,   |   must Fafnir lose,For the mightier man wast thou.”Regin had gone to a distance while Sigurth fought Fafnir, and came back while Sigurth was wiping the blood from his sword. Regin said:23.“Hail to thee, Sigurth!   |   Thou victory hast,And Fafnir in fight hast slain;Of all the men   |   who tread the earth,Most fearless art thou, methinks.”Sigurth spake:24.“Unknown it is,   |   when all are together,(The sons of the glorious gods,)Who bravest born shall seem;Some are valiant   |   who redden no swordIn the blood of a foeman’s breast.”Regin spake:25.“Glad art thou, Sigurth,   |   of battle gained,As Gram with grass thou cleansest;My brother fierce   |   in fight hast slain,And somewhat I did myself.”[379]Sigurth spake:26.“Afar didst thou go   |   while Fafnir reddenedWith his blood my blade so keen;With the might of the dragon   |   my strength I matched,While thou in the heather didst hide.”Regin spake:27.“Longer wouldst thou   |   in the heather have letYon hoary giant hide,Had the weapon availed not   |   that once I forged,The keen-edged blade thou didst bear.”Sigurth spake:28.“Better is heart   |   than a mighty bladeFor him who shall fiercely fight;The brave man well   |   shall fight and win,Though dull his blade may be.29.“Brave men better   |   than cowards be,When the clash of battle comes;And better the glad   |   than the gloomy manShall face what before him lies.30.“Thy rede it was   |   that I should ride[380]Hither o’er mountains high;The glittering worm   |   would have wealth and lifeIf thou hadst not mocked at my might.”Then Regin went up to Fafnir and cut out his heart with his sword, that was named Rithil, and then he drank blood from the wounds. Regin said:31.“Sit now, Sigurth,   |   for sleep will I,Hold Fafnir’s heart to the fire;For all his heart   |   shall eaten be,Since deep of blood I have drunk.”Sigurth took Fafnir’s heart and cooked it on a spit. When he thought that it was fully cooked, and the blood foamed out of the heart, then he tried it with his finger to see whether it was fully cooked. He burned his finger, and put it in his mouth. But when Fafnir’s heart’s-blood came on his tongue, he understood the speech of birds. He heard nut-hatches chattering in the thickets. A nut-hatch said:32.“There sits Sigurth,   |   sprinkled with blood,And Fafnir’s heart   |   with fire he cooks;[381]Wise were the breaker   |   of rings, I ween,To eat the life-muscles   |   all so bright.”A second spake:33.“There Regin lies,   |   and plans he laysThe youth to betray   |   who trusts him well;Lying words   |   with wiles will he speak,Till his brother the maker   |   of mischief avenges.”A third spake:34.“Less by a head   |   let the chatterer hoaryGo from here to hell;Then all of the wealth   |   he alone can wield,The gold that Fafnir guarded.”A fourth spake:35.“Wise would he seem   |   if so he would heedThe counsel good   |   we sisters give;[382]Thought he would give,   |   and the ravens gladden,There is ever a wolf   |   where his ears I spy.”A fifth spake:36.“Less wise must be   |   the tree of battleThan to me would seem   |   the leader of men,If forth he lets   |   one brother fare,When he of the other   |   the slayer is.”A sixth spake:37.“Most foolish he seems   |   if he shall spareHis foe, the bane of the folk;There Regin lies,   |   who hath wronged him so,Yet falsehood knows he not.”A seventh spake:38.“Let the head from the frost-cold   |   giant be hewed,And let him of rings be robbed;Then all the wealth   |   which Fafnir’s wasShall belong to thee alone.”Sigurth spake:39.“Not so rich a fate   |   shall Regin have[383]As the tale of my death to tell;For soon the brothers   |   both shall die,And hence to hell shall go.”Sigurth hewed off Regin’s head, and then he ate Fafnir’s heart, and drank the blood of both Regin and Fafnir. Then Sigurth heard what the nut-hatch said:40.“Bind, Sigurth, the golden   |   rings together,Not kingly is it   |   aught to fear;I know a maid,   |   there is none so fair,Rich in gold,   |   if thou mightest get her.41.“Green the paths   |   that to Gjuki lead,[384]And his fate the way   |   to the wanderer shows;The doughty king   |   a daughter has,That thou as a bride   |   mayst, Sigurth, buy.”Another spake:42.“A hall stands high   |   on Hindarfjoll,All with flame   |   is it ringed without;Warriors wise   |   did make it onceOut of the flaming   |   light of the flood.43.“On the mountain sleeps   |   a battle-maid,And about her plays   |   the bane of the wood;Ygg with the thorn   |   hath smitten her thus,For she felled the fighter   |   he fain would save.44.“There mayst thou behold   |   the maiden helmed,Who forth on Vingskornir   |   rode from the fight;The victory-bringer   |   her sleep shall break not,Thou heroes’ son,   |   so the Norns have set.”[385]Sigurth rode along Fafnir’s trail to his lair, and found it open. The gate-posts were of iron, and the gates; of iron, too, were all the beams in the house, which was dug down into the earth. There Sigurth found a mighty store of gold, and he filled two chests full thereof; he took the fear-helm and a golden mail-coat and the sword Hrotti, and many other precious things, and loaded Grani with them, but the horse would not go forward until Sigurth mounted on his back.[370]

Sigurth and Regin went up to the Gnitaheith, and found there the track that Fafnir made when he crawled to water. Then Sigurth made a great trench across the path, and took his place therein. When Fafnir crawled from his gold, he blew out venom, and it ran down from above on Sigurth’s head. But when Fafnir crawled over the trench, then Sigurth thrust his sword into his body[372]to the heart. Fafnir writhed and struck out with his head and tail. Sigurth leaped from the trench, and each looked at the other. Fafnir said:1.“Youth, oh, youth!   |   of whom then, youth, art thou born?Say whose son thou art,Who in Fafnir’s blood   |   thy bright blade reddened,And struck thy sword to my heart.”Sigurth concealed his name because it was believed in olden times that the word of a dying man might have great power if he cursed his foe by his name. He said:2.“The Noble Hart   |   my name, and I goA motherless man abroad;Father I had not,   |   as others have,And lonely ever I live.”[373]Fafnir spake:3.“If father thou hadst not,   |   as others have,By what wonder wast thou born?(Though thy name on the day   |   of my death thou hidest,Thou knowest now thou dost lie.)”Sigurth spake:4.“My race, methinks,   |   is unknown to thee,And so am I myself;Sigurth my name,   |   and Sigmund’s son,Who smote thee thus with the sword.”Fafnir spake:5.“Who drove thee on?   |   why wert thou drivenMy life to make me lose?A father brave   |   had the bright-eyed youth,For bold in boyhood thou art.”Sigurth spake:6.“My heart did drive me,   |   my hand fulfilled,And my shining sword so sharp;Few are keen   |   when old age comes,Who timid in boyhood be.”[374]Fafnir spake:7.“If thou mightest grow   |   thy friends among,One might see thee fiercely fight;But bound thou art,   |   and in battle taken,And to fear are prisoners prone.”Sigurth spake:8.“Thou blamest me, Fafnir,   |   that I see from afarThe wealth that my father’s was;Not bound am I,   |   though in battle taken,Thou hast found that free I live.”Fafnir spake:9.“In all I say   |   dost thou hatred see,Yet truth alone do I tell;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:10.“Some one the hoard   |   shall ever hold,Till the destined day shall come;For a time there is   |   when every manShall journey hence to hell.”Fafnir spake:11.“The fate of the Norns   |   before the headland[375]Thou findest, and doom of a fool;In the water shalt drown   |   if thou row ’gainst the wind,All danger is near to death.”Sigurth spake:12.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:Who are the Norns   |   who are helpful in need,And the babe from the mother bring?”Fafnir spake:13.“Of many births   |   the Norns must be,Nor one in race they were;Some to gods, others   |   to elves are kin,And Dvalin’s daughters some.”Sigurth spake:14.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:[376]How call they the isle   |   where all the godsAnd Surt shall sword-sweat mingle?”Fafnir spake:15.“Oskopnir is it,   |   where all the godsShall seek the play of swords;Bilrost breaks   |   when they cross the bridge,And the steeds shall swim in the flood.16.“The fear-helm I wore   |   to afright mankind,While guarding my gold I lay;Mightier seemed I   |   than any man,For a fiercer never I found.”Sigurth spake:17.“The fear-helm surely   |   no man shieldsWhen he faces a valiant foe;Oft one finds,   |   when the foe he meets,That he is not the bravest of all.”Fafnir spake:18.“Venom I breathed   |   when bright I layBy the hoard my father had;[377](There was none so mighty   |   as dared to meet me,And weapons nor wiles I feared.)”Sigurth spake:19.“Glittering worm,   |   thy hissing was great,And hard didst show thy heart;But hatred more   |   have the sons of menFor him who owns the helm.”Fafnir spake:20.“I counsel thee, Sigurth,   |   heed my speech,And ride thou homeward hence;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”Sigurth spake:21.“Thy counsel is given,   |   but go I shallTo the gold in the heather hidden;And, Fafnir, thou   |   with death dost fight,Lying where Hel shall have thee.”Fafnir spake:22.“Regin betrayed me,   |   and thee will betray,Us both to death will he bring;[378]His life, methinks,   |   must Fafnir lose,For the mightier man wast thou.”Regin had gone to a distance while Sigurth fought Fafnir, and came back while Sigurth was wiping the blood from his sword. Regin said:23.“Hail to thee, Sigurth!   |   Thou victory hast,And Fafnir in fight hast slain;Of all the men   |   who tread the earth,Most fearless art thou, methinks.”Sigurth spake:24.“Unknown it is,   |   when all are together,(The sons of the glorious gods,)Who bravest born shall seem;Some are valiant   |   who redden no swordIn the blood of a foeman’s breast.”Regin spake:25.“Glad art thou, Sigurth,   |   of battle gained,As Gram with grass thou cleansest;My brother fierce   |   in fight hast slain,And somewhat I did myself.”[379]Sigurth spake:26.“Afar didst thou go   |   while Fafnir reddenedWith his blood my blade so keen;With the might of the dragon   |   my strength I matched,While thou in the heather didst hide.”Regin spake:27.“Longer wouldst thou   |   in the heather have letYon hoary giant hide,Had the weapon availed not   |   that once I forged,The keen-edged blade thou didst bear.”Sigurth spake:28.“Better is heart   |   than a mighty bladeFor him who shall fiercely fight;The brave man well   |   shall fight and win,Though dull his blade may be.29.“Brave men better   |   than cowards be,When the clash of battle comes;And better the glad   |   than the gloomy manShall face what before him lies.30.“Thy rede it was   |   that I should ride[380]Hither o’er mountains high;The glittering worm   |   would have wealth and lifeIf thou hadst not mocked at my might.”Then Regin went up to Fafnir and cut out his heart with his sword, that was named Rithil, and then he drank blood from the wounds. Regin said:31.“Sit now, Sigurth,   |   for sleep will I,Hold Fafnir’s heart to the fire;For all his heart   |   shall eaten be,Since deep of blood I have drunk.”Sigurth took Fafnir’s heart and cooked it on a spit. When he thought that it was fully cooked, and the blood foamed out of the heart, then he tried it with his finger to see whether it was fully cooked. He burned his finger, and put it in his mouth. But when Fafnir’s heart’s-blood came on his tongue, he understood the speech of birds. He heard nut-hatches chattering in the thickets. A nut-hatch said:32.“There sits Sigurth,   |   sprinkled with blood,And Fafnir’s heart   |   with fire he cooks;[381]Wise were the breaker   |   of rings, I ween,To eat the life-muscles   |   all so bright.”A second spake:33.“There Regin lies,   |   and plans he laysThe youth to betray   |   who trusts him well;Lying words   |   with wiles will he speak,Till his brother the maker   |   of mischief avenges.”A third spake:34.“Less by a head   |   let the chatterer hoaryGo from here to hell;Then all of the wealth   |   he alone can wield,The gold that Fafnir guarded.”A fourth spake:35.“Wise would he seem   |   if so he would heedThe counsel good   |   we sisters give;[382]Thought he would give,   |   and the ravens gladden,There is ever a wolf   |   where his ears I spy.”A fifth spake:36.“Less wise must be   |   the tree of battleThan to me would seem   |   the leader of men,If forth he lets   |   one brother fare,When he of the other   |   the slayer is.”A sixth spake:37.“Most foolish he seems   |   if he shall spareHis foe, the bane of the folk;There Regin lies,   |   who hath wronged him so,Yet falsehood knows he not.”A seventh spake:38.“Let the head from the frost-cold   |   giant be hewed,And let him of rings be robbed;Then all the wealth   |   which Fafnir’s wasShall belong to thee alone.”Sigurth spake:39.“Not so rich a fate   |   shall Regin have[383]As the tale of my death to tell;For soon the brothers   |   both shall die,And hence to hell shall go.”Sigurth hewed off Regin’s head, and then he ate Fafnir’s heart, and drank the blood of both Regin and Fafnir. Then Sigurth heard what the nut-hatch said:40.“Bind, Sigurth, the golden   |   rings together,Not kingly is it   |   aught to fear;I know a maid,   |   there is none so fair,Rich in gold,   |   if thou mightest get her.41.“Green the paths   |   that to Gjuki lead,[384]And his fate the way   |   to the wanderer shows;The doughty king   |   a daughter has,That thou as a bride   |   mayst, Sigurth, buy.”Another spake:42.“A hall stands high   |   on Hindarfjoll,All with flame   |   is it ringed without;Warriors wise   |   did make it onceOut of the flaming   |   light of the flood.43.“On the mountain sleeps   |   a battle-maid,And about her plays   |   the bane of the wood;Ygg with the thorn   |   hath smitten her thus,For she felled the fighter   |   he fain would save.44.“There mayst thou behold   |   the maiden helmed,Who forth on Vingskornir   |   rode from the fight;The victory-bringer   |   her sleep shall break not,Thou heroes’ son,   |   so the Norns have set.”[385]Sigurth rode along Fafnir’s trail to his lair, and found it open. The gate-posts were of iron, and the gates; of iron, too, were all the beams in the house, which was dug down into the earth. There Sigurth found a mighty store of gold, and he filled two chests full thereof; he took the fear-helm and a golden mail-coat and the sword Hrotti, and many other precious things, and loaded Grani with them, but the horse would not go forward until Sigurth mounted on his back.[370]

Sigurth and Regin went up to the Gnitaheith, and found there the track that Fafnir made when he crawled to water. Then Sigurth made a great trench across the path, and took his place therein. When Fafnir crawled from his gold, he blew out venom, and it ran down from above on Sigurth’s head. But when Fafnir crawled over the trench, then Sigurth thrust his sword into his body[372]to the heart. Fafnir writhed and struck out with his head and tail. Sigurth leaped from the trench, and each looked at the other. Fafnir said:

1.“Youth, oh, youth!   |   of whom then, youth, art thou born?Say whose son thou art,Who in Fafnir’s blood   |   thy bright blade reddened,And struck thy sword to my heart.”

1.“Youth, oh, youth!   |   of whom then, youth, art thou born?

Say whose son thou art,

Who in Fafnir’s blood   |   thy bright blade reddened,

And struck thy sword to my heart.”

Sigurth concealed his name because it was believed in olden times that the word of a dying man might have great power if he cursed his foe by his name. He said:

2.“The Noble Hart   |   my name, and I goA motherless man abroad;Father I had not,   |   as others have,And lonely ever I live.”

2.“The Noble Hart   |   my name, and I go

A motherless man abroad;

Father I had not,   |   as others have,

And lonely ever I live.”

[373]

Fafnir spake:

3.“If father thou hadst not,   |   as others have,By what wonder wast thou born?(Though thy name on the day   |   of my death thou hidest,Thou knowest now thou dost lie.)”

3.“If father thou hadst not,   |   as others have,

By what wonder wast thou born?

(Though thy name on the day   |   of my death thou hidest,

Thou knowest now thou dost lie.)”

Sigurth spake:

4.“My race, methinks,   |   is unknown to thee,And so am I myself;Sigurth my name,   |   and Sigmund’s son,Who smote thee thus with the sword.”

4.“My race, methinks,   |   is unknown to thee,

And so am I myself;

Sigurth my name,   |   and Sigmund’s son,

Who smote thee thus with the sword.”

Fafnir spake:

5.“Who drove thee on?   |   why wert thou drivenMy life to make me lose?A father brave   |   had the bright-eyed youth,For bold in boyhood thou art.”

5.“Who drove thee on?   |   why wert thou driven

My life to make me lose?

A father brave   |   had the bright-eyed youth,

For bold in boyhood thou art.”

Sigurth spake:

6.“My heart did drive me,   |   my hand fulfilled,And my shining sword so sharp;Few are keen   |   when old age comes,Who timid in boyhood be.”

6.“My heart did drive me,   |   my hand fulfilled,

And my shining sword so sharp;

Few are keen   |   when old age comes,

Who timid in boyhood be.”

[374]

Fafnir spake:

7.“If thou mightest grow   |   thy friends among,One might see thee fiercely fight;But bound thou art,   |   and in battle taken,And to fear are prisoners prone.”

7.“If thou mightest grow   |   thy friends among,

One might see thee fiercely fight;

But bound thou art,   |   and in battle taken,

And to fear are prisoners prone.”

Sigurth spake:

8.“Thou blamest me, Fafnir,   |   that I see from afarThe wealth that my father’s was;Not bound am I,   |   though in battle taken,Thou hast found that free I live.”

8.“Thou blamest me, Fafnir,   |   that I see from afar

The wealth that my father’s was;

Not bound am I,   |   though in battle taken,

Thou hast found that free I live.”

Fafnir spake:

9.“In all I say   |   dost thou hatred see,Yet truth alone do I tell;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”

9.“In all I say   |   dost thou hatred see,

Yet truth alone do I tell;

The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,

And the rings thy bane shall be.”

Sigurth spake:

10.“Some one the hoard   |   shall ever hold,Till the destined day shall come;For a time there is   |   when every manShall journey hence to hell.”

10.“Some one the hoard   |   shall ever hold,

Till the destined day shall come;

For a time there is   |   when every man

Shall journey hence to hell.”

Fafnir spake:

11.“The fate of the Norns   |   before the headland[375]Thou findest, and doom of a fool;In the water shalt drown   |   if thou row ’gainst the wind,All danger is near to death.”

11.“The fate of the Norns   |   before the headland[375]

Thou findest, and doom of a fool;

In the water shalt drown   |   if thou row ’gainst the wind,

All danger is near to death.”

Sigurth spake:

12.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:Who are the Norns   |   who are helpful in need,And the babe from the mother bring?”

12.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,

And much thou knowest now:

Who are the Norns   |   who are helpful in need,

And the babe from the mother bring?”

Fafnir spake:

13.“Of many births   |   the Norns must be,Nor one in race they were;Some to gods, others   |   to elves are kin,And Dvalin’s daughters some.”

13.“Of many births   |   the Norns must be,

Nor one in race they were;

Some to gods, others   |   to elves are kin,

And Dvalin’s daughters some.”

Sigurth spake:

14.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,And much thou knowest now:[376]How call they the isle   |   where all the godsAnd Surt shall sword-sweat mingle?”

14.“Tell me then, Fafnir,   |   for wise thou art famed,

And much thou knowest now:[376]

How call they the isle   |   where all the gods

And Surt shall sword-sweat mingle?”

Fafnir spake:

15.“Oskopnir is it,   |   where all the godsShall seek the play of swords;Bilrost breaks   |   when they cross the bridge,And the steeds shall swim in the flood.

15.“Oskopnir is it,   |   where all the gods

Shall seek the play of swords;

Bilrost breaks   |   when they cross the bridge,

And the steeds shall swim in the flood.

16.“The fear-helm I wore   |   to afright mankind,While guarding my gold I lay;Mightier seemed I   |   than any man,For a fiercer never I found.”

16.“The fear-helm I wore   |   to afright mankind,

While guarding my gold I lay;

Mightier seemed I   |   than any man,

For a fiercer never I found.”

Sigurth spake:

17.“The fear-helm surely   |   no man shieldsWhen he faces a valiant foe;Oft one finds,   |   when the foe he meets,That he is not the bravest of all.”

17.“The fear-helm surely   |   no man shields

When he faces a valiant foe;

Oft one finds,   |   when the foe he meets,

That he is not the bravest of all.”

Fafnir spake:

18.“Venom I breathed   |   when bright I layBy the hoard my father had;[377](There was none so mighty   |   as dared to meet me,And weapons nor wiles I feared.)”

18.“Venom I breathed   |   when bright I lay

By the hoard my father had;[377]

(There was none so mighty   |   as dared to meet me,

And weapons nor wiles I feared.)”

Sigurth spake:

19.“Glittering worm,   |   thy hissing was great,And hard didst show thy heart;But hatred more   |   have the sons of menFor him who owns the helm.”

19.“Glittering worm,   |   thy hissing was great,

And hard didst show thy heart;

But hatred more   |   have the sons of men

For him who owns the helm.”

Fafnir spake:

20.“I counsel thee, Sigurth,   |   heed my speech,And ride thou homeward hence;The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,And the rings thy bane shall be.”

20.“I counsel thee, Sigurth,   |   heed my speech,

And ride thou homeward hence;

The sounding gold,   |   the glow-red wealth,

And the rings thy bane shall be.”

Sigurth spake:

21.“Thy counsel is given,   |   but go I shallTo the gold in the heather hidden;And, Fafnir, thou   |   with death dost fight,Lying where Hel shall have thee.”

21.“Thy counsel is given,   |   but go I shall

To the gold in the heather hidden;

And, Fafnir, thou   |   with death dost fight,

Lying where Hel shall have thee.”

Fafnir spake:

22.“Regin betrayed me,   |   and thee will betray,Us both to death will he bring;[378]His life, methinks,   |   must Fafnir lose,For the mightier man wast thou.”

22.“Regin betrayed me,   |   and thee will betray,

Us both to death will he bring;[378]

His life, methinks,   |   must Fafnir lose,

For the mightier man wast thou.”

Regin had gone to a distance while Sigurth fought Fafnir, and came back while Sigurth was wiping the blood from his sword. Regin said:

23.“Hail to thee, Sigurth!   |   Thou victory hast,And Fafnir in fight hast slain;Of all the men   |   who tread the earth,Most fearless art thou, methinks.”

23.“Hail to thee, Sigurth!   |   Thou victory hast,

And Fafnir in fight hast slain;

Of all the men   |   who tread the earth,

Most fearless art thou, methinks.”

Sigurth spake:

24.“Unknown it is,   |   when all are together,(The sons of the glorious gods,)Who bravest born shall seem;Some are valiant   |   who redden no swordIn the blood of a foeman’s breast.”

24.“Unknown it is,   |   when all are together,

(The sons of the glorious gods,)

Who bravest born shall seem;

Some are valiant   |   who redden no sword

In the blood of a foeman’s breast.”

Regin spake:

25.“Glad art thou, Sigurth,   |   of battle gained,As Gram with grass thou cleansest;My brother fierce   |   in fight hast slain,And somewhat I did myself.”

25.“Glad art thou, Sigurth,   |   of battle gained,

As Gram with grass thou cleansest;

My brother fierce   |   in fight hast slain,

And somewhat I did myself.”

[379]

Sigurth spake:

26.“Afar didst thou go   |   while Fafnir reddenedWith his blood my blade so keen;With the might of the dragon   |   my strength I matched,While thou in the heather didst hide.”

26.“Afar didst thou go   |   while Fafnir reddened

With his blood my blade so keen;

With the might of the dragon   |   my strength I matched,

While thou in the heather didst hide.”

Regin spake:

27.“Longer wouldst thou   |   in the heather have letYon hoary giant hide,Had the weapon availed not   |   that once I forged,The keen-edged blade thou didst bear.”

27.“Longer wouldst thou   |   in the heather have let

Yon hoary giant hide,

Had the weapon availed not   |   that once I forged,

The keen-edged blade thou didst bear.”

Sigurth spake:

28.“Better is heart   |   than a mighty bladeFor him who shall fiercely fight;The brave man well   |   shall fight and win,Though dull his blade may be.

28.“Better is heart   |   than a mighty blade

For him who shall fiercely fight;

The brave man well   |   shall fight and win,

Though dull his blade may be.

29.“Brave men better   |   than cowards be,When the clash of battle comes;And better the glad   |   than the gloomy manShall face what before him lies.

29.“Brave men better   |   than cowards be,

When the clash of battle comes;

And better the glad   |   than the gloomy man

Shall face what before him lies.

30.“Thy rede it was   |   that I should ride[380]Hither o’er mountains high;The glittering worm   |   would have wealth and lifeIf thou hadst not mocked at my might.”

30.“Thy rede it was   |   that I should ride[380]

Hither o’er mountains high;

The glittering worm   |   would have wealth and life

If thou hadst not mocked at my might.”

Then Regin went up to Fafnir and cut out his heart with his sword, that was named Rithil, and then he drank blood from the wounds. Regin said:

31.“Sit now, Sigurth,   |   for sleep will I,Hold Fafnir’s heart to the fire;For all his heart   |   shall eaten be,Since deep of blood I have drunk.”

31.“Sit now, Sigurth,   |   for sleep will I,

Hold Fafnir’s heart to the fire;

For all his heart   |   shall eaten be,

Since deep of blood I have drunk.”

Sigurth took Fafnir’s heart and cooked it on a spit. When he thought that it was fully cooked, and the blood foamed out of the heart, then he tried it with his finger to see whether it was fully cooked. He burned his finger, and put it in his mouth. But when Fafnir’s heart’s-blood came on his tongue, he understood the speech of birds. He heard nut-hatches chattering in the thickets. A nut-hatch said:

32.“There sits Sigurth,   |   sprinkled with blood,And Fafnir’s heart   |   with fire he cooks;[381]Wise were the breaker   |   of rings, I ween,To eat the life-muscles   |   all so bright.”

32.“There sits Sigurth,   |   sprinkled with blood,

And Fafnir’s heart   |   with fire he cooks;[381]

Wise were the breaker   |   of rings, I ween,

To eat the life-muscles   |   all so bright.”

A second spake:

33.“There Regin lies,   |   and plans he laysThe youth to betray   |   who trusts him well;Lying words   |   with wiles will he speak,Till his brother the maker   |   of mischief avenges.”

33.“There Regin lies,   |   and plans he lays

The youth to betray   |   who trusts him well;

Lying words   |   with wiles will he speak,

Till his brother the maker   |   of mischief avenges.”

A third spake:

34.“Less by a head   |   let the chatterer hoaryGo from here to hell;Then all of the wealth   |   he alone can wield,The gold that Fafnir guarded.”

34.“Less by a head   |   let the chatterer hoary

Go from here to hell;

Then all of the wealth   |   he alone can wield,

The gold that Fafnir guarded.”

A fourth spake:

35.“Wise would he seem   |   if so he would heedThe counsel good   |   we sisters give;[382]Thought he would give,   |   and the ravens gladden,There is ever a wolf   |   where his ears I spy.”

35.“Wise would he seem   |   if so he would heed

The counsel good   |   we sisters give;[382]

Thought he would give,   |   and the ravens gladden,

There is ever a wolf   |   where his ears I spy.”

A fifth spake:

36.“Less wise must be   |   the tree of battleThan to me would seem   |   the leader of men,If forth he lets   |   one brother fare,When he of the other   |   the slayer is.”

36.“Less wise must be   |   the tree of battle

Than to me would seem   |   the leader of men,

If forth he lets   |   one brother fare,

When he of the other   |   the slayer is.”

A sixth spake:

37.“Most foolish he seems   |   if he shall spareHis foe, the bane of the folk;There Regin lies,   |   who hath wronged him so,Yet falsehood knows he not.”

37.“Most foolish he seems   |   if he shall spare

His foe, the bane of the folk;

There Regin lies,   |   who hath wronged him so,

Yet falsehood knows he not.”

A seventh spake:

38.“Let the head from the frost-cold   |   giant be hewed,And let him of rings be robbed;Then all the wealth   |   which Fafnir’s wasShall belong to thee alone.”

38.“Let the head from the frost-cold   |   giant be hewed,

And let him of rings be robbed;

Then all the wealth   |   which Fafnir’s was

Shall belong to thee alone.”

Sigurth spake:

39.“Not so rich a fate   |   shall Regin have[383]As the tale of my death to tell;For soon the brothers   |   both shall die,And hence to hell shall go.”

39.“Not so rich a fate   |   shall Regin have[383]

As the tale of my death to tell;

For soon the brothers   |   both shall die,

And hence to hell shall go.”

Sigurth hewed off Regin’s head, and then he ate Fafnir’s heart, and drank the blood of both Regin and Fafnir. Then Sigurth heard what the nut-hatch said:

40.“Bind, Sigurth, the golden   |   rings together,Not kingly is it   |   aught to fear;I know a maid,   |   there is none so fair,Rich in gold,   |   if thou mightest get her.

40.“Bind, Sigurth, the golden   |   rings together,

Not kingly is it   |   aught to fear;

I know a maid,   |   there is none so fair,

Rich in gold,   |   if thou mightest get her.

41.“Green the paths   |   that to Gjuki lead,[384]And his fate the way   |   to the wanderer shows;The doughty king   |   a daughter has,That thou as a bride   |   mayst, Sigurth, buy.”

41.“Green the paths   |   that to Gjuki lead,[384]

And his fate the way   |   to the wanderer shows;

The doughty king   |   a daughter has,

That thou as a bride   |   mayst, Sigurth, buy.”

Another spake:

42.“A hall stands high   |   on Hindarfjoll,All with flame   |   is it ringed without;Warriors wise   |   did make it onceOut of the flaming   |   light of the flood.

42.“A hall stands high   |   on Hindarfjoll,

All with flame   |   is it ringed without;

Warriors wise   |   did make it once

Out of the flaming   |   light of the flood.

43.“On the mountain sleeps   |   a battle-maid,And about her plays   |   the bane of the wood;Ygg with the thorn   |   hath smitten her thus,For she felled the fighter   |   he fain would save.

43.“On the mountain sleeps   |   a battle-maid,

And about her plays   |   the bane of the wood;

Ygg with the thorn   |   hath smitten her thus,

For she felled the fighter   |   he fain would save.

44.“There mayst thou behold   |   the maiden helmed,Who forth on Vingskornir   |   rode from the fight;The victory-bringer   |   her sleep shall break not,Thou heroes’ son,   |   so the Norns have set.”

44.“There mayst thou behold   |   the maiden helmed,

Who forth on Vingskornir   |   rode from the fight;

The victory-bringer   |   her sleep shall break not,

Thou heroes’ son,   |   so the Norns have set.”

[385]

Sigurth rode along Fafnir’s trail to his lair, and found it open. The gate-posts were of iron, and the gates; of iron, too, were all the beams in the house, which was dug down into the earth. There Sigurth found a mighty store of gold, and he filled two chests full thereof; he took the fear-helm and a golden mail-coat and the sword Hrotti, and many other precious things, and loaded Grani with them, but the horse would not go forward until Sigurth mounted on his back.[370]

[Contents]NOTES[371]Prose.The prose follows the concluding prose passage of theReginsmolwithout any interruption; the heading “Of Fafnir’s Death” is written in the manuscript very faintly just before stanza 1.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fafnir: Regin’s brother: cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14.Venom: in theVolsungasaga[372]it was the blood, and not the venom, that poured down on Sigurth’s head. Sigurth was much worried about this danger, and before he dug the trench asked Regin what would happen if the dragon’s blood overcame him. Regin thereupon taunted him with cowardice (Sigurth refers to this taunt in stanza 30, but the stanza embodying it has disappeared). After Sigurth had dug his trench, an old man (Othin, of course) appeared and advised him to dig other trenches to carry off the blood, which he did, thereby escaping harm.1.The first line in the original, as here, is unusually long, but dramatically very effective on that account.3.The names of the speakers do not appear in the manuscript, though they seem originally to have been indicated in the[373]margin for stanzas 3–30. The last two lines of stanza 3 are missing in the manuscript, with no gap indicated, but theVolsungasagaprose paraphrase indicates that something was omitted, and the lines here given are conjecturally reconstructed from this paraphrase.4.The manuscript marks line 3 as the beginning of a stanza.5.Line 4, utterly obscure in the manuscript, is guesswork.[374]7.Fafnir here refers to the fact that Hjordis, mother of the still unborn Sigurth, was captured by Alf after Sigmund’s death; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, note.11.Stanzas 11–15 are probably interpolated, and come from[375]a poem similar toVafthruthnismol.The headland: Fafnir is apparently quoting proverbs; this one seems to mean that disaster (“the fate of the Norns”) awaits when one rounds the first headland (i.e., at the beginning of life’s voyage, in youth). The third line is a commentary on obstinate rashness. TheVolsungasagaparaphrases stanzas 11–15 throughout.12.Norns: cf. stanza 13 and note. Sigurth has no possible interest in knowing what Norns are helpful in childbirth, but interpolations were seldom logical.13.Snorri quotes this stanza. There were minor Norns, or fates, in addition to the three great Norns, regarding whom cf.Voluspo, 20.Dvalin: chief of the dwarfs; cf.Voluspo, 14.[376]14.Surt: ruler of the fire world; the reference is to the last great battle.Sword-sweat: blood.15.Oskopnir(“Not-Made”): apparently another name for Vigrith, which is named inVafthruthnismol, 18, as the final battle-ground.Bilrost(or Bifrost): the rainbow bridge which breaks beneath Surt’s followers; cf.Grimnismol, 29 and note.16.With this stanza Fafnir returns to the situation.Fear-helm: regarding the “ægis-hjalmr” cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14 and note.[377]18.Lines 3–4 do not appear in the manuscript, and no gap is indicated; they are here conjecturally paraphrased from the prose passage in theVolsungasaga.20.It has been suggested that this stanza is spurious, and that stanza 21 ought to follow stanza 22. Lines 3–4, abbreviated in the manuscript, are identical with lines 3–4 of stanza 9. TheVolsungasagaparaphrase in place of these two lines makes[378]Fafnir say: “For it often happens that he who gets a deadly wound yet avenges himself.” It is quite likely that two stanzas have been lost.22.TheVolsungasagaplaces its paraphrase of this stanza between those of stanzas 15 and 16.24.Line 2 is probably spurious, but it is a phrase typical of such poems asGrimnismolorVafthruthnismol.25.Gram: Sigurth’s sword; cf.Reginsmol, prose after 14.[379]26.In the manuscript stanzas 26–29 stand after stanza 31, which fails to make clear sense; they are here rearranged in accordance with theVolsungasagaparaphrase.28–29.Almost certainly interpolated from some such poem as theHovamol. Even the faithfulVolsungasagafails to paraphrase stanza 29.[380]30.Something has evidently been lost before this stanza. Sigurth clearly refers to Regin’s reproach when he was digging the trench (cf. note on introductory prose), but the poem does not give such a passage.Prose.Rithil(“Swift-Moving”): Snorri calls the sword Refil (“Serpent”).32.That the birds’ stanzas come from more than one source[381]is fairly apparent, but whether from two or from three or more is uncertain. It is also far from clear how many birds are speaking. The manuscript numbers II, III, and IV in the margin with numerals; theVolsungasagamakes a different bird speak each time. There are almost as many guesses as there are editions. I suspect that in the original poem there was one bird, speaking stanzas 34 and 37. Stanza 38 is little more than a repetition of stanza 34, and may well have been a later addition. As for the stanzas in Fornyrthislag (32–33 and 35–36), they apparently come from another poem, in which several birds speak (cf. “we sisters” in stanza 35). This may be the same poem from which stanzas 40–44 were taken, as well as some of the Fornyrthislag stanzas in theSigrdrifumol.34.Some editions turn this speech from the third person into the second, but the manuscript is clear enough.[382]35.Wolf, etc.: the phrase is nearly equivalent to “there must be fire where there is smoke.” The proverb appears elsewhere in Old Norse.36.Tree of battle: warrior.37.Here, as in stanza 34, some editions turn the speech from the third person into the second.38.Giant: Regin was certainly not a frost-giant, and the whole stanza looks like some copyist’s blundering reproduction of stanza 34.[383]40.Neither the manuscript nor any of the editions suggest the existence of more than one bird in stanzas 40–44. It seems to me, however, that there are not only two birds, but two distinct stories. Stanzas 40–41 apply solely to Guthrun, and suggest that Sigurth will go straight to Gunnar’s hall. Stanzas 42–44, on the other hand, apply solely to Brynhild, and indicate that Sigurth will find her before he visits the Gjukungs. The confusion which existed between these two versions of the story, and which involved a fundamental difference in the final working out of Brynhild’s revenge, is commented on in the note onGripisspo, 13. In the present passage it is possible that two birds are speaking, each reflecting one version of the story; it seems even more likely that one speech or the other (40–41 or 42–44) reflects the original form of the narrative, the other having been added, either later or from another poem. In theVolsungasagathe whole passage is condensed into a few words by one bird: “Wiser were it if he should then ride up on Hindarfjoll, where Brynhild sleeps, and there would he get much wisdom.” The Guthrun-bird does not appear at all.41.Gjuki: father of Gunnar and Guthrun: cf.Gripisspo, 13 and note.[384]42.Hindarfjoll: “Mountain of the Hind.”Light of the flood: gold; cf.Reginsmol, 1 and note.43.Battle-maid: Brynhild, here clearly defined as a Valkyrie.Bane of the wood: fire.Ygg: Othin; cf.Grimnismol, 53.The thorn: a prose note inSigrdrifumolcalls it “sleep-thorn.”The fighter: the story of the reason for Brynhild’s punishment is told in the prose following stanza 4 ofSigrdrifumol.44.Vingskornir: Brynhild’s horse, not elsewhere mentioned.Victory-bringer: the word thus translated is in the original “sigrdrifa.” The compiler of the collection, not being familiar with this word, assumed that it was a proper name, and in the prose following stanza 4 of theSigrdrifumolhe specifically states that this was the Valkyrie’s name. Editors, until recently,[385]have followed him in this error, failing to recognize that “sigrdrifa” was simply an epithet for Brynhild. It is from this blunder that the so-calledSigrdrifumoltakes its name. Brynhild’s dual personality as a Valkyrie and as the daughter of Buthli has made plenty of trouble, but the addition of a second Valkyrie in the person of the supposed “Sigrdrifa” has made still more.Prose.There is no break in the manuscript between the end of this prose passage and the beginning of the one introducing theSigrdrifumol: some editors include the entire prose passage with one poem or the other.Hrotti; “Thruster.”[386]

NOTES[371]

[371]

Prose.The prose follows the concluding prose passage of theReginsmolwithout any interruption; the heading “Of Fafnir’s Death” is written in the manuscript very faintly just before stanza 1.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fafnir: Regin’s brother: cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14.Venom: in theVolsungasaga[372]it was the blood, and not the venom, that poured down on Sigurth’s head. Sigurth was much worried about this danger, and before he dug the trench asked Regin what would happen if the dragon’s blood overcame him. Regin thereupon taunted him with cowardice (Sigurth refers to this taunt in stanza 30, but the stanza embodying it has disappeared). After Sigurth had dug his trench, an old man (Othin, of course) appeared and advised him to dig other trenches to carry off the blood, which he did, thereby escaping harm.1.The first line in the original, as here, is unusually long, but dramatically very effective on that account.3.The names of the speakers do not appear in the manuscript, though they seem originally to have been indicated in the[373]margin for stanzas 3–30. The last two lines of stanza 3 are missing in the manuscript, with no gap indicated, but theVolsungasagaprose paraphrase indicates that something was omitted, and the lines here given are conjecturally reconstructed from this paraphrase.4.The manuscript marks line 3 as the beginning of a stanza.5.Line 4, utterly obscure in the manuscript, is guesswork.[374]7.Fafnir here refers to the fact that Hjordis, mother of the still unborn Sigurth, was captured by Alf after Sigmund’s death; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, note.11.Stanzas 11–15 are probably interpolated, and come from[375]a poem similar toVafthruthnismol.The headland: Fafnir is apparently quoting proverbs; this one seems to mean that disaster (“the fate of the Norns”) awaits when one rounds the first headland (i.e., at the beginning of life’s voyage, in youth). The third line is a commentary on obstinate rashness. TheVolsungasagaparaphrases stanzas 11–15 throughout.12.Norns: cf. stanza 13 and note. Sigurth has no possible interest in knowing what Norns are helpful in childbirth, but interpolations were seldom logical.13.Snorri quotes this stanza. There were minor Norns, or fates, in addition to the three great Norns, regarding whom cf.Voluspo, 20.Dvalin: chief of the dwarfs; cf.Voluspo, 14.[376]14.Surt: ruler of the fire world; the reference is to the last great battle.Sword-sweat: blood.15.Oskopnir(“Not-Made”): apparently another name for Vigrith, which is named inVafthruthnismol, 18, as the final battle-ground.Bilrost(or Bifrost): the rainbow bridge which breaks beneath Surt’s followers; cf.Grimnismol, 29 and note.16.With this stanza Fafnir returns to the situation.Fear-helm: regarding the “ægis-hjalmr” cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14 and note.[377]18.Lines 3–4 do not appear in the manuscript, and no gap is indicated; they are here conjecturally paraphrased from the prose passage in theVolsungasaga.20.It has been suggested that this stanza is spurious, and that stanza 21 ought to follow stanza 22. Lines 3–4, abbreviated in the manuscript, are identical with lines 3–4 of stanza 9. TheVolsungasagaparaphrase in place of these two lines makes[378]Fafnir say: “For it often happens that he who gets a deadly wound yet avenges himself.” It is quite likely that two stanzas have been lost.22.TheVolsungasagaplaces its paraphrase of this stanza between those of stanzas 15 and 16.24.Line 2 is probably spurious, but it is a phrase typical of such poems asGrimnismolorVafthruthnismol.25.Gram: Sigurth’s sword; cf.Reginsmol, prose after 14.[379]26.In the manuscript stanzas 26–29 stand after stanza 31, which fails to make clear sense; they are here rearranged in accordance with theVolsungasagaparaphrase.28–29.Almost certainly interpolated from some such poem as theHovamol. Even the faithfulVolsungasagafails to paraphrase stanza 29.[380]30.Something has evidently been lost before this stanza. Sigurth clearly refers to Regin’s reproach when he was digging the trench (cf. note on introductory prose), but the poem does not give such a passage.Prose.Rithil(“Swift-Moving”): Snorri calls the sword Refil (“Serpent”).32.That the birds’ stanzas come from more than one source[381]is fairly apparent, but whether from two or from three or more is uncertain. It is also far from clear how many birds are speaking. The manuscript numbers II, III, and IV in the margin with numerals; theVolsungasagamakes a different bird speak each time. There are almost as many guesses as there are editions. I suspect that in the original poem there was one bird, speaking stanzas 34 and 37. Stanza 38 is little more than a repetition of stanza 34, and may well have been a later addition. As for the stanzas in Fornyrthislag (32–33 and 35–36), they apparently come from another poem, in which several birds speak (cf. “we sisters” in stanza 35). This may be the same poem from which stanzas 40–44 were taken, as well as some of the Fornyrthislag stanzas in theSigrdrifumol.34.Some editions turn this speech from the third person into the second, but the manuscript is clear enough.[382]35.Wolf, etc.: the phrase is nearly equivalent to “there must be fire where there is smoke.” The proverb appears elsewhere in Old Norse.36.Tree of battle: warrior.37.Here, as in stanza 34, some editions turn the speech from the third person into the second.38.Giant: Regin was certainly not a frost-giant, and the whole stanza looks like some copyist’s blundering reproduction of stanza 34.[383]40.Neither the manuscript nor any of the editions suggest the existence of more than one bird in stanzas 40–44. It seems to me, however, that there are not only two birds, but two distinct stories. Stanzas 40–41 apply solely to Guthrun, and suggest that Sigurth will go straight to Gunnar’s hall. Stanzas 42–44, on the other hand, apply solely to Brynhild, and indicate that Sigurth will find her before he visits the Gjukungs. The confusion which existed between these two versions of the story, and which involved a fundamental difference in the final working out of Brynhild’s revenge, is commented on in the note onGripisspo, 13. In the present passage it is possible that two birds are speaking, each reflecting one version of the story; it seems even more likely that one speech or the other (40–41 or 42–44) reflects the original form of the narrative, the other having been added, either later or from another poem. In theVolsungasagathe whole passage is condensed into a few words by one bird: “Wiser were it if he should then ride up on Hindarfjoll, where Brynhild sleeps, and there would he get much wisdom.” The Guthrun-bird does not appear at all.41.Gjuki: father of Gunnar and Guthrun: cf.Gripisspo, 13 and note.[384]42.Hindarfjoll: “Mountain of the Hind.”Light of the flood: gold; cf.Reginsmol, 1 and note.43.Battle-maid: Brynhild, here clearly defined as a Valkyrie.Bane of the wood: fire.Ygg: Othin; cf.Grimnismol, 53.The thorn: a prose note inSigrdrifumolcalls it “sleep-thorn.”The fighter: the story of the reason for Brynhild’s punishment is told in the prose following stanza 4 ofSigrdrifumol.44.Vingskornir: Brynhild’s horse, not elsewhere mentioned.Victory-bringer: the word thus translated is in the original “sigrdrifa.” The compiler of the collection, not being familiar with this word, assumed that it was a proper name, and in the prose following stanza 4 of theSigrdrifumolhe specifically states that this was the Valkyrie’s name. Editors, until recently,[385]have followed him in this error, failing to recognize that “sigrdrifa” was simply an epithet for Brynhild. It is from this blunder that the so-calledSigrdrifumoltakes its name. Brynhild’s dual personality as a Valkyrie and as the daughter of Buthli has made plenty of trouble, but the addition of a second Valkyrie in the person of the supposed “Sigrdrifa” has made still more.Prose.There is no break in the manuscript between the end of this prose passage and the beginning of the one introducing theSigrdrifumol: some editors include the entire prose passage with one poem or the other.Hrotti; “Thruster.”[386]

Prose.The prose follows the concluding prose passage of theReginsmolwithout any interruption; the heading “Of Fafnir’s Death” is written in the manuscript very faintly just before stanza 1.Gnitaheith: cf.Gripisspo, 11 and note.Fafnir: Regin’s brother: cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14.Venom: in theVolsungasaga[372]it was the blood, and not the venom, that poured down on Sigurth’s head. Sigurth was much worried about this danger, and before he dug the trench asked Regin what would happen if the dragon’s blood overcame him. Regin thereupon taunted him with cowardice (Sigurth refers to this taunt in stanza 30, but the stanza embodying it has disappeared). After Sigurth had dug his trench, an old man (Othin, of course) appeared and advised him to dig other trenches to carry off the blood, which he did, thereby escaping harm.

1.The first line in the original, as here, is unusually long, but dramatically very effective on that account.

3.The names of the speakers do not appear in the manuscript, though they seem originally to have been indicated in the[373]margin for stanzas 3–30. The last two lines of stanza 3 are missing in the manuscript, with no gap indicated, but theVolsungasagaprose paraphrase indicates that something was omitted, and the lines here given are conjecturally reconstructed from this paraphrase.

4.The manuscript marks line 3 as the beginning of a stanza.

5.Line 4, utterly obscure in the manuscript, is guesswork.[374]

7.Fafnir here refers to the fact that Hjordis, mother of the still unborn Sigurth, was captured by Alf after Sigmund’s death; cf.Fra Dautha Sinfjotla, note.

11.Stanzas 11–15 are probably interpolated, and come from[375]a poem similar toVafthruthnismol.The headland: Fafnir is apparently quoting proverbs; this one seems to mean that disaster (“the fate of the Norns”) awaits when one rounds the first headland (i.e., at the beginning of life’s voyage, in youth). The third line is a commentary on obstinate rashness. TheVolsungasagaparaphrases stanzas 11–15 throughout.

12.Norns: cf. stanza 13 and note. Sigurth has no possible interest in knowing what Norns are helpful in childbirth, but interpolations were seldom logical.

13.Snorri quotes this stanza. There were minor Norns, or fates, in addition to the three great Norns, regarding whom cf.Voluspo, 20.Dvalin: chief of the dwarfs; cf.Voluspo, 14.[376]

14.Surt: ruler of the fire world; the reference is to the last great battle.Sword-sweat: blood.

15.Oskopnir(“Not-Made”): apparently another name for Vigrith, which is named inVafthruthnismol, 18, as the final battle-ground.Bilrost(or Bifrost): the rainbow bridge which breaks beneath Surt’s followers; cf.Grimnismol, 29 and note.

16.With this stanza Fafnir returns to the situation.Fear-helm: regarding the “ægis-hjalmr” cf.Reginsmol, prose after stanza 14 and note.[377]

18.Lines 3–4 do not appear in the manuscript, and no gap is indicated; they are here conjecturally paraphrased from the prose passage in theVolsungasaga.

20.It has been suggested that this stanza is spurious, and that stanza 21 ought to follow stanza 22. Lines 3–4, abbreviated in the manuscript, are identical with lines 3–4 of stanza 9. TheVolsungasagaparaphrase in place of these two lines makes[378]Fafnir say: “For it often happens that he who gets a deadly wound yet avenges himself.” It is quite likely that two stanzas have been lost.

22.TheVolsungasagaplaces its paraphrase of this stanza between those of stanzas 15 and 16.

24.Line 2 is probably spurious, but it is a phrase typical of such poems asGrimnismolorVafthruthnismol.

25.Gram: Sigurth’s sword; cf.Reginsmol, prose after 14.[379]

26.In the manuscript stanzas 26–29 stand after stanza 31, which fails to make clear sense; they are here rearranged in accordance with theVolsungasagaparaphrase.

28–29.Almost certainly interpolated from some such poem as theHovamol. Even the faithfulVolsungasagafails to paraphrase stanza 29.[380]

30.Something has evidently been lost before this stanza. Sigurth clearly refers to Regin’s reproach when he was digging the trench (cf. note on introductory prose), but the poem does not give such a passage.

Prose.Rithil(“Swift-Moving”): Snorri calls the sword Refil (“Serpent”).

32.That the birds’ stanzas come from more than one source[381]is fairly apparent, but whether from two or from three or more is uncertain. It is also far from clear how many birds are speaking. The manuscript numbers II, III, and IV in the margin with numerals; theVolsungasagamakes a different bird speak each time. There are almost as many guesses as there are editions. I suspect that in the original poem there was one bird, speaking stanzas 34 and 37. Stanza 38 is little more than a repetition of stanza 34, and may well have been a later addition. As for the stanzas in Fornyrthislag (32–33 and 35–36), they apparently come from another poem, in which several birds speak (cf. “we sisters” in stanza 35). This may be the same poem from which stanzas 40–44 were taken, as well as some of the Fornyrthislag stanzas in theSigrdrifumol.

34.Some editions turn this speech from the third person into the second, but the manuscript is clear enough.[382]

35.Wolf, etc.: the phrase is nearly equivalent to “there must be fire where there is smoke.” The proverb appears elsewhere in Old Norse.

36.Tree of battle: warrior.

37.Here, as in stanza 34, some editions turn the speech from the third person into the second.

38.Giant: Regin was certainly not a frost-giant, and the whole stanza looks like some copyist’s blundering reproduction of stanza 34.[383]

40.Neither the manuscript nor any of the editions suggest the existence of more than one bird in stanzas 40–44. It seems to me, however, that there are not only two birds, but two distinct stories. Stanzas 40–41 apply solely to Guthrun, and suggest that Sigurth will go straight to Gunnar’s hall. Stanzas 42–44, on the other hand, apply solely to Brynhild, and indicate that Sigurth will find her before he visits the Gjukungs. The confusion which existed between these two versions of the story, and which involved a fundamental difference in the final working out of Brynhild’s revenge, is commented on in the note onGripisspo, 13. In the present passage it is possible that two birds are speaking, each reflecting one version of the story; it seems even more likely that one speech or the other (40–41 or 42–44) reflects the original form of the narrative, the other having been added, either later or from another poem. In theVolsungasagathe whole passage is condensed into a few words by one bird: “Wiser were it if he should then ride up on Hindarfjoll, where Brynhild sleeps, and there would he get much wisdom.” The Guthrun-bird does not appear at all.

41.Gjuki: father of Gunnar and Guthrun: cf.Gripisspo, 13 and note.[384]

42.Hindarfjoll: “Mountain of the Hind.”Light of the flood: gold; cf.Reginsmol, 1 and note.

43.Battle-maid: Brynhild, here clearly defined as a Valkyrie.Bane of the wood: fire.Ygg: Othin; cf.Grimnismol, 53.The thorn: a prose note inSigrdrifumolcalls it “sleep-thorn.”The fighter: the story of the reason for Brynhild’s punishment is told in the prose following stanza 4 ofSigrdrifumol.

44.Vingskornir: Brynhild’s horse, not elsewhere mentioned.Victory-bringer: the word thus translated is in the original “sigrdrifa.” The compiler of the collection, not being familiar with this word, assumed that it was a proper name, and in the prose following stanza 4 of theSigrdrifumolhe specifically states that this was the Valkyrie’s name. Editors, until recently,[385]have followed him in this error, failing to recognize that “sigrdrifa” was simply an epithet for Brynhild. It is from this blunder that the so-calledSigrdrifumoltakes its name. Brynhild’s dual personality as a Valkyrie and as the daughter of Buthli has made plenty of trouble, but the addition of a second Valkyrie in the person of the supposed “Sigrdrifa” has made still more.

Prose.There is no break in the manuscript between the end of this prose passage and the beginning of the one introducing theSigrdrifumol: some editors include the entire prose passage with one poem or the other.Hrotti; “Thruster.”[386]

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