Two Sagas of Mythical Heroes, page 5
When the jarl learned about this robber, he went there with his army and captured Hervor and brought her home with him, and she then stayed at home for a while.
On one occasion, when Hervor stood outside near where some slaves were, she treated them as evilly as she usually treated everyone. But then one of the slaves said, “Hervor, you only want to do evil, and evil is all we expect from you. And that is why the jarl forbids anyone from telling you who your father was, because he thinks it would be shameful for you to know it. It was the worst slave who lay beside his daughter, and you are their child.” Hervor became furious at these words, and she went before the jarl and said:
“I don’t have to
praise our good name,
though mother got
Fróđmar’s favor.
I thought my father
had some courage,
but now I’m told
he was a pig-herder!”
The jarl said:
“A great lie has been told
with too little truth;
your father was counted
a bold man among men.
{10} Angantýr’s hall stands,
piled out of earth,
down in Samsø,
on the island’s south end.”
She said:
“Now I am eager,
foster-father,
to visit my departed
famous kinsmen.
They must have
owned enough riches—
I will inherit them,
unless I die first.
“First, I will quickly
take off the soft linen
from around my hair
before I depart.
It is vitally important
that tomorrow I must
have a man’s shirt and cloak
tailored for me.”
Afterward Hervor spoke with her mother and said:
“You wise woman,
make it all for me
as well as you can,
as you would for a son.
The truth came to me
while I slept:
I will not have joy here
for a little while.”
{11} Then she went alone, and took for herself a man’s equipment and weapons. And she went to where some Vikings were, and went with them for a while and called herself Hervarđ. A little later this Hervarđ became leader of the group, and when they came to Samsø, Hervor told her men that she wanted to go out on the island, and that there was hope of treasure in the grave. But all her warriors spoke against it, telling her that there were such evil spirits walking there day and night that it was worse to be there in the daytime than it was to be out at night in other places. Soon enough, the anchor was dropped, and Hervor got into a boat and rowed to land and came to shore in Munarvág at the same time the sun was setting, and there she met a man watching a herd.
He said:
“What kind of person
is walking on this island?
Be quick and go back
to where you’re staying!”
She said:
“I will not go
to where I’m staying,
because I don’t know
the island’s residents.
Tell me now,
before we part:
Where are the graves
of Hjorvarđ said to lie?”
He said:
“Don’t ask about that,
you’re not wise,
friend of Vikings—
{12} you’ve gone astray.
We ought to go as quickly
as our feet will take us—
everything in this place
is hateful to humans.”
She said:
“I wouldn’t care
to humor cowardice,
even if this whole island
were in flame.
Such fighters as we are,
let’s not fear
any little things;
tell me what I asked!”
He said:
“Anyone would be
a fool to go farther,
especially someone going alone
into such grim darkness.
There are embers flying,
the grave mounds open,
earth and swamp burn alike—
let’s run faster!”
Then he started running home to his farm, and parted from her in this way. Now the next thing Hervor saw out on the island was the grave-fire burning, and she went that way and feared nothing, though all the graves were in her path. She waded forward into these fires as though into darkness, until she came to the grave of the berserkers. Then she said:
{13} “Wake up, Angantýr,
Hervor awakes you,
the only daughter
born to you and Sváva.
Give me from your grave
your sharp-edged blade,
the one that dwarves made
for Sigrlami.
“Hervarđ, Hjorvarđ,
Hrani, Angantýr!
I awake you all
under these tree roots,
with helmet and armor
and sharp sword,
with shield and harness
and reddened spear.
“The sons of Arngrím
are much reduced,
those cruel kinsmen
are nearly dust now;
while none of the sons
of Eyfura
will speak with me
in Munarvág.
“Hervarđ, Hjorvarđ,
Hrani, Angantýr!
May you all feel
as though your ribs
had ants between them
as you rot in your grave,
unless you give me
that sword that Dvalin made;
it doesn’t befit
ghosts to bear a fine weapon.”
{14} Then Angantýr said:
“My daughter Hervor,
why do you call out so?
You are only welcoming
your own evil doom.
You’ve gone insane,
you’re out of your wits,
thinking wildly,
when you wake up dead men.
“It wasn’t my father who buried me,
nor other kinsmen;
two men who lived
took Tyrfing;
but of them,
only one lives now.”
She said:
“You don’t speak true.
May a god leave you
to sit whole in your grave,
if you don’t have
Tyrfing with you—
you are reluctant
to deliver the inheritance
to your only child!”
Then the grave mound opened, and it was as though fire and flame were all over the grave. Then Angantýr said:
“Hel’s gate draws up,
the grave mounds open,
everything is in flame
{15} on the island around.
It’s an evil sight
to look out of the grave—
hurry back, young lady,
go back to your ships!”
She answered:
“You can’t burn
those flames so bright at night
that the fires will
terrify me!
This woman’s heart
will never tremble,
even if she sees a ghost
stand before this door.”
Then Angantýr said:
“I’ll tell you, Hervor,
listen to me now,
wise daughter,
hear what will happen:
Tyrfing will
destroy all
of your family, girl,
if you can believe it.
“You’ll have a son,
who later
will have Tyrfing
and have faith in his strength.
Men will call
that man Heiđrek;
he will be the most powerful
under the sun’s domain.”
{16} Then Hervor said:
“I seemed to be
a human woman
before I decided
to seek your hall—
now give me, from out of your grave,
the sword that hates armor,
the one dangerous to shields,
the killer of Hjálmar.”
Then Angantýr said:
“Hjalmar’s killer
lies beneath my shoulders,
covered completely
by flames.
I know of no woman
above the earth
who would dare
to hold that sword in hand.”
Hervor said:
“I will keep
the sharp sword,
and take it in hand,
I can hold it;
I do not fear
burning flame.
And now the fire seems to flicker
as I watch it.”
{17} Then Angantýr said:
“You’re a fool, Hervor,
but you have courage,
rushing upon the fire
with your eyes open.
I would happily give you
the sword from my grave,
you young girl,
I cannot deny your request.”
Hervor said:
“You did well,
son of Vikings,
when you gave me
the sword from your grave.
I think it’s better now,
lord, to have the sword,
than to win the whole
of Norway for my kingdom.”
Angantýr said:
“You don’t know it, but
you lost in this matter,
fully doomed woman.
Why do you rejoice?
Tyrfing will
destroy all
of your family, girl,
if you can believe it.
{18} She said:
“I will go
to the ships,
now this girl
is in good spirits.
I care little,
friend of princes,
how my sons
may later clash.”
He said:
“You’ll own it,
and love it long,
you’ll keep Hjálmar’s killer
in a secret place.
Don’t touch the edges;
there’s poison on both—
it’s worse for human life
than the cutting blade.
“Farewell, daughter.
I’d rather have given you
twelve men’s lives,
power and strength,
everything good
that Arngrím’s sons
left behind of themselves—
if you could believe it.”
She said:
“I’m ready to leave.
May you all dwell
{19} whole in the grave,
and I will hurry away.
I seem more than anything
to be between worlds,
while around me
there are fires burning.”
Then she went to the ships. And when the day came, she saw that the ships were gone; the Vikings had been afraid of the noises and fires on the island. Then she found transportation away, and nothing is known about her journey before she came to Guđmund at Glasisvellir, and she stayed there at Glasisvellir through the winter, and continued to call herself Hervarđ.
Chapter 5
One day when Guđmund was in the middle of playing chess and had lost most of his pieces, he asked if anyone could give him some advice. Hervarđ went to him, and it was only a short time before Guđmund’s fortunes looked better.
Then a man took up Tyrfing and drew it. Hervarđ saw this and took the sword from him and killed him, and then went out.
Men wanted to pursue him, but Guđmund said, “Be calm, there is not as much to avenge on that individual as you believe, because you don’t know who he is. But it would cost you a good deal before you managed to take the life of that woman.”
Then Hervor was out raiding for a long time and was very often victorious. And when she grew tired of this, she went home to the jarl, her mother’s father. Then she went about like other young women and occupied herself with sewing and tapestries.
Hofund, Guđmund’s son, learned about this, and soon he came and asked for Hervor’s hand. Then he won her, and brought her home. Hofund was the wisest of men, and so prudent in settling legal disputes that he always came to the right decision, whether it concerned men of his own land or others. And from his name, the man who rules {20} in each land and judges the matters of men is called a “hofund” [Old Norse hǫfundr, “chieftain/judge”].
Hofund and Hervor had two sons. The first was named Angantýr, and the other was named Heiđrek. They were both big and strong men, wise and handsome. Angantýr was like his father in temperament, and wished every man well. Hofund loved him dearly, and so did all his people.
But as much good as Angantýr did, Heiđrek did still more evil. Hervor loved Heiđrek dearly.
Heiđrek was fostered by a man named Gizur.
And one time, when Hofund hosted a feast, all the men in his kingdom were invited, except for Heiđrek. Heiđrek did not like this at all, and he went to the feast alone and resolved to do something evil there. And when he came into the hall, his brother Angantýr rose up to meet him and asked him to sit next to him. Heiđrek was not cheerful, and sat a long time by his drink in the evening. And when his brother Angantýr went out, Heiđrek talked to the two men who were sitting nearest to him, and the nature of what he said was such that they grew angry at each other, and each spoke evil to the other. Then Angantýr came back and told them to be silent. And yet another time, when Angantýr had gone out, Heiđrek reminded the two men about what each one had said, and it happened that one struck the other with his fists. Then Angantýr came back and told them to settle it until the morning. But a third time, when Angantýr walked off, Heiđrek asked the one who had been struck whether he had the courage to avenge himself. And he spoke until the point when this man leapt up and killed his drinking companion, and then Angantýr arrived.
When Hofund learned about what Heiđrek had done, he told him to leave and not to do any more evil at this feast.
Then Heiđrek and his brother Angantýr went outside into the yard and said farewell there. Then, when Heiđrek had gone only a little way from the town, he decided that he had not done enough evil, and he turned back to the hall and took up a large stone and threw it at the hall, in a spot where he heard men talking in the darkness. He thought that such a stone would not have missed a man, and he went in and found a dead man and recognized him as his brother Angantýr. Heiđrek then went into the hall before his father and told him this.
{21} Hofund told him to leave and never come into his sight again, and said it would be more than fitting if he was killed or hanged.
But then Queen Hervor spoke, and said that Heiđrek had done great evil, but the punishment would be terrible if he could never come again into the domain of his father, and if he must leave with no possessions to his name. But the word of Hofund held so much weight that it went as he commanded, and no one was so brave that they dared to speak for Heiđrek or plead for mercy on his behalf. The queen then asked Hofund to give Heiđrek some good advice at their parting. Hofund said he knew little advice to give him that the boy wouldn’t follow badly.
“But because you ask, my queen, I advise him first of all that he never help any man who has killed his own lord.
“I advise him this second: That he never give freedom to a man who has murdered his comrade.
“I advise him third: Not to let his wife visit her relatives too often, even if she asks.
“And fourth: Not to stay out too late with his concubine.
“Fifth: Not to ride his best horse, if he needs to travel in a hurry.
“Sixth: That he never foster the child of a man who is higher-born than he himself is.
“But I think it’s likely that he won’t follow any of it.”
Heiđrek said his father had given this advice with ill will, and said he wouldn’t feel bound by it.
Now Heiđrek went outside the hall. His mother stood up and walked out with him, following him out of the yard, where she said, “Now you have done something, son, that will not allow you to come back here again, but I have a little bit of help to offer you. Here is a mǫrk of gold and a sword called Tyrfing that I will give you. It once belonged to Angantýr, your mother’s father. No man is so unwise that he has not heard of its reputation. And if you come to a place where men exchange blows, let it be a comfort to you how often Tyrfing has been victorious in battle.” Now she told him farewell, and they parted.
{22} Chapter 6
And when Heiđrek had gone a short way, he met some men, and one of them was a captive. They asked each other the news, and Heiđrek asked what this captive man had done. They said that he had betrayed his lord. Heiđrek asked if they would take money for him, and they said yes to this. He then gave them half of the mǫrk of gold he had, and they let him free. The man offered Heiđrek his service, but Heiđrek said, “Why would you be true to me, an unknown man, when you betrayed your own lord? Get away from me.”
A little later Heiđrek met some more men, and again one of them was a captive. He asked what this man had done wrong. They said he had murdered his comrade. He asked if they wanted money for him. They said yes to that. He gave them the other half of his mǫrk of gold. This man also offered Heiđrek his service, which Heiđrek declined.
Then Heiđrek wandered long roads, and finally came to a place called Reiđgotaland. The king who ruled there was named Harald. He was very old, and he had been the ruler of a large kingdom. He had no son, and his domain was shrinking because some jarls were rebelling against him with an army, and he had fought against them and never won a victory. And the king and the jarls had made peace on the condition that the king would pay them a tax every twelve months. Heiđrek stopped there in Reiđgotaland and stayed with the king during the winter.
It happened once that a great deal of money came to the king. Heiđrek asked the king whether this was the taxes paid to him by his subjects. The king said that it was the other way around: “I will pay this money in tax.” Heiđrek said that it was unseemly for a king who had such a great kingdom to pay taxes to evil jarls; he said it would be a more intelligent plan to make war against them. But the king said that he had tried this and been defeated.
