Two Sagas of Mythical Heroes, page 6
Heiđrek said, “I would like to repay you for your kind favor by leading an attack against them. And I would think, even if I had the choice of my troops, that it would be a small matter for me to fight alone even against nobler men than these are.”
The king said, “I will give you whatever choice of troops you want, if you want to fight against the jarls, and your destiny will be good {23} if this ends well. It is to be expected also that you will find yourself lacking, if you’re exaggerating your abilities.” After this the king had a large army assembled, and he prepared them for war. Heiđrek was made chieftain over this army, and he went then against these jarls, and plundered and robbed when he came into their kingdom. And when the jarls learned this, they led a great army against Heiđrek, and when they met, there was a hard battle. Heiđrek was in the forefront of the army and he had Tyrfing in his right hand, and nothing stood against that sword, neither helmet nor armor, and he dropped all the men who were nearest to him. And then he leapt forth out of the crowd and cut with both hands, and he went so far into the enemy army that he killed both jarls and afterward some of the army fled, and the greatest part was killed.
Heiđrek then went through this kingdom and placed taxes on King Harald’s behalf on all the land, as there had been before, and then he went home when this was done with a great deal of money and a remarkable victory. King Harald received him with great honor and offered to let him stay and share in as much of the kingdom as he wished to ask for. Then Heiđrek asked for the hand of King Harald’s daughter, who was named Helga, and she was married to him. Heiđrek then took up the rule of half of King Harald’s domain. Heiđrek had a son with his wife, named Angantýr. King Harald also had a son in his old age, but he is not named.
Chapter 7
In that time there came a great famine to Reiđgotaland, and the riches of the land seemed near to disappearing. Wise men made talismans and cast lots [blótspánn, literally “sacrifice-woodchip” or even “sacrifice-spoon,” apparently used in an unknown divination ritual], and they learned in this way that a good harvest would not come until the highest-born boy in Reiđgotaland was sacrificed. King Harald said that Heiđrek’s son was the highest-born, but on the contrary Heiđrek said that it was King Harald’s son who was the highest-born. And they found no way to resolve this dilemma until a journey was arranged to {24} visit King Hofund, who could faithfully interpret all signs. Heiđrek was the first man appointed for this journey, amid many other great men.
And when Heiđrek came into the presence of his father, he was greeted well. He told his father his whole errand, and asked for a verdict from him. And when Hofund said that Heiđrek’s son was the highest-born in the land, Heiđrek replied, “It seems to me that you doom my son to murder. What do you award me in compensation for the loss of my son?”
Then King Hofund said, “You must stipulate that every fourth man, out of those who are present at the place where the sacrifice is held, is to be placed into your power, or else you will not let your son be sacrificed. Then there will be no need to advise you on what you ought to do.”
Now when Heiđrek came home to Reiđgotaland, a council was summoned. Heiđrek spoke in this way: “It was the decision of King Hofund, my father, that my son is the highest-born in the land, and he is chosen for the sacrifice. But in compensation for this, I will take control of every fourth man who is present at this council, and I want you to swear this to me.” And this was done, and the men gathered in his army. After this he ordered the troops summoned together and he set up a banner, and he attacked King Harald, and there came a hard battle, and King Harald fell there and much of his army. Heiđrek now took to himself all the kingdom that King Harald had owned, and became king over it. Heiđrek now said that he had paid for his son with all these troops who had been killed, and now he gave the slaughtered to Óđin. His wife was so furious after her father was killed that she hanged herself in the hall of the Dísir.
One summer, King Heiđrek went with his army south into Hunland and fought against the king named Humli. And he won the victory and took his daughter, who was named Sifka, and brought her home with him. And the next summer he sent her home, and at this time she was with child, and later she gave birth to a boy called Hlođ who was the handsomest of all men. Humli, his mother’s father, fostered him.
{25} Chapter 8
One summer, King Heiđrek went with his army to Saxony. And when the Saxon king learned this, he invited him to a feast and offered to let him take what he wanted from his lands. King Heiđrek accepted this. There he saw the Saxon king’s daughter, lovely and beautiful to look at, and he asked for her hand and she was married to him. The festivities grew even greater, and later Heiđrek went home with his wife and along with her he took a massive amount of money.
Now King Heiđrek became a great warrior, and he expanded his domain in many directions. His wife often asked for permission to visit her father, and Heiđrek allowed this, and her stepson Angantýr went with her.
One summer, while King Heiđrek was raiding, he came to Saxony in the kingdom of his father-in-law. He left his ships in a hidden cove and went up on land with only one man with him, and at night he came to the king’s town and turned toward the chamber where his wife was accustomed to sleep. Her guards were not aware of his approach. He went into the chamber and saw that a man with handsome hair slept next to her. The man who was with King Heiđrek reminded Heiđrek that he had taken blood vengeance for lesser injuries. Heiđrek said, “I won’t do that now.” He took the boy Angantýr, who lay in another bed, and he cut a large lock of hair from the man who slept in the arms of his wife, and he brought both with him, the boy and the lock of hair, and then went to his ships.
In the morning, King Heiđrek arrived by ship, and all the people went to greet him, and a feast was prepared. Heiđrek then summoned a council, and important news was then told to him, that his son Angantýr had suddenly died. King Heiđrek said, “Show me the body.” The queen said that this would only increase his agony, but it was brought to him. It was a blanket, folded over itself and with a dog inside. King Heiđrek said, “My son has been badly changed, if he has become a dog.”
Then King Heiđrek had the boy led into the council, and said that he had proof of a terrible betrayal by his queen. He revealed everything that had happened, and asked everyone to come there who could visit the council. And when almost all the people had arrived, King {26} Heiđrek said, “The golden boy has not come.” Then there was a search, and a man was found in the cook’s house with a band around his head. Many then were curious why a bad slave would come to the council. And when he came, King Heiđrek said, “Now you can see the one the king’s daughter would rather have than me.” He took the lock of hair and held it to the man’s hair, and it was all of one piece. “And you, king,” said Heiđrek, “have been good to me, and thus your kingdom will have peace from me, but I don’t want your daughter anymore.” Now Heiđrek went home to his kingdom with his son.
One summer, King Heiđrek sent men to the Rus to offer to bring the Rus king’s son home for Heiđrek to foster, because Heiđrek now wanted to try to break all of his father’s good advice. The messengers met with the Rus king and told him their errand and message of friendship. The Rus king answered that there was little hope that he’d place his son in the hands of a man who was known for many evil deeds. Then the queen said, “Don’t say that, my lord; you have heard how important a man he is and how favored by victory, and it is a greater wisdom to accept his honor well, as otherwise your kingdom will not be at peace.”
The king said, “You’re working hard for this.” So the boy was given into the hands of the messengers, and they went home. King Heiđrek greeted the boy well and gave him a good upbringing, and loved him very much. Sifka, daughter of Humla, was there for a second time with the king, but Heiđrek was warned that he ought not to tell Sifka anything that was best hidden.
Chapter 9
One summer the Rus king sent Heiđrek an invitation to come east to receive a feast and a declaration of friendship from him. Heiđrek got prepared with a great many men accompanying him, and the king’s son and Sifka went with him. Then Heiđrek went east into the Rus kingdoms and received a spectacular feast there. One day during this feast the kings went into the forest, together with a great army, to hunt {27} with dogs and hawks. And when they let the dogs loose, each of the kings went his own way through the forest.
King Heiđrek’s foster-son went with him. Heiđrek said to him, “Listen to my command, foster-son. The town is not far from here; go there and hide yourself, and take this ring as payment. Then be ready to come home, when I order them to search for you.”
The boy said he was not eager for this journey, but he did as the king asked nonetheless. Heiđrek acted uncheerful when he came home that evening, and he sat only a short while at the drinking. And when he went to bed, Sifka said, “Why are you so uncheerful, lord? What is wrong with you? Are you sick? Tell me.”
King Heiđrek said, “It is difficult for me to tell you, because my life is on the line if it is not kept secret.”
She said she would keep it secret and she became gentle with him and acted lovingly. Then he told her, “The king’s son and I were standing by a certain tree. Then my foster-son asked for an apple that was high up in the tree. Then I drew Tyrfing, and I cut down the apple, and it was done before I realized what this meant, because Tyrfing must always cause a man’s death if it is drawn, and the two of us were the only ones there. So I killed the boy.”
The next day the Rus queen asked Sifka why Heiđrek was so uncheerful. She said, “There is enough reason—he killed your son,” and then she told the whole story.
The queen said, “This is important news, and we ought not to let it come to public attention.” Then the queen went straight out of the hall in great agony of spirit.
The king discovered this and called Sifka to him and said, “What did you and the queen talk about that affected her so much?”
“My lord,” she said, “a terrible thing has happened. Heiđrek has killed your son, and I suspect it was done willingly, and he deserves death.”
The Rus king ordered Heiđrek taken and chained, “And it has now happened as I guessed it would.” But King Heiđrek had become so popular that no one wanted to do this. Then two men stood in the hall and said no one ought to hesitate, and they put chains on him. These were both men Heiđrek had freed from death.
{28} Then Heiđrek sent men in secret for the king’s son, while the Rus king ordered his people to gather together and told them that he would have Heiđrek hanged on the gallows.
And at that moment the king’s son came running to his father and told him not to do such a shameful deed as to kill the finest of men and his own foster-father.
Heiđrek was now freed, and he prepared immediately to depart for home. Then the queen said, “My lord, don’t let Heiđrek go away in such a manner, with you two not at peace. That does not benefit your kingdom. Instead, offer him gold and silver.” The king did so, ordering a great amount of money brought to King Heiđrek, and he said he wanted to give him friendship and have his friendship still.
Heiđrek said, “I don’t lack money.”
The Rus king told his wife this, and then she said, “Then offer him a kingdom and great possessions, and men to follow him.” The king did so.
King Heiđrek said, “I have enough possessions and men.”
The Rus king told his wife this, and she said, “Then offer him what he wants, and that is your daughter.”
Then the Rus king went to meet King Heiđrek and he said, “Rather than part with hostility between us, I want you to take my daughter as your wife with as much honor as you yourself choose.” King Heiđrek now received this cheerfully, and the daughter of the Rus king went home with him.
Now King Heiđrek had come home, and he wanted to move Sifka out. [They went riding together.] They took his best horse, and it was late in the evening. They came to a river. Now she leaned forward into him, so that the horse collapsed, and the king dismounted. Then he had to carry her over the river. There was no other solution except for him to drop her off his shoulders and break her spine asunder, and in this way he parted from her, and the river drowned her.
King Heiđrek then ordered a great feast prepared, and there he married the daughter of the Rus king; their daughter was named Hervor. She was a shieldmaiden and grew up in England with Jarl Fróđmar. King Heiđrek now reigned in peace and became a great chieftain and a noted wise man.
{29} King Heiđrek had a large boar brought up, as big as the biggest old bulls, and so handsome that every hair seemed to be made of gold. The king laid a hand on the head of the boar, and twelve others on his whiskers, and swore that no man had ever done so badly to him that he would not have a proper trial by his wisdom, and those twelve men were assigned to watch the boar. But a man could otherwise win a trial by bringing riddles to Heiđrek that he could not guess. King Heiđrek now became the most popular of kings.
Chapter 10
There was a man named Gestumblindi, a powerful man and a mighty enemy of King Heiđrek. The king sent him a summons to come to his court, commanding him to reconcile with him if he wanted to live. Gestumblindi was no wise man, and he knew that he was ill-prepared to exchange words with the king, and also that he could not be sure to win his case in the court of his wisdom, because his crimes were so great. So Gestumblindi sacrificed to Óđin and asked the god to represent him in court, and prayed to him to look upon his situation, and pledged to him great riches.
One night very late there was a knock at the door, and Gestumblindi went to the door and saw that a man had come. He asked the man his name and he said it was Gestumblindi, and he said that they ought to exchange clothes. They did so. The farmer Gestumblindi now went and hid himself, and the visitor came in, and everyone thought that they recognized him as Gestumblindi, and the night passed.
On the day after, this Gestumblindi made his visit to meet the king, and he greeted the king well. The king was silent. “My lord,” he said, “I came here because I want to be reconciled with you.”
Then the king said, “Will you suffer the judgment of my wisdom?”
Gestumblindi said, “Are there no other options?”
The king said, “There are other options, if you think you’re capable of posing some riddles.”
Gestumblindi said, “I feel little able to do that, though the other way seems hard.”
{30} “Would you,” asked the king, “rather endure the judgment of my wisdom?”
“I choose,” said Gestumblindi, “to pose riddles to you.”
“That is right, and well in accordance with the law,” said the king.
Then Gestumblindi said:
“I wish I had
what I had yesterday,
you know what it was:
the squeezer-out of songs,
the stopper of words,
and the caster-out of words.
King Heiđrek,
consider the riddle!”
The king said, “Your riddle is good, Gestumblindi, and I’ve guessed it. Bring him beer! It lames the wisdom of many, and many are made wordier when they get a little beer, and for some it weighs down the tongue so that they will not speak a word.”
Then Gestumblindi said:
“I left my home,
I made a journey from home,
and I saw a road of roads.
There was a road under it,
and a road over it,
and a road on every side.
King Heiđrek,
consider the riddle!”
“Your riddle is good, Gestumblindi, and I’ve guessed it. You walked on a bridge over a river, and the river was a road under you, and birds flew over your head and past you on both sides, and those were their roads.”
Then Gestumblindi said:
“What’s the drink
that I drank yesterday?
{31} It wasn’t wine or water,
nor was it beer,
and it wasn’t any sort of food,
yet I went thirst-less after?
King Heiđrek,
consider the riddle!”
“Your riddle is good, Gestumblindi, and I’ve guessed it. You rested in the shade, where there was dew on the grass, and you cooled your lips with it and thus quenched your thirst.”
Then Gestumblindi said:
“What’s that loud thing
that walks hard roads
that he’s already gone over?
He has a strong kiss,
this one with two mouths—
and he walks on gold alone.
King Heiđrek,
consider the riddle!”
“Your riddle is good, Gestumblindi, and I’ve guessed it. That’s a hammer owned by a goldsmith. It makes a loud sound, when it hits a hard place, and that is its road.”
Then Gestumblindi said:
“What kind of wonder
did I see outside,
before Delling’s doors?
Two, who were not alive,
and hardly even breathing,
were cooking a sword.
King Heiđrek,
consider the riddle!”
{32} “Your riddle is good, Gestumblindi, and I have guessed it. That was a smith’s bellows. They have no wind, but they are blown, and they are dead like other tools, but with them one could make a sword or other things.”
Then Gestumblindi said:
“What kind of wonder
did I see outside,
before Delling’s doors?
It had eight feet,
but four eyes,
