Spoken Lore

The temple of Frey was on the south of the river at Hripkelstad. Thorarin, of Espihole, was a prudent and popular man, but his brother Thorvald the crooked was a bully and hard to deal with. Sigmund thought he should be a great man if he could ally himself to the people at Espihole. In the meantime the property of Glum and Astrida was getting less every day, and their condition became uncomfortable, for Sigmund and Thorkel thwarted them, so that in everything they got less than their share. Then Glum says to his mother that he will go abroad, “for I see clearly I shall never get on here, but it may be I shall meet with more luck by means of the reputation of my kindred: I do not like to bear the encroachments of Sigmund, for whom as yet I am no match. However, do not you let go your hold on the land, through your position may be a difficult one.” Glum at that time, when he desired to go abroad, was fifteen years of age.

~ Viga-Glum’s Saga, Chapter 5: Paragraph 4

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NOW, when Ivar arrived, they went out to meet him as a mark of honour, and received him joyfully. Either brother then aksed the other for tidings and Ivar inquired of Hreidar where he had been through the winter. Hreidar told him he had been in Iceland, and then Ivar asked no more about the matter; “but tell me,” said he, “is that great rough lump I see there a man, or is it some animal?” Eyiolf answered, “I am a man of Iceland, my name is Eyiolf, and I intend to be here all the winter.” “I guess one thing,” said Ivar; “we shall not be without mischief of some kind, if an Icelander is here.” Hreidar replied, “If you deal badly with him, so that he cannot stay here, the affection between us, as near kinsmen, will suffer.” “It was a bad voyage of yours to Iceland,” said Ivar, “if we on that account are to be dependent on Icelanders, or cast off our own friends and kindred: nor do I know why you chose to visit that most hateful people; and then too you have escaped telling me what has happened to you.” (1) “It is very different from what you suppose,” said Hreidar; “there are many good fellows there.” “Well,” replied Ivar, “at any rate that rough and shaggy beast does not look particularly well on the high seat.” But when he saw that his brother set great store by Eyiolf he did not speak so strongly as before against Icelanders. “What can I call him,” said he, “except “Lump?’” and Eyiolf did not seem to object to the name; but they made the worst of everything that he did.

~ Viga-Glum’s Saga, Chapter 3:Paragraph 1

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Great the evils once that grew, With the dawning sad of the sorrow of elves; In early morn awake for men The evils that grief to each shall bring.

Not now, nor yet of yesterday was it, Long the time that since hath lapsed, So that little there is that is half as old, Since Guthrun, daughter of Gjuki, whetted Her sons so young to Svanhild’s vengeance.

“The sister ye had was Svanhild called, And her did Jormunrek trample with horses, White and black on the battle-way, Gray, road-wonted, the steeds of the Goths.

“Little the kings of the folk are ye like, For now ye are living alone of my race

~ Hamthesmol, stanzas 1 through 4

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Weeping Guthrun, Gjuki’s daughter, Went sadly before the gate to sit, And with tear-stained cheeks to tell the tale Of her mighty griefs, so many in kind.

“Three home-fires knew I, three hearths I knew, Home was I brought by husbands three; But Sigurth only of all was dear, He whom my brothers brought to his death.

“A greater sorrow I saw not nor knew, Yet more it seemed I must suffer yet When the princes great to Atli gave me.

“The brave boys I summoned to secret speech; For my woes requital I might not win Till off the heads of the Hniflungs I hewed.

“To the sea I went, my heart full sore For the Norns, whose wrath I would now escape; But the lofty billows bore me undrowned, Till to land I came, so I longer must live.

“Then to the bed - of old was it better! - Of a king of the folk a third time I came; Boys I bore his heirs to be, Heirs so young, the sons of Jonak.

“But round Svanhild handmaidens sat, She was dearest ever of all my children; So did Svanhild seem in my hall As the ray of the sun is fair to see.

“Gold I gave her and garments bright, Ere I let her go to the Gothic folk; Of my heavy woes the hardest it was When Svanhild’s tresses fair were trodden In the mire by hoofs of horses wild.

~ Guthrunarhvot, Stanzas 9 through 16

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“My fate shall I seek, all to Atli saying, The daughter of Grimhild the deed from thee hides not; No joy thou hast, Atli, if all thou shalt hear, Great sorrow didst wake when my brothers thou slewest.

“I have seldom slept since the hour they were slain, Baleful were my threats, now I bid thee recall them; Thou didst say it was morning, too well I remember, Now is evening come, and this question thou askest.

“Now both of thy sons thou hast lost The skulls of thy boys thou as beer-cups didst have,

And the draught that I made thee was mixed with their blood. “I cut out their hearts, on spit I cooked them, I came to thee with them, and calf’s flesh I called them; Alone didst thou eat them, nor any didst leave, Thou didst greedily bite, and thy teeth were busy.

~ Atlamol en Gronlenzku, Stanzas 79 through 82

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Wise was Kostbera, and cunning in rune_craft, The letters would she read by the light of the fire; But full quickly her tongue to her palate clave, So strange did they seem that their meaning she saw not.

Full soon then his bed came Hogni to seek, (But sleep to the woman so wise came little) The clear_souled one dreamed, and her dream she kept not, To the warrior the wise one spake when she wakened:

“Thou wouldst go hence, Hogni, but heed my counsel,_ Known to few are the runes, and put off thy faring; I have read now the runes that thy sister wrote, And this time the bright one did not bid thee to come.

“Full much do I wonder, nor well can I see, Why the woman wise so wildly hath written; But to me it seems that the meaning beneath Is that both shall be slain if soon ye shall go. But one rune she missed, or else others have marred it.”

Hogni spake: “All women are fearful; not so do I feel, Ill I seek not to find till I soon must avenge it; The king now will give us the glow_ruddy gold; I never shall fear, thou of dangers I know.”

Kostbera spake: “In danger ye fare, if forth ye go thither, No welcoming friendly this time shall ye find; For I dreamed now, Hogni, and nought will I hide, Full evil thy faring, if rightly I fear.

~ Atlamol en Gronlenzku, Stanzas 9 through 14

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Hogni spake:  “What seeks she to say, that she sends us a ring, Woven with a wolf’s hair? methinks it gives warning; In the red rind a hair of the heath-dweller found I, Wolf-like shall our road be if we ride on this journey.”

Not eager were his comrades, nor the men of his kin, The wise nor the wary, nor the warriors bold. But Gunnar spake forth as befitted a king, Noble in the beer-hall, and bitter his scorn;

“Stand forth now, Fjornir! and hither on the floor The beakers all golden shalt thou bring to the warriors,

“The wolves then shall rule the wealth of the Niflungs, Wolves aged and grey-hued, if Gunnar is lost, And black-coated bears with rending teeth bit, And make glad the dogs, if Gunnar returns not.”

Atlakvitha en Gronlenzka ~ Stanzas 6 through 9

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Oddrun spake: “I remember the evil one eve thou spakest, When a draught I gave to Gunnar then; Thou didst say that never such a deed By maid was done save by me alone.”

Then the sorrowing woman sat her down To tell the grief of her troubles great.

“Happy I grew in the hero’s hall As the warriors wished, and they loved me well; Glad I was of my father’s gifts, For winters five, while my father lived.

“These were the words the weary king, Ere he died, spake last of all; He bade me with red gold dowered be, And to Grimhild’s son in the South be wedded.

“But Brynhild the helm he bade to wear, A wish-maid bright he said she should be; For a noble maid would never be born On earth, he said, if death should spare her.

~ Oddrunargratr, Stanzas 12 through 16

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From the Thing ran Grani with thundering feet, But thence did Sigurth himself come never; Covered with sweat was the saddle-bearer, Wont the warrior’s weight to bear.

Weeping I sought with Grani to speak, With tear-wet cheeks for the tale I asked; The head of Grani was bowed to the grass, The steed knew well his master was slain.

Long I waited and pondered well Ere ever the king for tiding I asked.

His head bowed Gunnar, but Hogni told The news full sore of Sigurth slain: “Hewed to death at our hands he lies, Gotthorm’s slayer, given to wolves.

~ Guthrunarkvitha II, en forna, Stanzas 3 through 6

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From the Thing ran Grani with thundering feet, But thence did Sigurth himself come never; Covered with sweat was the saddle-bearer, Wont the warrior’s weight to bear.

Weeping I sought with Grani to speak, With tear-wet cheeks for the tale I asked; The head of Grani was bowed to the grass, The steed knew well his master was slain.

Long I waited and pondered well Ere ever the king for tiding I asked.

His head bowed Gunnar, but Hogni told The news full sore of Sigurth slain: “Hewed to death at our hands he lies, Gotthorm’s slayer, given to wolves.

~ Guthrunarkvitha II, en forna, Stanzas 3 through 6

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