Spoken Lore

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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