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Chapter IX
Chapter IX
How Helgi the son of Sigmund, won King Hodbrod and his Realm and wedded Sigrun
Now the tale tells that Helgi in his warring met a king hight Hunding, a
mighty king, and lord of many men and many lands; they fell to battle
together, and Helgi went forth mightily, and such was the end of that fight
that Helgi had the victory, but King Hunding fell and many of his men with
him; but Helgi is deemed to have grown greatly in fame because he had slain so
mighty a king.
Then the sons of Hunding draw together a great army to avenge their
father. Hard was the fight betwixt them; but Helgi goest through the folk of
those brothers unto their banner, and there slays these sons of Hunding, Alf
and Eyolf, Herward and Hagbard, and wins there a great victory.
Now as Helgi fared from the fight, he met a many women right fair and
worthy to look on, who rode in exceeding noble array; but one far excelled
them all; then Helgi asked them the name of that their lady and queen, and she
named herself Sigrun, and said she was daughter of King Hogni.
Then said Helgi, "Fare home with us: good welcome shall ye have!"
Then said the king`s daughter, "Other work lies before us than to drink
with thee."
"Yea, and what work, king`s daughter?" said Helgi.
She answers, "King Hogni has promised me to Hodbrod, the son of King
Granmar, but I have vowed a vow that I will have him to my husband no more
than if he were a crow`s son and not a king`s; and yet will the thing come to
pass, but and if thou standest in the way thereof, and goes against him with
an army, and takest me away withal; for verily with no king would I rather
bide on bolster than with thee."
"Be of good cheer, king`s daughter," says he, "for certes he and I shall
try the matter, or ever thou be given to him; yea, we shall behold which may
prevail against the other; and hereto I pledge my life."
Thereafter, Helgi sent men with money in their hands to summon his folk
to him, and all his power is called together to Red - Berg: and there Helgi
abode till such time as a great company came to him from Hedinsey; and
therewithal came mighty powers from Norvi Sound aboard great and fair ships.
Then King Helgi called to him the captain of his ships, who was hight Leif,
and asked him if he had told over the tale of his army.
"A thing not easy to tell, lord," says he, "on the ships that came out of
Norvi Sound are twelve thousand men, and otherwhere are half as many again."
Then bade King Helgi turn into the firth, called Varin`s - firth, and
they did so: but now there fell on them so fierce a storm and so huge a sea,
that the beat of the waves on board and bow was to hearken to like as the
clashing together of high hills broken.
But Helgi bade men fear naught, nor take in any sail, but rather hoist
every rag higher than heretofore; but little did they miss of foundering or
ever they made land; then came Sigrun, daughter of King Hogni, down on to the
beach with a great army, and turned them away thence to a good haven called
Gnipalund; but the landsmen see what has befallen and come down to the sea -
shore. The brother of King Hodbrod, lord of a land called Swarin`s Cairn,
cried out to them, and asked them who was captain over that mighty army. Then
up stands Sinfjotli, with a helm on his head, bright shining as glass, and a
byrny as white as snow; a spear in his hand, and thereon a banner of renown,
and a gold - rimmed shield hanging before him; and well he knew with what
words to speak to kings -
"Go thou and say, when thou hast made an end of feeding thy swine and thy
dogs, and when thou beholdest thy wife again, that here are come the Volsungs,
and in this company may King Helgi be found, if Hodbrod be fain of finding
him, for his game and his joy it is to fight and win fame, while thou art
kissing the handmaids by the fire - side."
Then answered Granmar, "In nowise knowest thou how to speak seemly
things, and to tell of matters remembered from of old, whereas thou layest
lies on chiefs and lords; most like it is that thou must have long been
nourished with wolf-meat abroad in the wildwoods, and has slain thy
brethren; and a marvel it is to behold that thou darest to join thyself to the
company of good men and true, thou, who hast sucked the blood of many a cold
corpse."
Sinfjotli answered, "Dim belike is grown thy memory now, of how thou wert
a witch-wife on Varinsey, and wouldst fain have a man to thee, and choose me
to that same office of all the world; and how thereafter thou wert a
Valkyria^1 in Asgarth, and it well-nigh came to this, that for thy sweet
sake should all men fight; and nine wolf-whelps I begat on thy body in
Lowness, and was the father to them all."
[Footnote 1: Valkyrja, "Chooser of the elected." The women were so called whom
Odin sent to choose those for death in battle who were to join the Einherjar
in the hall of the elected, "Val-holl."]
Granmar answers, "Great skill of lying hast thou; yet belike the father
of naught at all mayst thou be, since thou wert gelded by the giant`s
daughters of Thrasness; and lo thou art the stepson of King Siggeir, and were
wont to lie abroad in wilds and woods with the kin of wolves; and unlucky was
the hand wherewith thou slewest thy brethren, making for thyself an exceeding
evil name."
Said Sinfjotli, "Mindest thou not then, when thou were stallion Grani`s
mare, and how I rode thee an amble on Bravoll, and that afterwards thou wert
giant Golnir`s goatherd?"
Granmar says, "Rather would I feed fowls with the flesh of thee than
wraggle any longer with thee."
Then spake King Helgi, "Better were it for ye, and a more manly deed, to
fight, rather than to speak such things as it is a shame even to hearken to;
Granmar`s sons are no friends of me and of mine, yet are they hardy men none
the less."
So Granmar rode away to meet King Hodbrod, at a stead called Sunfells,
and the horses of the twain were named Sveipud and Sveggjud. The brothers met
in the castle - porch, and Granmar told Hodbrod of the war - news. King
Hodbrod was clad in a byrny, and had his helm on his head; he asked -
"What men are anigh, why look ye so wrathful?"
Granmar says, "Here are come the Volsungs, and twelve thousand men of
them are afloat off the coast, and seven thousand are at the island called
Sok, but at the stead called Grindur is the greatest company of all, and now I
deem withal that Helgi and his fellowship have good will to give battle."
Then said the king, "Let us send a message through all our realm, and go
against them, neither let any who is fain of fight sit idle at home; let us
send word to the sons of Ring, and to King Hogni,and to Alf the Old, for they
are mighty warriors."
So the hosts met at Wolfstone, and fierce fight befell there; Helgi
rushed forth through the host of his foes, and many a man fell there; at last
folk saw a great company of shield-maidens, like burning flames to look on,
and there was come Sigrun, the king`s daughter. Then King Helgi fell on King
Hodbrod, and smote him, and slew him even under his very banner; and Sigrun
cried out -
"Have thou thanks for thy so manly deed! now shall we share the land
between us, and a day of great good hap this is to me, and for this deed shalt
thou get honour and renown, in that thou hast felled to earth so mighty a
king."
So Helgi took to him that realm and dwelt there long, when he had wedded
Sigrun, and became a king of great honour and renown, though he has naught
more to do with this story.
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