The Guests of Odin (12 page)

At that time, Bruni was Harald’s chief counsellor, and he was the only man trusted to carry messages between Harald and Sigurd Hring. One day, however, during one of his many journeys, Bruni drowned in a river, and his place was taken by Odin in disguise. Now Odin began to sow dissension between the two kings, because he wanted them to join him in Valhalla.

After a plot against Harald, when several of his nobles tried to murder him in his bath, the king
decided that he was too old to rule and that he should die in battle. He saw no chance for this in the peace that had reigned over the North since he had defeated all his enemies. Now old and blind, he demanded Sigurd Hring pay vast amounts of tribute in order to encourage him to fight him. The preparations for the war took seven years.

Men flocked to Harald from Lejre and shieldmaidens came from Slesvig; warrior-poets came from Iceland; and all Harald’s old companions came to his standard, including Orm the Englishman and Ubbi the Frisian, the Wends Dal and Duk. Visna the shieldmaiden came and with her Wendish warriors armed with long swords and bucklers, and many others, including men from Norway like Sigmund and Serkir, the sons of the sea-king Beimuni; Alfar and Alfarin, the sons of Gandalf of Alfheim; and Herraud, the son of Hring, the king of East Gautland. The Danish fleet was so vast it formed a bridge across the Oresund between Zealand and Scania.

Meanwhile, Sigurd Hring was making his own preparations, and gathering his own men, many of whom came from East and West Gautland, and others from Norway, Iceland, and Sweden, including Ali the Brave, who now fought for Sigurd Hring. His bodyguard included seven kings and he controlled the fleet, which had two and a half thousand ships.

The battlefield was decided upon as Bravalla, in East Gautland, where the site was marked out by hazel rods. Sigurd Hring’s forces reached the place first. The king had his best men placed in the centre, and the rest, mainly Estlanders and Kurlanders, on either side in curving wings. Behind them was a line of slingers.

The Danish fleet beached at Kalmar. They marched to the battlefield of Bravalla where Sigurd Hring’s forces awaited them.

Sigurd Hring told them, “Wait until Harald has drawn up his battle-lines and do not advance until he is seen in his chariot.”

He added, “An army that is led by a blind man will soon be defeated. Harald is not only blind but senile, wishing to extend his empire at an age when he should be content with the thought of coming death. Our side fights for freedom and our country, while the others – many of whom are feeble Saxons and Wends - have taken the field out of arrogance and foolishness.”

On the other side, Bruni arranged the battle line with the front in a wedge formation. The shieldmaiden Heid stood on the right flank, carrying the king’s banner and accompanied by a hundred champions and a group of berserks; Haki Scarface of Slesvig was on the left, and Visna the shieldmaiden bore a banner and was surrounded by her Wends.

Harald stood up in his chariot and said loudly, ‘Sigurd Hring wrongs his old uncle, who has been so generous to him in the past.” He reminded his forces of the victories they had won in the past, and told them, “Do not accept the insolence of those I conquered in my youth.”

The horns boomed on either side and the battle began. The sky darkened with spears and arrows and slingshot. When all missiles had been thrown, the warriors drew swords or brandished axes
then clashed in the centre of the field.

On Sigurd Hring’s side, Starkad slew many men. He encountered Visna the shieldmaiden as she held Harald’s banner.

She said, “You are greedy for death, you old ogre.”

“Before I die I will make you drop that standard,” he told her, and he cut off her hand.

Later he felled Haki Scarface, but first he was severely wounded by him. He saw Vebjorg the shieldmaiden kill Soti the champion but fall to an arrow loosed by Thorkill of Telemark. Later, he received an arrow from Ubbi the Frisian but survived.

Ubbi killed and wounded over thirty champions. Then he attacked the enemy vanguard and sent them into confusion. But three Icelanders riddled him with arrows and he sank to the ground at last. Then more Telemark archers began to attack the Danes and many of Harald’s men fell.

Harald, perceiving that his forces were losing, asked Bruni, who was acting as his charioteer, “What formation have Sigurd Hring’s forces adopted?”

Bruni told him, “They are advancing in a wedge formation.”

Harald was alarmed by this, and he wanted to know, “Who taught Sigurd those tactics, when Odin himself had told me of them?”

Bruni said nothing, and now Harald began to suspect the truth: that Bruni was Odin, and that the god had had betrayed him.

He begged Odin, “Give victory to the Danes! I will give you all the souls of the slain, just as I dedicated them in my warlike youth.”

But Odin was deaf to his pleas, and he cast the king from the chariot, took his own club, and beat Harald to death with it.

Now the piled-up corpses surrounded the chariot, reaching as high up as the wheels. Twelve thousand of Sigurd Hring’s nobles had fallen, while Harald Wartooth’s side lost thirty thousand nobles. Sigurd Hring sued for peace, telling the Danes, “You have no reason to fight now your king is slain.”

He had his men search the field for Harald’s body and when he found it, he gave it its proper rites, harnessing the horse that had pulled the chariot, and hallowing it in Harald’s honour. Then he prayed that Harald should ride this horse to Valhalla, and that Odin would give him a warm welcome.
Then he had a pyre built using the chariot for fuel, and as Harald’s body burnt upon it he asked his men to cast rich gifts into the flames.

Warrior and Valkyrie

1.
Hjorvard

There was a king named Hjorvard who had four wives. His first wife was named Alfhild and their son was Hedin. The second was called Saereid and they had a son named Humlung. The third wife was named Sinrjod, and their son was Hymling. Now King Hjorvard vowed to have for his fourth wife the fairest woman in the world.

Hjorvard had an earl named Idmund whose son was named Atli. One day Atli was standing in a wood when he heard a bird speak, saying. “I have heard your men saying that Hjorvard’s wives are the fairest of women. Have you seen Sigrlin, daughter of Svafnir, king of Svavaland? She is deemed fair in her own land, though Hjorvard’s wives are also said to be beautiful.”

Atli asked the bird what else it had to say.

It said, “I will speak more if the prince makes an offering, and I can have what I desire from the king’s house.”

Atli asked it not to choose Hjorvard, or any of his sons or wives. The bird demanded a temple and sacrifices in return for which the king would receive Sigrlin.

Atli told Hjorvard of Sigrlin, and the king sent him to woo the princess on his behalf. Atli spent the winter with King Svafnir. Sigrlin’s foster-father was an earl named Franmar, and he had a daughter named Alof. The earl told him the maiden’s hand was denied, and Atli returned home. He told the king that Sigrlin had been refused him and the king decided he would go himself next time.

He set out with his men, but when they crossed the mountains into Svavaland they found the land aflame and thick with dust clouds from the hoofs of many horses. The king rode down from the mountains and camped beside a stream. Atli kept watch that night.

He went to the stream, where he found a house. A huge bird sat on top of the house to guard it, but it was sleeping. Atli threw his spear at the bird and slew it, and it fell to the earth in the form of Earl Franmar, Sigrlin’s foster-father. Atli went into the house bad inside he found Franmar’s daughter Alof and Sigrlin herself, and he brought them outside. He learnt that a king named Hrodmar was invading the land; he had killed King Svafnir and was plundering the countryside. Earl Franmar had turned himself into an eagle to guard the women from the invaders. Atli took Alof and King Hjorvard took Sigrlin.

Hjorvard and Sigrlin had a son, who was a big, silent man. No name stuck to him. One day he was sitting on a hill when he saw nine Valkyries ride past. The fairest one of them spoke to him. She called him Helgi and said it would be long before he had gold or lands. Helgi asked, “What gift comes with my name?” for it was a custom in those days when name-giving to also give a gift.

She told him, “Forty-six swords lie on the island of Sigarsholm, one of which is mightiest of them all, and it will bring you fame and courage, and death to your foes.” The Valkyrie’s name was Svava, and she was the daughter of King Eylimi.

Helgi went to his father. He criticised him for letting King Hrodmar burn and loot his mother’s land, but reminded him that the king still had the gold he had taken from the kingdom. Hjorvard said he would give his son a following if he intended to go and avenge his mother’s father. Helgi went out with his retinue, including Atli, and they journeyed to Sigarsholm where Helgi took the sword Svava had described. Then they went to Hrodmar’s kingdom and slew him.

Later he slew the giant Hati, whom he met sitting on a mountain. Helgi and Atli had anchored their fleet in Hati’s fjord. During the first half of the night, Atli kept watch. Then Hati’s daughter Hrimgerd asked the name of the king of the Vikings in the fjord. Atli told her his name was Helgi and that witches could not harm him. She asked him his name, and he gave it and told her how much he hated witches. He asked her for her name and the name of her father. She told him she was called Hrimgerd and Hati had been her father.

Atli threatened her but Hrimgerd insulted him, and called him a gelding. Atli said he would kill her, and she suggested they duel on the shore. Atli refused to leave the ships until the warriors awoke.

Hrimgerd shouted to Helgi, “Awake and pay wergild for my father’s death by letting me share a bed with you.”

Helgi awoke and he turned down this offer. “You will find a better mate in a troll.”

Hrimgerd told him that Valkyries watched over Helgi’s fleet. Helgi said, “If I am to pay wergild for your father’s death in the way you propose, tell me whether one or many Valkyries guard the fleet.”

Hrimgerd told him, “Twenty-seven Valkyries guarded the fleet, but one maiden rode in front of the others.”

The sun rose as they were talking, and Hrimgerd was turned to stone, as Atli had hoped would happen when he began speaking.

Now Helgi went to King Eylimi and asked for Svava’s hand in marriage. Eylimi agreed and the couple exchanged marriage vows. Svava remained at her father’s hall while Helgi went to the wars.

Meanwhile Helgi’s brother Hedin had remained at home. One Yule Eve he was riding home when he met a troll-woman riding a wolf with snakes for reins. She asked Hedin to go with her but he refused, and she said he would pay for that when he was drinking in the hall.

That night when the sacred boar was brought out for the warriors to swear oaths upon, Hedin swore at once to have Svava, Helgi’s wife. He regretted this so much that he took to wild paths to reach Helgi, who was at Frekastein.

The son of King Hrodmar, Alf, challenged Helgi to single combat at Sigarsvellir, seeking vengeance for his father’s killing. When Helgi saw Hedin, he asked his brother what had brought him here. Hedin told the truth, but Helgi told him not to blame himself. He told Hedin what faced him, and said that he thought that the troll-woman who Hedin had met was probably his fetch and that her appearance meant he was doomed to die.

Now Helgi went to fight Alf, and in the battle that followed, he was mortally wounded. He sent one of his men, Sigar, to find Svava and ask her to come to his die. Sigar rode to Svava and told him what had happened. Svava hurried to join him, and found him close to death. His last request was that she should marry his brother Hedin when he was gone. Svava reminded him that when they first met she had promised never after his death to accept the embrace of an untried warrior.

Helgi asked her to kiss him, saying, “You will not see me again until I have avenged the valiant son of Hjorvard.”

Helgi was later reborn as the hero Helgi Hunding’s bane, and Svava became his lover, Sigrun. But that is another story.

The Broken Sword

Odin’s son Sigi became king of Hunland with the aid of warriors and warships provided by his divine father. His wife’s brothers slew him, leaving his son, Rerir, who avenged his father and took over the kingdom. Rerir was wealthy and he married well, but the couple was not blessed with children until they prayed to Frigg. Odin sent one of his Valkyries, Hljod the daughter of the giant Hrimnir, in the form of a crow to the king with a magic apple, which she dropped in the king’s lap. He shared the apple with his wife and the queen became pregnant. Rerir died of sickness soon after, but his queen’s pregnancy lasted for six years before the child was cut out of her. The process was fatal for her, but she kissed her son before dying.

The boy was named Volsung and he ruled over Hunland in his turn. He had a hall built that surrounded a huge tree called the Barnstokk. When he was fully grown, Hrimnir sent Hljod to him and they married, producing ten sons and one daughter. The eldest son was Sigmund, the daughter was named Signy, and they were twins.

Siggeir, king of Gautland, asked Volsung for Signy’s hand in marriage. Although Volsung and his sons took this well, Signy was not happy, but she let her father make the decision and she was betrothed to Siggeir. The marriage feast was to be at Volsung’s hall.

During the feast, a one-eyed old man in a hooded cloak entered and went up to the Barnstokk.
Producing a sword, he thrust it deeply into the trunk and said, “Whoever draws this sword out shall have it as a gift from me. That man will prove it the best blade he ever wielded.” Then he walked out again.

Now the people rose and each tried to draw the sword from the tree, without success. At last, Sigmund tried, and the blade came freely. Siggeir offered Sigmund three times the sword’s weight in gold, but Sigmund said, “It was intended for me alone, as I have proved.” Siggeir was angry at these words but he kept it to himself, while plotting vengeance on Sigmund.

The next day Siggeir decided to return to his kingdom since the seas were calm and the weather was fair.

Before they went, Signy told her father, “I do not want to go with my husband. I can foresee misery for the whole kindred if I remain with Siggeir.”

Volsung told her, “Ill will certainly result if we break up the marriage now, and we should keep our bargain.”

Siggeir left Volsung, inviting him to come to his land in three months’ time to make up for his hasty departure. Volsung agreed, and they parted.

Three months later Volsung and his sons went to Siggeir’s kingdom, reaching it one evening. Once they had anchored their ships off the shore, Signy took them to one side and told them, “I believe that Siggeir intends to betray you.” She asked them to return to their own land. But Volsung had sworn never to flee fire or iron and he had no wish to break that vow. Siggeir wept and asked not to be sent back to her husband, but Volsung insisted she must stay with him.

At dawn, Volsung ordered his men to go ashore and prepare for battle. Soon Siggeir and his men appeared and they began to fight. Although they slew many of Siggeir’s men, Volsung and all his men died except for his sons, Sigmund, and the rest, who Siggeir took captive.

When Signy learnt of what had happened, she asked her husband, “Do not to kill my brothers quickly but instead put them in the stocks.”

Siggeir could not understand why she wanted a lingering fate for her brothers, but he granted the request since he wanted to torture them before they died.

So the brothers were placed in stocks deep in the forest. That night a she-wolf slunk out of the trees and devoured one of the brothers. In the morning, Signy discovered what had happened. She could think of no way to save them, and so it went on night after night, that the she-wolf would eat a son of Volsung. When Sigmund was the only one left, Signy had an idea. She sent her most trusted man to Sigmund with some honey, and told him to smear it on her brother’s face and put some in his mouth. The man did this and then returned home.

Again, the she-wolf appeared, and now she loped over to Sigmund, but she caught the scent of the honey and began to lick it off his face. Then she thrust her tongue into Sigmund’s mouth, at which Sigmund bit down hard. The wolf tried to get away but Sigmund gripped her tongue so tight between his teeth that it was torn out by the roots, and she died of blood loss. When she was dead, Sigmund saw the wolf body turned into the shape of Siggeir’s mother, who was a witch.

The stocks had been broken in the struggle and now Sigmund was free. He hid in the forest, where Signy found him. They decided he should make an underground dwelling in the woods, and Sigmund hid there with Signy bringing him everything he needed. But Siggeir thought all the Volsungs were dead.

Sigmund remained in the woods for years, while Signy and Siggeir had two sons together. Signy sent them to Sigmund to see if they could help their uncle gain vengeance, but both proved fainthearted and Signy advised Sigmund to kill them, which he did.

Now Signy met a sorceress who changed shapes with her. Signy, in the witch’s shape, went to her brother and slept with him. She went away again and soon gave birth to a son, who was named Sinfjotli. When he was old enough, Signy sent him to Sigmund, and he proved far tougher than Signy’s other sons. He travelled through the forests with his father, living as a robber and killing men for their riches.

One day when they were wandering through the woods, they found a house inside which two men were sleeping. Wolfskins hung on the wall beside them. Sigmund and Sinfjotli took these skins and put them on. Once they put them on, they could not take the skins off, and they howled like wolves. Now they split up and went their own ways through the forest.

Sigmund found himself under attack from seven men and he howled for his son, who came to aid him, and they killed the men. Then they parted, and Sinfjotli went on, and this time he met eleven men and fought them, killing them all despite being badly wounded. He rested under an oak until his father joined him.

Sigmund asked him, “Why did you not call me?”

Sinfjotli taunted him, saying, “Unlike my father, I need no aid against men.”

Angry, Sigmund leapt upon him and bit his windpipe. He regretted what he had done at once, and took Sinfjotli back to the hut. He sat over him until he saw a weasel heal another weasel using a magic leaf, and
he used the same leaf to heal his son.

Then they went back to the underground dwelling and waited until they were at last able to remove the wolfskins, whereupon they burned them. Later Sigmund went on journeys without Sinfjotli, and during one, he slew a dragon under a grey rock and took its treasure
. With the booty, the two men bought armour and weapons.

Once Sinfjotli was fully-grown Sigmund put thought to vengeance upon Siggeir. They left the underground dwelling and came to Siggeir’s estate, and hid themselves in the entrance hall, which stood before the main hall. The queen found them and they decided to take revenge when it grew dark.

Signy now had two more young sons, who were playing with gold rings in the hall. One ring rolled into the entrance hall, and the boy ran in, looking for it. He saw the two big men wearing helmets and mail, and ran to his father to tell him what he had seen. Siggeir was perturbed. Signy took the two boys and led them into the entrance hall, where she told Sigmund they had betrayed him, and she advised him to kill them.

Sigmund refused, but Sinfjotli slew both boys and flung their corpses into Siggeir’s hall. Siggeir sent men to take them, and they defended themselves well, but at last, they were overpowered and put in fetters. The king pondered what would be a fitting death for the two marauders.

In the morning, he had his men build a large barrow, with a stone slab set in the middle, cutting both ends off from each other. He had Sigmund and Sinfjotli put in the mound, both on either side of the stone, so they could hear each other but still be apart. While the thralls were covering the barrow in turf, Signy came up and threw some straw into the mound, telling the thralls not to tell that king what she had done.

When it was night, Sinfjotli told Sigmund, “I doubt our food will run short.” The straw Signy had thrown into the mound had contained pork.

When he picked up the pork, Sinfjotli found that it concealed Sigmund’s sword. He told his father and they were both overjoyed. Sinfjotli used the sword to hack through the slab, and then cut their way out of the mound entirely.

Now they went to Siggeir’s hall and set it ablaze.

Siggeir awoke and he asked, “Who has done this?”

Sigmund told him, saying, “Not all the Volsungs are dead!”

Then he asked for Signy to be allowed to leave the hall. But when she came to him, she told him of all the evil deeds she had done to work this vengeance, and said, “I am not fit to live.” She went back into the burning hall and died there with her husband and his men.

Now Sigmund and Sinfjotli gathered men and ships and went to Hunland, where they expelled the king who had ruled there since Volsung’s death. Sigmund became a mighty king and he married a woman named Borghild, with whom he had two sons, one named Hamund, the other Helgi. This Helgi was the reincarnation of Helgi Hjorvardsson.

2.
Helgi Hunding’s Bane

When Helgi was born, norns came to Bralund, his birthplace, and wove his destiny, saying that he would one day be the most famous of all kings.

Sigmund had been in battle and he returned now, bearing a leek for his son. He gave the boy his name, and with it gave him the gifts of Hringstead, Solfell, Snaefell, Sigarsvoll, Hotun and Himinvangar. He also gave him a sword, encouraging his son to do well and live like a Volsung.

A man named Hagal fostered Helgi, who grew up to be a magnanimous man who was well loved and better than most men in his skills and feats. When he was fifteen Helgi went warring, accompanied by his older half-brother Sinfjotli. While out raiding, Helgi met a king named Hunding, who was powerful and had a large following, and ruled Hundland. The two armies fought, but Helgi pushed forward and defeated Hunding, who fell with many of his men.

Hunding’s sons were named Eyjulf, Hervard, Juorvard, Lyngvi, Alf and Hring. They raised an army to avenge their father and they went against Helgi, fighting a great battle in which Eyjulf, Hervard, and Juorvard fell to Helgi and the rest fled.

When Helgi left the field, he met many women riding at the edge of the forest. Their leader introduced herself as Sigrun, daughter of King Hogni. Helgi invited her home but she said, “My maidens and I have a different errand: I am to be married to Hoddbrodd, son of King Granmar, though I hate him and think him as valiant as a cat’s son.” She asked him to fight Hoddbrodd and take her away. Helgi agreed.

He gathered his followers and summoned them all to Raudabjorg. There he waited until a large host came from Hedinsey. Then a large army came to him from Orvasund in large ships. Helgi called his ships’ captain, Leif, to his side and asked if he had counted the army, but Leif said, “There are so many men it is impossible to count them all.”

Then they anchored in Varinsfjord, where a storm broke upon them. But Helgi told them, “Do not be afraid but rather set your sails higher than before.”

Then Sigrun came down to the shore with many followers and directed them to a haven named Gnipalund.

The people of the land saw all this, and Hoddbrodd’s brother Gudmund, who ruled Svarinshaug, came down to the shore. He asked, “Which of you leads the force?”

Sinfjotli rose and spoke insultingly to him, and then they began to trade insults until Gudmund rode away to join Hoddbrodd at Solfell. Gudmund told him, “The Volsungs have come with thousands of men.” Hoddbrodd levied forces and sought aid from his allies, including Sigrun’s father Hogni, and went against Helgi. Both armies met at Frekastein. Helgi forced his way through the enemy’s ranks and many men fell there. Then he saw a large band of Valkyries led by Sigrun. Helgi reached Hodbrodd and slew him beneath his own standard, and all his brothers and warriors died with him except Sigrun’s brother Dag.

Sigrun thanked him for all he had done. He married Sigrun and took over the kingdom. They had many sons, but Helgi did not live long. Dag sacrificed to Odin in order to gain revenge and Odin gave him his spear. Dag found Helgi at Fjoturlund and killed him with the spear. Then he rode to the mountains to tell Sigrun what he had done. He cursed her when he gave her his news, and blamed Odin for causing strife. Sigrun mourned her husband’s passing.

When Helgi reached Valhalla, Odin had him rule at his side.

Some time later, Helgi was seen riding to his burial mound with many other dead men. When Sigrun heard of this she went to the mound and found it open, and she spent the night with her dead husband. Although she returned, she lived only a short while longer. In later years, Helgi and Sigrun were reborn, as Helgi Hadding’s Champion and Kara, daughter of Halfdan.

3. Sigmund’s Later Years

Sinfjotli went raiding again, and he found a woman who he wanted to be his wife. The brother of Borghild, Sigmund’s wife, also desired her. The two men met in battle and Sinfjotli killed him. Now he went raiding everywhere, amassing plunder and fame. But when Sinfjotli returned to Sigmund’s kingdom and Borghild learnt what he had done, she asked him to leave the kingdom and never return. Sigmund said, “I will not let Sinfjotli leave.” He offered to give Borghild a wergild for her brother’s death. She told him, “It is your decision.”