The Story of the Volsungs and Niblungs.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
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| Certain Songs from the Elder Edda which Deal with the Story of the Volsungs |
| | | The Hell-Ride of Brynhild |
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| AFTER the death of Brynhild were made two bales, one for Sigurd, and that was first burned; but Brynhild was burned on the other, and she was in a chariot hung about with goodly hangings. | 1 |
And so folk say that Brynhild drave in her chariot down along the way to Hell, and passed by an abode where dwelt a certain giantess, and the giantess spake:—| | “Nay, with my goodwill |
| Never goest thou |
| Through this stone-pillared |
| Stead of mine! |
| More seemly for thee |
| To sit sewing the cloth, |
| Than to go look on |
| The love of another. |
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| “What dost thou, going |
| From the land of the Gauls, |
| O restless head, |
| To this mine house? |
| Golden girl, hast thou not, |
| If thou listest to hearken, |
| In sweet wise from thy hands |
| The blood of men washen?” |
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| BRYNHILD
“Nay, blame me naught, |
| Bride of the rock-hall, |
| Though I roved a warring |
| In the days that were; |
| The higher of us twain |
| Shall I ever be holden |
| When of our kind |
| Men make account.” |
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| THE GIANT-WOMAN |
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| “Thou, O Brynhild, |
| Budli’s daughter, |
| Wert the worst ever born |
| Into the world: |
| For Giuki’s children |
| Death hast thou gotten, |
| And turned to destruction |
| Their goodly dwelling.” |
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| BRYNHILD
“I shall tell thee |
| True tale from my chariot, |
| O thou who naught wottest, |
| If thou listest to wot; |
| How for me they have gotten |
| Those heirs of Giuki, |
| A loveless life, |
| A life of lies. |
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| “Hild under helm, |
| The Hlymdale people, |
| E’en those who knew me, |
| Ever would call me. |
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| “The changeful shapes |
| Of us eight sisters, |
| The wise king bade |
| Under oak-tree to bear: |
| Of twelve winters was I, |
| If thou listest to wot, |
| When I sware to the young lord |
| Oaths of love. |
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| “Thereafter gat I |
| Mid the folk of the Goths, |
| For Helmgunnar the old, |
| Swift journey to Hell, |
| And gave to Aud’s brother |
| The young, gain and glory; |
| Whereof overwrath |
| Waxed Odin with me. |
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| “So he shut me in shield-wall |
| In Skata grove, |
| Red shields and white |
| Close set around me; |
| And bade him alone |
| My slumber to brake |
| Who in no land |
| Knew how to fear. |
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| “He set round my hall, |
| Toward the south quarter, |
| The Bane of all trees |
| Burning aloft; |
| And ruled that he only |
| Thereover should ride |
| Who should bring me the gold |
| O’er which Fafnir brooded. |
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| “Then upon Grani rode |
| The goodly gold-strewer |
| To where my fosterer |
| Ruled his fair dwelling. |
| He who alone there |
| Was deemed best of all, |
| The War-lord of the Danes, |
| Well worthy of men. |
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| “In peace did we sleep |
| Soft in one bed, |
| As though he had been |
| Naught but my brother: |
| There as we lay |
| Through eight nights wearing, |
| No hand in love |
| On each other we laid. |
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| “Yet thence blamed me, Gudrun, |
| Giuki’s daughter, |
| That I had slept |
| In the arms of Sigurd; |
| And then I wotted |
| As I fain had not wotted, |
| That they had bewrayed me |
| In my betrothals. |
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| “Ah! for unrest |
| All too long |
| Are men and women |
| Made alive! |
| Yet we twain together |
| Shall wear through the ages, |
| Sigurd and I— |
| —Sink adown, O giant-wife!” |
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