Asatru Folk Assembly - Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar, a reading

00:00:00.000 Helgekvitte, Hjolvartssonar

00:00:24.240 The lay of Helgi, the son of Hjolvart

00:00:30.000 The three Hergiles, all found in the Codex Regius, have been the subjects of a vast amount of discussion, in spite of which many of the facts regarding them are still very far from settled.

00:00:43.240 It is indeed scarcely possible to make an unqualified statement regarding these three poems, for which a flat contradiction cannot be found in the writings of some scholar of distinction.

00:00:53.760 The origin of the Herky tradition, its connection with that of Sigurd, the authorship, date,

00:01:02.760 and home of the poems, the degree to which they have been altered from their original

00:01:07.760 forms, the status of the composer of the copious prose notes, these and many other allied questions

00:01:14.920 have been and probably always will be matters of dispute among the students of the Edda's

00:01:19.760 history.

00:01:21.840 Without attempting to enter into the discussion in detail, certain theories should be noted.

00:01:28.260 Hergillais appears originally to have been a Danish popular hero, the son of King Hofton.

00:01:34.020 Saxo Grammaticus has a good deal to say about him in that capacity, and it has been pointed

00:01:39.280 out that many of the place names in the Hergillais can be pretty clearly identified with parts

00:01:44.320 of Denmark and neighboring stretches of the Baltic.

00:01:48.600 The Danish Hervgi, according to Saxo, was famous as the conqueror of Hunding and Hothbrod,

00:01:56.220 the latter as the result of a naval expedition at the head of a considerable fleet.

00:02:01.980 From Denmark, the story appears to have spread northward into Norway, and westward into Norse

00:02:06.940 settlements among the islands.

00:02:09.460 Not many of its original features remained, and new ones were added here and there, particularly

00:02:15.400 with regard to Helgi's love affair with Sigrun. The victories over Hunding and Hofbrot, however,

00:02:22.840 were generally retained, and out of material relating to these two fights and to the Helgi-Sigrun

00:02:29.960 story were fashioned the two ladies of Helgi Hundingsbein. Now, how the Helgi legend became

00:02:37.480 involved with that of the Wolsungs is an open question. Both stories traveled from the south,

00:02:43.480 and presumably about the same time, so it is not unnatural that some confusion should

00:02:49.020 have arisen. At no time, however, was the connection particularly close so far as the

00:02:55.240 actual episodes of the two stories were concerned. In the two leys of Helgi Hundingsbane, the

00:03:01.860 relationship is established only by the statement that Helgi was the son of Sigmund and Borgild.

00:03:07.760 Sigurd is not mentioned, and in the leys of Helgi, the son of Fjordervarth, there is

00:03:13.120 no connection at all.

00:03:15.280 On the other hand, Helgi does not appear in any of the Edic poems dealing directly with

00:03:20.200 the Volsung stories, although in one passage of doubtful authenticity ,

00:03:30.280 his traditional enemy Hunding does represent it by his sons.

00:03:35.800 In the Volsung saga, the story of Helgi includes the fight with Hunding and Hothbrod, and the

00:03:42.300 love affair with Sigrun, is told in chapters 8 and 9, without otherwise affecting the course

00:03:49.800 of the narrative. Here, as in the Helgi-les, Helgi is the son of Sigmund Vilsenksson and

00:03:57.420 Borghild. Sigurd, on the other hand, is the son of Sigmund and Hjordis, the latter being

00:04:04.060 the daughter of King Eilimi. Still another son, who complicates both stories somewhat,

00:04:10.360 is Sinfjortli, son of Sigmund and his own sister, Signy. Sinfjortli appears in both

00:04:17.540 the Helgi-Hundingsbeinleys and in the Volsinger saga, but not in any of the etic poems belonging

00:04:23.180 to the Volsing cycle . There is a certain amount of resemblance between

00:04:30.980 the story of Helgi and Sigrun and that of Sigurd and Brunhild, particularly as the annotator

00:04:36.360 responsible for the post-notes, insists that Sigrun was a Valkyrie. Whether this resemblance

00:04:42.780 was the cause of bringing the two stories together, or whether the identification of

00:04:46.700 Hergi as Sigrun's son resulted in alterations of the love story in the Hergi poems cannot

00:04:52.540 be determined.

00:04:54.540 The first of the three Hergi poems, the lay of Hergi, the son of Fjordvarth, is a somewhat

00:04:59.120 distant cousin of the other two. The Hergi in question is apparently the same traditional

00:05:05.640 figure, and he leads a naval expedition, but he is not the son of Sigmund, there is no

00:05:12.140 connection with the Volksstern cycle, and his wife, Svava, not Sigmund.

00:05:17.020 At the same time, the points of general resemblance with the two Helgi Hundingsbeinleys are such

00:05:23.160 as to indicate a common origin, provided one goes back far enough.

00:05:27.700 The annotator brings the stories together by the naïve expedient of having Helgi born

00:05:33.880 again, and not only once, but twice.

00:05:39.280 The first Helge Le is manifestly in bad shape, and includes at least two distinct poems,

00:05:45.920 differentiated not only by subject matter, but by metrical form.

00:05:50.420 Although the question is debatable, the longer these poems, stanzas 1-11 and 31-43, seems

00:05:57.700 to turn to have been compounded out of fragments of two or more Helge poems.

00:06:03.360 The first five stanzas are a dialogue between a Byrd and Otli, one of Hjordovar's followers,

00:06:09.540 concerning the winning of Sigrun, who is destined to be Hjordovar's wife and Hedvigy's mother.

00:06:17.500 Stanzas 6-11 are a dialogue between Hedvigy and a Valkradi, the accompanying prose so

00:06:22.420 calls her and identifies her as Vava, but there is nothing in the verse to prove this.

00:06:29.360 Stanzas 12-30 form a fairly consecutive unit, in which Otli, on guard over Helgi's ship,

00:06:35.680 has a vigorous argument with the giantess, Hremgirth, whence this section has sometimes

00:06:41.720 been called the Hremgirthramar.

00:06:46.860 The last section, stanzas 31-43, is again fairly consecutive, and tells the death of

00:06:52.740 of Hervgi, following the rash oath of his brother Hetan to win Zvava for himself.

00:06:59.740 Parts 1, 2, and 4 may all come from the same poem, or they may not. It is quite impossible

00:07:06.660 to tell, surely. All of them are generally dated by commentators not later than the first

00:07:12.080 half of the 10th century, whereas the Hremgerðrmar is placed considerably later. When and by

00:07:20.300 whom these fragments were pieced together is another vexed question, and this involves

00:07:25.180 a consideration of the prose notes and links of which the Herakavita, Hjordovartasona,

00:07:31.120 has a larger amount than any other poem in the era. These prose links contain practically

00:07:36.820 all the narrative, the verse being almost exclusively dialogue. Whoever composed them

00:07:42.840 seems to have been consciously trying to bring his chaotic verse material into some semblance

00:07:47.380 of unity, but he did his work pretty clumsily, with manifest blunders and contradictions.

00:07:55.120 Bughe has advanced the theory that these prose passages are to be regarded as an original

00:07:59.380 and necessary part of the work, but this hardly squares with the evidence.

00:08:05.080 It seems probable, rather, that the Hedwig tradition spread from its native Denmark

00:08:09.280 through the Norse regions of the north and west and became gradually interwoven,

00:08:14.360 although not in essentials, with the other great hero cycles from the south that are

00:08:20.000 the Folslings. A considerable number of poems dealing with Hedrgi were composed at different

00:08:25.580 times and in different places, reflecting varied forms of the story. Many generations

00:08:32.240 afterwards, when Iceland's literary period had arrived, some zealous scribe committed

00:08:37.760 to writing such poems or fragments of poems as he knew, piecing them together and annotating

00:08:43.200 them on the basis of information which has reached them through other channels.

00:08:47.500 The prose notes to Helge Kvitha Hundingsbana II frankly omits this patchwork process.

00:08:54.440 A section of four stanzas is introduced with the phrase, as is said in the Old Wollsungle.

00:09:03.920 The final prose note cites an incident, told in Carlius, and a two-line speech is quoted,

00:09:11.300 as it is written from the Helge Kvitha.

00:09:15.080 The whole problem of the origin, character, and home of the Helge poems

00:09:20.280 has been discussed in great detail by Buhlg in his Helge Dichten I den Adre Edda

00:09:26.140 Deres Hjem og Forbenzlele,

00:09:30.540 which was translated by W. H. Schofield under the title The Home of the Eddic Poems,

00:09:36.100 is available for readers of English.

00:09:38.300 This study is exceedingly valuable, if not in all respects convincing.

00:09:43.640 The whole matter is so complex and so important in the history of Old Norse literature,

00:09:49.340 and any intelligent reading of the Helgi poems is so dependent on understanding the conditions under which they have come down to us,

00:09:56.360 that I have here discussed the question more extensively than the scope of a mere introductory note to a single poem was warned.

00:10:03.120 Helge kvitte Hjolvart sonner

00:10:09.700 Part 1 of Hjolvart and Sigrun

00:10:14.080 Hjolvart was the name of a king who had four wives.

00:10:19.600 One was called Alfild, and their son was named Hethan.

00:10:23.620 The second was called Sareth, and their son was named Humlunk.

00:10:27.600 The third was called Sineroth, and their son was named Himling.

00:10:33.120 King Kilroth had made a great vow to have as wife whatsoever woman he knew was fairest.

00:10:40.340 He learned that King Svafnir had a daughter fairer than all others, whose name was Sigurlin.

00:10:47.220 Ithmund was the name of one of his jarls.

00:10:50.080 He had a son called Atli, who went to woo Sigurlin on behalf of the king.

00:10:56.440 He dwelt the winter long with King Svafnir.

00:10:59.800 There was a Jarl called Thranmar, Sigurlin's foster-father.

00:11:04.080 The daughter was named Arof.

00:11:07.080 The Jarl told him that the maiden's hand was denied, and Atli went home.

00:11:12.840 Atli, the Jarl's son, stood one day in a certain wood, a bird set up in the branches

00:11:19.220 over him, and it had heard that his men called Hyoror's wives the fairest of women.

00:11:26.240 The bird twittered, and at the harkened to what it spoke.

00:11:30.300 It said,

00:11:31.300 Saist thou Sigilen Swafnir's daughter, the fairest maid in her homeland found? 0.99

00:11:38.960 Though your arse wives by men are hailed goodly to see in glaciers wood. 0.99

00:11:45.480 Otley spake, 0.98

00:11:47.600 Now with Otley, Ithwun's son, wilt thou say more, thou bird so wise?

00:11:53.560 The bird spake,

00:11:55.360 I may, if a prince an offering makes, and I have what I will from the house of the king.

00:12:02.720 Utley spake, Choose not your wrath, nor sons of his, nor the wives so fair of the famous

00:12:08.720 chief.

00:12:09.720 Ask not the brides that the princes are, fair let us deal in friendly wise.

00:12:16.020 The bird spake, Of fame thou will I ask, and alters many. 0.50

00:12:21.260 Old horned cattle the princess shall give me.

00:12:24.440 If Sigrid yet shall sleep in his arms, so free will the hero shall follow.

00:12:31.700 This was after Atli went on his journey.

00:12:34.160 But when he came home, when the king asked his tidings, he said,

00:12:37.900 Troubled we had, but tidings none.

00:12:40.780 Our horses felled in the mountains high, the waters of Seymourne we my need must wade.

00:12:47.100 Lafner's daughter with rings bedecked, she whom he sought, was still denied us.

00:12:53.680 The king bade that they should go another time, and he went with them himself.

00:12:59.040 But when they came up on the mountain, they saw Svavavon burning in mighty dust clouds from many steeds.

00:13:05.880 The king rode from the mountains forward into the land, and made a night stay hard by a stream.

00:13:11.600 Otli kept watch and went over the stream.

00:13:15.760 He found there a house.

00:13:17.980 A great bird sat on the housetop to guard it, but he was asleep.

00:13:22.980 Otli hurled his spear at the bird and slew it.

00:13:26.280 And in the house he found Sigrun, the king's daughter, and Eloth, the Jarl's daughter.

00:13:31.320 And he brought them both thence with him.

00:13:34.860 Jarl Franmar had charged himself into the likeness of an eagle

00:13:38.180 and guarded them from the enemy host by magic.

00:13:41.600 rachmar was the name of a king a wooer of sigilin he slew the king of swathaland and plundered and burned his land king shorvarth took sigilin and ali took alaf

00:13:58.720 part two and sigilin had a son mighty and of noble stature he was a silent man and no name stuck fast to him

00:14:10.200 He sat on a hill, and saw nine Valkyries riding.

00:14:15.240 One of them was the fairest of all. 0.99

00:14:18.220 She spake, Late wilt thou, Helgi, have horn of rings.

00:14:24.440 Thou battle tree fierce, or of shining fields.

00:14:28.720 The eagle screams soon, if thou never speakest.

00:14:33.260 So hear, O heart, the heart may cry.

00:14:37.880 Valkyrie spake, What shall a gift I have with Helgi's name,

00:14:43.120 Glorious maid, for the giving is thine?

00:14:46.940 All thy words shall I think unwell, But I want them not, if I win not thee.

00:14:53.220 The Valkyrie spake, Swords I know lying in Sigur's home.

00:14:59.940 Fifty there are, save only four.

00:15:03.160 One there is, that is best of all, The shield destroyer.

00:15:07.120 With gold it shines.

00:15:09.680 In the hilt his fame, in the haft his courage, In the point his fear for its owner's foes.

00:15:16.840 On the blade there lies a blood-flexed snake, And a serpent's tail round the flaps is twisted.

00:15:25.360 Elimi was the name of a king whose daughter was Svava.

00:15:29.520 She was a Valkyrie, and rode air and sea.

00:15:33.580 She gave Helgi this name, and shielded him off thereafter in battle.

00:15:39.300 Helgi spake, Hjørvarth, king unwholesome thy counsels,

00:15:45.300 Thou famed thou art in leading the folk, Letting fire the homes of heroes eat,

00:15:52.100 Whom evil deed had never done thee, Yet Rathmar still horde doth hold,

00:15:58.180 the wealth that once our kinsmen wielded. 0.99

00:16:01.300 Fools seldom care the king disturbs. 1.00

00:16:05.060 Heir to dead men he deems himself. 0.99

00:16:09.360 Hjordvarth answered that he would give Helgi a following if he feign would avenge his mother's

00:16:13.940 father.

00:16:14.940 Then Helgi got the sword that Zvava had told him of.

00:16:19.200 So he went and atli with him, and they slew Rathmar, and they did many great deeds.

00:16:27.940 Part 3 0.93

00:16:30.140 He slew the giant Hati, whom he found was sitting on a certain mountain.

00:16:35.780 Helgi and Atli lay with their ships in Hattafjord.

00:16:39.540 Atli kept watch during the first part of the night.

00:16:43.000 Rimgirth, Hati's daughter, spake.

00:16:46.060 Who are the heroes in Hattafjord? 0.87

00:16:49.880 The ships are covered with shields.

00:16:52.300 Bravely ye look, and little ye fear.

00:16:55.500 The name of the king would I know.

00:16:59.460 Otley spake, Helgi his name, and never thou mayst

00:17:05.500 Harm to the hero bring. 0.60

00:17:08.060 With iron is fitted the prince's fleet, Nor can witch's work us ill. 0.98

00:17:14.000 Hermgurth spake, Now who, thou mighty man, art thou? 0.99

00:17:19.940 By what name art thou known to men?

00:17:22.700 I trust thee well, the prince who is, that thou stand at the stem of his ship.

00:17:29.440 Otley spake.

00:17:31.480 Otley am I, and ill shalt thou find me. 0.95

00:17:35.140 Great hate for witches I have.

00:17:37.760 Oft have I been in the dripping bows, and to dust-griders death have brought. 0.59

00:17:43.700 Corpses hungry giantess, how art thou called?

00:17:48.500 Say which, who thy father was?

00:17:50.360 Nine miles deeper, thou mayst thou sink

00:17:53.900 And a tree grow tall on thy bosom

00:17:56.260 Rimgirth spake

00:17:59.220 Rimgirth am I, my father was Hathi

00:18:03.200 Of giants the most in might 0.98

00:18:05.580 Many a woman he won from her home 0.97

00:18:08.720 E'er Helgi hewed him down 0.98

00:18:11.620 Otley spake

00:18:14.020 Which, in front of the ship thou hast

00:18:18.300 and laid before the fjord.

00:18:21.520 To Ron wouldst have given the ruler's men

00:18:24.920 if a spear had not stuck in thy flesh. 0.95

00:18:29.480 Hrymgoth spake. 0.93

00:18:31.400 Do, art thou, Atli, thou dreamest me, thanks. 0.85

00:18:35.680 The lids lie over thine eyes.

00:18:38.100 By the leadership my mother lay. 0.93

00:18:41.040 Hello, Varth, sons on the sea, I slew. 0.99

00:18:44.200 Thou wust, nay, Atli, beguilded thou art, see Rimgirth hoists her tale. 0.66

00:18:52.880 In thy hinderin is thy heart, methinks, though thy speech is a stallion's cry.

00:19:00.440 Atli spake, A stallion, I seem, if thou cease to try me,

00:19:06.420 And I leap to land from the sea, I shall smite thee to bits, if so I will, 0.73

00:19:12.280 And heavy sinks Rymgurth's tail. 0.98

00:19:16.360 Rymgurth spake, Go ashore then, Atli, if sure of thy might

00:19:21.600 Let us come to Viren's cove. 1.00

00:19:24.880 Straight shall thy rounded ribs be made, If thou comest within my claws.

00:19:32.500 Otli spake, I will not go till the warriors wake, 1.00

00:19:37.960 again their chief to guard, I should wonder not if thou witch, if up from beneath our 1.00

00:19:44.060 keel thou shalt come. 1.00

00:19:48.120 Hremgirth spake, Awake now, Helgi, and Hremgirth requite, that Haiti to death thou hast due.

00:19:57.920 If a single night she could sleep by the prince, then requited are all her ills. 0.85

00:20:03.080 Hergi spake, "'Tis loathen shall have thee, Thou art loathsome to men.

00:20:12.060 His home in Tholi he has, Of the wild dwellers west is the giant wise,

00:20:18.420 He is meet as a mate for thee."

00:20:22.360 Rimgirth spake, "'More thou lovest her, Who scanned the harbour,

00:20:28.700 Delight, last night among the men.

00:20:32.700 The gold-decked maid bore magic, methinks. 0.99

00:20:36.300 When the land from the sea she sought, and fast she kept her fleet. 0.86

00:20:40.760 She alone is to blame that I may not bring death to the monarch's men.

00:20:46.160 Helgi spake.

00:20:47.780 Remgurth, mark, if thy hurts I requite.

00:20:51.780 Tell now the truth to the king.

00:20:54.340 Was there one who the ships of the warrior warded?

00:20:57.780 Where did many together go?

00:21:02.780 Rimgirth spake, Thrice nine there were but one road first,

00:21:08.100 A helm made white of hue. 0.72

00:21:10.800 Their horses quivered, there came from their manes,

00:21:14.280 Dew in the dales so deep.

00:21:17.340 Hail on the woods so high, thence men their harvest have,

00:21:21.900 But ill was the sight I saw.

00:21:25.600 Otley spoke.

00:21:27.480 Last, eastward Remgerth, for Helgi has struck thee.

00:21:33.300 Down with the runes of death, safe in harbor floats.

00:21:37.180 The princes fleets, and safe are the monarch's men.

00:21:41.740 Helgi spake.

00:21:44.160 It is day, Remgerth, for Atley held thee.

00:21:48.700 Till now thy life thou must lose.

00:21:52.340 As a harbor mark, men shall mock at thee.

00:21:55.600 WHEREIN STONE THOU SHALL EVER STAND.

00:22:02.460 Part 4

00:22:03.680 King Helgi was a mighty warrior.

00:22:08.080 He came to King Aileni and sought the hand of his daughter Svava.

00:22:12.980 Then Helgi and Svava exchanged vows, and greatly they loved each other.

00:22:18.440 Svava was at home with her father while Helgi was in the field.

00:22:22.880 Svava was still a Valkyrie as before.

00:22:25.600 Hethan was at home with his father, King Kjørvarth, in Norway.

00:22:32.080 Hethan was coming home alone with the forest one, Yule Eve, and found a troll woman.

00:22:38.560 She rode on a wolf and had snakes in the place of a bridle. 0.95

00:22:43.240 She asked Hethan for his company.

00:22:45.480 Nay, he said he.

00:22:48.680 He said, Thou shalt pity for this as the king's toast.

00:22:56.040 That evening the great vows were taken, the sacred boar was brought in, the men laid their

00:23:01.220 hands thereon, and took their vows as the king's toast.

00:23:05.900 Hethan vowed that he would have Svava, Ilemi's daughter, the beloved of his brother Helgi.

00:23:13.900 Then such grief seized him, and he went forth on wild paths southward over the land, and

00:23:19.440 found Helgi, his brother.

00:23:22.620 Helgi said, Welcome, Hethi!

00:23:26.760 What hast thou to tell of tidings new that from Norway come?

00:23:31.020 Wherefore didst leave thy land, O prince, and far alone to find us here? 0.56

00:23:37.760 Hethin spake, A deed more evil had I come done.

00:23:43.540 And brother mine thou e'er canst mend, For I have come the child of a king,

00:23:49.840 Thy bride for mine at the monarch's toast.

00:23:55.140 Helgi spake, Grieve not, heaven, for truth shall hold

00:24:00.260 The words we both by the bier have sworn.

00:24:04.640 To the isle of warrior will I go.

00:24:09.160 Where shall I come the third night hence, and doubtful must be my coming back?

00:24:14.940 So may all will be well, if fate so wills.

00:24:20.100 Hethan spake.

00:24:21.100 Thou said once, Helgi, that Hethan was a friendful good, and gifts didst give him.

00:24:29.720 More seemly it were, that soared to Reden, than friendship thus to thy foe to give. 0.50

00:24:38.660 He spoke thus, because he foresaw his death, for his following spirits had met Hetham,

00:24:44.660 when he saw the woman riding on the wolf.

00:24:47.160 Avth was the name of a king, the son of Rathmar, who had marked out a battle-place with Helgi

00:24:54.520 at Sigurzvor, after a stay of three nights.

00:25:00.080 Then Helgi spoke.

00:25:01.220 On a wolf that rode, when dusk it was, a woman who fain would have him follow. 0.98

00:25:09.340 Well she knew that now would fall Sigurlin's son at Sigur's vol.

00:25:16.980 There was a great battle, and there Helgi got a mortal wound.

00:25:23.480 Sigur riding did Helgi send to seek out Alimi's only daughter.

00:25:29.660 her swiftly ready to be if her lover alive she would find sigur spake hither now has helgi sent

00:25:40.540 me with thee zvava thyself to speak the hero said he fain would see thee ere life the nobly born should

00:25:48.700 Zvava spake, What chance would Helgi Hjurvar's son?

00:25:56.880 Hard to me is hard to come.

00:25:58.760 If the sea smote him, a sword bit him, Ill shall I bring to all his foes.

00:26:06.480 Sigur spake, In the morning he fell at Frekastein,

00:26:11.500 a king who was the noblest beneath the sun. Ulf has the joy of victory all, though need 0.91

00:26:19.940 therefore is never his. Helgi spake.

00:26:25.540 Hail to thee, Svavvumb, thy sorrow rule! Our meeting lasts in life is this. Hard the wounds 0.99

00:26:36.440 of the hero bleed and close to my heart the sword has come i bid thee svava weep not bride if thou

00:26:49.160 wilt hearken to these my words the bed for heathen have thou ready and yield thy love to the hero young

00:26:59.080 Svava spake. A vow I had in my dear loved home, when Helgi sought with rings to have me.

00:27:09.400 That's not of my will if the warrior died, would I fold in my arms a man unfeigned.

00:27:16.840 Hethin spake.

00:27:20.040 Kiss me, Svava. I came not back. They're all kind to see. 0.99

00:27:24.680 and Rathul's Fjol, to vengeance I have for the son of Fjolvarth,

00:27:31.420 the king who was the noblest beneath the sun.

00:27:35.680 Of Hergi and Svava it is said that they were born again.

00:27:54.680 Amen.

Asatru Folk Assembly - January 15, 2024

Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar, a reading

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