Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, a reading
Episode Stats
Harmful content
Misogyny
1
sentences flagged
Toxicity
2
sentences flagged
Hate speech
27
sentences flagged
Summary
The Second Helgi Hundingsbanner II, The Second Lay of Helge Hunding's Bane, is a piece of Old Norse poetry written by an annotator of a lost poem. It is in no sense consecutive, and it is not a narrative poem, and all or most of it is evidence of relatively early composition.
Transcript
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Helge Kvitha, Hundingsbanner II, the second lay of Helge Hundingsbann.
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As the general nature of the Helgi tradition has been considered in the introductory note to Helgeskvitte Hjärvårdstånar,
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it is necessary to discuss only the characteristics of this particular poem.
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The second Helgi Hundingsbeinle is, in most respects, the exact opposite of the first one.
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It is in no sense consecutive, and it is not a narrative poem,
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and all or most of it is evidence of relatively early composition,
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its origin probably going well back into the 10th century.
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It is frankly nothing but a piece of, in the main, very clumsy patchwork,
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pieced together awkwardly by the annotator with copious prose notes.
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One of these fragments, Stanza's 13 through 16,
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is specifically identified as coming from the old Wolfsungle.
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What was that poem, and how much more of the extant Helgele compilation was taken from it,
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and did the annotator know more of it than he included in this patchwork?
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Conclusive answers to these questions have baffled scholarship, and probably always will do so.
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My own guess is that the annotator knew little or nothing more than he wrote down.
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Having got the first Helgi Hundings Benle, which was obviously in fairly good shape,
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out of the way, he proceeded to assemble all the odds and ends of verse about Helgi which
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he could get a hold of, putting them together on the basis of the narrative told in the
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first Helgi Le, and of such stories as his knowledge of prose sagas may have yielded.
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Section 1, stanzas 1-4 deals with the early adventures of Helgi, in which he narrowly
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escapes capture when he ventures into Hunding's home in the skies.
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Section 2 stands as 5-12 is a dialogue between Helgi and Sigrun at their first meeting.
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Section 3 stands as 13-16 is another dialogue between Helgi and Sigrun when she
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Section 4, stanzas 17-20, which may well have been from the same poem as section 3, is made
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up of speeches by Helgi and Sigrun after the battle in which Hothbrod was killed.
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Stanza 21, however, is certainly an interpolation from another poem, as it is in a totally
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Section 5, stanzas 22-27 is the dispute between Sinfjalti and Gothmund, evidently, in an older
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formed in the one included in the first Helgi Hunding's bane lay.
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Section 7 gives dog speech to his sister, Sigrun, telling of Helgi's death, her curse
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on her brother, and her lament for her slain husband.
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Section 7 is the remnant of the dispute between Helgi and Hunding, here inserted absurdly out
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8, stanzas 39-50, deals with the return of the dead Helgi and Sigrun's visit to him
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in the burial hill. Siamans maintains that sections 1 and 2 are fragments of the Chara
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Lay mentioned by the annotator in his concluding prose note, and that sections 4, 6 and 8 are
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from a lost Helgi Sigrun poem, while sections 3 comes from, of course, the old Volsung Lay.
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This seems as good as a guess as any other, conclusive proof being quite out of the question.
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Were it not for sections 6 and 8, the poem would be little more than a battleground for
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scholars, but those two sections are in many ways as fine as anything in Old Norse poetry.
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Sigrun's curse of her brother for the slaying of Hergi and her lament for her dead husband,
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and the extraordinary vividness of the final scene in the burial hill, have a quality which
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fully offsets the baffling confusion of the rest of the poem.
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king, and Hunmund is named from him. He was a mighty warrior, and had minty sons with
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him on his campaigns. There was enmity and strife between these two, King Hunding and
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King Sigmund, and each slew the other's kinsmen. King Sigmund and his father were called Wolsungs
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and Irfungs. Helgi went as a spy to the home of King Hunding in disguise. Heiming, a son
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of king hunding was at home when helgi went forth then he met a young herdsman and said
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say to hymen that helgi knows whom the heroes in armor hid a gray wolf had they within their hall
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whom king hunding hamel thought hammer was the name of hargil's son king hunding sent men to
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Hargil to help seek Helgi, and Helgi could not save himself in any other way, so he put
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on the clothes of a bondwoman, and set to work at the mill.
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Then Blin spake out, the evil-minded, Of Hargil's bondwoman, bright are the eyes!
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comes not of churls who stand at the quern the millstones break the boards are shattered
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the hero has the doomful hard that barley now he needs been screened better befits his hand
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to feel the hilt of the sword in the millstone's handle hoggle answered and said small is the wonder
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if boards are splintered, by a monarch's daughter the mill is turned.
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Once through clouds she was wont to ride, and battles fought like fighting men,
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till Helgi, a captive, held her fast. Sister she was of Siggar and Hogni,
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thus brighter the eyes of the Ilfing's maid. Helgi escaped and went to the fighting ship.
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He slew King Hunding, and henceforth was called Helgi Hunding's bane.
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He lay with his host in Brunnavagar, and they had there a strand slaughtering, and ate the flesh raw.
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Hogni was the name of a king, his daughter of Sigrun.
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where is the home ye warriors have why do you bid in Brunavagar or what the way that ye wish to try
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Helgi spake hummels the ship by the shore so steep our home in Hlesi do we have
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for fair wind bid we in Brunavagar eastward the way that we wish to try
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Sigrun spake, where hast thou warrior, battle weakened, or gourged the birds of the sisters
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Helgi spake, latest of all the Ilfing sun, on the western sea, if know thou wilt, captured
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bears in Bragalund, and fed the eagles with edge of sword.
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Now is it shown why her shirts are bloody, and little of food with fire is cooked.
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Sigrun spake, Of battle thou tellest, and there was bent,
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There was carnage when thou didst avenge thy kin, and blood flowed fast on the blade
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of the sword helgi spake how didst thou know that now our kin made and wise we have well avenged
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many there are of the sons of the mighty who share alike are off the race sigrin spake
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not far was i from the lord of the folk yestermorn when the monarch was slain
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Though crafty the son of Sigmund, methinks, When he speaks of the fight and slaughter-runes.
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On the long ship once I saw thee well, When the blood-stained bow thou wast,
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Now would the hero hide from me, But to Hogni's daughter is Helgi none.
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Gronmar was the name of a mighty king who dwelt at Svarin's Hill.
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One was named Hothbrod, another Gothmund, a third Starkoth.
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Hothbrod was in a king's meeting, and he won the promise of having Sigrun, Hogni's
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But when she heard this, she rode with the Valkyries over air and sea to seek Helgi.
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Ergi was then at Hologafjör, and had fought with wounding sons.
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There he killed Alf and Eilf, Hjörvarth and Hjörvarth.
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He was all wary with battle, and sat under the eagle stone.
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There Sigrun found him, and ran to throw her arms about his neck, and kissed him, and told
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him of her tidings, as is set forth in the old Volsong lay.
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Sigrun the joyful chieftain sought, forthwith Helgi's hand she took.
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She greeted the hero, helmed and kissed him, the warrior's heart to the woman turned.
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From her heart the daughter of Hogni spake, Dear with Helgi, she said to her, Long with
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all my heart I loved, Sigmund's son, ere ever I saw him. At the meeting to Hothbrod, mated
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I was, but another hero I fain would have, though king the wrath of my kin I fear, since
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I broke my father's fairest wish. Helgi spake, fear not ever Hogni's anger, not yet thy kinsman's
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cruel wrath. Maiden thou with me shall live. Thy kindred fair one I shall not feel.
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Hergi then assumed a great sea host and went to Thrakastin. On the sea he met a perilous storm.
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Lightning flashed overhead and the bolts struck the ship. They saw in the air that nine Valkyries
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were riding, and recognized Sigrun among them. Then the storm abated, and they came safe and
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sound to Lland. Grandma's sons sat at a certain mountain as the ships sailed towards the Lland.
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Gothman leaped on a horse and rode for news to a promontory near the harbor.
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The Volsungs were leaving there, lowing their sails. Then Gothman said, as is written before,
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Bragi and Dag. There was a great battle, and all Granmar's sons were slain and all their allies.
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Only Dag, Hogni's son, was spared, and he swore loyalty to the Volsungs. Sigrun went among the
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dead and found Hothbrod at the coming of death. She said, Never shall Sigrun from Sevafjörl,
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To life would I call them who slaughtered lie,
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I find not peace in the van of your foaring, and round the fighters is battle-white red.
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Sin shortly spake, Here now may Hothbrod Helgi find,
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And over the realm of the fishes he rules.
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And Moin Shimeh, prove the men that hearts for the wielding of swords they had,
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Dag, the son of Hogni, offered sacrifice to Odin to be avenged for his father's death.
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Dag found Helgi, his brother-in-law, at a place which is called Fjordturond.
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Then Helgi fell, and Dag rode to Sevafjord, and told Sigrun the tidings.
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Sodom I, sister, sorrow to tell thee, Woe to my kin, unwilling I worked!
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In the morn there fell at Fjotorlund, The noblest prince the world has ever known,
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Sigrun spake, Now may ever, Oth thee, bite,
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That with Helgi sworn thou hast, By the water bright of Lett,
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The ship shall not sail, In which thou sailest,
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The sword shall not bite which thou barest, Till thy head itself it sings about.
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Vengeance were mine for Helgi's murder, Wirt thou a wolf in the woods without,
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Possessing not and knowing no joy, Having no food save corpses to feed on.
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Dog spake, Mad art thou, sister, and wild of mind,
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Such a curse on thy brother to cast, Odin is ruler of every ill, who sunders kin with
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Thy brother rings, so red would I give thee, Alvan del Sif and Vigdalil.
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Take half my land to pay the harm, ring-decked maid, and as mead for thy sons.
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grun spake i shall sit not happy at seve fjall early or late my life to love if the light cannot
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show in the leader's bond wieg bleier bearing him back to his home the golden bitted i shall
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greet him never such the fear that helgi's foes ever felt and all their kin as makes the goats
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would terror mad run from a wolf among the rocks. Helgi rose above heroes all, like the
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lofty ash above lowly thorns, where the noble stag would dew besprinkled, bearing his head
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above all beasts, and his horns gleamed bright to heaven itself.
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A hill was made in Helgi's memory, and when he came to Valhall, then Óðinn bade him
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Helgi said, Thou shalt, Húning, of every hero, wash the feet and kindle the fire,
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Tie up dogs, and tin the horses, and feed the swine, ere to sleep thou goest.
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One of Sigrun's maidens went one evening to Helgi's hill, and saw that Helgi rode to
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The maidens said, Is this a dream, that methinks I see you're the doom of the gods the dead
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men re-eyed, and hithersparing urged your steeds, O is homecoming now to the heroes granted.
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Helgi spake, No dreaming is this, that thou thinkest to see, nor the end of the world
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And hithersparing we urge our steeds, nor is homecoming now to the heroes granted.
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The maiden went home, and said to Sigrun, Go forth, Sigrun, from Severfjall, if thine
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The sword tracks bleed, the monarch bade, that thou his wounds shouldst now make well.
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Sigrun went in the hill to Helgi, and said, Now am I glad of our meeting together, as
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With Odin's hawks so eager for prey, When slaughter and flesh shall warm they scent,
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First will I kiss the lifeless king, Ere of the bloody bernie thou cast.
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With frost thy hair is heavy held ye, And damp thou art with the dew of kith.
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burned out cold and crushed with care well shall we drink a noble draught though
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love and lands are lost to me no man a song of sorrow shall sing though
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bleeding wounds are on my breast now in the hill our brides we hold the heroes
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Here a bed I have made for thee, Helgi, to wrest thee from care, thou kin of the earthings.
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I will make thee sink to sleep in my arms, as once I lay with the living king.
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Ergi spake, now do I say that in Sevifjall a lot may happen early or late, since thou
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sleepest clasped in corpses' arms so fair in the hill, the daughter of Hogni, living
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Now must I ride the reddened ways, and my bay's steed set to tread the sky, westward
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I go, to Windhelm's bridges, ere Sogafnir wakes the warrior throng.
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Then Helgi and his followers rode on their way, and the women went home to the dwelling.
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Another evening Sigrun bade the maiden keep watch at the hill, and at sunset when Sigrun
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Now where he come, if come he might, Sigmund's son from Odin's seat?
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Hope grows dim of the hero's return, when eagles sit on the ash-tree boughs, and men
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the maiden said, Mad thou wouldst seem, alone to seek,
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Daughter of heroes, the house of the dead, Ther mightier now at night are all,
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The ghosts of the dead, than when day is bright.
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It was believed in olden times that people were born again, but that is now called old
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wives' folly. Of Helgi and Sigrun it is said that they were born again. He became Helgi
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Haring Skiati, and she Kara, the daughter of Hafdan. As is told in the lay of Kara,