Stories and Ballads of the Far Past Part 12

They spent the winter at home, and in the spring made ready to start, going first to Earl Bjartmar, where a feast was made for them.

And during the evening Angantyr asked the Earl for the hand of his daughter and in this as in the rest they got their wish. The wedding took place, and afterwards the sons of Arngrim prepared to set out.

But the night before they left, Angantyr had a dream which he related to the Earl:

"I dreamed that I and my brothers were in Sams. We found many birds there and killed all that we saw. Then I dreamed that as we were setting out again upon the island, two eagles flew towards us. I went against one and we had a stiff encounter; and at last we sank down and had no strength left in us. But the other eagle fought with my eleven brothers and overcame them all."

The Earl said: "The death of mighty men has been revealed to you in this dream."

Then Angantyr and his brothers went away and came to Sams, and went ash.o.r.e to look for Hjalmar; and the story of their adventures there is related in the _Saga of orvar-Odd_. First they came to Munarvagar, where they slew all the men from the two ships of Hjalmar and Odd; and afterwards they went ash.o.r.e and encountered Hjalmar and Odd themselves on the island. Odd slew Angantyr's eleven brothers, and Hjalmar slew Angantyr, and afterwards died there himself of his wounds.

Then Odd had all the rest of them placed in great barrows with all their weapons; but Hjalmar's body he took home to Sweden. And when Ingibjorg the King's daughter saw Hjalmar's body, she fell down dead and they were both laid together in one barrow at Upsala.

IV. The story goes on to say that a girl was born to the daughter of Earl Bjartmar. Everyone advised exposing the child, saying that if she resembled her father's kinsmen she would not have a womanly disposition. The Earl, however, had her sprinkled with water; and he brought her up, and called her Hervor, saying that the line of Arngrim's sons would not be extinguished if she were left alive.

She grew up to be a beautiful girl. She was tall and strong, and trained herself in the use of bow, shield and sword. But as soon as she could do anything it was oftener harm than good; and when she had been checked she ran away to the woods and killed people to provide herself with money. And when the Earl heard of it, he had her caught and brought home, where she remained for a time.

One day she went to the Earl and said: "I want to go away because I am not happy here."

A little while after she departed alone, dressed and armed like a man, and joined some vikings and stayed with them for a time, calling herself Hervarth. Shortly afterwards the chief of the vikings died, and Hervarth took command of the band.

One day when they sailed to Sams, Hervarth landed; but her men would not follow her, saying that it was not safe for anyone to be out of doors there by night. Hervarth declared that there was likely to be much treasure in the barrows. She landed on the island towards sunset, but they lay off in Munarvagar. She met a shepherd boy and asked him for information.

He said: "You are a stranger to the island; but come home with me, for it is unsafe for anyone to be out of doors here after sunset; and I am in a hurry to get home."

Hervarth replied: "Tell me where are 'Hjorvarth's Barrows,' as they are called."

"You must surely be mad," replied the boy, "if you want to explore by night what no-one dare visit at mid-day. Burning flame plays over them as soon as the sun has set."

But Hervarth insisted that she would visit the barrows--whereupon the shepherd said:

"I see that you are a brave man though not a wise one, so I will give you my necklace if you will come home with me."

But Hervarth replied: "Even if you give me all you have you will not hold me back."

And when the sun had set, loud rumblings were heard all over the island, and flames leapt out of the barrows. Then the shepherd grew frightened and took to his heels and ran to the wood as fast as he could, without once looking back. Here is a poem giving an account of his talk with Hervor:

Driving his flocks at the fall of day, In Munarvagar along the bay, A shepherd met a maid.-- "Who comes to our island here alone?

Haste to seek shelter, the day is done, The light will quickly fade."

"I will not seek for a resting place: A stranger am I to the island race.-- But tell me quick I pray, Ere thou goest hence, if I may descry Where the tombs of the children of Arngrim lie: O tell me, where are they?"

"Forbear from such questions utterly!

Foolish and rash must thou surely be, And in a desperate plight!

Let us haste from these horrors as fast as we can, For abroad it is ghastly for children of men To wander about in the night."

"My necklace of gold is the price I intend To pay for thy guidance; for I am the friend Of vikings, and will not be stayed."

"No treasures so costly, nor rings of red gold Shall take me their thrall, or my footsteps withhold, That thereby my flight be gainsaid.

"Foolish is he who comes here alone In the fearsome dark when the sun has gone And the flames are mounting high;-- When earth and fen are alike ablaze, And tombs burst open before thy gaze: O faster let us hie!"

"Let us never heed for the snorting blaze, Nor fear, though over the island ways Dart tongues of living light.

Let us not lightly give way to fear Of the n.o.ble warriors buried here, But talk with them tonight."

But the shepherd lad fled fast away, Nor stayed to hear what the youth would say, But into the forest sped; While in Hervor's breast rose proud and high Her hard-knit heart, as she saw near by The dwellings of the dead.

She could now see the fires of the barrows and the ghosts standing outside; and she approached the barrows fearlessly and pa.s.sed through the fires as if they had been merely smoke, until she reached the barrow of the berserks. Then she cried:

V. Awaken, Angantyr, hearken to me!

The only daughter of Tofa and thee Is here and bids thee awake!

Give me from out the barrow's shade The keen-edged sword which the dwarfs once made For Svafrlami's sake.

Hervarth, Hjorvarth, Angantyr, And Hrani, under the tree-roots here, I bid you now appear;-- Clad in harness and coat of mail, With shield and broadsword of biting steel, Helmet and reddened spear!

The sons of Arngrim are changed indeed To heaps of dust, and Eyfura's seed Has crumbled into mould.-- In Munarvagar will no one speak To her who has come thus far to seek Discourse with the men of old?

Hervarth, Hjorvarth, Angantyr And Hrani, great be your torment here If ye will not hear my words.

Give me the blade that Dvalin made; It is ill becoming the ghostly dead To keep such costly swords!

In your tortured ribs shall my curses bring A maddening itch and a frenzied sting, Till ye writhe in agonies, As if ye were laid to your final rest Where the ants are swarming within their nest, And revelling in your thighs!

Then answered Angantyr:

O Hervor, daughter, why dost thou call Words full of cursing upon us all?

Thou goest to meet thy doom!

Mad art thou grown, and thy wits are fled; Thy mind is astray, that thou wak'st the dead --The dwellers in the tomb.

No father buried me where I lie, Nor other kinsman[1] ...

The only two who remained unslain Laid hold on Tyrfing, but now again One only possesses the sword.

She answered:

Nought save the truth shalt thou tell to me!

May the ancient G.o.ds deal ill with thee If thou harbour Tyrfing there!

Thine only daughter am I, and yet Unwilling thou art that I should get That which belongs to thine heir!

It now seemed as if the barrows, which had opened, were surrounded with an unbroken ring of flame. Then Angantyr cried:

The barrows are opening! Before thy gaze The round of the island is all ablaze, And the gate of h.e.l.l stands wide.

There are spectres abroad that are ghastly to see.

Return, little maiden, right hastily To thy ship that waits on the tide.

She replied:

No funeral fire that burns by night Can make me tremble with affright, Or fear of awful doom.

Thy daughter's heart can know no fear, Though a ghost before her should appear In the doorway of the tomb.

Angantyr:

O Hervor, Hervor, hearken to me!