Stories and Ballads of the Far Past Part 29

7. Down then sat the lads there; Angry were they each one.-- "Better than fighting us so fiercely Go 'venge thy father anon!"

8. Water she cast on her armour; She list no longer to fight, But went and stood before her mother, With cheeks all red and white.

9. "O hearken, hearken my Mother dear, The truth from thee would I know.-- Was my father slain in battle Or did he die on straw?"

10. "No truer tale can I tell to thee, My daughter whom I love: He fell before the bold orvarodd To the South in Isan's Grove.

11. "I can tell thee no truer, my daughter dear Than I tell as here I stand;-- He fell before the bold orvarodd To the South in Isan's Land."

12. She took her quickly to a chest Which guarded gold and fee; She drew a shirt from out the chest, And flung it on Hervik's knee.

13. She drew a shirt from out the chest, All bloodstained where it had lain.-- "Here may'st thou see the very same shirt In which thy father was slain."

14. Up then rose Hervik the Earl's daughter And manned ship hastily; Its cables were of shining gold, All twisted cunningly.

15. Up then rose Hervik the Earl's daughter, And decked her ship so fine, And bade them store within the hold Both ale and costly wine.

16. Tarred were the masts, And black was the ship in hue; The masthead was of the red, red gold, And the sun shone on it too.

17. Tarred were the masts; The ship it was quite new; The golden weather-c.o.c.k spun aloft, And shone amid Heaven's own blue.

18. Tarred were the masts, The beams scored wondrously; Stem and stern were of red, red gold, And so was the sail on high.

19. All in the middle of the ship's deck The colour shone so fair Where Hervik, the Earl's daughter, Sat on the platform there.

20. She hoists aloft her silken sail, Striped gold on a scarlet ground, Nor ever once does she strike it again Till she comes to Isan's Land.

21. She hoists aloft her silken sail, (The like will scarce be found) Nor ever once does she strike it again Till she comes to Isan's ground.

22. Forth when Hervik's frigate Touched the fair land, Cast she forth her anchor Into the white, white sand.

23. Cast she down her anchor Into the white, white sand; And the first was Hervik the Earl's daughter To spring with her foot to land.

24. The first was Hervik the Earl's daughter To spring with her foot to land, And with her Hjalmar her brother Close at her right hand.

25. There a huntsman met her; He had hunted herd and fee: "O why art thou so sorrowful, As a troll had been hunting thee?"

26. Then up stood Hervik the Earl's daughter, Her good sword out she drew, And with it she clove the huntsman And him in sunder slew.

27. Three cross roads are bending, And one can she descry; Hervik has gone straight forth to the barrow Wherein her father doth lie.

28. Hervik has gone straight forth to the barrow Where her father lies dead and cold.

Little recks she of fear or favour, Though quake now fell and fold.

29. Then up and spake the voice of Arngrim, And these words first spake he:-- "O where are my eleven sons gone, Since daughters are visiting me?"

30. "I pa.s.s not for my eleven brothers, Or where they share their fee.

No treasure have I, save only Hjalmar, Hither brought with me.

31. "O haste thee, haste thee, my n.o.ble Father The good brand to give me; Or shall I set fire here to this barrow, And burn it over thee?"

32. Full woe was the champion Arngrim That she should wreck his grave.

He seized Tyrfing in both his hands And to his daughter gave.

33. He gave to her the sword then Was wonderfully made.-- The length of it was eighteen ells, And poisoned was its blade.

34. He gave to her the sword then Was wonderfully made.

No leechcraft could avail the man Was wounded by its blade.

35. All in the middle of the garden She clad her in cloak of skin; She busked her in a cloak of fur, And entered the high hall within.

36. She busked her in her cloak of fur And entered the high hall belive, Where orvarodd sat before the board With a hundred men and five.

37. "O welcome, welcome, Hervik, Hither now to me Mead or wine shalt thou have to drink As liefest is to thee."

38. "O little to me is thy mead, orvarodd, And little to me thy wine.

Today I have come to thy high hall, And a different errand is mine.

39. "O little to me is thy mead, orvarodd, And little to me thy beer; For a different errand did I busk me When I left my home to come here.

40. "I busked me and came from Sweden To fight in this thy land.

Stand up! Stand up! Thou bold orvarodd, Stand up, and arm thy band!"

41. It fell full early on a morning tide, Before the sun rose high, Bold orvarodd had a hundred men and twelve Accoutred royally.

42. Bold orvarodd had a hundred men and twelve Accoutred royally.

Then up rose Hervik, the Earl's daughter, To meet them gallantly.

43. Up then rose Hervik, the Earl's daughter, So doughty in the fight.

She blew a blast on her golden horn, And struck to left and right.

44. It was Hervik, the Earl's daughter, So gallantly she rode;-- She clove to the shoulders every knight Who forth against her strode.

45. She clove to the shoulders every knight Who forth against her strode, Till only orvarodd and his two companions Survivors of the army stood.

46. Under the castle gateway The King crept fearfully.-- "Now mercy, mercy, sweet Hervik, I pray thou'lt give to me!"

47. "Just so much is the sweet mercy Thou now shalt get of me As thou gavest to my n.o.ble Father When thou slew'st him felonly!"

48. "Just so much is the sweet mercy Thou now shalt win of me As thou gavest to my n.o.ble Father When thou slew'st him cruelly!"

49. That was Hervik, the Earl's daughter, To draw her sword was fain.

She has slain the warrior orvarodd And cut him in pieces twain.

50. She has slain the warrior orvarodd And cut him in pieces twain, And all his men so brave and true She has heaped on his corse amain.

51. Up then rose Hervik, the Earl's daughter; Through the greenwood gan she ride; But hawk or hound made never a cry In the greenwood by her side.

52. She hoists aloft her silken sail, Striped gold on a scarlet ground; Nor ever once does she strike it again Till she reaches far Uppland.