Poetic EddaNorse MythologyAncient Myth / ComparativeOld NorseSharePoetic Edda 48Bellows - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableBellowsLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Poetic Edda 1Poetic Edda 2Poetic Edda 3Poetic Edda 4Poetic Edda 5Poetic Edda 6Poetic Edda 7Poetic Edda 8Poetic Edda 9Poetic Edda 10Poetic Edda 11Poetic Edda 12Poetic Edda 13Poetic Edda 14Poetic Edda 15Poetic Edda 16Poetic Edda 17Poetic Edda 18Poetic Edda 19Poetic Edda 20Poetic Edda 21Poetic Edda 22Poetic Edda 23Poetic Edda 24Poetic Edda 25Poetic Edda 26Poetic Edda 27Poetic Edda 28Poetic Edda 29Poetic Edda 30Poetic Edda 31Poetic Edda 32Poetic Edda 33Poetic Edda 34Poetic Edda 35Poetic Edda 36Poetic Edda 37Poetic Edda 38Poetic Edda 39Poetic Edda 40Poetic Edda 41Poetic Edda 42Poetic Edda 43Poetic Edda 44Poetic Edda 45Poetic Edda 46Poetic Edda 47Poetic Edda 48Poetic Edda 49Poetic Edda 50Poetic Edda 51Poetic Edda 52Poetic Edda 53Poetic Edda 54Poetic Edda 55Poetic Edda 56Poetic Edda 57Poetic Edda 58Poetic Edda 59Poetic Edda 60Poetic Edda 61Poetic Edda 62Poetic Edda 63Poetic Edda 64Poetic Edda 65Poetic Edda 66Poetic Edda 67Poetic Edda 68Poetic Edda 69Poetic Edda 70Poetic Edda 71Poetic Edda 72Poetic Edda 73Poetic Edda 74Poetic Edda 75Poetic Edda 76Poetic Edda 77Poetic Edda 78Poetic Edda 79Poetic Edda 80Poetic Edda 81Poetic Edda 82Poetic Edda 83Poetic Edda 84Poetic Edda 85Poetic Edda 86›(Viii)Poetic Edda 48ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1One of Sigrun’s maidens went one evening to Helgi’s hill, and saw that Helgi rode to the hill with many men. The maiden said: 239. “Is this a dream | that methinks I see, Or the doom of the gods, | that dead men ride, And hither spurring | urge your steeds, Or is home-coming now | to the heroes granted?” 340. “No dream is this | that thou thinkest to see, Nor the end of the world, | though us thou beholdest, And hither spurring | we urge our steeds, Nor is home-coming now | to the heroes granted.” 4The maiden went home and said to Sigrun: 541. “Go forth, Sigrun, | from Sevafjoll, If fain the lord | of the folk wouldst find; (The hill is open, | Helgi is come;) The sword-tracks bleed; | the monarch bade That thou his wounds | shouldst now make well.” 6Sigrun went in the hill to Helgi, and said: 742. “Now am I glad | of our meeting together, As Othin’s hawks, | so eager for prey, When slaughter and flesh | all warm they scent, Or dew-wet see | the red of day. 843. “First will I kiss | the lifeless king, Ere off the bloody | byrnie thou cast; With frost thy hair | is heavy, Helgi, And damp thou art | with the dew of death; (Ice-cold hands | has Hogni’s kinsman, What, prince, can I | to bring thee ease?)” 944. “Thou alone, Sigrun | of Sevafjoll, Art cause that Helgi | with dew is heavy; Gold-decked maid, | thy tears are grievous, (Sun-bright south-maid, | ere thou sleepest;) Each falls like blood | on the hero’s breast, (Burned-out, cold, | and crushed with care.) 1045. “Well shall we drink | a noble draught, Though love and lands | are lost to me; No man a song | of sorrow shall sing, Though bleeding wounds | are on my breast; Now in the hill | our brides we hold, The heroes’ loves, | by their husbands dead.” 11Sigrun made ready a bed in the hill. 1246. “Here a bed | I have made for thee, Helgi, To rest thee from care, | thou kin of the Ylfings; I will make thee sink | to sleep in my arms, As once I lay | with the living king.” 1347. “Now do I say | that in Sevafjoll Aught may happen, | early or late, Since thou sleepest clasped | in a corpse’s arms, So fair in the hill, | the daughter of Hogni! (Living thou comest, | a daughter of kings.) 1448. “Now must I ride | the reddened ways, And my bay steed set | to tread the sky; Westward I go | to wind-helm’s bridges, Ere Salgofnir wakes | the warrior throng.” 15Then Helgi and his followers rode on their way, and the women went home to the dwelling. Another evening Sigrun bade the maiden keep watch at the hill. And at sunset when Sigrun came to the hill she said: 1649. “Now were he come, | if come he might, Sigmund’s son, | from Othin’s seat; Hope grows dim | of the hero’s return When eagles sit | on the ash-tree boughs, And men are seeking | the meeting of dreams.” 1750. “Mad thou wouldst seem | alone to seek, Daughter of heroes, | the house of the dead; For mightier now | at night are all The ghosts of the dead | than when day is bright.” 18Sigrun was early dead of sorrow and grief. It was believed in olden times that people were born again, but that is now called old wives’ folly. Of Helgi and Sigrun it is said that they were born again; he became Helgi Haddingjaskati, and she Kara the daughter of Halfdan, as is told in the Lay of Kara, and she was a Valkyrie. ‹Previous chapterPoetic Edda 47Next chapterPoetic Edda 49›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States via Project Gutenberg