Poetic EddaNorse MythologyAncient Myth / ComparativeOld NorseSharePoetic Edda 56Bellows - 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›Introductory NotePoetic Edda 56ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1The so-called Fafnismol, contained in full in the Codex Regius, where it immediately follows the Reginsmol without any indication of a break, is quoted by Snorri in the Gylfaginning (stanza 13) and the Skaldskaparmal (stanzas 32 and 33), and stanzas 6, 3, and 4 appear in the Sverrissaga. Although the Volsungasaga does not actually quote any of the stanzas, it gives a very close prose parallel to the whole poem in chapters 18 and 19. 2The general character of the Fafnismol, and its probable relation to the Reginsmol and the Sigrdrifumol, have been discussed in the introductory note to the Reginsmol. While it is far more nearly a unit than the Reginsmol, it shows many of the same characteristics. It has the same mixture of stanza forms, although in this case only nine stanzas (32–33, 35–36 and 40–44) vary from the normal Ljothahattr measure. It shows, though to a much less marked extent, the same tendency to introduce passages from extraneous sources, such as the question-and-answer passage in stanzas 11–15. At the same time, in this instance it is quite clear that one distinct poem, including probably stanzas 1–10, 16–23, 25–31, and 34–39, underlay the compilation which we here have. This may, perhaps, have been a long poem (not, however, the “Long” Sigurth Lay; see introductory note to Brot af Sigurtharkvithu) dealing with the Regin-Fafnir-Sigurth-Brynhild story, and including, besides most of the Fafnismol, stanzas 1–4 and 6–11 of the Reginsmol and part of the so-called Sigrdrifumol, together with much that has been lost. The original poem may, on the other hand, have confined itself to the Fafnir episode. 3In any case, and while the extant Fafnismol can be spoken of as a distinct poem far more justly than the Reginsmol, there is still no indication that the compiler regarded it as a poem by itself. His prose notes run on without a break, and the verses simply cover a dramatic episode in Sigurth’s early life. The fact that the work of compilation has been done more intelligently than in the case of the Reginsmol seems to have resulted chiefly from the compiler’s having been familiar with longer consecutive verse passages dealing with the Fafnir episode. The Reginsmol is little more than a clumsy mosaic, but in the Fafnismol it is possible to distinguish between the main substance of the poem and the interpolations. 4Here, as in the Reginsmol, there is very little that bespeaks the German origin of the Sigurth story. Sigurth’s winning of the treasure is in itself undoubtedly a part of the earlier southern legend, but the manner in which he does it is thoroughly Norse. Moreover, the concluding section, which points toward the finding of the sleeping Brynhild, relates entirely to the northern Valkyrie, the warrior-maiden punished by Othin, and not at all to the southern Brynhild the daughter of Buthli. The Fafnismol is, however, sharply distinguished from the Reginsmol by showing no clear traces of the Helgi tradition, although a part of the bird song (stanzas 40–44, in Fornyrthislag form, as distinct from the body of the poem) sounds suspiciously like the bird passage in the beginning of the Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar. Regarding the general relations of the various sets of traditions in shaping the story of Sigurth, see the introductory note to Gripisspo. 5The Fafnismol, together with a part of the Sigrdrifumol, has indirectly become the best known of all the Eddic poems, for the reason that Wagner used it, with remarkably little change of outline, as the basis for his “Siegfried.” 6Sigurth and Regin went up to the Gnitaheith, and found there the track that Fafnir made when he crawled to water. Then Sigurth made a great trench across the path, and took his place therein. When Fafnir crawled from his gold, he blew out venom, and it ran down from above on Sigurth’s head. But when Fafnir crawled over the trench, then Sigurth thrust his sword into his body to the heart. Fafnir writhed and struck out with his head and tail. Sigurth leaped from the trench, and each looked at the other. Fafnir said: 71. “Youth, oh, youth! | of whom then, youth, art thou born? Say whose son thou art, Who in Fafnir’s blood | thy bright blade reddened, And struck thy sword to my heart.” 8Sigurth concealed his name because it was believed in olden times that the word of a dying man might have great power if he cursed his foe by his name. He said: 92. “The Noble Hart | my name, and I go A motherless man abroad; Father I had not, | as others have, And lonely ever I live.” 103. “If father thou hadst not, | as others have, By what wonder wast thou born? (Though thy name on the day | of my death thou hidest, Thou knowest now thou dost lie.)” 114. “My race, methinks, | is unknown to thee, And so am I myself; Sigurth my name, | and Sigmund’s son, Who smote thee thus with the sword.” 125. “Who drove thee on? | why wert thou driven My life to make me lose? A father brave | had the bright-eyed youth, For bold in boyhood thou art.” 136. “My heart did drive me, | my hand fulfilled, And my shining sword so sharp; Few are keen | when old age comes, Who timid in boyhood be.” 147. “If thou mightest grow | thy friends among, One might see thee fiercely fight; But bound thou art, | and in battle taken, And to fear are prisoners prone.” 158. “Thou blamest me, Fafnir, | that I see from afar The wealth that my father’s was; Not bound am I, | though in battle taken, Thou hast found that free I live.” 169. “In all I say | dost thou hatred see, Yet truth alone do I tell; The sounding gold, | the glow-red wealth, And the rings thy bane shall be.” 1710. “Some one the hoard | shall ever hold, Till the destined day shall come; For a time there is | when every man Shall journey hence to hell.” 1811. “The fate of the Norns | before the headland Thou findest, and doom of a fool; In the water shalt drown | if thou row ’gainst the wind, All danger is near to death.” 1912. “Tell me then, Fafnir, | for wise thou art famed, And much thou knowest now: Who are the Norns | who are helpful in need, And the babe from the mother bring?” 2013. “Of many births | the Norns must be, Nor one in race they were; Some to gods, others | to elves are kin, And Dvalin’s daughters some.” 2114. “Tell me then, Fafnir, | for wise thou art famed, And much thou knowest now: How call they the isle | where all the gods And Surt shall sword-sweat mingle?” 2215. “Oskopnir is it, | where all the gods Shall seek the play of swords; Bilrost breaks | when they cross the bridge, And the steeds shall swim in the flood. 2316. “The fear-helm I wore | to afright mankind, While guarding my gold I lay; Mightier seemed I | than any man, For a fiercer never I found.” 2417. “The fear-helm surely | no man shields When he faces a valiant foe; Oft one finds, | when the foe he meets, That he is not the bravest of all.” 2518. “Venom I breathed | when bright I lay By the hoard my father had; (There was none so mighty | as dared to meet me, And weapons nor wiles I feared.)” 2619. “Glittering worm, | thy hissing was great, And hard didst show thy heart; But hatred more | have the sons of men For him who owns the helm.” 2720. “I counsel thee, Sigurth, | heed my speech, And ride thou homeward hence; The sounding gold, | the glow-red wealth, And the rings thy bane shall be.” 2821. “Thy counsel is given, | but go I shall To the gold in the heather hidden; And, Fafnir, thou | with death dost fight, Lying where Hel shall have thee.” 2922. “Regin betrayed me, | and thee will betray, Us both to death will he bring; His life, methinks, | must Fafnir lose, For the mightier man wast thou.” 30Regin had gone to a distance while Sigurth fought Fafnir, and came back while Sigurth was wiping the blood from his sword. Regin said: 3123. “Hail to thee, Sigurth! | Thou victory hast, And Fafnir in fight hast slain; Of all the men | who tread the earth, Most fearless art thou, methinks.” 3224. “Unknown it is, | when all are together, (The sons of the glorious gods,) Who bravest born shall seem; Some are valiant | who redden no sword In the blood of a foeman’s breast.” 3325. “Glad art thou, Sigurth, | of battle gained, As Gram with grass thou cleansest; My brother fierce | in fight hast slain, And somewhat I did myself.” 3426. “Afar didst thou go | while Fafnir reddened With his blood my blade so keen; With the might of the dragon | my strength I matched, While thou in the heather didst hide.” 3527. “Longer wouldst thou | in the heather have let Yon hoary giant hide, Had the weapon availed not | that once I forged, The keen-edged blade thou didst bear.” 3628. “Better is heart | than a mighty blade For him who shall fiercely fight; The brave man well | shall fight and win, Though dull his blade may be. 3729. “Brave men better | than cowards be, When the clash of battle comes; And better the glad | than the gloomy man Shall face what before him lies. 3830. “Thy rede it was | that I should ride Hither o’er mountains high; The glittering worm | would have wealth and life If thou hadst not mocked at my might.” 39Then Regin went up to Fafnir and cut out his heart with his sword, that was named Rithil, and then he drank blood from the wounds. Regin said: 4031. “Sit now, Sigurth, | for sleep will I, Hold Fafnir’s heart to the fire; For all his heart | shall eaten be, Since deep of blood I have drunk.” 41Sigurth took Fafnir’s heart and cooked it on a spit. When he thought that it was fully cooked, and the blood foamed out of the heart, then he tried it with his finger to see whether it was fully cooked. He burned his finger, and put it in his mouth. But when Fafnir’s heart’s-blood came on his tongue, he understood the speech of birds. He heard nut-hatches chattering in the thickets. A nut-hatch said: 4232. “There sits Sigurth, | sprinkled with blood, And Fafnir’s heart | with fire he cooks; Wise were the breaker | of rings, I ween, To eat the life-muscles | all so bright.” 4333. “There Regin lies, | and plans he lays The youth to betray | who trusts him well; Lying words | with wiles will he speak, Till his brother the maker | of mischief avenges.” 4434. “Less by a head | let the chatterer hoary Go from here to hell; Then all of the wealth | he alone can wield, The gold that Fafnir guarded.” 4535. “Wise would he seem | if so he would heed The counsel good | we sisters give; Thought he would give, | and the ravens gladden, There is ever a wolf | where his ears I spy.” 4636. “Less wise must be | the tree of battle Than to me would seem | the leader of men, If forth he lets | one brother fare, When he of the other | the slayer is.” 4737. “Most foolish he seems | if he shall spare His foe, the bane of the folk; There Regin lies, | who hath wronged him so, Yet falsehood knows he not.” 4838. “Let the head from the frost-cold | giant be hewed, And let him of rings be robbed; Then all the wealth | which Fafnir’s was Shall belong to thee alone.” 4939. “Not so rich a fate | shall Regin have As the tale of my death to tell; For soon the brothers | both shall die, And hence to hell shall go.” 50Sigurth hewed off Regin’s head, and then he ate Fafnir’s heart, and drank the blood of both Regin and Fafnir. Then Sigurth heard what the nut-hatch said: 5140. “Bind, Sigurth, the golden | rings together, Not kingly is it | aught to fear; I know a maid, | there is none so fair, Rich in gold, | if thou mightest get her. 5241. “Green the paths | that to Gjuki lead, And his fate the way | to the wanderer shows; The doughty king | a daughter has, That thou as a bride | mayst, Sigurth, buy.” 5342. “A hall stands high | on Hindarfjoll, All with flame | is it ringed without; Warriors wise | did make it once Out of the flaming | light of the flood. 5443. “On the mountain sleeps | a battle-maid, And about her plays | the bane of the wood; Ygg with the thorn | hath smitten her thus, For she felled the fighter | he fain would save. 5544. “There mayst thou behold | the maiden helmed, Who forth on Vingskornir | rode from the fight; The victory-bringer | her sleep shall break not, Thou heroes’ son, | so the Norns have set.” 56Sigurth rode along Fafnir’s trail to his lair, and found it open. The gate-posts were of iron, and the gates; of iron, too, were all the beams in the house, which was dug down into the earth. There Sigurth found a mighty store of gold, and he filled two chests full thereof; he took the fear-helm and a golden mail-coat and the sword Hrotti, and many other precious things, and loaded Grani with them, but the horse would not go forward until Sigurth mounted on his back. ‹Previous chapterPoetic Edda 55Next chapterPoetic Edda 57›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