Chapter II - Helgi, Son of Hiorward

“Earl Atli, my trusty friend wilt thou journey to King Swavnir, and woo his fair daughter Sigurlin for me? Last Yule I beheld her in her father’s court, where I tarried as a winter guest, and I have not forgotten her since.” So spoke King Hiörward to his foster-brother Atli. “So late in the season it will be hard to cross the icy mountain-crests and the swampy fens of the valleys,” answered the Earl; “nevertheless for my liege lord I will adventure the fight with the fierce frost-giants (hrim-thurses).”

Well found in arms and royal gifts, Atli journeyed to Swavnir. He was hospitably received; but when he named the suit he was come upon, Earl Framnar, Sigur-lin’s governor, bethought him that King Hiörward had three wives already, and his foster-child was too good to be an understrapper. So the wooer was sent away with a flea in his ear. Not discouraged by the evil tidings the Earl brought him, the King determined to make another attempt himself, and take an army with him. When with much toil they had gained the mountain crest, he looked down on Swavaland, and saw towns and villages on fire, and parties of horse riding about, laying waste the land. He learnt from fugitives that Hrodmar, a neighbouring king, who had also sued for Sigurlin’s hand and been rejected, had in a pitched battle beaten and slain Swavnir, and now with cruel ravages was hunting about for his daughter, whom Earl Framnar had hidden away by magic. On hearing this, the King and his men moved down the mountain, till they came to a river, and there pitched their camp. Atli, who had the night-watch, quietly crossed the water, and soon arrived at a great building, whose entrance was guarded by a giant eagle. He pierced him through with his javelin, and in the house he found the fair Sigurlin, and Framnar’s daughter Alof. The maidens were in great alarm, but the brave Earl pacified them, and brought them to his lord. Having thus found what they sought, the King ordered a retreat. The two maidens soon began to trust and love their deliverers, and consented to a wedding, which was held with great splendour in the royal castle.

The fruit of the royal marriage was a son, who grew up strong and handsome; but to the great sorrow of his parents, he was dumb. He heard and understood all that was said, but he never learnt even to say father and mother. All the pains taken to get him to speak were thrown away; and so it came to pass that he was thought little of, and had not so much as a name given him. It was only his older half-brother Hedin that paid much attention to him, taking him out for forays in the woods and fields, and when they grew older, on more serious expeditions. One day, as they were resting on the edge of the forest after a hard fight, they saw nine valkyries on their white steeds high up in the air. One of them let herself down, and halted in front of them, beautiful as Freya’s companion. Coming up to the dumb youth she said: “Helgi, for so thou shalt be named henceforth, the hour is come for thee to shew the hero-spirit that sleeps in thy soul. I am Swava, King Eilimi’s daughter, and am appointed to shield thee in the shower of spears.” The youth in amazement gazed at the wondrous apparition: “You have given me a name,” he cried, “but I will not have it without you.”

“It is too soon to speak so bold a word; first prove by deeds that thou deservest a shield-maiden’s love.” So saying, she hastened after her companions.

“Happy Helgi!” cried his brother Hedin, “thou wilt win the glorious maid, and skalds shall one day sing thy fame.”

Great was the joy in Hiörward’s hall when the dumb son came before his sire, and in a clear voice asked for a band of warriors, that he might avenge his mother’s father on King Hrodmar, who had slain him. Many warriors mustered round him, and he marched away as if to certain victory. The war soon blazed in the enemy’s land, and the young hero was ever foremost in the fray. And if the storm of battle pressed him sore, and the strength of his arm grew slack, he saw the valkyrie hovering above him, catching the shot on her shining shield, and he felt new strength to tread the path of victory. In vain did Hrodmar hope to avoid him by skulking in the rear; he sought him out and felled him with a fatal stroke of the sword. In vain did the giant Hati seek to avenge his lord; he too was stricken to death, and sank on the bloody ground. Terror went before Helgi, and the hosts of the enemy turned their faces to flight. Victory followed him by land and by sea. Hati’s daughter Hrim-gerd, a grim sea-maiden (meerminne), tried to sink the hero's fleet, but Swava came sailing in the storm-cloud, and guided the black-bosomed sea-drakes safely into harbour. Crowned with glory, the hero came home to the castle of his fathers, and the harps of skalds rang with his praises. He had now fulfilled the conditions prescribed by the shield-maid; and the next spring he set out for King Eilimi's court. When he made known his suit, the king gave a willing consent, and the loving Swava was not loth to obey her father. The feast of betrothal was held at once: Helgi fastened the golden circlet round the slender arm of his affianced, and when her lips rested on his in a long kiss of troth, he felt such rapture as the wounded hero feels on the battle-field, when with a kiss the valkyrie lifts him out of earthly trouble to immortal bliss. But the bridal was put off till Helgi should return from an expedition against Alfur, the son of Hrodmar, who threatened him with war because he had refused to pay the fine for killing his father. At parting, Swava held him long in her arms: she was loth to let him go, feeling that she had no longer the power to protect him, for by affiance to a mortal man she had stept out of the ranks of shield-maidens.

Alfur was well provided for war, and a skillful general. The fortune of battle shifted from side to side all the summer; at length Helgi won a victory, and drove his antagonist into the bleak highland. He took towns and castles, but could not wholly overcome the resistance of a people fighting for their freedom and their ancient line of sovereigns. Petty warfare went on even in the winter. Still Helgi was everywhere victorious; he meant to keep Yule at his father’s court, and in the spring to fetch home his beloved Swava. Snowstorms delayed him on the journey, and before he could reach home, tidings came that Alfur with many warriors had forced his way back into his kingdom, had raised the whole population, and defied him to the “holm-gang.” This was joyful news to Helgi, for now he hoped to finish the never-ending strife at a blow. But first he continued his journey. On his way he saw his brother Hedin come riding in wild haste and with distracted looks, aside from the main road. The moment he spied Helgi, he galloped toward him, and fell weeping on his neck. “Save me, brother!” he cried, “save me from myself. I have done wickedly, and brought heavy woe upon us.” Then, in broken sentences, he went on: “On Yule-day there met me a strange woman, riding on a wolf. She was neither old nor young, neither foul nor fair; she offered me her attendance. I took her for a wanton, and spurned her away. She answered, threatening, that I should rue it at the Bragi-drinking. That evening we drank deep, and were at the height of our mirth, when the boar of Freyr was brought in, and the Bragi-cup was handed round. Ever)’ one bragged of some bold action he would do, and I—the dark Norn whispered the words in my ear—I vowed that I would win my brother's bride from him, the shield-maid Swava. But never will I fight the man that I love best on earth. I will wash out the wicked vow in my own blood. Fare well and happily!” He was rushing away, but Helgi held him back, and said: “Hear me, brother, while like a vala I foretell the future. My fylgia has parted from my side, and has turned herself to thee; therefore in the fight with Alfur I shall fall, and Swava, if she hearken to my prayer, will give her hand to thee. Look, Hedin, the coward begs hard for a bit more of earthly bliss; the hero looks the dark Norn boldly in the face, and says, Ay, spin thy black thread, and northward cast it for me! it reaches no farther than to dying; the entrance to Odin’s Hall it cannot bar against me.”

It was in vain that Hedin tried to keep him away from the battle, that he offered to lead the army for him, and to die in his stead: he kept to his purpose. In the spring the two brothers marched against Alfur, who fell back before them to the borders of King Eilimi’s dominions. There he made a stand, and a stubborn fight began. It lasted all day, and still was undecided; but Helgi had received his death-wound from the sword of his desperate foe. In the evening Hedin and his comrades in arms stood round the dying hero. Swava, too, having heard of the fight, had come in haste from her father’s castle, which stood near. Helgi knew her, and a glad smile hovered round his pale lips. “Give me the bridal kiss, my beloved, the valkyrie’s kiss that summons me to Odin; then rest in Hedin’s arms, he is worthy of thee.” She made no wailing, she shed no tears; she said: “A true woman loves but once, and not again. Take, Hedin, the sister’s kiss, but thou, Helgi, whom alone I can love, the kiss of the valkyrie. We shall soon meet again at the blissful gathering in Freya’s Folkwang.”

Her lips rested on his, as though she would catch his last breath. She stayed in the camp till the mound was raised over the departed hero, and then returned to Eilimi’s castle. Her words came true; she died soon, and found, as she had wished, a resting-place beside the man whom alone she had loved.