Northvegr - Prose Edda - Brodeur Trans.

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Prose Edda - Brodeur Trans.

Skáldskaparmál

229

Gylfi the gladsome
Stood 'neath the gold helmet.

Thus sang Glúmr Geirason:

Hilmir beneath the helmet
Reddened the sword hone-hollowed. (1)

Thus sang Óttarr the Swarthy:

Let Jöfurr hear the beginning
Of his laud: all the king's praises
Shall be maintained, and justly
Let him mark my praise-song's measures.

As Stúfr sang:

The glory-ardent Tyggi
South before Niz with two hands
Beat down the band of heroes:
Glad beneath their shields the host went.

Thus sang Hallfredr:

From Skyli I am parted:
This age of swords hath caused it.
'T is greatest of all self-mockings
To hope that the king's guard cometh.

Thus sang Markús:

I bid the hawklike Danish Harri
Hark to my cunning web of praises.

1. See page 197.

230

"Hálfdan and his wife had nine other sons also; these were Hildir, from whom the Hildings are come; Nefir, from whom the Niflungs sprang; Audi, from whom the Ödlungs are come; Yngvi, from whom the Ynglings are descended; Dagr, from whom come the Döglings; Bragi, from whom the Bragnings are sprung (that is the race of Hálfdan the Munificent); Budli, from whom the Budlungs are come (from the house of the Budlungs Atli and Brynhildr descended); the eighth was Lofdi, who was a great war-king (that host who were called Lofdar followed him; his kindred are called Lofdungs, whence sprang Eylimi, Sigurdr Fáfnisbani's mother's sire); the ninth, Sigarr, whence come the Siklings: that is the house of Siggeirr, who was son-in-law of Völsungr,-and the house of Sigarr, who hanged Hagbardr. From the race of Hildings sprang Haraldr the Red-Bearded, mother's father of Hálfdan the Swarthy. Of the Niflung's house was Gjúki; of the house of Ödlings, Kjárr; of the house of the Ylfings was Eiríkr the Wise in Speech. These also are illustrious royal houses: from Yngvi, the Ynglings are descended; from Skjöldr in Denmark, the Skjöldungs are come; from Völsungr in the land of Franks, those who are called Völsungs. One war-king was named Skelfir; and his house is called the House of Skilfings: his kindred is in the Eastern Region.
"These houses which were named but now have been used in skaldship for titles of rank. Even as Einarr sang:

I learned that the Hildings sallied
To hold the Spear-Assembly
On the Gray Isle; the broad shields,
Green lindens, burst in sunder.

231

As Grani sang:

The Dögling to eagle's kindred
For drink gave Danish blood.

As Gamli Gnævadar-Skald sang:

Not long since, the young Ödling
With ship's deck and with sword-blade
Joined battle, waging fiercely
Of points the bitter tempest.

As Jórunn sang:

The Bragning bade the weapons
Be dyed in blood of vile folk;
The people endured his anger:
Houses bowed before red embers.

Thus sang Einarr:

The Budlung's blade sheared,
Blood on darts was smeared;
The storm-cloud of Hildr
At Whitby spilled.

Thus sang Arnorr:

The Kin of Siklings inureth
To the waves the ships sea-tossing;
With blood he dyes the warships
Within: 't is the weal of ravens.

232

As Thjódólfr sang:

Thus the doughty Sikling ended
His life; in dire straits were we:
The glorious Lofdung waited
Bravely surcease of living.

The folk who were called Lofdar followed King Lofdi. As Arnórr sang:

Chief, another Skjöldung higher
Than thou shalt ne'er be born 'neath sun's light

Völsung, as Thorkell Hamar-Skald sang:

The Kin of Völsungs
Gave counsel to send me
The gold-decked weapon
O'er the cool waters.

Yngling, as Óttarr the Swarthy sang:

In the East no mighty Yngling
To earth fell, ere o'ertook thee
He who subjected to him
The Sea-isles from the westward.

Yngvi: that too is a king's title, as Markús sang:

The age shall hear the praise of Eiríkr:
None in the world a prince hath known of
Lordlier; thou boldest, Yngvi,
The Seat of Kings with long-kept glory.

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