Guthrunarkvitha III

      Herkja was the name of a serving-woman of Atli’s; she had been his
concubine. She told Atli that she had seen Thjothrek and Guthrun both together.
Atli was greatly angered thereby. Then Guthrun said:

  1. “What thy sorrow, Atli,	Buthli’s son?
  Is thy heart heavy-laden?	Why laughest thou never?
  It would better befit	the warrior far
  To speak with men,	and me to look on.”

  Atli spake:
  2. “It troubles me, Guthrun,	Gjuki’s daughter,
  What Herkja here	in the hall hath told me,
  That thou in the bed	with Thjothrek liest,
  Beneath the linen,	in lovers’ guise.”

  Guthrun spake:
  3. “This shall I 	with oaths now swear,
  Swear by the sacred	stone so white,
  That nought was there	with Thjothmar’s son
  That man or woman	may not know.

  4. “Nor ever once	did my arms embrace
  That hero brave,	the leader of hosts;
  In another manner	our meeting was,
  When our sorrows we	in secret told.

  5. “With thirty warriors		Thjothrek came,
  Nor of all his men	doth one remain;
  Thou hast murdered my brothers	and mail-clad men,
  Thou hast murdered all	the men of my race.

  6. “Gunnar comes not,	Hogni I greet not,
  No longer I see	my brothers loved;
  My sorrow would Hogni	avenge with the sword,
  Now myself for my woes	I shall payment win.

  7. “Summon Saxi,	the southrons’ king,
  For he the boiling 	kettle can hallow.”

  8. Seven hundred	there were in the hall,
  Ere the queen her hand 	in the kettle thrust.

  9. To the bottom she reached	with hand so bright,
  And forth she brought	the flashing stone:
  “Behold, ye warriors,		well am I cleared
  Of sin by the kettle’s 		sacred boiling.”

  10. Then Atli’s heart	in happiness laughed,
  When Guthrun’s hand	unhurt he saw;
  “Now Herkja shall come	the kettle to try,
  She who grief		for Guthrun planned.”

  11. Ne’er saw man sight		more sad than this,
  How burned were the hands	of Herkja then;
  In a bog so foul	the maid they flung,
  And so was Guthrun’s	grief requited.




                      <<_Previous_Page       Next_Page_>>