" MI-:A\I\G OF KUNES. 



H5:> 



Now the song of Har is sung, 

 In the hall of Har; 

 Very useful to the sous of men, 

 Useless to the sons of Jotnar. 1 



Hail to him who sang ! 



Hail to him who knows! 



May he who has learned profit hy it ! 



Hail to those who have listened! 



" Atli was a great, powerful, ami wise kino- ; he had many 

 men with him, and took counsel with them how lie should get 

 the gold ; he knew that Gunnar and Hogni \\ere owners of so 

 much property 2 that no man had the like; of it : he sent men 1o 

 the brothers and invited them to a feast in order to give them 

 many gifts ; Ving' was the leader of the messengers. The 

 queen knew of their secret talk, and suspected treachery against 

 her brothers. She cut runes, took a gold ring, and tied on it 

 a wolf's hair ; she gave this to the king's messengers. They 

 wen^ as the king had told them, and before they landed Vingi 

 saw the runes and changed them so that they meant that 

 Gudnin wished them to come to Atli. Tliev came to the hall 



*/ 



of Gunnar and were well received ; large fires were made 

 before them; there they drank merrily the best drinks. 

 Vingi said : 'King Atli sent me hither and wanted yen to visit 

 him to get honour and large gifts, helmets and shields, swords 

 and coats-of-mail, gold and good clothes, warriors and horses 

 and large estates, and he says he would rather let you than 

 any others have his realm.' Then Gunnar turned his head and 

 said to Hogni : ' What shall we accept of this offer ? He offers 

 us a large realm, but I know no kings owning as much gold as 

 we, for we own all the gold which lay on Gnitaheath, and large 

 skemmas (rooms) filled with gold and the best cutting weapons 

 and all kinds of war-clothes; I know my horse to be the hest, 

 mv sword the keenest, mv orold the most renowned.' Hogni 



J *" t_ j 



answered : ' 1 wonder at his offer, for this he has seldom done, 

 and it is unadvisable to go to him. 1 am surprised that among 

 the costly things which Atli sent to us 1 saw a wolf's hair tied 

 on a gold ring, and it may be that Gudnin thinks he has a 

 wolfs mind (mind of a foe) towards us, and that the wants us 

 not to go.' Then Vingi showed him the runes which he said 

 Gudnin had sent. The men now went to sleep, while they 

 continued drinking with some others. Then Hogni's wife, 

 Kostbera, a most handsome woman, went to them and looked at 

 the runes. She and Gunnar's wife. Glaum vor, a very accom- 

 plished woman, brought drink. The kings became very drunk. 

 Vingi saw this, and said : ' I will not conceal that King Atli is 

 very heavy in his movements, and too old to defend his realm. 



7 / * f 



1 We see by tins and many 

 .issairos th:\t tin 1 .liitnar wore tin- o 



other 



.1 tho As:ir. 

 2 Property hove inoan> ':< 



.M '2 



