THE VALKYR1A SIGRUN. 



391 



In the second song of this poem we learn the mode of 

 thought, the religious ideas and customs of the people of the 

 North, and glean some new facts ; that men and women were 

 sometimes thought to be born again ; that Helgi derived his 

 name from Helgi Hjorvardson, and that he was brought up by 

 Hagal. His foes, and not the sons of Hunding, search for 

 him, but he escapes by dressing himself in the garb of a 

 bondwoman. This episode of his life and the following fights 

 must have taken place after those of the first song. The 

 connection between the two poems is somewhat obscure. 



" Granmar was a powerful king who lived at Svarinshaug ; he 

 had many sons, among them Hodbrod, Gudmund, and Starkad. 

 Hodbrod was at an appointed meeting J of kings ; he betrothed 

 himself to Sigrun, 2 daughter of Hogni. When she heard this 

 she rode with Valkyrias over the sea and air to search for Helgi. 

 He was then at Logafjoll (Fire-mountains), and had fought 

 against the sons of Hunding ; there he slew Alt' and Eyjolf, 

 Hjorvard and Hervard ; he was very weary of the fight, and sat 

 down at Arastein (Eagle's stone) ; where .Sigrun found him, 

 threw her arms about his neck and kissed him, and told him 

 of her errand, as is related in the old Volsunga-kvida : 3 



Sigrun. sought 

 The glad king, 4 

 She took Helgi's 

 Hand in hers ; 



She kissed and greeted 

 The king under his helmet ; 

 Then did his mind 

 Turn to the maiden. 



She said she loved 

 With all her mind 

 The son of Sigmund 

 Ere she had seen him. 



I was to Hodbrod 

 In the host betrothed, 

 But another chief 

 I wanted to have. 



Yet I fear, chief, 



The anger of my kinsmen ; 



I have broken 



The mind-marriage of my father. 5 



The maiden of Hogni 

 Spoke not against her mind ; 

 She said she would 

 Have the love of Helgi. 



Helgi. 



Do not care for 

 The wrath of Hogni, 

 Nor for the ill-will 

 Of thy kin ; 



Thou wilt, young maiden, 

 Live with me ; 



Thou, good maiden, hast kinsmen 

 Whom I do not fear. 



1 We find that kings sometimes had 

 meetings among themselves. 



2 Probably she was betrothed by her 

 lather, not being present herself. 



3 From this we see that this beautiful 

 story is derived from the lost Volsunga- 



kvida (a great loss), and from which 

 Volsunga itself is probably mostly taken. 



4 Glad because of victory. 



5 The marriage which her father hail 

 sot his mind upon. 



