ENTERTAINING Till: 70LVA. 



395 



the seeress, with the strangest gesticulations, made her con- 

 jurations and received her revelations. 1 



The two brothers Halfdan and Frodi were kings (in Den- 

 mark). Frodi slew Halfdan, but could not find his sons 

 Helgi and Hroar, and therefore invited Scevil jarl, who was 

 married to their sister Signy, to a feast, as Frodi suspected 

 that the boys were staying with him. 



"A Volvo, called Heid was there; Frodi asked her to use 

 her art, and try what she could tell of the boys. He enter- 

 tained her splendidly, and seated her on a high seid-platform. 

 The King asked what tidings she saw, ' for I know that many 

 things will pass before thy eyes now, and I see great luck on 

 thee ; and answer nie as quickly as thou canst, seid- woman.' 

 She then threw open her jaws and yawned much, and a song 

 came out of her mouth : 



Two are inside, 

 I trust neither of 



The handsome ones 

 Who sit at the fires.' 



" The King asked : ' Is it the boys, or those who saved 

 them ? ' She answered : 



' It is those who long 

 Were in Vifilsey 

 And were called there 



With the names of dogs, 

 Hopp and H6.' 



" At this moment Signy threw a gold ring to her ; she 

 became glad at this gift, and now wished to change what she 

 had told. She said : ' Why was this so ? All that I told was 

 a lie, and now all my telling is gone astray.' The King said : 

 'Thou shalt be tortured to tell it,' .... He shook the 

 seid- woman hard, and asked her to tell the truth, if she did not 

 want to be tortured ; she yawned much, and the seid-telling 

 was difficult. She sang :- 



' I see where sit 

 The sons of Halfdan, 

 Hroar and Helgi, 



Both unhurt ; 

 They will rob 

 The life of Frudi 



unless they are killed soon, which will not take place ; ' there- 

 upon she leapt down from the seid-platform, and sang : 



' Keen are the eyes 

 Of Ham and Hrani ; 2 



The high-born are 

 Wonderfully bold. : 



1 Vatnsdsela, 3, 10; Thorfin Karlsefni, 

 3 ; Orvar Odd, ch. 2, 3. 



2 Helgi .and Hr6ar had taken the names 

 of Ham and Hrani. 



