HJALMAR'S SONG 



575 



' I left the fair 

 Song of women, 

 Though ready for pleasure ; 

 I went east with Soti ; 

 I hurried my journey 

 And went into a host 

 The first time, 

 Aw 



e first time, It will tai 



.'ay from my good friends. My blood 



A raven flies from the east 



From the high tree, 



And after it 



An eagle follows ; 



That is the last eagle 



To which I give prey 



It will taste 



' The women on land 

 Will not hear 

 That T sheltered 

 Myself from blows ; 

 The wise maiden 

 In Sigtunir 

 Will not laugh 

 Because I gave way. 

 * * * 



' I left the young 

 Ingibjorg ; 

 We left her in haste 

 On that fated day ; 

 It will be to the maiden 

 A deep sorrow 

 That she after this 

 Will nerer see me. 



' Carry thou, to show 

 That, is my will, 

 My helmet and mail-coat 

 Into the King's hall; 

 The mind of the King's daughter 

 Will be moved 

 When she sees the mail-coat 

 Cut on the breast. 



' I see where they sit 

 In Sigtunir, 



The maidens who held me 

 From leaving thence ; 

 Ale or warriors 

 Ever more 



Hjalmar will not cheer 

 In the King's hall.'" 



(Hervarar Saga, c. 4 and 5.) 



After tlie burial of the Berserks Odd leaves for Sweden. 



" Thereafter Odd laid Hjalmar on the ship and sailed away. 

 Then he used the idrott (skill, art) which had been given 

 him, and hoisted sail in calm weather and sailed home to 

 Sweden with the dead Hjalmar. He landed where he wished 

 to land, and drew up his ship ; he placed Hjalmar on his back, 

 walked home to Uppsalir (Upsala) with him, and laid him 

 down at the door of the hall. He went in with the mail-coat 

 of Hjalmar, and also his helmet, and put them down ou the 

 floor in front of the king, and told him the tidings which had 

 occurred. Then he went to where Ingibjorg sat in a chair, 

 sewing a shirt for Hjalmar. Odd said : ' Here is a ring which 

 Hjalmar sent thee on his death-day, and therewith his greeting.' 

 She took the ring, looked at it, but answered nothing; she 

 sank back between the chair-posts and died at once. Odd 

 burst into loud laughter, and said, ' Nothing better has occurred 

 for a long time, and I welcome it ; now they will enjoy each 

 other dead, which they could not alive.' Odd took her and 

 carried her with his hands, and laid her in the arms of 



