52 



THE ARVEL, OR INHERITANCE FEAST. 



" Angantyr said : ' Welcome ! hail to thee ! go in and drink 

 with us, and let us first drink mead after our father to the 

 honour of us all.' Hlod replied : ' We came hither for another 

 purpose than filling our stomach.' 



I will have the half 



Of what Heidrek owned ; 



Of tools and weapons, 



Also of tribute, 



Of cows and of calves, 



Of the sounding mills. 



Of bond-women and thralls 



And their children, 



Of the large forest, 



Called Myrkvid, 



The holy grave 1 



Which is with the Goth-thjod. 



That beautiful stone 2 

 In Danparstadir, 

 The half of the host-burghs 

 Which Heidrek owned, 

 Of lands and people 

 And bright rings. 3 



Angantyr. 



Brother, the pale-white 

 Shield will burst, 

 And the cold spear 

 Touch other spears, 

 And many a warrior 

 In the grass sink 



Before I Tyrfing 



In two parts divide, 



Or to the Hunilung 



Half of the inheritance give. 



A fine drink I will offer thee, 

 Property and many gifts 

 For which thou yearuest most. 

 I give thee twelve hundred men, 

 I give thee twelve hundred horses, 

 I give thee twelve hundred servants 

 Who carry shields. 



I give every man 



Many thiugs to accept ; 



A maiden I give 



To every man ; 



I clasp a necklace 



Around the neck of every maiden. 



With silver 



I will measure thee sitting ; 



And over thee walking 



Pour gold, 



So that the rings 3 



Roll in every direction ; 



Over a third part of the Goth-thjod 4 



(people) 

 Thou shalt rule. 



" G-izur Grytiugalidi, the foster-father of Heidrek, was then 

 with Angantyr ; he was very old ; when he heard the offer of 

 Angantyr he thought he offered too much, and said : 



This is acceptable 

 To a bond-woman's child, 

 Though he is born to the king ; 

 The bastard 



Sat on a mound 

 When the king 

 Divided the inheritance. 



" Now Hlod became very angry at being called a bondwoman's 

 child and a bastard if he accepted his brother's offer ; he went 



1 The grave probably of the Gothic 

 kings. 



2 A stone for kings to step on at their 

 election. 



3 In this passage we see clearly that 

 only rings were used as money. 



4 ' God-thjod, Goth-thj<5d, Got-thj<5d in 

 different texts, as if connected with gods. 



