The Fridthjof's Saga: A Norse Romance on Angantyr
Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Fridthjof With Angantyr.
attestation: Angantyr the hoary sat joyous with his champions drinking in his fir-wood hall, looking out where the sun departed behind the waves like a golden swan.
"'Tis now to tell the story How in his fir-wood hall, Sat Angantyr, the hoary, And drank with champions all. He, joyous and light-hearted, Looked out to where the sun Behind the waves departed, Just like a golden swan."
attestation: Halvard, Angantyr's watchman, spotted Fridthjof's ship with its damaged timbers and two strong men trying to bring the sailors ashore, then announced this inside the hall.
"Outside the hall's commotion Old Halvard watched,--indeed Not only watched the ocean, But also watched his mead.
But now he threw it; striding
Into the hall he spake: "I see the billows riding A ship, whose timbers shake; I see some sailors dying Already on the strand, And two strong giants, trying To bring the rest to land.""
attestation: Angantyr recognized Fridthjof's ship Ellide from afar by her form, and identified Fridthjof by his firm and steady step as Thorstein's son, saying there was none like him in all Northland.
"O'er waves no longer foaming, The noble earl looked out: "That is Ellide coming, And Fridthjof too, no doubt; His step, so firm and steady, Bespeaks him Thorstein's son. Such brow, and smile so ready, In Northland there is none.""
attestation: Angantyr's hall differed from Framness: its walls were lined with embroidered golden leather rather than rough planks, with a marble fireplace built against the side, glass panes in the windows, and wax candles in silver sconces.
"Rough planks well matched together Lined not the spacious hall, But 'broidered golden leather Was stretched along the wall.
The center was not littered By mortared hearthstone wide; A marble fireplace glittered, Built up against the side. No smoke 'mid rafters flitted, No roof with soot spread o'er; Glass panes the windows fitted, A lock secured the door.
No woollen torches crackling, Illumed the champions' feast, But waxen candles, sparkling, In silver sconces placed."
attestation: Angantyr descended three steps to welcome Fridthjof as the son of his old drinking-companion Thorstein, seating him beside him and welcoming him with cups of Sicilian wine.
"Three steps the earl descended To Fridthjof genially He said, with hand extended: "Come higher, sit by me. Of horns I've emptied many With Thorstein in his day; His son, more famed than any, Shall not sit far away.""
attestation: Angantyr and Thorstein were old drinking companions, a friendship Angantyr now extended to Fridthjof as Thorstein's son.
""Of horns I've emptied many With Thorstein in his day; His son, more famed than any, Shall not sit far away.""
attestation: The feast in Angantyr's hall featured a roasted stag with gold bands on his hooves and flowers on his horns, with maiden cup-bearers, a skald from Morven's hills singing in Gaul's melodious numbers.
"A roasted stag, well larded, The table's center graced; Gold bands his raised hoof guarded, With flowers his horns were dressed.
Beside each champion sitting, A youthful maiden stood,"
- attestation: Angantyr sat on a silver stool, high-mounted, with a golden-rayed helmet and golden corselet, wearing a purple mantle strewn with golden stars ending in spotless ermine.
"On silver stool, high mounted, Sat Angantyr, the old; His helm shot rays uncounted, His corselet was of gold. His mantle, rich and splendid, With golden stars was strewn,-- And where the purple ended, The spotless ermine shone,"
Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Glossary.
- attestation: The historical Angantyr was a champion slain in a duel by Hjalmar the vigilant, buried with his sword Tirfing; his daughter Hervar called on him from the grave to receive the sword, and was answered.
"ANGANTYR. A champion who was slain in a duel hy Hjalmar the vigilant, and was buried with his sword Tirfing. His daughter Hervar called upon her dead father for the sword, and, according to the story, was answered."