The Fridthjof's Saga: A Norse Romance on Ingeborg

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Fridthjof'S Saga.

• comparison: Fridthjof compared Ingeborg's heart to Nanna's love for Balder, which in song and story is reckoned as Balder's glory.

  "I know a heart affection-crowned Like Nanna's, though not so renowned And Nanna's love, in song and story, is justly reckoned Balder's glory."

• attestation: Ingeborg wove cloth depicting shields and battle lances, and traced Fridthjof's face in the weaving, then blushed with delight at the likeness.

  "Meanwhile the princess gayly wove In cloth, blue wave and greenest grove; And as she sang a hero's story, She also wove a hero's glory.

For soon there grew in snow-white wool Bright shields from off the golden spool, Here, red prevail the battle lances, There, silver-stiffened armor glances.

Anon her fingers deftly trace A hero,--see, 'tis Fridthjof's face; And though at first almost affrighted, She blushes, smiles and is delighted."

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Iv.

• attestation: Ingeborg complained to Fridthjof that at home Halfdan was childish and Helge severe, attending only to prayers and praise, leaving her no one to confide in.

  ""'Tis never so pleasant at home as here, For Halfdan is childish and Helge severe; Tho kings attending To nothing but prayers and praise unending.

"And no one (nor could she her blushes hide) To whom my complainings I may confide."

• attestation: Ingeborg gave Fridthjof one of a pair of tame doves, asking him to send a message beneath its wing since it would fly home to her.

  ""The doves that we petted, and tamed and fed,

By hawks oft affrighted away have fled; One pair remaineth, Let Fridthjof take one, one Ing'borg retaineth.

"She'll long like another her friend to see,-- And homeward returning will fly to me: Your message, bind it Beneath her flee pinion,--there none will find it.""

• attestation: Ingeborg was placed in Balder's temple by Helge during Ring's war, where she sat weaving silk depicting shields, battle lances, and armor while weeping.

  "There sitteth the loving one, full of woes, Though safe abiding: She weeps, while with silk and with god she sews"

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Vi.

• attestation: Ingeborg sat in Balder's grove weeping, and Fridthjof used a chess metaphor — sacrificing a peasant to save the king, defending the queen — to declare his unchanging loyalty to her.

  ""Ing'borg sits in Balder's dwelling, Grief her constant tears compelling: She should make thee seize thy armor She with tearful eyes of blue." "Vain you strive my queen to capture, Dear from childhood's days of rapture; Best of all, there's nought shall harm her Come what may, to her I'm true.""

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Viii.

• attestation: Ingeborg, waiting at Bele's grave for Fridthjof who has not appeared for the scheduled council, reflects that she has given up hope of him showing, as the stars die one by one and each quenches a hope in her heart.

  "The day breaks clear, and Fridthjof cometh not, Though yesterday the council was proclaimed At Bele's grave. The place was rightly chosen, His daughter's fate should be determined there."

• attestation: Ingeborg asks why Balder is wroth with her, whether a human love is too unholy for the gods, and whether earthly joy must not risk itself beneath the temple arch.

  "And Balder, 'neath whose shelter I reside, Is wroth with me, because a human love Is too unholy for the sight of gods, And earthly joy must never risk itself Beneath the temple-arch in which the grave, The haughty powers have fixed their dwelling-place."

• comparison: Ingeborg compares her love to Urd's bright sparkling fount and to Gefjon's morning dream as examples of purity and innocence.

  "Is it not pure as Urd's bright sparkling fount, And innocent as Gefjon's morning dream?"

• attestation: Ingeborg reflects that her love for Fridthjof was born with her soul and has always been present, though she cannot comprehend how such a holy feeling could be guilty.

  "I love my Fridthjof. Oh! through all the past, As far as memory runs, I loved him well,-- A holy feeling twin-born with my soul, I know not whence it came, nor comprehend The dismal thought that it wa"

• attestation: Ingeborg said she had long foreseen the worst and was prepared for all, asking Fridthjof to relate what happened at the council.

  "Oh, Fridthjof; think! Relate what passed, for I have long foreseen The worst, and am prepared for all."

• attestation: After Helge's refusal, the assembled men called out to give Ingeborg to Fridthjof as the best sword in the land, approving with a thousand weapons hammered on shields, but Helge denied all prayers.

  ""To him give Ingeborg, the slender lily, Most beautiful our dales have ever grown; No better sword our favored land can boast,-- To him give Ingeborg.""

• attestation: Ingeborg refused to follow Fridthjof, saying she could not — her fate was held in others' hands, her brother Helge standing in her father's stead, and she would not steal her happiness however near.

  ""I cannot follow thee."

  Fridthjof.

Not follow me?

Ingeborg.

           Ah! Fridthjof, thou art blest!

Thou followest none, but always in the front, The stem of thy good dragon ship, dost place Thy will beside the helm, to steer the way With steady hand above the wrathful waves. How widely different the case with me! My cruel fate is held in other's hands"

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Ingeborg,

• attestation: Ingeborg, declining to flee with Fridthjof, declared Helge to be in her father's stead and that she would not steal her happiness; she would remain as an obedient victim at her brother's altar.

  "No, Helge is my father, Is in my father's stead; on his consent My hand depends, and Ing'borg will not steal Her happiness, however near it stands."

• attestation: Ingeborg told Fridthjof she spent a fearful night awake watching for him, visited by serious raven-locked thoughts; Balder too looked down on her with frowning glances full of threats.

  "Last night,--that was indeed a fearful night, An unrewarded watch I kept for thee, And children of the night, the serious thoughts, With raven locks went thronging closely by My ever watchful, burning, tearful eyes; And Balder too, the bloodless god looked down On me with frowning glances full of threats."

• attestation: Ingeborg told Fridthjof that a child of the Northland cannot dwell elsewhere, declaring herself too pale for bright southern roses and too colorless for that deep glow, and that her eyes would seek the northern star above her fathers' graves.

  "A child of Northland cannot elsewhere dwell; Too pale am I for those bright summer roses;- Too colorless my mind for that deep glow; The scorching sun would quite consume me there. Of anxious longing full, my eyes would seek The northern star which always watchful stands A heavenly sentry o'er our fathers' graves."

• attestation: Ingeborg explained that her childhood dreams rose again and whispered in her anxious ear, but she refused to hear their alluring accents.

  "My childhood dreams Though silent long, with joy rise up again, And whisper in my anxious ear with voice Familiar as a sister's kindly tones, As tender as a lover's ardent praise. I hear ye not! ah, no, I hear ye not, Alluring accents once so fondly loved!"

• attestation: Ingeborg pleads with Fridthjof not to depart without a friendly word, confessing that each joy she had ever known was named Fridthjof and all of life's greatness had taken his likeness before her eyes.

  "Oh! wert thou not my heart's own morning dream? Each joy that I have known was Fridthjof named, And all of life that great or noble seemed, Did Fridthjof's likeness take before mine eyes."

• attestation: Ingeborg tells Fridthjof that the clang of warlike weapons deadens grief and that sometimes in the peace of night an image of a pale virgin from Balder's grove will glide among his thoughts.

  "The clang of warlike weapons deadens grief. 'Tis blown away upon the wild, wild waves, Nor ventures to return when champions all Their victory celebrate with drinking horn. Yet sometimes, then, when in the peace of night, Thy thoughts review again forgotten days, There will among them glide an image pale, Thou knowest well; it fondly greeteth thee From regions dear; it is the image of That virgin pale in Balder's holy grove."

• attestation: Ingeborg asks Fridthjof to whisper a friendly word to her image when it visits him, promising the winds of night will bear it faithfully back to her as her one comfort.

  "Thou must not drive it thence away, although It looketh sorrowful, but whisper kind Into its ear a friendly word; the winds Of night on faithful wings will bear it me; One comfort yet, I have none else beside."

• attestation: After Fridthjof departed, Ingeborg reflected that the norns would never retreat before his sword and that Helge's awful hate would ensure her brother never gave her hand to Fridthjof.

  "Thou wretched Fridthjof, the norns will ne'er retreat; They go their way and laugh at Angervadil. How little knowest thou my gloomy brother. Thy brave, heroic temper fathoms not The awful depths of his, nor understands The hate that in his envious bosom burns. His sister's hand he'll never give to thee"

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Ingeborg'S Lament.

• attestation: Ingeborg laments watching Fridthjof's sail fly westward before the fierce autumn gale, expressing her wish to follow him over the wild billow even at the cost of her own life.

  "Autumn has come; Storming now heaveth the deep sea with foam, Yet would I gratefully lie there, Willingly die there.

Long gleamed his sail, Flying to westward before the fierce gale; Fortunate, Fridthjof to follow O'er the wild billow."

• attestation: Ingeborg predicted that she would not be able to greet Fridthjof on his return, as she would be either dead or given to another by her brother.

  "With the spring doves Fridthjof will come, but the maiden he loves Cannot in hall or dell meet him, Lovingly greet him.

Buried she sleeps, Dead for her love's sake, or bleeding she weeps, Heart-broken, given by her brother Unto another."

• attestation: Ingeborg kept Fridthjof's falcon, promising to tend it lovingly and embroider silver pinions and golden claws for it on cloth in his memory.

  "Falcon he left, Mine shalt thou be, winged hunter bereft; I for thy owner will heed thee, Lovingly feed thee.

Here on his hand~ 'Broidering I'll picture thee on the cloth's rand, Silvery pinions I'll give thee, Golden claws weave thee."

• comparison: Ingeborg compared her longing to Freyja's search for her husband Oder, who journeyed north and south seeking him with falcon wings, and mourned that no mortal can soar except at death's portal.

  "Once, it is said, Freyja with falcon-wings north and south sped, Seeking for Oder, her lover, All the world over.

Vainly I seek Wings of the falcon, for mortals too weak. Only in passing death's portal Soareth a mortal."

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > The Return.

• attestation: At her wedding, Ingeborg rode a black steed pale as a wraith on a storm-cloud, and Hilding escorted her to the altar where she wept, prayed to Balder, and uttered her vows in clear accents.

  "The wedding day with its footsteps fateful Arrived at last. O, the day most hateful! To the temple marched in procession sad, The white-robed virgins and men steel-clad; A bard dejected the train was guiding, The pale bride followed, a black steed riding As pale was she as the wraith which sits On a storm-cloud black, when the lightning flits."

• attestation: Ingeborg sent a farewell greeting to Fridthjof through Hilding, saying she would suffer rather than seek pity, and declaring that Bele's daughter could dare her fate.

  "She often said: 'I am but an offering For Bele's kingdom; who talks of suffering! The snow-drop fragrant, with leaf and vine To deck the victim in wreaths they twine. How sweet to die and escape from anguish! But no, in pain must I live and languish; For Balder's wrath will no rest allow

My aching heart and my throbbing brow. But tell to no one my secret sorrow, I'd rather suffer than pity borrow; King Bele's daughter her fate may dare,-- But kindly greeting to Fridthjof bear.'"

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > The Reconciliation.

• attestation: Ingeborg's ancestry is described as traced through Seming, the noble son of all-wise Odin, giving her and her brothers' lineage an unbroken line to Valhalla's throne.

  "who belongs to Seming's race.-- The noble son of all-wise Odin. Their descent extends To Valhal's throne"