The Fridthjof's Saga: A Norse Romance on Ring

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

• attestation: Ring is King of Ringric in Norway; Angantyr is ruler of the Orkney Islands; Atle is a berserk and one of Angantyr's warriors.

  "Ring. King of Ringric, in Norway.

Angantyr. (Ang'-an-teer.) Ruler of the Orkney Islands.

Atle. (At'-lay.) A berserk, and one orf Angantyr's warriors."

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

• attestation: King Ring is characterized by wisdom overflowing with the wisdom of god Mimer, with his land likened to the groves of the peaceful gods.

  "King Ring moved his gold-stool back. Then uprose Champion and dreamer;-- For where in the North does such goodness repose? His word o'erflows With the wisdom which dwells in god Mimer.

Like the groves of the peaceful gods was his land,--"

• attestation: King Ring, old and silver-haired, acknowledged that Ingeborg was young and wished she could honor the withered tree of age; he offered gold and minstrels to win her hand.

  ""I know she is young, and in youth sublime. Would gather flowers; My flower is past and my early prime; My locks has Time Besprinkled with snowy showers.

Oh, could she but honor the withered tree Which age has blighted; And could she a friend to the motherless be, Then should you see To the throne Spring by Autumn invited.""

• attestation: After Ring's embassy was refused, Ring struck his shield, took up arms, and launched many dragon ships against Helge and Halfdan.

  "He strikes his bright shield hanging high on a bough,-- His weapon seizes; And many a dragon is hurrying now, With blood-red prow, And helmet plumes wave in the breezes."

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Fridthjof Comes To King Ring.

• attestation: Ring is described sitting at Yule with his consort Ingeborg; they seemed like Spring and Autumn together, Ring being chilly Autumn and Ingeborg fresh Spring.

  "King Ring in state was seated at Yule-time drinking mead. And with him sat his consort, so white and rosy red; They seemed like Spring and Autumn. when both together seen,-- The king was chilly Autumn, fresh Spring the fair young queen."

• attestation: Ring received Fridthjof's explanation, agreed the aged should be honored, and invited him to sit beside him as an honored guest for the winter.

  ""Thy words are wisely chosen," said Ring, "I must agree; The aged should be honored, come sit thee here by me; Slip off these false disguises and let thy form appear,--"

• attestation: A skald at Ring's table sang of Hagbart and Signe — a tragic Norse love story — melting each warrior's heart even through steel, then of Valhalla's mansions and heroes' reward.

  "The skald at table seated, his waiting harp brought forth, And sang a heartfelt story of true love in the North,-- Of Hagbert and of Signe; and at the deep tones' peal Each warrior's heart was melted, though clad his breast in steel."

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > The Ride On The Ice.

• attestation: Ring took his queen Ingeborg by sledge on the ice-covered lake; Fridthjof warned against it as the bath would be deep and cold, but Ring dismissed the caution.

  "King Ring to a banquet his queen would take, The ice like a mirror o'erspread the lake.

"Go not on the ice," said the stranger bold, "It may break, and the bath is too deep and cold."

"The king," answered Ring, "is not easily drowned, Whoever is fearful let him go round.""

• attestation: The ice broke under Ring's sledge — a reference to the sea-goddess Ran — and Ingeborg's face turned pale; Fridthjof in mail skated to rescue them, buried his skate in the ice, grasped the steed's mane, and with one effort pulled charger and sledge back onto firm ice.

  "But under them lurketh the treacherous Ran. Her silvery roof in a trice she breaks, And catches the sled in the hole she makes.

The cheeks of the beautiful queen turn pale; Then comes like a whirlwind the skater in mail.

He buries his skate in the ice, to clasp The steed's flowing mane in his iron grasp.

With one single effort his arm the swings, And charger and sled to the firm ice brings."

• attestation: After Fridthjof rescued Ring's sledge from the broken ice, Ring said the stroke was a noble one and that even Fridthjof the strong could not have done better — revealing his knowledge of the disguised guest.

  ""That stroke," said Ring, "was a noble one,-- Not Fridthjof, the strong, could have better done.""

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

• attestation: On a spring hunt, Fridthjof rode alone beside the aged Ring while all other hunters pursued game; dark thoughts of Ingeborg and memories of Balder's precincts haunted him.

  "Aged Ring no longer follows where the eager hunter flies; By his side alone rides Fridthjof, silent, grave, with downcast eyes. Darkest thoughts, and full of anguish, stir within his sorrowing breast, And wherever he may wander, haunting voices banish rest."

• attestation: Ring awakened and revealed he had not been sleeping but testing Fridthjof; he declared he had known Fridthjof's identity since the first day in his hall, though Fridthjof tried to hide it.

  ""I, O youth, have not been sleeping, but to prove you have I tried; Man or sword a wise man testeth, ere in them he will confide. You are Fridthjof; since you entered first my hall I've known you well; Ring, though old, at once detected what his guest would fain conceal."

• attestation: Ring challenged Fridthjof's honor in coming in disguise — asking why he had not come openly with war-shield as fame had predicted, but instead in tatters with a beggar's staff.

  ""Fame had told us of a Fridthjof, whom both men and gods revere; Shields he cleft and temples wasted, bold and brave, without a fear. Soon with war-shield, so I reasoned, he will come against my land; And he came, but clad in tatters, beggar's staff within his hand."

• attestation: Ring offered Fridthjof his kingdom and his queen Ingeborg as son and successor, inviting him to remain as his guest until he died; he declared he was old and the grave would rest him soon.

  ""Now am I grown old and weary, in the grave shall rest me soon, Therefore take O youth, my kingdom, take my queen, she is thine own; Be my son, till then remaining still my guest as heretofore. Swordless champion shall protect me and our feud exist no more.""

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > King Ring'S Death.

• attestation: Ring told Fridthjof that sad moaning like a weak maiden's sigh did not befit a man; he heard his own death-song approaching, as Valhalla was near, and invited Fridthjof to rule and take the queen.

  ""Sad is the hearing," Ring said, replying, "When a man moans like a weak maiden's sigh. Valhal is nearing, E'en now the sighing Death song I hear. Every mortal must die."

• attestation: King Ring carved death-runes to Odin on his arm and chest, drank a last Skoal horn to his homeland's honor, and declared that peaceful exploits were what he had loved on earth.

  "Then carved he rightly Letters all glowing,-- Death runes to Odin on arm and on chest; Shine now so brightly Blood-drops o'erflowing, Dyeing the silvery hair on his breast.

"Bring for my drinking The horn with wine flowing; Skoal to thy honor, thou land of my birth! Minds deeply thinking, Harvest fields growing,-- Peaceful exploits have I loved on the earth."

• attestation: King Ring died after carving death-runes to Odin and pressing the hands of Ingeborg, his son, and Fridthjof; his spirit flew with a sigh to the Allfather's breast.

  "Speaking intently, Ing'borg's hand loyal, Also his son's, and his friend's, too, he pressed; Eyelids close gently,-- Spirit so royal Flies with a sigh to the Allfather's breast."

• attestation: Ring declared that since dying in bed ill befited Northland's kings, and that death's pain was equal to life's, the bleeding weapon Geirs-odd would relieve him.

  ""Now shall the bleeding Geirs-odd relieve me,-- Dying in bed ill befits Northland's kings; Not worth my heeding, Death shall receive me,-- Life's pain is equal to that which death brings.""

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Ring'S Drapa.

• attestation: King Ring was buried sitting up in his sepulcher, with his battle sword beside him, buckler on arm, and his gold-hoofed charger chafing impatient at the grave gate — the traditional burial of a Norse warrior-king.

  "Sepultured sits he, Sovereign descended, Battle sword by him, Buckler on arm; Chafes his good charger Champing impatient, Pawing with gold-hoof The gate of the grave."

• attestation: In Tegnér's poem, Ring's death song describes him riding over Bifrost — the rainbow bridge — in great riches, welcomed into Valhalla by the gods including Frey with grain-garlands, Frigg with blue blossoms, and Brage with gold-string song.

  "Ring, great in riches, Rideth o'er Bifrost; Bends with its burden, Bridge of the gods. Wide for his welcome Valhal it opens, Hands to the hero Heaven extends.

Absent is Asa-Thor, Active in warfare. Beckoned by Odin The beaker is brought; Frey the king graces With garlands of grain-ears, Blossoms the bluest Binds Frigg therein."

• attestation: Ring's drapa praises him as heaven-born, showing his shield as a shelter for peace, power embodied and soaring like sacrifice-smoke to the sky.

  ""Hence was the hero-king, Heaven-born dear to us, Showing his shield A shelter for peace. Power's embodiment Plainly impersonate, Soared like a sacrifice- Smoke to the sky."

• comparison: The drapa states that Odin and Saga drink wine from Sokvabek's flowing spring, and that Ring's words were as wise as those spoken from Mimer's clear fount — comparing him to divine wisdom.

  ""Words full of wisdom Wise Odin chooseth Sitting with Saga Sokvabek's maid. Such, too, the saying Spoke by the monarch, Fair as of Mimer Flows the clear fount."

• attestation: The drapa praises Ring as niggard in nothing, who strewed beauty and blessing near and far, gave gladly, solaced sadness, and relieved suffering; he is welcomed as the wisest winner of Valhalla.

  ""Niggard in nothing, Near and far strewed he Beauty and blessing, Bought with his gold; Gave he most gladly Guerdon unstinted, Sadness he solaced, Suffering relieved."

• comparison: Forsete is mentioned in the drapa as faithful adjuster of all feuds, sitting serenely by Urd's spring — likened to Ring's role as a peace-maintaining ruler.

  ""Forsete faithful All feuds adjusteth, Sitting serenely By the side of Urd's spring; Thus high enthroned Thou, king beloved, Potently pleadest For peace in the land."

Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > The King'S Election.

• attestation: After Ring's death, the assembly was called and the people gathered at the 'thing' to elect a new king; peasants took down their swords, cleaned their helmets, and came to the open-air assembly.

  ""To thing! to thing!" from dale to hill The cry arose. "King Ring is dead; his place to fill A king we'll choose.""