The Völsunga Saga on Helgi

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER VIII. The Death of King Siggeir and of Signy.

• attestation: At Helgi's birth, Norns came and prophesied that he would be the most renowned of all kings

  "when Helgi was born, Norns came to him, (3) and spake over him, and said that he should be in time to come the most renowned of all kings."

• attestation: Helgi went to war at fifteen winters old, with Sinfjotli as his war-companion

  "he went to the wars when he was fifteen winters old. Helgi was lord and ruler over the army, but Sinfjotli was gotten to be his fellow herein"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER IX. How Helgi, the son of Sigmund, won King Hodbrod and his

• attestation: Helgi defeated and slew the mighty King Hunding in battle, winning great fame

  "Helgi in his warring met a king hight Hunding, a mighty king, and lord of many men and many lands; they fell to battle together, and Helgi went forth mightily, and such was the end of that fight that Helgi had the victory, but King Hunding fell"

• attestation: Helgi then defeated Hunding's sons Alf, Eyolf, Herward, and Hagbard in a second battle

  "there slays these sons of Hunding, Alf and Eyolf, Herward and Hagbard, and wins there a great victory."

• attestation: Helgi summoned his forces to Red-Berg and received ships from Hedinsey and Norvi Sound

  "all his power is called together to Red-Berg: and there Helgi abode till such time as a great company came to him from Hedinsey"

• attestation: Helgi's fleet numbered twelve thousand men from Norvi Sound and half again as many from elsewhere

  "on the ships that came out of Norvi Sound are twelve thousand men, and otherwhere are half as many again."

• attestation: Helgi intervened and said it was better to fight than to trade shameful insults

  "Better were it for ye, and a more manly deed, to fight, rather than to speak such things as it is a shame even to hearken to"

• attestation: Helgi slew King Hodbrod under his own banner at the battle of Wolfstone

  "the hosts met at Wolfstone, and fierce fight befell there; Helgi rushed forth through the host of his foes"

• attestation: Helgi married Sigrun and took Hodbrod's realm, though he has no further role in this saga

  "Helgi took to him that realm and dwelt there long, when he had wedded Sigrun, and became a king of great honour and renown, though he has naught more to do with this story."

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > Part Of The Second Lay Of Helgi Hundings-Bane (1)

• relationship: Helgi wedded Sigrun and they begat sons together, but Helgi did not live to be old

  "Helgi wedded Sigrun, and they begate sons together, but Helgi lived not to be old"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > Part Of The Second Lay Of Helgi Hundings-Bane (1) > Helgi:

• attestation: Dead Helgi commands Hunding to serve: get the foot-bath ready, kindle fire, bind hounds, heed horses, and wash swine

  "Now shalt thou, Hunding For the help of each man Get ready the foot-bath, And kindle the fire"

• attestation: Helgi tells Sigrun she alone has caused him to drip with grief's dew; her tears fall as blood on his breast, cold wet and bitter

  "Thou alone, Sigrun Of Sevafell, Hast so done that Helgi With grief's dew drippeth; O clad in gold Cruel tears thou weepest, Bright May of the Southlands, Or ever thou sleepest; Each tear in blood falleth On the breast of thy lord"

• attestation: Helgi says they shall drink dear draughts though they have lost both life and lands

  "Ah, we shall drink Dear draughts and lovely, Though, we have lost Both life and lands"

• attestation: Helgi says he must ride on the reddening ways and his pale horse must tread the highway aloft, going west to Windhelm's bridge before the Hall-crower wakens

  "Now needs must I ride On the reddening ways; My pale horse must tread The highway aloft; West must I go To Windhelm's bridge Ere the war-winning crowd Hall-crower (4) waketh."

• attestation: Helgi rode his ways and the next night Sigrun came to the mound again but he did not return

  "So Helgi rode his ways: and the others gat them gone home to the house. But the next night Sigrun bade the bondwoman have heed of the mound."

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > Part Of The Second Lay Of Helgi Hundings-Bane (1) > Bondmaid:

• attestation: The bondmaid asks if what she beholds is vain illusion or the ending of all things, as dead men ride smiting their horses' sides with spurs

  "It is vain things' beguilling That methinks I behold, Or the ending of all things, As ye ride, O ye dead men, Smiting with spurs Your horses' sides?"

• attestation: In old times folk believed men should be born again; Helgi and Sigrun were said to be reborn as Helgi the Scathe of Hadding and Kara daughter of Halfdan, a Valkyrie

  "in old time folk trowed that men should be born again, though their troth be now deemed but an old wife's dotting. And so, as folk say, Helgi and Sigrun were born again, and at that tide was he called Helgi the Scathe of Hadding, and she Kara the daughter of Halfdan; and she was a Valkyrie, even as is said in the Lay of Kara."

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > Part Of The Second Lay Of Helgi Hundings-Bane (1) > The Dead:

• attestation: The dead warriors answer the bondmaid that this is no vain illusion, and dead warriors may indeed wend their ways homeward

  "No vain things' beguiling Is that thou beholdest, Nor the ruin of all things; Though thou lookest upon us"