Sagas and Myths of the Northmen Read online

  In the morning she spoke to him, saying, ‘We have slept together because of your lust, and you will know that we will have a child. Do now as I tell you, King. Visit our child next winter at this same time down at your ships’ landing. Unless you do so, you will pay for it.’ After this, she went away.

  The king was now somewhat happier than before.

  Time passed and Helgi forgot, giving no thought to the warning. But after three winters, there is this to tell: At midnight three people came riding up to the same house in which the king was sleeping. They brought a girl-child with them and put her down outside the house.

  Then the woman, who was holding the child, said, ‘You must know, King, that your kinsmen will pay for your ignoring my request. Nevertheless, you will reap a benefit from having released me from the curse. Be aware that the girl is named Skuld, and she is our daughter.’ Then the people rode away.

  Skuld’s mother was an elfin woman and the king never again saw or heard of her. Skuld grew up with the king; from an early age she showed a vicious temperament.

  It is said that King Helgi prepared to set out on a voyage to forget his sorrow. Hrolf, his son, stayed behind. King Helgi raided far and wide, performing great deeds.

  [ … ]

  King Hring of Norway Marries Hvit

  It is said that to the north in Norway a king named Hring ruled over Uppdales. He had a son named Bjorn. It is told that the queen died, and the king and many others found this a great loss. Hring’s countrymen and counsellors asked him to remarry, and so he sent men to the south seeking a wife. But strong headwinds and powerful storms forced them to turn their prows around, letting the ships run before the wind. So it happened that driven by the wind, they were forced north to Finnmark, where they remained for the winter.

  One day they went onshore. They walked inland and came to a house. Inside sat two beautiful women, who received them well. The women asked them where they had come from, and the king’s men gave an account of their journey and explained their errand. They asked the women about themselves, inquiring why women so beautiful and refined were there alone, so far from other people.

  The older woman answered, ‘For everything, friends, there is a reason. We are here because a powerful king asked for my daughter’s hand. Because she did not want to marry him, he threatened her with rough treatment. So I am keeping her here in this secret hiding place while her father is away at war.’

  They asked who her father might be.

  ‘She is the daughter of the King of the Lapps,’ said the woman.

  The men asked for their names.

  The older woman replied, ‘I am called Ingebjorg and my daughter is named Hvit. I am the Lapp king’s mistress.’

  A girl was there to serve them. The king’s men, much taken with these women, decided to ask whether Hvit would go back with them and marry King Hring. The man in charge of the king’s mission brought up the question. Hvit did not respond quickly; instead, she deferred the issue to her mother’s consideration.

  ‘As the old saying goes,’ said her mother, ‘out of every trouble comes some gain. But it displeases me that we are making this arrangement without first asking her father’s consent. Nevertheless, it must be ventured, if Hvit is to get ahead.’

  Hvit then prepared herself to go with them, and they started on the journey to King Hring. The messengers at once inquired whether the king wanted to marry the woman or if she should be sent back. The king, well pleased with the woman, married her at once. He was not concerned that she was neither rich nor powerful. At this time, the king was getting on in years, and the effects of his age were soon apparent in the queen’s behaviour.

  The Love of Bera and Bjorn

  A freeman’s farm lay a short distance from the king’s estate. The farmer had a wife and one daughter, who was named Bera. She was young and lovely to look at. Bjorn, the king’s son, and Bera, the freeman’s daughter, had played together as children, and the two were very close. The freeman was wealthy; he had long been out raiding and in his youth had been a great champion. Bera and Bjorn loved each other deeply and they often met.

  Time passed and nothing noteworthy took place. Bjorn, the king’s son, matured to manhood. He grew large and strong; he was well bred and was accomplished in all skills. When King Hring was away at war for long periods, which frequently happened, Hvit stayed at home and governed the land. She was not well liked by the people; toward Bjorn, however, she was gentle and tender, though he paid no heed.

  One time when the king was about to set out from home, the queen suggested that Bjorn should stay home to help her govern the land. The king thought that her proposal was advisable. The queen was now becoming overbearing and arrogant. The king told his son Bjorn to stay at home and watch over the kingdom with the queen. Bjorn replied that he had little liking for this idea and that he liked the queen even less. The king then told Bjorn to remain behind, and he then set out with a large force.

  Bjorn Rejects Queen Hvit’s Advances: The Curse

  Bjorn went back to his quarters after arguing with his father, each thinking the other to be wrong. Bjorn, downcast and angry, his face as red as blood, then took to his bed. The queen, wanting to lift his spirits, spoke tenderly to him. He asked her to go away, which she did for a time.

  The queen often spoke with Bjorn, telling him that, while the king was away, they had an opportunity to share one bed. She said that their living together would be much better than her experience with a man as old as King Hring.

  Bjorn, taking this proposal badly, gave the queen a hard slap. He told her to leave him alone and then threw her out. She said that she was unaccustomed to being rejected or beaten. ‘And it seems that you, Bjorn, think it preferable to embrace a commoner’s daughter. You deserve a punishment, something far more disgraceful than enjoyment of my love and my tenderness. It would not come as a surprise if something should happen to make you suffer for your stubbornness and your stupidity.’

  She then struck him with her wolfskin gloves, telling him to become a cave bear, grim and savage: ‘You will eat no food other than your own father’s livestock and, in feeding yourself, you will kill more than has ever been observed before. You will never be released from the spell, and your awareness of this disgrace will be more dreadful to you than no remembrance at all.’

  Bjorn’s Transformation into a Bear and the Birth of Bodvar

  Then Bjorn disappeared, and no one knew what had become of him. When people realized that Bjorn was missing, they searched for him. As might have been expected, he was not to be found.

  Next to be told is that the king’s cattle were being killed in large numbers by a grey bear, large and fierce. One evening it happened that Bera, the freeman’s daughter, saw the savage bear. It approached her unthreateningly. She thought she recognized in the bear the eyes of Bjorn, the king’s son, and so she did not try to run away. The beast then moved away from her, but she followed it all the way until it came to a cave.

  When she entered the cave, a man was standing there. He greeted Bera, the freeman’s daughter, and she recognized that he was Bjorn, Hring’s son. Theirs was a joyful reunion. For a time they stayed together in the cave, because she did not want to part from him while she still had a choice. He told her it was not right for her to be there with him, because he was a beast by day, even if he again became a man at night.

  King Hring, when he returned home from the wars, was told everything that had happened while he was away. He learned about the disappearance of his son Bjorn. He was also told about the huge creature that had arrived in the land, attacking mostly the king’s own livestock. The queen strongly urged killing the animal, but this was delayed for a time. The king expressed no opinion, even though he thought the events most unusual.

  One night, while Bera and the prince lay in their bed, Bjorn began to speak, ‘I suspect that tomorrow will be my death’s day, for they will hunt and trap me. In truth, I find no pleasure in living, because of the curse that lies u
pon me. You are my only delight, but that too will now cease. I want to give you the ring that is under my left arm. Tomorrow you will see the men stalking me. When I am dead, go to the king and ask him to give you whatever is under the beast’s left shoulder; he will grant you this request.

  ‘The queen,’ Bjorn continued, ‘will be suspicious of you when you want to leave. She will try to make you eat some of the bear’s meat, but you must not eat it, because, as you well know, you are pregnant and will give birth to three boys. They are ours, and it will be obvious from their appearance if you have eaten any of the bear’s meat. This queen is a great troll. Then go home to your father, where you will give birth to the boys, one of whom will seem best to you. If you are not able to raise them at home, because of their strange and uncontrollable natures, bring them here to the cave. You will find here a chest with three bottoms. Runes are carved on it, and they will tell what each of the boys should receive as his inheritance. Three weapons are imbedded in the rock, and each of our sons shall have the one intended for him. Our firstborn will be called Elk-Frodi, the second son, Thorir, and the third, Bodvar. It seems to me most likely that they will not be weaklings and that their names will long be remembered.’

  Bjorn foretold many things to her, and afterwards the bear-shape came over him. Then the bear went out, and she followed him.

  When she looked around, she saw a great company of men circling the side of the mountain. A large pack of hounds raced in front of the men, and now the bear began to run. Turning away from the cave, he ran along the slope of the mountain. The hounds and the king’s men gave chase, but the bear proved difficult for them to catch. Before he was overtaken he maimed many men and killed all the dogs.

  At last the men formed a ring around him. The bear ranged about inside the ring, but understood the situation and knew that he would not be able to escape. Then he attacked in the direction of the king. Grabbing the man who stood next to the king, he ripped the man apart while still alive. By then the bear was so exhausted that he threw himself down on the ground. The men seized the opportunity and quickly killed him.

  The freeman’s daughter saw these events. She went up to the king and said, ‘Sire, will you give me what is under the beast’s left shoulder?’

  The king granted her request, saying that nothing there could be unsuitable to give to her. By then, the king’s men were well along in flaying the bear. Bera went to the carcass and took the ring, hiding it carefully. The men did not see what she took, but then no one was paying much attention.

  The king asked who Bera was, because he did not recognize her. She gave whatever answer she thought best, although it was not the truth.

  The king then returned home and Bera found herself swept along among his followers. The queen, now very cheerful, made Bera welcome, inquiring who she was. As before, Bera concealed the truth.

  The queen prepared a great feast and had the bear meat readied for the men’s enjoyment. The freeman’s daughter was in the queen’s chamber, unable to get away because the queen was suspicious about her identity. Sooner than expected, the queen entered the room with a plate of bear meat. She told Bera to eat, but Bera did not want to eat.

  ‘How uncommonly rude,’ said the queen, ‘that you reject the hospitality that the queen herself has chosen to offer you. Eat it quickly, otherwise something worse will be prepared for you.’

  The queen cut a small piece of the meat for Bera, and in the end Bera ate it. The queen then cut another piece and put it into Bera’s mouth. Bera swallowed a small morsel of it, then spat the rest out of her mouth. She declared that she would not eat any more, even if she were to be tortured or killed. ‘It may be,’ said the queen, ‘that this bit will be enough,’ and she burst out laughing.

  Bera then escaped and went home to her father. She had a very difficult pregnancy. She told her father the whole story relating to her condition and the reasons for what had happened. A little while later she fell ill and gave birth to a boy, though of an extraordinary kind. He was a man above the navel, but an elk below that. He was named Elk-Frodi. She bore another son, who was named Thorir. He had dog’s feet from his insteps down. Because of this, he was called Thorir Hound’s Foot; otherwise, he was the most handsome of men. A third boy was born, and this one was the most promising. He was named Bodvar, and there was no blemish on him. Bera loved Bodvar the most.

  The boys shot up like weeds. When they were at the games with other men, they were fierce and unyielding in everything. Men received rough treatment at their hands. Frodi maimed many of the king’s men, and some of them he killed. So matters continued until the boys were twelve years old. By then, because they were so strong that none of the king’s men could stand up to them, they were no longer permitted to take part in the games.

  Next Frodi told his mother that he wanted to leave, because ‘I am not able to contest with the men. They are nothing but fools, easily injured as soon as they are touched.’

  She said that his being among people did not suit him, because he had an unyielding nature. His mother took him to the cave. She showed him the treasure that his father had intended for him, for Bjorn had long before determined what each son should have. Frodi, whose allotted share of the wealth was the smallest, wanted to take more but was unable to do so. Then he saw the weapons protruding from the rock. First he grasped the sword hilt, but it remained fast in the stone and he was unable to remove it. Next he seized the axe handle, but it too remained fast in the stone.

  Then Elk-Frodi said, ‘The one who brought these treasures here seems to have intended that the division of weapons should follow along the same lines as the division of the other property.’

  He grasped the handle of the remaining weapon, a short sword that came loose at once. He looked at the sword for a while, and then said, ‘The one who divided these treasures was unjust.’

  Taking hold of the sword with both hands, he struck at the rock, intending to smash the weapon to pieces. But the sword without breaking plunged into the stone right up to the hilt. Then Elk-Frodi said, ‘No matter how I wield this nasty thing, it clearly knows how to bite.’ After that he set out on his way, parting without even bidding his mother farewell. Frodi went to a road high in the mountains, where he attacked travellers, killing for money. He built himself a hut and settled in.

  Thorir Becomes King of the Gauts

  King Hring thought he now understood what magic lay behind all these events, yet he kept this to himself, behaving just as calmly as before.

  A little later Thorir Hound’s Foot asked permission to leave. His mother showed him the way to the cave and to the treasures that were intended for him. She spoke about the weapons, telling him to take the axe, declaring that his father had wanted him to have it. Then Thorir wished his mother farewell and left.

  Thorir went first to the sword hilt, but the sword held fast. Then he grasped the axeshaft and the axe loosened, because it was intended for him. He took what was his and went on his way. He planned his journey so that he could first visit his brother Elk-Frodi. Thorir entered Elk-Frodi’s hut and sat down, letting his hood slide over his face. A little later Frodi came home. He looked askance at the newly arrived man, then drew his short sword and said:

  Growls the sword

  leaving the sheath.

  The hand remembers

  the work of battle.

  Driving his sword deep into the bench beside Thorir, Frodi became savage and threatening. Thorir then said:

  I allowed

  on another wide road

  my axe to shout

  the same sound.

  Now Thorir stopped concealing himself, and Frodi recognized his brother. He offered Thorir half of everything he had amassed, because he had no lack of wealth, but Thorir did not want to accept this gift. Thorir stayed with his brother for a while and then set off. Elk-Frodi showed him the path to Gautland, advising him that the king of the Gauts had just died and that Thorir should go to their kingdom.

  Elk-
Frodi instructed Thorir, saying, ‘It is the law of the Gauts that a great assembly is called and all the Gauts are summoned to go there. A large throne, big enough for two men to sit comfortably on, is placed in the midst of the assembly. Then the man who fills that seat is chosen king. It seems to me that you would amply fill that seat.’

  The brothers parted with affection, each wishing the other well. Thorir continued on his way until he reached Gautland. He came to a jarl, who received him well, and there Thorir spent the night. Every man who saw Thorir said that he might well become the king of the Gauts because of his size. They predicted that there would be few like him at the assembly.

  When the time for the assembly arrived, the proceedings went as Frodi, his brother, had predicted they would. A judge was appointed to decide the matter truthfully. Many sat in the seat, but the judge declared none of them fit for the honour. Waiting until last, Thorir sat quickly in the chair, and the judge said, ‘The seats fits you best, and you are selected to receive the kingship.’

  Then the people of the land gave him the name of king. He was called King Thorir Hound’s Foot, and there are great sagas about him. He was well liked and he fought many battles, in which he was most often victorious. Thorir now stayed in his own kingdom for a time.

  Bodvar’s Vengeance

  Bodvar remained at home with his mother, who loved him dearly. Of all men, he was the most accomplished and handsome, but as yet he had not met very many people. Once he asked his mother who his father was. She told him about his father’s killing, giving her son all the information. She explained how Bjorn had fallen under the spell of his stepmother.

  Bodvar said, ‘We have wrongs to repay this witch.’

  Then Bera told him how the queen had forced her to eat the bear’s flesh, ‘and the result can be seen in your brothers, Thorir Hound’s Foot and Elk-Frodi’.