Fáfnismál

1

Young fellow! Young fellow
by what fellow art thou begot?
of what people art thou the son?
that thou in Fafnir reddenst thy glittering falchion?
Thy sword has pierced my heart.

Sigurth concealed his name, because it was the belief in those times, that the word of a dying persons were of great power, if they cursed an enemy by his name.

2

SIGURD

Göfugt-dýr I am called,
but I have wandered
a motherless child;
nor have I a father
like the sons of men:
alone I wander.

3

FAFNIR

If thou hast no father
like the sons of men,
by what wonder art thou begotten?

4

SIGURD

My race, I tell thee,
is to thee unknown,
and myself also.
Sigmund was my father named,
my name is Sigurd,
who with weapon have assailed thee.

5

FAFNIR

Who has incited thee?
why hast thou suffered thyself to be incited
to take my life?
youth of the sparkling eyes!
Thou hadst a cruel father –
*        *        *        * (Missing line)

6

SIGURD

My heart incited me,
my hands gave me aid,
and my keen sword.
Rarely a man is bold,
when of mature age,
if in childhood he was faint-hearted.

7

FAFNIR

I know if thou hadst
chanced to grow
in the lap of friends,
they would have seen thee fierce in fight.
Now thou art a captive,
taken in war,
and, ‘tis said, slaves ever tremble.

8

SIGURD

Why Fafnir! Dost thou upbraid me
that I am far from
my parental home?
I am not a captive,
although in war I was taken:
thou hast found that I am free.

9

FAFNIR

Thou wilt account only
as angry words
all I to the shall say,
but I will say the truth.
The jingling gold,
and the gleed-red treasure,
those rings, shall be thy bane.

10

SIGURD

Treasure at command
every one desires,
ever till that one day;
for at some time
each mortal shall
hence to Hel depart.

11

FAFNIR

The Norns decree thou wilt
hold in contempt
as from a witless wight:
In water thou shalt be drowned,
if in wind thou rowest.
All things brind peril to the fated.

12

SIGURD

Tell me, Fafnir!
as thou art wise declared,
and many things to know:
Who those Norns are,
who help in need,
and from babes loose the mothers.

13

FAFNIR

Very diversely born
I take those Norns to be:
they have no common race.
Some are of Æsir-race,
some of Alfar-race,
some are Dvalin’s daughters.

14

SIGURD

Tell me, Fafnir!
as thou art wise declared,
and many things know,
how that holm is called,
where Surt and the Æsir will
sword-liquor together mingle?

15

FAFNIR

Oskopnir it iscalled;
there shall the gods
with lances play;
Bilröst shall be broken,
when they go forth,
and their steed in the river swim.

16

An Ægis-helm I bore
among the sons of men,
while I o’er the treasures lay;
stronger than all
I thought myself to be;
stronger I found not many!

17

SIGURD

An Ægis-helm
is no protection,
where men impelled by anger fight:
soon he finds,
who among many comes,
that no one is alone the boldest.

18

FAFNIR

Venom I blew forth,
when on my father’s
great heritage I lay.

19

SIGURD

Thou, glistening serpent!
didst a great belching make,
and wast so hard of heart.
Fierceness so much the greater
have the sons of men,
when they possess that helm.

20

FAFNIR

Sigurd! I now counsel thee,
do thou take my counsel;
and hence ride home.
The jingling gold,
and the gleed-red treasure,
those rings, shall be thy bane.

21

SIGURD

Counsel regarding thee is taken,
and I to the gold will ride,
on the heath that lies.
But lie thou, Fafnir!
in the pangs of death,
until Hel have thee!

22

FAFNIR

Regin betrayed me,
he will thee betray,
he of us both will be the bane.
Fafnir must, I trow,
let forth his life:
thine was the greater might!

Regin had gone away while Sigurd slew Fafnir, but came back as Sigurd was wiping the blood from his sword. He said:

23

Hail to thee now, Sigurd!
Now hast thou victory won
and Fafnir slain:
of all the men
who tread the earth,
thou art, I say, the bravest born.

24

SIGURD

Uncertain ‘tis to know,
when we all come together,
sons of victorious heroes,
which is the bravest born.
Many a one is bold,
who sword has never broken
in another’s breast.

25

REGIN

Glad art thou now, Sigurd!
and in thy gain rejoicing,
while Gram in the grass thou driest.
My brother thou
to death hast wounded,
yet in some degree was I the cause.

26

SIGURD

Thou didst me counsel,
that I should ride
o’er high fells hither.
Treasure and life had still possess’d
that glistening serpent,
hadst thou my anger not excited.

Regin then approached Fafnir and cut out his heart with a sword named Ridill, and afterwards drank blood from his wound. He said:

27

Sit now, Sigurd! –
but I must go to sleep –
and Fafnir’s heart hold to the fire.
Of this refection
I would fain partake,
after that drink of blood.

28

SIGURD

Thou wentst far off,
while I in Fafnir
my keen sword reddened.
With my strength I strove
against the serpent’s might,
while in the ling thou layest.

29

REGIN

Long hadst thou allowed
in the ling to lie
that Jötun old,
hadst thou the sword not used
that I forged for thee,
thy keen-edged glave.

30

SIGURD

Valour is better
than might of sword,
when foes embittered fight;
for a brave man
I have ever seen gain victory
with a dull sword.

31

For the brave ‘tis better
than for the timid
to join in the game of war;
for the joyous it is better
than for the sad,
let come whatever may.

Sigurd took Fafnir’s heart and roasted it on a stick. When he thought it roasted enough, and the blood frothed from it, he touched it with his finger, to try whether it were quite done. He burnt his finger and put it in his mouth; and when Fafnir’s heart’s blood touched his tounge he understood the language of birds. He heard the eagles chattering among the branches. One eagle said:

32

There sits Sigurd
sprinkled with blood;
Fafnir’s heart
at the fire he roasts.
Wise methinks were
the ring-dispenser,
if he the glistening
life-pulp ate.

33

SECOND EAGLE

There lies Regin
communing with himself;
he will beguile the youth,
who in him trusts:
in rage he brings
malicious words together,
the framer of evil will
avenge his brother.

34

THIRD EAGLE

By the head shorter,
let him the hoary babbler
send hence to Hel;
then can he all the gold
possess alone,
the mass that under Fafnir lay.

35

FOURTH EAGLE

He would, methinks, be prudent,
if he could have
your friendly counsel,
my sisters!
If he would bethink himself,
and Hugin gladden.
There I expect the wolf,
where his ears I see.

36

FIFTH EAGLE

Not so prudent is
that tree of battle,
as I that martial leader
had supposed,
if he one brother
lets depart,
now he the other has of life bereft.

37

SIXTH EAGLE

He is most simple,
if he longer spares
that people’s pest.
There lies Regin,
who has betrayed him. –
He cannot guard against it.

38

SEVENTH EAGLE

By the head shorter let him
make the ice-cold Jötun,
and of his rings deprive him;
then of that treasure thou,
which Fafnir, owned,
sole lord wilt be!

39

SIGURD

Fate shall not so resistless be,
that Regin shall
my death-word bear;
for the brother both
shall speedily
go hence to Hel.

Sigurd cut off the head of Regin, and then ate Fafnir’s heart, and drank the blood of both Regin and Fafnir. He then heard the eagles saying:

40

Bind thou, Sigurd!
the red-gold rings.
It is not kingly
many things to fear.
I a maid know
by far the fairest,
with gold aborned,
Couldst thou but her obtain!

41

SECOND EAGLE

To Giuki lead
all-verdant ways;
the fates point out
to wayfarers
where the good king
a born daughter has;
her wilt thou, Sigurd!
purchase with bridal gifts.

42

THIRD EAGLE

There stands a hall
on the high Hindarfiall,
without ‘tis all
with fire surrounded;
sagacious men
have it constructed
of the resplendent
radiance of the flood.

43

FOURTH EAGLE

On the fell I know
a warrior maid to sleep,
over her waves
the linden’s bane.
Ygg whilom stuck
a sleep-thorn in the robe
of the maid who
would heroes choose.

44

Thou, youth! mayest see
the helmed maiden,
her whom Vingskornir
from battle bore.
May not Sigrdrífa’s
slumber break
the sons of warriors,
against the Norns’ degrees.

Sigurth rode along Fafnir’s track to his lair, which he found open. The doors and door-posts were of iron; of iron also were all the beams in the house; but the treasure was buried in the earth. Sigurd found there a great quantity of gold, and filled two chests with it. He took thence the Ægis-helm, a golden corslet, the sword named Hrotti, and many precious things, all which he laid on Grani; but the horse would not proceed until Sigurd had mounted on his back.