The Poetic Edda by Jeramy Dodds

Author:Jeramy Dodds
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Coach House Books
Published: 2014-10-26T16:00:00+00:00

OF SINFJOTLI’S DEATH

Frá dauða Sinfiotla

Sigmund, son of Volsung, was king in the land of the Franks. His oldest son was Sinfjotli, Helgi was the second, and Hamund was the third. Sigmund’s wife, Borghild, had a brother named […]. Her stepson Sinfjotli and […] were wooing the same woman, so Sinfjotli killed him. When he got home, Borghild told him to get out, but Sinfjotli offered her recompense for the killing and she accepted. But Borghild served ale at […]’s funeral-feast. She filled an enormous horn with poisoned ale and gave it to Sinfjotli. Upon looking into the horn, he knew it was poisoned and said to Sigmund, ‘Father, my drink is murky.’ So Sigmund took the horn and gulped it all down. It is said that Sigmund was so strong he couldn’t be harmed by poison, no matter if he took it into himself or it touched his skin, but his sons were immune only on their skin. Borghild brought Sinfjotli a second horn and bid him drink it, but the same thing happened. On her third try, she taunted him not to drink it. Telling his father, as he did before, his father said, ‘Son, use your moustache to strain the ale.’ Sinfjotli drank the horn and died instantly.

Sigmund bore him in his arms for a long while until he reached a narrow fjord where a man sat in a small boat. The man offered to take Sinfjotli across the fjord. When Sigmund placed Sinfjotli’s corpse aboard, the boat wallowed, at full capacity. The man told Sigmund he’d have to walk around as he pushed off from shore and disappeared.

King Sigmund remained in Borghild’s homeland of Denmark long after they had married. He then went south to his lands in France. There he married Eylimi’s daughter, Hjordis, and had a son, Sigurd. Sigmund was killed battling Hunding’s sons. Hjordis was given to King Hjalprek’s son, Alf. Sigurd spent his youth with them.

Sigmund and his sons exceeded all others in strength, height and achievements, but Sigurd outdid them all. The old ones of ancient beliefs say he was the noblest, most accomplished of all warlords.

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