Source text: “The Lay of Hlod”

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English translation made by AI from the Old Norse.

1

Long ago, they say, Humli
ruled the Huns,
Gizur the Geats,
Angantyr the Goths,
Valdar the Danes,
and Kiar the Romans,
Alrek the bold
the English people.

2

Hlod was born there
in the land of the Huns,
with knife and sword,
with a long coat of mail,
a helmet wound with rings,
a sharp blade,
a well-tamed horse,
in the sacred forest.

3

Hlod rode from the east,
Heidrek’s heir;
he came to the stronghold
where the Goths dwell,
to Arheim,
to claim his inheritance;
there Angantyr was drinking
the funeral feast for Heidrek.

4

He found a man outside
before the lofty hall,
and the far-travelled man
then greeted him:
“Go inside, man,
into the lofty hall;
ask Angantyr
to speak with me.”
The man went in before the king’s table, greeted King Angantyr courteously, and then said:

5

“Hlod has come here,
Heidrek’s heir,
your brother,
bold in battle;
tall is that young man
on his horse’s back;
now he wishes, king,
to speak with you.”

6

A din arose in the hall;
the nobles rose;
everyone wished to hear
what Hlod said
and what Angantyr
gave in answer.
Then Angantyr said:

7

“Welcome, Hlod,
Heidrek’s heir,
my brother;
come and sit on the bench.
Let us drink Heidrek’s
kindly funeral draughts,
to our father,
foremost of men,
wine or mead,
whichever you prefer.”
Then Hlod said:

8

“For another purpose
than drinking ale
we have come here
[from the land of the Huns].
I will not accept, king,
your drinks.

9

I want half of everything
that Heidrek owned,
of awl and spearpoint,
of every treasure,
of cow and calf,
the whirring millstone,
of bondwoman and thrall
and their child;

10

that renowned forest
which is called Mirkwood,
that sacred grave
which stands in Gothland,
that beautiful stone
which stands on the banks of the Danpar,
half the strongholds
that Heidrek owned,
lands and people
and shining rings.”
Angantyr said:

11

“Sooner, brother, will
the gleaming white shield split,
and cold spear
strike against spear,
and many a man
sink into the grass,
than I divide Tyrfing
in two,
or let you, Humli’s descendant,
have half the inheritance.
12
I will offer you
shining spears,
wealth and many treasures,
as much as you most desire;
twelve hundred men I give you,
twelve hundred horses I give you,
twelve hundred warriors I give you,
men who bear shields.

13

To each man I give
many things to receive,
other things more precious
than those he now possesses;
a maiden I give each
man to receive;
a necklace I fasten around each
maiden’s neck.

14

Around you as you sit
I will measure out silver,
and as you walk
I will shower you with gold,
so that on every side
rings roll about;
a third of Gothland—
that you shall rule.”
Gizur of the Grytingar, King Heidrek’s foster-father, was then with King Angantyr. He was very old by then. When he heard Angantyr’s offer, he thought he was offering too much, and said:

15

“This is worth accepting
for a bondwoman’s child,
a bondwoman’s child,
though born to a king;
the bastard then
sat on a burial mound
while the prince
divided the inheritance.”
Hlod now grew very angry at being called a bondwoman’s child and a bastard if he accepted his brother’s offer. He immediately turned away with all his men and travelled until he came home to the land of the Huns, to King Humli, his kinsman. He told him that Angantyr, his brother, had refused him an equal division.
Humli now learned all that they had said. He grew very angry that Hlod, his daughter’s son, should be called a slave-woman’s son, and then said:

16

“We shall stay here this winter
and live in comfort,
drink and discuss
precious draughts,
teach the Huns
to prepare weapons of war,
which we shall boldly
carry forward.

17

For you, Hlod, we shall
prepare an army,
and boldly
help you in battle;
with twelve-year-old boys
and two-year-old colts,
thus shall the Huns’
army be gathered.”
Humli and Hlod stayed quietly at home that winter. In spring they gathered so great an army that the land of the Huns was left entirely empty of fighting men....
When this army had assembled, they rode through the forest called Mirkwood, which separates the land of the Huns from the land of the Goths. When they emerged from the forest, there were large settlements and level plains, and on the plains stood a beautiful stronghold. Hervor, King Angantyr’s sister, and Ormar, her foster-father, ruled there. They had been stationed there to defend the country against the army of the Huns, and had a large force there.
One morning at sunrise, Hervor stood on a tower above the stronghold’s gate. She saw great clouds of dust from horses southward toward the forest, so that the sun was hidden for long stretches. Then she saw a gleam beneath the dust, as though she were looking at nothing but gold: beautiful shields overlaid with gold, gilded helmets, and bright coats of mail. She saw then that this was the army of the Huns, a vast multitude. Hervor hurried down, called the trumpeter, and told him to sound the assembly. Then Hervor said: “Take up your weapons and prepare for battle; and you, Ormar, ride out to meet the Huns and offer them battle before the southern gate of the stronghold.” Ormar said:

18

“I shall certainly ride
and bear a shield,
— — —
for the people of the Goths
to wage war.”
Then Ormar rode out of the stronghold to meet the army. He called loudly and told them to ride to the stronghold—“and outside the gate, southward on the plain—there I challenge you to battle. Let those who arrive first wait there for the others.”
Ormar now rode back to the stronghold, and Hervor and the whole army were fully prepared. They rode out of the stronghold with their army against the Huns, and a great battle began there. But because the Huns had a much larger force, the losses fell heavily on Hervor’s army, and at last Hervor fell, with many men around her.
When Ormar saw her fall, he fled, along with all those who survived. Ormar rode day and night, as fast as he could, to find King Angantyr at Arheim. ....
When Ormar came before King Angantyr, he said:

19

“From the south I have come
to tell these tidings:
burned is all the renowned
heath of Mirkwood,
all Gothland drenched
with the blood of men.

20

I know Heidrek’s daughter,
[beneath the sword’s edges],
your sister,
has sunk to the earth;
the Huns have
struck her down,
and many others
of your warriors.

21

More readily she went to battle
than to speak with a suitor
or to take her seat on the bench
at her wedding.”
When King Angantyr heard this, his lips drew back, and he was slow to speak. At last he said:

22

“You were treated without brotherly love,
my noble sister!”
Then he looked over his household warriors, and there were few men with him. He said:
“We were very many
when we drank mead;
now we are fewer,
when we should be more.

23

I see no man
among my followers,
though I ask
and offer rings in payment,
who will ride
and bear a shield
and seek out the Huns’
army.”
Old Gizur said:

24

“I will demand of you
not a single ounce of silver,
nor a clinking
piece of gold;
yet I will ride
and bear a shield,
to carry a challenge to war
to the people of the Huns.”
.... Gizur armed himself with good weapons of war and sprang onto his horse as though he were young. Then he said to the king:

25

“Where shall I summon the Huns
to battle?”
Angantyr said:

26

“Summon them to Dylgja
and to Dunheath
and to the ancient
Jassar Mountains;
there the Goths have often
waged war,
and won glorious victory,
renowned men in battle.”
Gizur now rode away until he reached the army of the Huns. He rode only close enough to speak to them. Then he called in a loud voice and said:

27

“Terror has seized your army;
your leader is doomed;
the battle-banner towers over you;
Odin is angry with you.

28

I challenge you at Dylgja
and on Dunheath
to battle beneath
the Jassar Mountains;
may corpses of you lie heaped
at every mound,
and may Odin let the spear fly
as I decree.”
When Hlod had heard Gizur’s words, he said:

29

“Seize Gizur
of the Grytingar,
Angantyr’s man,
who has come from Arheim.”
King Humli said:
“We must not
harm messengers
who travel
alone.”
Gizur then struck his horse with his spurs and rode to King Angantyr. .... Angantyr asked how large a force the Huns had. Gizur said: “Great is their host:

30

Six alone are
the armies of men;
in every army
five thousand;
in every thousand
thirteen hundred;
in every hundred
men counted fourfold.”
Angantyr now learned of the Huns’ army. Then he sent men out in every direction and summoned to him every man who was willing to aid him and able to wield weapons. He then went to Dunheath with his force, and it was a very large army. The army of the Huns came to meet him, and their force was half as large again.
The next day they began their battle and fought all that day, returning to their camps in the evening. They fought like this for eight days; the leaders were still unharmed, but no one knew the number of men who had fallen. Both day and night, men streamed to Angantyr from every direction, until he had no fewer men than at the beginning. The battle now grew still fiercer. The Huns fought with great fury, seeing that their only hope of life lay in victory, and that it would go badly for them to ask the Goths for quarter. The Goths were defending their freedom and native land against the Huns, and so stood firm, each urging the others on. As the day wore on, the Goths made so fierce an assault that the Huns’ ranks gave way before them. When Angantyr saw this, he stepped forward out of the shield-wall and into the opposing ranks, holding Tyrfing in his hand, and cut down both men and horses. The shield-wall around the Hunnish kings then broke, and the brothers exchanged blows. Hlod and King Humli fell there, and then the Huns broke into flight, while the Goths slaughtered them. .... King Angantyr then went to examine the slain and found Hlod, his brother. Then he said:

31

“I offered you, brother,
undiminished riches,
wealth and many treasures,
as much as you most desired;
now you have neither,
as the wages of battle,
shining rings
nor any land.

32

We are accursed, brother;
I have become your slayer;
this will live on forever;
evil is the Norns’ judgment.”