The Story of the Volsungs

CHAPTER X. The ending of Sinfjatli, Sigmund’s Son.

Now the Vol­sungs fare back home, and have gained great renown by these deeds. But Sin­fjotli be­took him­self to war­fare anew; and there­with he had sight of an ex­ceed­ing fair wom­an, and yearned above all things for her, but that same wom­an was wooed al­so of the broth­er of Borghild, the king’s wife: and this mat­ter they fought out be­twixt them, and Sin­fjotli slew that king; and there­after he har­ried far and wide, and had many a bat­tle and even gained the day; and he be­came here­by hon­oured and renowned above all men; but in au­tumn tide he came home with many ships and abun­dant wealth.

Then he told his tid­ings to the king his fa­ther, and he again to the queen, and she for her part bids him get him gone from the realm, and made as if she would in no­wise see him. But Sig­mund said he would not drive him away, and of­fered her atone­ment of gold and great wealth for her broth­er’s life, al­beit he said he had nev­er erst giv­en weregild (1) to any for the slay­ing of a man, but no fame it was to up­hold wrong against a wom­an.

So see­ing she might not get her own way here­in, she said, “Have thy will in this mat­ter, O my lord, for it is seem­ly so to be.”

And now she holds the fu­ner­al feast for her broth­er by the aid and coun­sel of the king, and makes ready all things thereœor in the best of wise, and bade thith­er many great men.

At that feast, Borghild the queen bare the drink to folk, and she came over against Sin­fjofli with a great horn, and said –

“Fall to now and drink, fair step­son!”

Then he took the horn to him, and looked there­in, and said –

“Nay, for the drink is charmed drink”

Then said Sig­mund, “Give it un­to me then;” and there­with he took the horn and drank it off.

But the queen said to Sin­fjotli, “Why must oth­er men needs drink thine ale for thee?” And she came again the sec­ond time with the horn, and said, “Come now and drink!” and goad­ed him with many words.

And he took the horn, and said –

“Guile is in the drink.”

And there­on, Sig­mund cried out –

“Give it then un­to me!”

Again, the third time, she came to him, and bade him drink off his drink, if he had the heart of a Vol­sung; then he laid hand on the horn, but said –

“Ven­om is there­in.”

“Nay, let the lip strain it out then, O son,” quoth Sig­mund; and by then was he ex­ceed­ing drunk with drink, and there­fore spake he in that wise.

So Sin­fjotli drank, and straight­way fell down dead to the ground.

Sig­mund rose up, and sor­rowed nigh to death over him; then he took the corpse in his arms and fared away to the wood, and went till he came to a cer­tain firth; and then he saw a man in a lit­tle boat; and that man asked if he would be waft­ed by him over the firth, and he said yes there­to; but so lit­tle was the boat, that they might not all go in it at once, so the corpse was first laid there­in, while Sig­mund went by the firth-​side. But there­with the boat and the man there­in van­ished away from be­fore Sig­mund’s eyes. (2)

So there­after Sig­mund turned back home, and drave away the queen, and a lit­tle af­ter she died. But Sig­mund the king yet ruled his realm, and is deemed ev­er the great­est cham­pi­on and king of the old law.

END­NOTES: (1) Weregild, fine for man-​slay­ing (”wer”, man, and “gild”, a pay­ment). (2) The man in the boat is Odin, doubt­less.