The Story of the Volsungs

CHAPTER XXI. More Wise Words of Brynhild.

Sig­urd spake now, “Sure no wis­er wom­an than thou art one may be found in the wide world; yea, yea, teach me more yet of thy wis­dom!”

She an­swers, “Seem­ly is it that I do ac­cord­ing to thy will, and show thee forth more re­des of great avail, for thy prayer’s sake and thy wis­dom ;” and she spake with­al –

“Be kind­ly to friend and kin, and re­ward not their tres­pass­es against thee; bear and for­bear, and win for thee there­by long en­dur­ing praise of men.

“Take good heed of evil things: a may’s love, and a man’s wife; full oft there­of doth ill be­fall!

“Let not thy mind be over­much crossed by un­wise men at thronged meet­ings of folk; for oft these speak worse than they wot of; lest thou be called a das­tard, and art mind­ed to think that thou art even as is said; slay such an one on an­oth­er day, and so re­ward his ug­ly talk.

“If thou farest by the way where­as bide evil things, be well ware of thy­self; take not har­bour near the high­way, though thou be be­night­ed, for oft abide there ill wights for men’s be­wil­der­ment.

“Let not fair wom­en be­guile thee, such as thou mayst meet at the feast, so that the thought there­of stand thee in stead of sleep, and a qui­et mind; yea, draw them not to thee with kiss­es or oth­er sweet things of love.

“If thou hear­est the fool’s word of a drunk­en man, strive not with him be­ing drunk with drink and wit­less; many a grief, yea, and the very death, groweth from out such things.

“Fight thy foes in the field, nor be burnt in thine house.

‘Nev­er swear thou wrong­some oath; great and grim is the re­ward for the break­ing of plight­ed troth.

“Give kind heed to dead men, — sick-​dead, Sea-​dead, or ~word- dead; deal heed­ful­ly with their dead corpses.

“Trow nev­er in him for whom thou hast slain fa­ther, broth­er, or what­so near kin, yea, though young he be; `for oft wax­es wolf in youngling’.

“Look thou with good heed to the wiles of thy friends; but lit­tle skill is giv­en to me, that I should fore­see the ways of thy life; yet good it were that hate fell not on thee from those of thy wife’s house.”

Sig­urd spake, “None among the sons of men can be found wis­er than thou; and there­by swear I, that thee will I have as my own, for near to my heart thou li­est.”

She an­swers, “Thee would I fainest choose, though I had all men’s sons to choose from.”

And there­to they plight­ed troth both of them.