Six Sagas of Adventure

by Ben Waggoner (trans)

  “I didn’t know,” said King Hrolf, “that I had struck so near to your heart. It’s true what they say, ‘there’s compensation for everything,’ and it must be so in this case. Will you accept compensation for your brother?”

  The giant said, “You’re afraid now, little man. That’s to be expected, because now I shall show you the little game that I play with small boys who come here.”

  He brought up the iron poker and stabbed the points through two of the king’s men and threw them dead into the flames. After that, he skewered another two, and threw them dead on top of the others. Then he shook the poker so hard that there seemed to be four points on the shafts. He said, “There’s no need for you to be so afraid, king. You’ll have so much longer and worse tortures when the morning comes.”

  King Hrolf said, “‘When evil’s on the way, it’s best to delay.’ I find it amusing to watch these games of yours, or any others.”

  The giant said, “There’s an animal skin laying on the seat, which you two may spread under yourselves where you lie down for the night, because I am a light sleeper, and I wouldn’t enjoy listening to your muttering over me.”

  King Hrolf said, “We’ll make our beds here by the fire, and spread skins under us as well, because we’ll fall asleep quickly.”

  The giant said, “If you two can sleep, you’re much less afraid than I thought.” Then he slammed the door and said, “Now I’m sure you won’t escape our hut.”

  King Hrolf said, “We won’t try. We think we’ve found such a good householder that it’s no use for us to do anything other than what he asks.”

  “You two can think about this,” said the giant, “that you’d be best off if you didn’t give me any trouble and lie as quietly as possible.” They said that they would do so.

  Now both of them lay down to sleep. The giant had grown weary, and he fell asleep quickly. King Hrolf said, “How’s your situation, sworn brother Asmund?”

  “Seldom worse that this. I think that troll’s bad to deal with, and not disposed to be helpful.”

  The king said, “This enemy of ours will never overcome us. Some other fate must lie in store for us.”

  The king then took a plank and knocked it against the partition next to the giant. The giant woke up and told them to lie still, “or else I’ll strike you both down into Hel with my fist.” After that he fell asleep. King Hrolf knocked again with the plank. The giant turned onto his other side without waking up; he said nothing to them and fell asleep soundly. The king knocked a third time as loudly as he could, and the giant didn’t wake up at that.

  King Hrolf said, “Now we have to follow this plan. First I want to get the sword, and I think it likely that it will bite the giant.[17] Now we’ll proceed as we did this evening.” They did so, and King Hrolf managed to get the sword. He said, “Now our chances look more promising to me. We have to follow this plan. You must stick the giant’s poker into the fire and get it glowing, and I want you to put the two points into the giant’s eyes at the moment when I stab him with the sword. If it goes off, we’ll save ourselves as quickly as possible under the bed.”

  King Hrolf drew the sword. The king picked up a stick and boldly went to the bed and stripped the bedclothes from him, and he looked dreadfully trollish. The king stabbed with the sword so forcefully that it went right through him at once, under his left arm. Just as quickly, Asmund stuck the poker into his eyes.[18] After that they hurried under the bed. King Hrolf flung the stick out the door, and it hit the woodpile and knocked against it loudly. The giant ran at the door hard and furiously, fumbling with his hands and trying to grab them and squeeze them without mercy, but with his terrible wounds and mighty struggles, he collapsed onto the door, shattering it into small pieces. They ran up and bashed the giant with huge logs until he was dead, though he held on to life strongly. After that they carried him out of the hut, and they had to dismember him before they could get out.

  The morning was well along, and they prepared to leave. They hadn’t gone far before they saw their men coming to meet them, clashing their weapons loudly. They were glad to see the king unharmed. They had meant to find the giant and avenge their lord if necessary, and they didn’t think it better to outlive their king. They carried a great store of wealth out of the hut, and many good treasures. The king kept the sword, Giant’s Gift. It was so large that no man could wield it except for King Hrolf, and it was heavy even for him.[19]

  CHAPTER XX

  After that brave deed, they sailed away and got a favorable wind, and arrived in Russia near the king’s seat, early in the morning. There they recognized their own men. There was a joyful reunion. Ketil and his men had also just arrived. They asked about King Hrolf’s journey, and he told how it had gone. They felt that things had turned out luckily for him, yet splendidly, and everyone praised his exploit and his boldness.

  Ketil asked his brother King Hrolf whether they shouldn’t go at once, fully prepared for war, and make an attack on the king. The king said that he didn’t want to do that. “I will send men to meet the king and tell him that I have arrived, and what our errand is. I want you to make this journey, Asmund. Tell King Halfdan that if he will not make my brother Ketil his son-in-law, he will have our enmity. We will wait for the king for half a month; let him summon his forces and prepare for battle. But we intend to win the hand of the maiden for Ketil.”

  Asmund now went with some men, and he came to the halls where the king was sitting at the drinking-table with his household. There was great merriment. Asmund came into the hall, pushing past the unwilling guards at the doors. He went before the king and set forth his errand, well and frankly, as King Hrolf intended.

  King Halfdan answered, “We have heard that King Hrolf Gautreksson is an excellent man. But since we’ve already refused this engagement to Ketil, we do not see fit to agree, even though you’ve arrived with larger forces than Ketil had at the time. We choose to decide this matter in battle, since King Hrolf has well said that we may summon our forces.”

  Then said Thorir Ironshield, the king’s chief man, “My lord, my advice is that you not fight with King Hrolf, because that will take all your strength. Your daughter is quite honorably married if Ketil weds her; he is a brave man and full of courage. Wherever King Hrolf is, you will have trusty supporters, because we know of no one in the Northlands more famous for all his boldness, wisdom and bravery. I tell you the certain truth that your honor would be lost if you were to fight him. But since you do not wish to heed my advice, there’s no chance that you’ll get any help from me, and I will not bear my shield against King Hrolf.”

  The king’s twelve berserkers all jumped up together, with Hrossthjof in the lead. He said to Thorir, “These words of yours are unmanly, even cowardly, to not help the king with all your might, and to not dare to fight one petty king. For such words, you are unworthy to receive honors from our lord. Even if our king had no more men than us twelve berserks, nonetheless he would send this one to Hel with all his men, and not one mother’s son would get away. I mean to marry King Halfdan’s daughter myself and butcher King Hrolf for the ravens and eagles. Go away quickly, you messengers, if you don’t want to be beaten and injured. Tell your king that he can expect a fierce battle from us, before King Halfdan would give his daughter to the man whom we know is the most wretched weakling and dullard in every way—if he makes the attempt. It’s incredible that Ketil would dare to present his suit again, when he was chased and beaten like a dog by a kennel.”

  Asmund answered, “Hrossthjof, I can tell that you and all your fellows have spoken with the mouths of doomed men, for King Hrolf wouldn’t fear you even if you were men, but far less now that you’re screeching like nanny-goats cowering in the woods. You may expect evil from evil, if you urge your king to take the worst advice.”

  Asmund turned away from the hall, but the berserks howled and bellowed at them. T
he king ordered them to be silent and quit shrieking and raising a racket, and he said that it was a manly deed to put forth a proposal from one’s own king.

  Asmund came back to meet the king and told him how it had gone. He said that they had to prepare for battle. King Halfdan summoned his forces, and a huge host assembled in a few days. Both sides made preparations, and on the same day when they were to fight, King Halfdan sent his host against King Hrolf. The berserkers led the host, walking a bit in front of the other men, because they only wanted to make it known that they were superior to other warriors, because of their overbearing nature and great might.

  King Hrolf spoke, ordering Ingjald and Asmund and Ketil to deploy their forces to meet King Halfdan, but he said that he wanted to find the berserks by himself. They called that unwise. The king said that he would decide that, and he went to meet them by himself. When they met, the king asked who they might be, shouting so loudly— “are you going out ahead of the king’s battle lines?”

  Hrossthjof said his name.

  Hrolf said, “I’m quite familiar with your family. Your father Hrosskel was a great friend of my father King Gautrek, and they used to exchange gifts. But since you’re threatening to fight me, I want to tell you a little story and make your lineage known to you. Your father came to Gautland once, as he often did. My father welcomed him warmly and invited him to a feast, and he accepted and was received most richly. He stayed there for a long time. My father had splendid treasures. One was a stud horse, a large and beautiful stallion, dapple-grey in color, along with four mares. At their parting, King Gautrek gave your father many splendid and costly treasures, and he gave him this stud-horse. Your father was very pleased with the treasures and gifts, but most of all with the horses, and he thanked King Gautrek for the gift with many fine words. They parted, and your father went home with the horses. He took care of them carefully and visited them every day. And it wasn’t long before men found out that your father didn’t find the stallion as good as before. Men also heard that he found the mares to be just as good, or better. One day, when he came to the horses, he found the stallion killed, run through with a spear. He didn’t care about this. Everyone was surprised that he didn’t take it hard, losing such a treasure as the stallion was. But he went to the mares all the more often, and all the more closely. One of the horses was pale in color. He found it the best of all the horses, and in springtime, everyone who saw the pale mare thought that she must be pregnant. They say that time went on until the mare foaled, and the result was quite unexpected; it was a baby, not a foal. Your father had the baby taken and raised, and it was big and handsome. He had this boy called Hrossthjof and called it his son. And it’s no wonder that you’re puffed up, since you’re the son of a mare.[20] Your father himself killed the stallion, and I don’t know whether he had more sons with these mares, but I’ve heard it said that he had another son named Hesthofdi, and he was also of horse-kin. But since you’re much like each other, all wicked and unlike other men, then it’s likeliest that you were all begotten that way.”[21]

  At the king’s words, all the berserkers leaped up, bellowing and howling. They all wanted to attack the king at the same time. Hrolf drew the sword Giant’s Gift and struck the leader first. The sword cut their bodies as if it were slicing water, because none of them were wearing armor, since no weapon had ever hurt them before. By the end of their encounter, King Hrolf had killed them all and wasn’t seriously wounded.

  Then he saw that the battle lines of King Halfdan and those of the sworn brothers were crashing into each other. King Halfdan had much greater forces. King Hrolf turned to the battle against King Halfdan, which was both hard and long. The sworn brothers were the fiercest of fighters, and wherever King Hrolf advanced, King Halfdan’s ranks turned and fled, and a multitude fell.

  As for Thorir Ironshield, it’s said that he didn’t want to fight King Hrolf because Halfdan didn’t value his advice. The princess went up into the highest tower and watched the battle. She saw her father’s brave men killed. She then went back and entered the hall. She saw that Thorir sat alone on the high seat, muttering with his head in his hands. He had been her foster-father. She came before him and said, “It would be best, foster-father, to arise and help my father, because I see that he needs your support.”

  Thorir looked at her and didn’t answer and sat as before, and she went away. When a little time had passed, she came before him and said, “How can it be, foster-father, that you sit so still and don’t help my father, since he is in so much need? That is most unheard of, and it will be considered behavior unbecoming a warrior, since you sit on his high seat and have received many gifts from him and had your way in everything you wanted.”

  He looked at her angrily and didn’t answer and sat as before. The maiden went away, and her foster-father seemed to be scowling. She went to look around, and she saw that King Halfdan and his ranks were advancing, and she saw King Hrolf striking to right and lefts. She doubted whether she should ask her foster-father again, but as before, she bravely turned back to him and laid her arms around his neck and said, “My beloved foster-father, I beg you to help my father and me, so that I may not be married against my will. You have sworn to grant me one favor, when I ask you. I want you to go into that battle now and help my father according to your strength, and I know that you’ll help him well.”

  Ironshield shoved the maiden hard onto the hall floor. He looked so angry that she didn’t dare to talk to him. Then he leaped to his feet. She heard him sigh loudly. He seized his weapon and dressed himself quickly and deftly.

  At once he strode into battle. There was no lack of terrible slaughter and hard fighting. Thorir advanced so fiercely that everyone recoiled from him. When some time had passed, King Hrolf looked around and saw that Ingjald and Ketil’s ranks were giving way. The king headed in their direction and ordered Asmund to fight under their banner until he came back. When the brothers met, the king asked how the fight was going. Ketil said it was proving to be difficult: “Such a terrible enemy has come here that no one can withstand him, and he’s more like a troll than a man.”

  The king said, “He must be a man, but maybe he’s somewhat bolder than other men.”

  The king struck to right and left with Giant’s Gift, and he met none so brave, strong, or proud that he didn’t quickly get death in exchange for life. Ketil followed him bravely and killed many men, and they broke right through the ranks. After that, Thorir disappeared, but the king got his lines back in order.

  When they had fought for a while, the king saw that Asmund was falling back in disarray. The king returned at once to his own banner. King Hrolf had his banner brought forward and followed it, attacking mightily. King Halfdan advanced well and was the boldest in battle and the bravest of warriors, and he killed many men. Thorir had also arrived there, and he advanced boldly with mighty blows and quickly dealt with everyone who moved against him. As soon as he saw King Hrolf, he moved away quickly to face Ketil and his men. There he advanced vigorously and felled one man across another, so that no one withstood him. The battle quickly turned against the sworn brothers.

  Ketil saw that things couldn’t go on as they were. He went to find his brother King Hrolf, and said, “I find it unbelievable that you’re not attacking that ogre who’s doing us such great harm. We would have had victory long ago if that troll hadn’t gone up against us. Up to now, we’ve never found you to be anything but completely bold, always rushing to where the greatest danger is—except for today, when your courage is failing against this blackguard. It looks to us as if each of you is avoiding the other. Now, since you don’t want to overcome this man—if I can call him a man— give me the sword Giant’s Gift and find out whether my courage will fail me if I get in reach.”

  The king answered, “You’re a great man for boldness, and you’d advance well if you were as foresighted as you are eager. Do you think you could fight with thi
s weapon, which I can hardly carry?”

  Ketil answered, “I can clearly see that the sword is no weapon for me, but I had to encourage you somehow.”

  The king and Ketil returned to the fight. It wasn’t long before there was the fiercest battle and great attacks. Thorir Ironshield faced them; he struck to right and left and felled many men to earth. The king and some men turned to face Thorir, and there was a hard fight. The king saw that things couldn’t go on as they were, but he noticed that Thorir didn’t want to attack him and was always moving away. The king got so close to him that he struck down the man who stood in front of him, and in the next moment he stretched his hands out over Thorir’s shoulders and killed the man at his back. Then a man fell before the king’s feet, and he stumbled and almost fell. At that, the king stabbed the sword at Thorir as the rush of battle pressed them together. Thorir turned away and wrapped his clothes around himself. A little later, the king didn’t see him anywhere. He had disappeared from the battle.

  The king urged on his men to advance, and he himself attacked King Halfdan. It was easy to see what was happening everywhere: the survivors were fleeing one after another. King Halfdan fled to the fortress with the men who had gotten away, but a multitude had fallen. Many of King Hrolf’s men had also fallen. The king ordered his men who were wounded to go to the ships.

  King Hrolf ordered Asmund to go with him. They went to the forest, but the rest of their men went to the ships. Asmund said, “What do you want to investigate in this forest?”

  The king said, “When the battle was at its fiercest, I scratched a tall man with my sword, who was making the most terrible slaughter of our men. I very much want to find him, because I think he went into this forest.”