Atlakvitha En Grönlenzka: The Greenland Lay of Atli

Henry Adams Bellows's notes to his translation (1923; Project Gutenberg #73533).

1. Stanza 1 Atli sent | of old to Gunnar A keen-witted rider, | Knefröth did men call him; To Gjuki’s home came he | and to Gunnar’s dwelling, With benches round the hearth, | and to the beer so sweet.
2. Stanza 1 Line 1 apparently is in Fornyrthislag. Knefröth (the name is spelt in various ways, and its meaning is uncertain): in the Atlamol (stanza 4) there are two messengers, one named Vingi and the other unnamed; the annotator combines the two versions in the Drap Niflunga. Benches, etc.: the adjective rendered “round the hearth,” which etymologically it ought to mean, is made obscure by its application to “helmets” in stanzas 3 and 17.
3. Stanza 2 Then the followers, hiding | their falseness, all drank Their wine in the war-hall, | of the Huns’ wrath wary; And Knefröth spake loudly, | his words were crafty, The hero from the south, | on the high bench sitting:
4. Stanza 2 Falseness: i.e., Gunnar’s followers concealed their fear and hatred of the Huns at the feast; but the word may mean “fear of treachery.” War-hall: the word used is “Valhall,” the name of Othin’s hall of slain warriors.
5. Stanza 3 “Now Atli has sent me | his errand to ride, On my bit-champing steed | through Myrkwood the secret, To bid you, Gunnar, | to his benches to come, With helms round the hearth, | and Atli’s home seek.
6. Stanza 3 Myrkwood the secret (the adjective is literally “unknown”): the forest which divided Atli’s realm from that of the Gjukungs; cf. Oddrunargratr, 23 and note. Around the hearth: the adjective is the same one which is applied to “benches” in stanza 1 (cf. note); it may be an error here, or it may possibly have the force of “of your followers,” i.e., Gunnar is to arm the men of his household (those who are round his hearth) for the journey.
7. Stanza 4 “Shields shall ye choose there, | and shafts made of ash-wood, Gold-adorned helmets, | and slaves out of Hunland, Silver-gilt saddle-cloths, | shirts of bright scarlet, With lances and spears too, | and bit-champing steeds.
8. Stanza 4 Slaves, etc.: some editions have “swords in plenty.” Scarlet: the word apparently means “slaughter-red,” “blood-red,” but it may mean something entirely different.
9. Stanza 5 “The field shall be given you | of wide Gnitaheith, With loud-ringing lances, | and stems gold-o’erlaid, Treasures full huge, | and the home of Danp, And the mighty forest | that Myrkwood is called.”
10. Stanza 5 Gnitaheith: here the dragon Fafnir had his lair (cf. Gripisspo, 11). Sigurth doubtless owned it after Fafnir’s death, and the Gjukungs after they had killed Sigurth. Possibly they had given it to Atli in recompense for the death of his sister, Brynhild, and he now offered to restore it to them, or—as seems more likely—the poet was not very clear about its ownership himself. Stems: i.e., the gilded stems of ships, carved like dragons,—an evident northern touch, if the word is correct, which is by no means certain. Danp: this name was early applied to a mythical Danish king (cf. Rigsthula, 49 and note), but it may have been fabricated by error out of the word “Danparstaþir” (the phrase here used is “staþi Danpar”), used in the Hervararsaga of a field of battle between the Goths and the Huns, and quite possibly referring to the region of the Dnieper. The name seems to have clung to the Atli tradition long after it had lost all definite significance. Myrkwood: cf. note on stanza 3.
11. Stanza 6 His head turned Gunnar, | and to Hogni he said: “What thy counsel, young hero, | when such things we hear? No gold do I know | on Gnitaheith lying So fair that other | its equal we have not.
12. Stanza 7 “We have seven halls, | each of swords is full, (And all of gold | is the hilt of each;) My steed is the swiftest, | my sword is sharpest, My bows adorn benches, | my byrnies are golden, My helm is the brightest | that came from Kjar’s hall, (Mine own is better | than all the Huns’ treasure.)” Hogni spake:
13. Stanza 7 The stanza is clearly in bad shape; the manuscript indicates line 5 as beginning a new stanza. In line 5 the manuscript has “and shield” after “helm.” Kjar: Gering ingeniously identifies this Kjar with Kjar the father of Olrun, mentioned in the Völundarkvitha, introductory prose and stanza 2, on the basis of a genealogy in the Flateyjarbok, in which Authi, the grandfather of Kjar (by no means certainly the same man) and Buthli, father of Atli, are mentioned as making a raiding voyage together. This identification, however, rests on slight evidence.
14. Stanza 8 “What seeks she to say, | that she sends us a ring, Woven with a wolf’s hair? | methinks it gives warning; In the red ring a hair | of the heath-dweller found I, Wolf-like shall our road be | if we ride on this journey.”
15. Stanza 8 The manuscript does not name the speaker. One editor gives the first sentence to Gunnar. She, etc.: Guthrun, seeking to warn her brothers of Atli’s treachery, sends them a ring with a wolf’s hair as a sign of danger; in the Atlamol (stanza 4) she sends a message written in runes; cf. Drap Niflunga. Heath-dweller: wolf.
16. Stanza 9 Not eager were his comrades, | nor the men of his kin, The wise nor the wary, | nor the warriors bold. But Gunnar spake forth | as befitted a king, Noble in the beer-hall, | and bitter his scorn:
17. Stanza 9 In line 1 the manuscript has “His comrades did not urge Gunnar,” but the name, involving a metrical error, seems to have been inserted through a scribal blunder.
18. Stanza 10 “Stand forth now, Fjornir! | and hither on the floor The beakers all golden | shalt thou bring to the warriors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19. Stanza 10 The manuscript indicates no lacuna, but probably two lines have dropped out, for the Volsungasaga paraphrase runs: “Give us to drink in great cups, for it may well be that this shall be our last feast.” Fjornir: Gunnar’s cup-bearer.
20. Stanza 11 “The wolves then shall rule | the wealth of the Niflungs, Wolves aged and grey-hued, | if Gunnar is lost, And black-coated bears | with rending teeth bite, And make glad the dogs, | if Gunnar returns not.”
21. Stanza 11 Bugge thinks this stanza is spoken by Gunnar’s terrified followers; Grundtvig assigns it to Hogni. Apparently, however, Gunnar means that if he and his men are not valiant enough to make the journey and return safely, it matters little what may happen to them. Niflungs: regarding the application of this name to Gunnar’s Burgundians cf. Brot, 17 and note. Bears: these “black” bears have been used as arguments against the Greenland origin of the poem. And make glad the dogs: i.e., by giving them corpses to eat, but the phrase in the original is more than doubtful.
22. Stanza 12 A following gallant | fared forth with the ruler, Yet they wept as their home | with the hero they left; And the little heir | of Hogni called loudly: “Go safe now, ye wise ones, | wherever ye will!”
23. Stanza 12 Some editions in line 2 read “home of the Niflungs” instead of “their home,” and others “home of the Huns,” the manuscript reading being “home of the men.” Heir: the Atlamol (stanza 28) names two sons of Hogni, Snævar and Solar, both of whom make the journey with their father and are killed. The Volsungasaga, combining the two versions, says that Snævar and Solar went with their father, and implies that it was a third and still younger son who said: “Farewell, and have a good time” (thus literally).
24. Stanza 13 Then let the bold heroes | their bit-champing horses On the mountains gallop, | and through Myrkwood the secret; All Hunland was shaken | where the hard-souled ones rode, On the whip-fearers fared they | through fields that were green.
25. Stanza 13 Myrkwood: cf. stanza 3 and note; the journey is here made by land, whereas in the Atlamol it is made partly by boat; cf. Atlamol, 34 and note. Whip-fearers: horses, but there is some uncertainty as to the word.
26. Stanza 14 Then they saw Atli’s halls, | and his watch-towers high, On the walls so lofty | stood the warriors of Buthli; The hall of the southrons | with seats was surrounded, With targets bound | and shields full bright.
27. Stanza 14 In line 1 the manuscript has “land” instead of “halls,” which involves a metrical error. Watch-towers: the word used is identical with the name of Othin’s watch-tower, Hlithskjolf (cf. Grimnismol, introductory prose). Buthli: the manuscript has “Bikki,” which has led some editors to transfer this stanza to the Hamthesmol, placing it between stanzas 16 and 17; it seems more likely, however, that “Bikki” was a scribal error for “Buthli.” Regarding Bikki cf. Sigurtharkvitha en skamma, 63 and note. Line 4 is apparently in Fornyrthislag.
28. Stanza 15 Mid weapons and lances | did Atli his wine In the war-hall drink, | without were his watchmen, For Gunnar they waited, | if forth he should go, With their ringing spears | they would fight with the ruler.
29. Stanza 15 Line 1 in the manuscript is apparently incorrectly copied, and some editions omit “Mid weapons and lances” and assume a gap in either line 1 or line 3.
30. Stanza 16 This their sister saw, | as soon as her brothers Had entered the hall,— | little ale had she drunk: “Betrayed art thou, Gunnar! | what guard hast thou, hero, ’Gainst the plots of the Huns? | from the hall flee swiftly!
31. Stanza 17 “Brother, ’twere far better | to have come in byrnie, With thy household helmed, | to see Atli’s home, And to sit in the saddle | all day ’neath the sun, (That the sword-norns might weep | for the death-pale warriors, And the Hunnish shield-maids | might shun not the sword,) And send Atli himself | to the den of the snakes; (Now the den of the snakes | for thee is destined.)” Gunnar spake:
32. Stanza 17 This may be the remains of two stanzas; the manuscript marks line 5 as beginning a new stanza. Editorial conjectures are numerous and varied. Household: the phrase is the same “helms round the hearth” commented on in stanza 3. Some editions insert a conjectural line after line 3. Sword-norns, etc.: the line is exceedingly obscure, and the phrase rendered “sword-norns” may mean “corpse-norns.” Apparently it refers to the warrior-women of the Huns, the “shield-maids” of line 5 and of stanza 45. Roman writers refer to the warrior-women among the early Germanic tribes, and the tradition, closely allied to that of the Valkyries, attached itself readily to the ferocious Huns. Den of snakes: concerning the manner of Gunnar’s death cf. Drap Niflunga.
33. Stanza 18 . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . “Too late is it, sister, | to summon the Niflungs, Long is it to come | to the throng of our comrades, The heroes gallant, | from the hills of the Rhine.” * * * * * *
34. Stanza 18 The manuscript indicates no lacuna and does not name the speaker; perhaps a line similar to line 1 of stanza 24 (or 26) should be inserted here. Rhine: Gunnar’s Burgundian home is here clearly localized. After this stanza it is probable that a passage describing the battle has been lost.
35. Stanza 19 Then Gunnar they seized, | and they set him in chains, The Burgundians’ king, | and fast they bound him.
36. Stanza 19 These two lines, apparently the remains of a full stanza, may belong after stanza 20. Burgundians’ king: the phrase may mean “Burgundians’ men,” i.e., they bound all the Burgundians who were left alive after the battle. This is the only place in the poems in which the name “Burgundian” appears; that the poet had no very clear conception of its meaning is indicated by the fact that in stanza 21 he calls Gunnar “king of the Goths.”
37. Stanza 20 Hogni slew seven | with sword so keen, And an eighth he flung | in the fire hot; A hero should fight | with his foemen thus, As Hogni strove | in Gunnar’s behalf.
38. Stanza 20 Apparently a Fornyrthislag stanza, though most editions have attempted to expand the lines into Malahattr. The exploits of Hogni (Hagene), with the names of many of his victims, are told in the Nibelungenlied. The fire: in the Nibelungenlied Kriemhild has the hall set on fire, and the Burgundians fight amid the flames. Line 4 is clearly defective, and some editors regard the name “Gunnar” as all that is left of the first two lines of stanza 21.
39. Stanza 21 . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . The leader they asked | if his life he fain With gold would buy, | the king of the Goths. Gunnar spake:
40. Stanza 21 Again apparently the remains of a Fornyrthislag stanza. Editors have attempted various combinations of the lines. Gold: presumably Sigurth’s treasure.
41. Stanza 22 “First the heart of Hogni | shall ye lay in my hands, All bloody from the breast | of the bold one cut With keen-biting sword, | from the son of the king.”
42. Stanza 22 The manuscript does not indicate the speaker; perhaps a first line similar to line 1 of stanza 24 should appear here. Some editors, however, assume that a line is missing after line 3. Gunnar demands proof that Hogni is dead because, as stanza 28 shows, he is unwilling to die himself until he is assured that the secret of the treasure will perish with him. He did not, of course, intend that the heart should be cut from the living Hogni.
43. Stanza 23 . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . They cut out the heart | from the breast of Hjalli, On a platter they bore it, | and brought it to Gunnar.
44. Stanza 23 Most editions assume a gap (lines 1–2, 2–3 or 3–4). Hjalli: Atli’s cook, killed to deceive Gunnar, as Atli hoped to wring the secret of the hoard from Hogni if Gunnar remained silent. In the Atlamol (stanzas 59–60) Atli’s men prepare to kill Hjalli, but he is spared at Hogni’s intercession.
45. Stanza 24 Then Gunnar spake forth, | the lord of the folk: “Here have I the heart | of Hjalli the craven, Unlike to the heart | of Hogni the valiant, For it trembles still | as it stands on the platter; Twice more did it tremble | in the breast of the man.”
46. Stanza 25 Then Hogni laughed | when they cut out the heart Of the living helm-hammerer; | tears he had not. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . On a platter they bore it, | and brought it to Gunnar.
47. Stanza 25 Helm-hammerer (literally “helmet-smith”): warrior, i.e., Hogni. No gap indicated in the manuscript.
48. Stanza 26 Then Gunnar spake forth, | the spear of the Niflungs: “Here have I the heart | of Hogni the valiant, Unlike to the heart | of Hjalli the craven, Little it trembles | as it lies on the platter, Still less did it tremble | when it lay in his breast.
49. Stanza 26 Line 1 may belong elsewhere (stanzas 18 or 22).
50. Stanza 27 “So distant, Atli, | from all men’s eyes, Shalt thou be as thou | . . . . . from the gold. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . .
51. Stanza 27 Apparently the remains of two Fornyrthislag lines; the manuscript combines them with lines 1–2 of stanza 28. Gunnar foretells Atli’s speedy death.
52. Stanza 28 “To no one save me | is the secret known Of the Niflungs’ hoard, | now Hogni is dead; Of old there were two, | while we twain were alive, Now is none but I, | for I only am living.
53. Stanza 28 Apparently in Fornyrthislag. The manuscript indicates line 3 as the beginning of a stanza, and many editions combine lines 3–4 with stanza
54. Stanza 29 “The swift Rhine shall hold | the strife-gold of heroes, That once was the gods’, | the wealth of the Niflungs, In the depths of the waters | the death-rings shall glitter, And not shine on the hands | of the Hunnish men.” Atli spake:
55. Stanza 29 This stanza explains Gunnar’s demand for Hogni’s heart in stanza 22.
56. Stanza 29 The manuscript marks line 3, and not line 1, as the beginning of a stanza. Rhine, etc.: the stanza shows the blending of three different traditions with regard to the treasure: the German tradition of the gold of the Rhine (cf. Völundarkvitha, 16, and Sigurtharkvitha en skamma, 16), the tradition, likewise German, of the hoard of the Nibelungen (Niflungs), early blended with the first one, and finally the northern tradition of the theft of Andvari’s treasure by Othin, Hönir, and Loki (cf. Reginsmol, 1–9).
57. Stanza 30 “Ye shall bring the wagon, | for now is he bound.” * * * * * *
58. Stanza 30 Apparently all that is left of a full stanza. The manuscript does not name Atli as the speaker, and Grundtvig inserts: “Then Atli called, | the king of the Huns,” as a first line. Some editors combine this line with the two lines of stanza 33. Wagon: in Brot, 16, Gunnar is led to his death in the serpents’ den on horseback, not in a wagon.
59. Stanza 31 On the long-maned Glaum | rode Atli the great, About him were warriors | . . . . . . . . But Guthrun, akin | to the gods of slaughter, Yielded not to her tears | in the hall of tumult. Guthrun spake:
60. Stanza 31 The stanza in the original is hopelessly confused. Glaum: this horse of Atli’s is mentioned by name elsewhere. Long-maned: uncertain. The manuscript indicates no gap, but something has evidently been lost. Gods of slaughter: perhaps the phrase, usually applied to Othin and the other gods, is here used simply to mean “heroes,” i.e., Atli, Gunnar, and Hogni. Line 4 suggests Guthrun’s tearlessness after Sigurth’s death (cf. Guthrunarkvitha II, 11).
61. Stanza 32 “It shall go with thee, Atli, | as with Gunnar thou heldest The oaths ofttimes sworn, | and of old made firm, By the sun in the south, | by Sigtyr’s mountain, By the horse of the rest-bed, | and the ring of Ull.”
62. Stanza 32 The manuscript does not indicate the speaker. Sigtyr (“Victory-God”): Othin; what particular mountain (if any) is meant is unknown. Horse of the rest-bed: probably this means “bedpost,” i.e., the support of the marriage-bed. Ull: the archer-god, cf. Grimnismol, 5 and note. Nothing is known of his ring.
63. Stanza 33 Then the champer of bits | drew the chieftain great, The gold-guarder, down | to the place of death. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . .
64. Stanza 33 Apparently the remains of a Fornyrthislag stanza. Some editors combine the two lines with the line here indicated as stanza 30. Champer of bits: horse. The manuscript indicates no gap.
65. Stanza 34 By the warriors’ host | was the living hero Cast in the den | where crawling about Within were serpents, | but soon did Gunnar With his hand in wrath on | the harp-strings smite; The strings resounded,— | so shall a hero, A ring-breaker, gold | from his enemies guard.
66. Stanza 34 Six Fornyrthislag lines which editors have tried to reconstruct in all sorts of ways. The manuscript marks line 5 as the beginning of a new stanza. Regarding the serpents’ den, Gunnar’s harp-playing, and the manner of his death, cf. Drap Niflunga and Oddrunargratr, 27–30, and notes. In Atlamol, 62, Gunnar plays the harp with his feet, his hands being bound, and some editors change hand in line 4 to “foot.” Lines 5–6 may be interpolated, or, as Bugge maintains, lines 1–4 may have been expanded out of two lines.
67. Stanza 35 Then Atli rode | on his earth-treading steed, Seeking his home, | from the slaughter-place; There was clatter of hoofs | of the steeds in the court, And the clashing of arms | as they came from the field.
68. Stanza 35 The manuscript marks line 3 as beginning a new stanza. Two (possibly three) of the lines appear to be in Fornyrthislag. Field: so the manuscript, involving a metrical error; many editions have “wood.”
69. Stanza 36 Out then came Guthrun | to meeting with Atli, With a golden beaker | as gift to the monarch: “Thou mayst eat now, chieftain, | within thy dwelling, Blithely with Guthrun | young beasts fresh slaughtered.”
70. Stanza 36 Young beasts: Guthrun means Atli’s sons, Erp and Eitil, but of course he thinks she refers to newly slaughtered beasts; cf. Guthrunarkvitha II, 41–45.
71. Stanza 37 The wine-heavy ale-cups | of Atli resounded, When there in the hall | the Hunnish youths clamored, And the warriors bearded, | the brave ones, entered.
72. Stanza 37 Youths: a conjectural addition. The brave ones is also conjectural, the manuscript having “each.” No gap indicated in the manuscript; some editions insert as line 3 or line 4 a slightly altered version of line 2 of stanza 45.