Sigmund

When Alf and his father drew near, the one who had on her the raiment of a queen said, Help us, lords, and protect us, and we will show you where a treasure is hidden.

A great battle has been fought between the men of King Lingi and the men of King Sigmund, and the men of King Lingi have won the victory and have gone from the field.

But King Sigmund is slain, and we who are of his household hid his treasure, and we can show it to you.

The noble warrior, white-haired and white-bearded, who lies yonder, is he King Sigmund? The woman answered, Yes, lord, and I am his queen.

We have heard of King Sigmund, said Alf's father.

His fame and the fame of his race, the Volsungs, is over the wide world.

Alf said no word to either of the women, but his eyes stayed on the one who had on the garb of a serving maid.

She was on her knees, wrapping in a beast's skin two pieces of a broken sword.

Hrothgar gave Beowulf treasures, a golden standard, a helmet, a mail shirt, a sword, eight horses with gold-plated bridles, and a richly adorned saddle that had been the king's own.

The scop sang of Sigemund and of Finn.

Wealtheow spoke of loyalty and of her sons.

The Danes slept again in the hall.

When Alf and his father drew near, the one who had on her the raiment of a queen said, Help us, lords, and protect us, and we will show you where a treasure is hidden.

A great battle has been fought between the men of King Lingi and the men of King Sigmund, and the men of King Lingi have won the victory and have gone from the field.

But King Sigmund is slain, and we who are of his household hid his treasure, and we can show it to you.

"The noble warrior, white-haired and white-bearded, who lies yonder, is he King Sigmund?" The woman answered, "Yes, lord, and I am his queen." "We have heard of King Sigmund," said Alv's father.

"His fame and the fame of his race, the Volsungs, is over the wide world." Alv said no word to either of the women, but his eyes stayed on the one who had on the garb of a serving maid.

She was on her knees, wrapping in a beast's skin two pieces of a broken sword.

"You will surely protect us, good lords," said she who had on the queenly dress.

"Yea, wife of King Sigmund, we will protect you and your serving maid," said Alv's father, the old king.

Now one day when they were beginning to build their halls and their palaces, a strange being came to them.

Odin, the father of the gods, went and spoke to him.

What dost thou want on the mountain of the gods? He asked the stranger.

I know what is in the mind of the gods, the stranger said.

I cannot build palaces, but I can build great walls that can never be overthrown.

Let me build the wall round your city.

How long will it take you to build a wall that will go round our city? Said the father of the gods.

A year, O Odin, said the stranger.

He gives and grants gold to the deserving.

He gave to Hermod a helm and corselet, and from him Sigmund a sword received.

Victory to sons he gives, but to some riches.

Eloquence to the great and to men wit.

One thing disquieted the Ylfing's offspring and the woman who had the child brought forth.

Sitting on a lofty tree, on prey intent, a raven to a raven said, I know something.

Stands cased in mail Sigmund's son one day old.

Now is our day come.

While they were yet afar off they heard the din of a great battle.

They came to the battlefield but they found no living warriors on it only heaps of slain one warrior they marked he was white bearded and old and yet he seemed the noblest looking man al for his father had ever looked on his arms showed that he was a king amongst one of the bands of warriors they went through the forest searching for survivors of the battle and hidden in a dell in the forest they came upon two women one was tall with blue unflinching eyes and ruddy hair but wearing the garb of a serving maid the other wore the rich dress of a queen but she was of low stature and her manner was covert and shrinking when alf and his father drew near the one who had on her the raiment of a queen said help us lords and protect us and we will show you where a treasure is hidden a great battle has been fought between the men of king lingi and the men of king sigmund and the men of king lingi have won the victory and have gone from the field but king sigmund is slain and we who are of his household hid his treasure and we can show it to you the noble warrior white haired and white bearded who lies yonder is he king sigmund the woman answered yes lord and i am his queen we have heard of king sigmund said alv's father his fame and the fame of his race the volsungs is over the wide world alv said no word to either of the women but his eyes stayed on the one who had on the garb of a servingmaid she was on her knees wrapping in a beast's skin two pieces of a broken sword You will surely protect us, good Lords," said she who had on the Queenly Dress." "Yea, wife of King Sigmund, we will protect you and your Serving Maid," said Alve's Father, the Old King.

Then the Women took the Warriors to a wild place on the Seashore, and they showed them where King Sigmund's Treasure was hidden among the rocks—Cups of Gold and mighty Armrings and jewelled Collars.

Prince Alve and his Father put the Treasure on the Ship and brought the Two Women aboard.

Then they sailed from the Land.

She saw that of the Two Women that her son and her Husband had brought into their Kingdom, the One who wore the Dress of the Serving Maid had Unflinching Eyes and high Beauty while the One who wore the Queenly Dress was Shrinking and unStately.

One Night When all the Women of the Household were sitting round Her Spinning Wool by the light of Torches in the Hall tHe QueEn MoTher saId To ThE OnE whO woRe thE QuEenLy Garb Thou art Good at Rising in the Morning How dost thou know in the dark hours when it wears to dawn? The one clad in the queanly garb said When I was young I used to rise to milk the cows And I waken ever since At the same hour The Queen Mother Said to Herself It is A Strange Country In Which TThe Royal Maids Rise TO Milk THe Cows Then sHE SaID ToTthe ONewho WOreTHE CLothes OfThEServingMaid HoW DosTthOUknow INtHedark Hours WhENtthe Dawn IS COMING My FaTHer SHesAiD GavE MeTTherinGofGold ThaTwEar AnDaLways BefOreItIs TimeToRise IFeelITgrowCOLdOnMyFINGER ITisaSTRangeCOuntryTRuly SA IDtHeQueEnMOTHER tohERself INwHiChthEsErvingMAIDSWEarRingsOfGOLD WHen ALLOTHeOTHERS HaDH Left SHE spokeTOtHetWO WomeNHoHadBeenBroughtInToHerCountry TOThtEOneWHOwoREtHEClothesOFaServIngM aiDSHeSaID THouARTthEQueEN Then the one who wore the queenly clothes said, "Thou art right lady.

She is the Queen and I cannot any longer pretend to be other than I am." Then the other woman spoke; said she, "I am the Queen as thou hast said--the Queen of King Sigmund who was slain Because a king sought for me, I changed clothes with my serving-maid, my wish being to baffle those who might be sent to carry me away Know that I am Hiordis A king's daughter Many men came to my father To ask for me in marriage And of those that came There were two whom I heard much of One was King Linge And the other was King Sigmund Of the race of the Volsungs The king my father told me It was for me to choose Between these two Now King Sigmund was old But he was the most famous warrior In the whole world And I chose him rather Than King Linge We were wed but King Linge Did not lose desire of me And in awhile He came against King Sigmund's Kingdom With a great army of men We hid our treasure by the seashore And I and my maid watched the battle From the borders of the forest With the help of Gram His wondrous sword And his own great Warrior strength Sigmund Was able to harry The great force That came against Him But suddenly He was stricken down Then was the Battle lost Only King Linge's Men survived it And they scattered To search for me And the treasure Of the king I came to where My lord lay on the field Of battle and he raised Himself On his shield when I Came and he Told Me that death Was very near Him A stranger Had entered The battle at the time When it seemed that The men of King Linge Must draw Away With the spear That he held in his hand He struck At Sigmund's Sword And Gram The Wondrous Sword Was broken In Two pieces then did King Sigmund Get his Death Wound 'It must Be I shall die,' He Said For the Spear Against which My sword broke Was Gungnir Odin's Spear only that Spear could have Shattered the sword That Odin gave My fathers now must I go To Valhalla Odin's Hall of heroes I weep I said because I Have no son Who Might call himself Of the Great Race Of the volsungs for that You need Not weep Said sigmund a Son will be born to you My son and yours And you Shall name him Sigurd take now The Broken Pieces Of my wondrous sword And give them to my son When he shall be of warrior age" Then did Sigmund turn his face to the ground and the death struggle came on him.

When Alv and his father drew near, the one who had on her the raiment of a queen said, Help us, lords, and protect us, and we will show you where a treasure is hidden.

A great battle has been fought between the men of King Lingi and the men of King Sigmund, and the men of King Lingi have won the victory and have gone from the field.

But King Sigmund is slain, and we who are of his household hid his treasure, and we can show it to you.

The noble warrior, white-haired and white-bearded, who lies yonder, is he King Sigmund? The woman answered, Yes, lord, and I am his queen.

We have heard of King Sigmund, said Alv's father.

His fame and the fame of his race, the Volsungs, is over the wide world.

Alv said no word to either of the women, but his eyes stayed on the one who had on the garb of a serving-maid.

She was on her knees, wrapping in a beast's skin two pieces of a broken sword.

When Alf and his father drew near, the one who had on her the raiment of a queen said, Help us, lords, and protect us, and we will show you where a treasure is hidden.

A great battle has been fought between the men of King Lingi and the men of King Sigmund, and the men of King Lingi have won the victory and have gone from the field.

But King Sigmund is slain, and we who are of his household hid his treasure, and we can show it to you.

The noble warrior, white-haired and white-bearded, who lies yonder, is he King Sigmund? The woman answered, Yes, lord, and I am his queen.

We have heard of King Sigmund, said Alf's father.

His fame and the fame of his race, the Volsungs, is over the wide world.

Alf said no word to either of the women, but his eyes stayed on the one who had on the garb of a serving maid.

She was on her knees, wrapping in a beast's skin two pieces of a broken sword.

Her eldest brother, Gunther, was king of Burgundy.

And in the faraway Netherland, where the Rhine pours its waters into the sea, dwelt a prince named Siegfried, son of Siegmund the king.

ere long sir siegfried heard of the beauty of fair kriemhilde he said to his father give me twelve knights and i will ride to king gunther's land i must win the heart of kriemhilde after seven days journey the prince and his company drew near to the gates of worms all wondered who the strangers were and whence they came hagen kriemhilde's uncle guessed he said i never have seen the famed hero of netherland yet i am sure that yonder knight is none but sir siegfried and who asked the wondering people may siegfried be siegfried answered sir hagen is a truly wonderful knight once when riding all alone he came to a mountain where lay the treasure of the king of the nibelungs the king's two sons had brought it out from the cave in which it had been hidden to divide it between them but they did not agree about the division so when siegfried drew near both princes said divide for us sir siegfried our father's hoard There were so many jewels that one hundred wagons could not carry them, and of ruddy gold there was even more.

Siegfried made the fairest division he could, and as a reward the princes gave him their father's sword, called Balmung.

His story, the story of Volsungs and Nibelungs, comes from Germany.

In Beowulf there is a reference to it, not to Siegfried himself, but to his father Sigemund.

Everywhere and in every possible way the old heroic poets seem to escape from the particular nation to which they belong, and to look for their subjects in some other part of the Teutonic system.

In some cases, doubtless, this may be due to the same kind of romantic taste as led later authors to place their stories in Greece or Babylon, or anywhere far from home.

The romantic story of Alexander might, in part at any rate, have been familiar to Alfred the Great.

He brings the Egyptian king Nectanebus the Wizard into his translation of Orosius.

Nectanebus, who is the father of Alexander in the apocryphal book from which the romances were derived.

But it was not till the French poets turned the story of Alexander into verse that it really made much impression outside of France.