Ragnar Lodbrok Saga: Chapter 9
Chris van Dykes Translation
Chapter 9
There was a king called Eystein, who ruled over Sweden. He was married and had one daughter. She was called Ingibjorg. She was the prettiest of all women and beautiful to behold. King Eystein was powerful and had many followers. He was ill-tempered, though wise. He had settled himself at Uppsala. He was a great sponsor of sacrifices, and there were so many sacrifices at Uppsala at that time that nowhere in the Northlands were there more. They had great faith in one cow, and they called her Sibilja. She had been sacrificed to so much that men could not stand before her bellowing. The king was wont, when an overwhelming army was expected, to send this cow in front of the host; such great devilish power filled her that all his foes became so maddened as soon as they heard her that they fought among themselves and cared not for their own safety. Because of this, Sweden was unharried by a**aults, for men dared not contend against such power.
King Eystein had friendship with many men and chieftains, and it is said that at that time there was a great friendship between the Kings Eystein and Ragnar, and this was their custom—that they should, alternating each summer, prepare a feast for the other. Then it came about that Ragnar was to go to a feast of King Eystein's. And when he came to Uppsala, there was a good welcome for him and his men. And when they drank together on the first evening, the king had his daughter fill the cups for himself and Ragnar. And Ragnar's men said amongst themselves that it would not be otherwise than that he would ask for King Eystein's daughter, if only he no longer was married to the poor man's daughter. And then it happened that one of his men brought this to his attention; and thus in the end it happened that the princess was promised to the king, but she would stay as his betrothed for a long time.
And then when their feast was ended, Ragnar journeyed homeward, and it went well for him—but nothing is said of his journey before he came a short distance from his fortress, and his path lay through a wood. They came to a clearing in the forest. Then Ragnar brought his troops to a halt and asked for their silence and told all his men, who had been with him on his journey to Sweden, that they should say nothing of his intent to enter into marriage with King Eystein's daughter. Then he laid so strict a penalty on this that whosoever spoke of that would receive nothing less than the loss of his life. And when he had spoken what he had wanted, he went home to the town. And then it happened that men rejoiced when he came back, and there was drinking and a joyous banquet in his honor.
And then he came to the high-sea. He had not been sitting there long when Kraka came into the hall before Ragnar and sat on his knee and laid her arms about his neck and asked: “What are your tidings?” But he said he knew of nothing to tell her. And when the evening came, men took to drinking, and afterwards men went to sleep. And when Ragnar and Kraka came into the same bed, she asked him yet again for tidings, and he said he did not know any. Then she wished to converse more, but he said he was very sleepy and weary from traveling.
”Now I can tell you tidings,” she said, “if you will not tell them to me.”
He asked what they might be.
“I call it tidings,” she said, “if a woman is promised to a king, although some men say that he already has another.”
”Who told you this?” asked Ragnar.
“Your men will keep their lives and limbs, since none of those men told this to me,” she said. “You remember how three birds sat in a tree near you. They told me these tidings. I ask this of you—that you not stay fixed on this course of action as you intend. Now I shall tell you that I am the daughter of a king and not of a poor man, and my father was such a great man that none have proved themselves his equal, and my mother was the most beautiful of all women and the wisest. Her name shall be lifted up as long as the world is standing.”
Then he asked who her father was, if she was not the daughter of the poor man who was living at Spangarheid. She said that she was the daughter of Sigurd Fafnisbana and Brynhild Budladottur.
“It seems to me very unlikely that their daughter would be called Kraka and their child might wind up in such poverty as there was at Spangarheid.
She answered thus: “This is the story,” and then she spoke and brought forth the tale of Sigurd and Brynhild meeting on the mountain and how she was begotten. “And when Brynhild was delivered, a name was given me, and I was called Aslaug.” And then she spoke of everything that had happened until she met the poor man.
Then Ragnar answered: “I am surprised by these mad-ramblings about Aslaug which you speak.”
She answered: “You know that I am with child. It will be a male child that I have, and this mark will be on the boy: that it will seem that a snake lies within the boy's eyes. And if this comes about, I ask this—that you do not go to Sweden at the time that you would receive the daughter of King Eystein. But if this fails to come about, go if you want. But I want the boy to be called after my father if in his eyes is that mark of glory, as I think there will be.”
Then it came to the time when she knew herself to be in labor, and she delivered a boy-child. Then the serving women took the boy and sprinkled him with water. Then she said that they should bear him to Ragnar and let him see him. And then this was done, and thus the young man was borne unto the hall and laid in the lap of Ragnar's cloak. And when he saw the boy, he was asked what he should be called. He spoke a verse:
Sigurd will the boy be called—
he will thus conduct himself in battle
much like the father of his mother,
after whom he is called.
Thus will the greatest of
Odin's race be named,
the snake eyed one,
and he will bring much d**h!
Then he pulled a ring from off his hand and gave it to the boy as a nafnfestr. But as he reached forth his hand with the gold, it touched the back of the boy, and Ragnar deemed that to mean that he would hate gold. And then he spoke a verse:
He will be pleasing to heroes,
the dear son of Brunhild's daughter,
who has gleaming brow-stones
and a most faithful heart.
Thus the sword's messenger
bears himself better than all vikings;
Budli's descendant, who quickly
disdains the red rings.
And again he spoke:
I have never seen
bridles in the brow-stones
of the beard-slopes of the brow,
save in Sigurd alone.
This vigorous beast chaser
I have never seen
bridles in the brow-stones
of the beard-slopes of the brow,
save in Sigurd alone.
This vigorous beast chaser
has taken mirkwood-rings
into the field of his eyelids
thus by this sign is he known
Then Ragnar said that they should bear the boy out to the bower. And that was the end of his going to Sweden. And then the family-line of Aslaug came out, Sigurd Fafnisbana and Brynhild Budladottur.