Reginsmál: The Lay of Regin

Reginsmál

The Lay of Regin

Translation by Lee M. Hollander
of Reginsmál
in the Poetic Edda, from which the following is taken.

Introduction

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Sigurth went to Hjálprek's 1 stud and chose for himself a horse, which later bore the name of Grani. 2 At that time had come to Hjálprek's court Regin, 3 the son of Hreithmar. He was more skilled in crafts than any other man. He was a dwarf in size, wise and cruel, and a wizard. Regin fostered up Sigurth, taught him, and loved him greatly. He told Sigurth about his own forbears and of how, once upon a time, Óthin and Hænir 4 and Loki had come to a waterfall of Andvari. In that waterfall there were many fish. A dwarf named Andvari dwelled in it in the shape of a pike and got food for himself there. "Otr was the name of our brother," said Regin, "and he often came to the waterfall in the shape of an otter. He had caught a salmon and was eating it with half-closed eyes. 5 Then Loki threw a stone at him and killed him. The gods thought they had made a lucky catch and flayed the otter. That same evening they came to Hreithmar for night quarters and showed him their bag. Then we bound them and laid on them as a ransom to stuff the otterskin, and also to cover it on the outside, with red gold. Then they sent Loki to fetch the gold. He went to Rán 6 and borrowed her net. Then he fared to the waterfall of Andvari and cast the net for the pike, and it leapt into the net."

Then said Loki:

1

"What fish is this in the flood that swims
and cannot keep him from harm?
To Hel's dark hall art headed now,
but thou fetch me the fire-of-the-flood." 7

Andvari said:

2

"I am Andvari hight, is Óin my father,
in many a flood have I fared;
in days of yore was I doomed by norns
in swirling waters to swim.

3

Loki said:

"Tell me, Andvari, if on earth thou wilt,
dwarf, live a longer life:
what is the doom which is dealt to men
who wound each other with words?"

4

Andvari said:

"A heavy doom is dealt to men
who in Vathgelmir's 8 waters wade;
he who untruth utters and on others lies,
long will he linger there."

Loki saw all the gold which Andvari owned. Now when he had given up all the gold but one ring 9 which he kept for himself, Loki took that from him too.

5

The dwarf went into his cave and said:

"The glittering gold which Gust 10 had owned
the bane shall be of brothers twain,
and to eight athelings 11 bring untimely death:
he who holds my hoard shall e'er hapless be."

The Æsir gave Hreithmar the gold. They stuffed the otterskin with it and raised it on its feet. Then were the gods to heap the gold round about it until it was covered altogether. When that had been done, Hreithmar stepped near and saw one beard hair of the otter, and bade them cover that too. The Óthin took forth the ring which Andvari had owned and covered up the hair.

6

Loki said:

"The gold thou hast gotten, but great has been
the worth thou laid'st on my life;
'twill sorrow bring to thy son and thee,
it will work the bane of you both."

7

Hreithmar said:

"Gifts thou gavest, but grudgingly,
nor gavest with whole heart;
but little life were left to thee,
if aware I had been of this woe." 12

8

Loki said:

Still worse by far - I ween to know -
is kinsmen's clash for the gold: 13
unborn the lords, I believe, as yet,
on whose life this curse will alight."

9

Hreithmar said:

"My hoard of gold to hold I mean
the while my life does last;
not a whit dread I thy deadly threat:
now hie you home hence!"

Fáfnir 14 and Regin asked Hreithmar for their share of the weregold for their brother Otr. But he would not yield it up. Then Fáfnir thrust his sword into his father Hreithmar while he slept.

10

Hreithmar called out to his daughters:

"Lyngheith and Lofnheith! Know that my life is ended:
much I crave of my kin!"

Lyngheith answered:

"Though their father be felled, few sisters would
seek their brother's blood."

11

Hreithmar said:

15 ("Wolf-hearted woman, if in wedlock a son
be not born to thee, then bear thou a daughter;
give the maid a man in thy mighty need:
will their son then to thy need see.") 16

Then Hreithmar died; but Fáfnir took all the gold. 17 Regin asked for his share of the inheritance after his father; but Fáfnir said no to that. Then Regin sought counsel of his sister Lyngheith, how he should win his share.

She said:

"Thy kinsman shalt in kindness ask
thy fee and a fairer mind;
not seeming is it with the sword
thou should'st ask of Fáfnir thy own."

All this told Regin Sigurth. One day when he came to Regin's abode, he was greatly welcomed.

13

Regin said:

"Hither has come the kinsman of Sigmund,
the keen atheling, to our hall;
hardier he is than hero tried:
from warlike wolf I wait me strife. 18

14

"Foster shall I the fearless lordling,
now Yngvi's 19 kinsman has come to us;
under high heaven among heroes first,
his fate-thread is spun to overspread all lands." 20

Sigurth stayed with Regin. He told Sigurth how Fáfnir lay on the Gnita Heath in the shape of a dragon and had the Helm of Terror, of which all living things are adread. Regin made Sigurth a sword called Gram, 21 which was so sharp that when he dipped it into the Rhine, and let a flock of wool float down with the stream against it, the flock was cut in two as though it had been water. With this sword did Sigurth cleave asunder Regin's anvil.

Thereafter Regin engaged on Sigurth to slay Fáfnir.

15

But Sigurth said:

"Soon would sneer then the sons of Hunding,
they who ended Eylimi's life, 22
if more keen the king 23 to crave red gold
than blood for blood of his father's banesmen."

King Hjálprek gave Sigurth a fleet and men so that he might avenge his father. A great storm arose 24 when they were weathering a promontory.

16

A man stood on the cliff and said:

"What men ride there on Rævil's steeds 25
the weltering waves, the wild-tossing sea?
Doth salty sweat the sea-nags 25 fleck,
will the wave-horses 25 not weather the storm."

17

Regin made answer:

"On the sea-trees 25 sit young Sigurth's men,
toward Hel bear us a heavy wind;
over stem and stern the storm-waves fall,
plunge the roller-horses: 25 who is it asks?"

18

The man said:

"I was Hnikar hight when hawks were gladdened,
son of Sigmund, and slain were many.
Man of the mountain may'st now call me,
Feng or Fjolnir: 26 let me fare with you!"

They sailed near to the land, and the man came on board. Then the storm abated.

19

Sigurth said:

"Tell me, Hnikar, for the twain thou know'st:
what be good signs for gods and men;
what bodeth best on battleground,
the time that swords are swung?"

20

Hnikar said:

"Signs there are many, if men but knew,
which are good at the swinging of swords:
to doughty hero the dusky raven's
flight is a following fair.

21

"Another this: when outbound art,
and ready art forth to fare,
and beholdest good heroes twain,
and stouthearted, stand on the path.

22

"A third is this: if thereafter
a wolf howl in the woods;
good hap thou'lt have among helmet-bearers,
if first thou see'st them fare.

23

"His foe let no one fight withershins; 27
into the setting sun see thou never;
for victory is theirs whose view is best,
of the war-workers who in wedges 28 array them.

24

"Then art thou fey if thy foot stumbles,
when bound for the swinging of swords.
Will guileful ghosts glower at thee 29 -
would fain see thee fall.

25

"Combed and clean washed should keen man be,
and have early eaten his fill; 30
for unsure is it where at eve he be:
'tis ill to forego one's gain."

Sigurth fought a great battle with Lyngvi, the son of Hunding, and his brothers.

26

After the battle Regin said:

With the bitter brand now the bloody eagle 31
was slashed in the back of Sigmund's banesman;
bolder in battle no baron ever
dyed red the earth and the ravens gladdened."

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The Poetic Edda
Translated by Lee M Hollander © 1962
ISBN 0-292-76499-5
LCCCN 61-10045
Fifth paperback printing 1994
University of Texas Press
Box 7819, Austin, Texas, 78713-7819

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Notes

1. See Frá dauða Sinfjotla, Note 5.

2. According to the Volsunga Saga, Chap. 13, Óthin himself gave Sigurth the horse, which is stated to descend from the god's own steed, Sleipnir.

3. "Counseller" (?).

4. See Voluspá, St. 18 and Note 45.

5. The Volsunga saga, Chap. 14, explains that he was wont to eat his food with half-closed eyes and alone because he could not bear to see it diminish

6. The sea goddess. See Helgakviða Hjorvarþssonar, St. 18 and Note 23.

7. Kenning for "gold." See Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, St. 21, Note 30

8. A river in Hel, mentioned only here, but similar to the river in which the mainsworn and murderers are condemned to wade (Voluspá, Sts. 35-36). It has been suggested that Loki wishes by his question to induce the dwarf to tell the truth.

9. According to Gylfaginning, Chap. 46, this ring, like Óthin's ring Draupnir (Skírnismál, St. 21), had the power to renew itself. It is the "Ring of the Niflungs."

10. Andvari himself, or one of the former owners of the ring.

11. The two brothers are Fáfnir and Regin; the other eight athelings, possibly, Sigurth, Guthorm, Gunnar, Hogni, Atli, and the three sons of Guthrún by Jónakr.

12. The guests' lives must be spared since weregold has been offered and accepted; Hreithmar would not have accepted it had he known of the curse attached to the gold.

13. The line is doubtful. The reference seems to be to the fateful feuds among the Gjúkungs.

14. "He Who Surrounds with His Arms," Regin's brother.

15. The following stanza very evidently does not fit in properly. It is (possibly with stanza 12) the fragment of another lay.

16. Since the daughter refuses to avenge her father on her brother, Fáfnir, this duty devolves upon her son or, if she bears a daughter, on the son born of the daughter in wedlock. We may then suppose, with Grundtvig, that either Lyngheith or her daughter marries King Eylimi. Their grandson Sigurth, who slays Fáfnir, would thus be the avenger. To be sure, this connection is not authenticated by any source.

17. Then, according to Skáldskaparmál, Chap. 38 (and the Volsunga saga, Chap. 14), "Fáfnir fared to the Gnita Heath and made him a lair and transformed himself into a dragon and brooded on his gold."

18. An Icelandic proverb.

19. The fabled divine progenitor of the royal Swedish line; but here more generally used as an honorific epithet.

20. For the figure see Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, Sts. 3-4.

21. "Ogre," "troll." According to the Volsunga Saga, Chap. 15, it was made from the fragments of Sigmund's sword, which Hjordís had preserved.

22. According to Frá dauða Sinfjotla, it was his father, Sigmund, who fell in this battle.

23. Sigurth.

24. Nornagests Þáttr, Chap. 6, tells us that this is a magical storm produced by the sons of Hunding.

25. Kennings for "ship." Rævil is the name of a sea king. As to "roller-horse," see Hymiskviða, St. 20, Note 19.

26. For these names of Óthin see "Grímnismál," St. 48. Feng signifies "Gain."

27. In duels, sun and wind were shifted fairly. See also Hávamál, St. 129.

28. The "wedge" or phalanx was supposed to be Óthin's invention, taught by him to his favorite heroes.

29. In the text, "guileful dísir [female spirits]on either side of thee."

30. Compare with Hávamál, Sts. 33 and 61. The meaning of the last line presumably is that he who is untidy, or he who has to cast about for food at midday, is not likely to be fortunate in his dealings.

31. In the oldest times, enemies were often sacrificed to the gods by severing their ribs from the backbone and pulling out the lungs. This was called "carving the blood-eagle."

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Introduction

The present title of this collection of fragments (two or more) was suggested by the great Nowegian scholar Bugge, in analogy with the traditional title of the following poem.

In the Introductory Prose the fateful Niflung gold is traced to its source in dim antiquity when the gods walked the earth and became involved in guilt through Loki. In scattered stanzas we are told of its baneful influence on the kin of Hreithmar. Sigurth is introduced: through him Regin hopes to obtain the treasure. But first the hero feels called to avenge his fallen kinsmen on the sons of Hunding. In this portion we note the fine passage in the heroic style, describing a storm at sea.

With some good will we might consider these stanzas to hang together, though, it is hardly credible that this was the original shape of the lay---the two patches of gnomic and dialogue stanzas in ljóðaháttr stand out too clearly from the remainder, which is cast in narrative fornyrðislag.

The complete text is found in Codex Regius, a number of stanzas, also in the paraphrse of the Volsunga saga and Nornagests Þáttr. There are no clues as to where and when the lay originated, though it seems in spirit to belong to the heathen period (before 1000 c.e.).

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