Fell adown the old timbers,
Reeked all treasure-houses;
There the shield-mays were burnt,
Their lives' span brought to naught;
In the fierce fire sank down
All the stead of the Budlungs.

Wide told of is this--
Ne'er sithence in the world,
Thus fared bride clad in byrny
For her brothers' avenging;
For behold, this fair woman
To three kings of the people,
Hath brought very death
Or ever she died!

THE WHETTING OF GUDRUN.

Gudrun went down unto the sea whenas she had slain Atli, and she cast
herself therein, for she was fain to end her life: but nowise might
she drown. She drave over the firths to the land of King Jonakr, and he
wedded her, and their sons were Sorli, and Erp, and Hamdir, and there
was Swanhild, Sigurd's daughter, nourished: and she was given to
Jormunrek the Mighty. Now Bikki was a man of his, and gave such counsel
to Randver, the king's son, as that he should take her; and with that
counsel were the young folk well content.

Then Bikki told the king, and the king let hang Randver, but bade
Swanhild be trodden under horses' feet. But when Gudrun heard thereof,
she spake to her sons--

Words of strife heard I,
Huger than any,
Woeful words spoken,
Sprung from all sorrow,
When Gudrun fierce-hearted
With the grimmest of words
Whetter her sons
Unto the slaying.

"Why are ye sitting here?
Why sleep ye life away?
Why doth it grieve you nought?
Glad words to speak,
Now when your sister--
Young of years was she--
Has Jormunrek trodden
With the treading of horses?--

"Black horses and white
In the highway of warriors;
Grey horses that know
The roads of the Goths.--

"Little like are ye grown
To that Gunnar of old days!
Nought are your hearts
As the heart of Hogni!
Well would ye seek
Vengeance to win
If your mood were in aught
As the mood of my brethren,
Or the hardy hearts
Of the Kings of the Huns!"

Then spake Hamdir,
The high-hearted--
"Little didst thou
Praise Hogni's doings,
When Sigurd woke
From out of sleep,
And the blue-white bed-gear
Upon thy bed
Grew red with man's blood--
With the blood of thy mate!

"Too baleful vengeance
Wroughtest thou for thy brethren
Most sore and evil