'd with grief so sore,
Is all the while my coffin
Brim full of blood and gore."

]

[Footnote 58: Probably house of draffs; place of swine, swill, lees.]

SINFIOTLI'S END.

Sigmund Volsung's son was a king in Frankland. Sinfiotli was the
eldest of his sons, the second was Helgi, the third Hamund. Borghild,
Sigmund's wife, had a brother named Gunnar; but Sinfiotli her stepson
and Gunnar both courted one woman, on which account Sinfiotli slew
Gunnar. When he came home, Borghild bade him go away, but Sigmund
offered the blood-fine, which it was incumbent on her to accept. At
the funeral feast Borghild presented the beer: she took a large horn
full of poison, and offered it to Sinfiotli; who, when he looked into
the horn, and saw that there was poison in it, said to Sigmund: "the
drink ferments!" Sigmund took the horn and drank up the contents. It
is said that Sigmund was so strong that no poison could hurt him,
either outwardly or inwardly; but that all his sons could endure
poison outwardly. Borghild bore another horn to Sinfiotli, and prayed
him to drink, when all took place as before. Yet a third time she
offered him the horn, using reproachful words on his refusing to
drink. He said as before to Sigmund, but the latter answered: "Let it
pass through thy lips, my son." Sinfiotli drank and instantly died.
Sigmund bore him a long way in his arms, and came to a long and narrow
firth, where there was a little vessel and one man in it. He offered
Sigmund to convey him over the firth; but when Sigmund had borne the
corpse into the vessel, the boat was full-laden. The man then said
that Sigmund should go before through the firth. He then pushed off
his boat and instantly departed.

King Sigmund sojourned long in Denmark, in Borghild's kingdom, after
having espoused her. He then went south to Frankland, to the kingdom
he there possessed. There he married Hiordis, the daughter of Eylimi.
Sigurd was their son. King Sigmund fell in a battle with the sons of
Hunding. Hiordis was afterwards married to Alf, son of King Hialprek,
with whom Sigurd grew up in childhood. Sigmund and his sons exceeded
all other men in strength, and stature, and courage, and all
accomplishments, though Sigurd was foremost of all; and in old
traditions he is mentioned as excelling all men, and as the most
renowned of warlike kings.

THE FIRST LAY OF SIGURD FAFNICIDE, OR GRIPIR'S PROPHECY.

Gripir was the name of the son of Ey