on the benches, portentous the cry of men, noise
beneath the costly hangings. The children of the Huns wept, all wept
save Gudrun, who never wept, or for her bear-fierce brothers, or her
dear sons, young, simple, whom she had borne to Atli.

39. Gold scattered the swan-fair dame; with ruddy rings the
household gifted. Fate she let ripen, but the bright gold flow. The
woman spared not the treasure-houses.

40. Atli incautious had himself drunk weary; weapon he had none, nor
was 'gainst Gudrun guarded. Oft had their sport been better, when they
lovingly embraced each other before the nobles.

41. With the sword's point she gave the bed of blood to drink with
death-bent hand, and the dogs loosed, out at the hall-door drove them,
and the lady wakened the household with burning brand. That vengeance
she for her brothers took.

42. To fire she then gave all that were therein, and from her
brothers' murder were from the dark den[108] returned. The old
structures fell, the treasure-houses smoked, the Budlungs' dwelling.
Burnt too were the shield-maids within, their lives cut short; in the
raging fire they sank.

43. Of this enough is said. No such woman will henceforth arms again
bear, to avenge her brothers. That bright woman had to three kings of
men the death-doom borne, before she died.

Yet more clearly is this told in "Atlamalum inum Groenlenzkum" (the
Groenland lay of Atli).

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 99: The epithet aringreypr is applied both to benches and
helmets (see Strophes 3 and 16). Its meaning is doubtful: it has been
rendered _iron-bound_, _brass-bound_, _hearth-encircling_, _curved
like an eagle's beak_, etc. Benches and helmets of ceremony are
evidently intended, probably ornamented with brass-work or figures of
eagles. But to whichever substantive applied, I take its meaning to be
the same.]

[Footnote 100: The messengers of Atli.]

[Footnote 101: The Giukungs.]

[Footnote 102: Gudrun: she had sent, by Atli's messengers, a ring to
her brothers, as a warning, in which a wolf's hair was entwined,
together with a note in runes, which were falsified by Vingi.]

[Footnote 103: Atli's men.]

[Footnote 104: That is Gunnar himself.]

[Footnote 105: Spears.]

[Footnote 106: The horse.]

[Footnote 107: The original word is eyrskan, a word of doubtful
signification.]

[Footnote 108: The serpent-pen.]

THE GROENLAND LAY OF ATLI.

1. Of those misdeeds men have heard tell, when warriors of