- Helgakviða Hundingsbana I
".
The locations in the poem have been fervently debated with a Danish school maintaining Danish origins and locations [See Bellow's commentaries and references to
Sophus Bugge .] and a Swedish one pointing out that locations (e.g.Brávellir and Brandey) and characters (Ylfing s, Högni andGranmar r) place the events inÖstergötland andSödermanland . [Nerman, B. "Det svenska rikets uppkomst". Stockholm, 1925.] The poem is also ambiguous in attributing Helgi to theYlfing ,Yngling and theVölsung clans, which suggests a merging of originally unrelated traditions.In the Edda, the poem is a sequel to "
Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar " whose heroes Helgi Hjörvarðsson andSváfa are reborn as Helgi Hundingsbane andSigrún . However, inCodex Regius , it is actually followed by "Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar ".The poem begins in a location called
Brálund with the birth of Helgi Hundingbane, the son ofSigmund andBorghild .Norn s arrived at the dwelling to shape his future as a hero.When Helgi was but fifteen years old, he slew a man named
Hunding [There is no mention here of Hunding's battles with Helgi's father Sigmund.] . This caused Hunding's sons Eyjólfr, Álfr, Hjörvarðr and Hávarðr to approach Helgi asking forwergild and the return of the booty Helgi had taken from their father. When Helgi refused them this, Hunding's sons declared war and in the ensuing battle, Helgi killed all of Hunding's sons. [In the "Völsunga saga ", Hunding's sons kill Sigmund and his father-in-lawEylimi , whereuponSigurd takes revenge.]Helgi met the
Valkyrie Sigrún who informed him that her fatherHögni has betrothed her toHöðbroddr , the unworthy son of kingGranmar r of the Hniflung clan. Helgi promised to take on Höðbroddr and to claim her as his own. Helgi then assembled a mighty host and departed to wage war on Höðbrodd's family.When they had arrived at Granmar's kingdom, the poem deals with a
flyting between Helgi's half-brotherSinfjötli and Höðbrodd's brother Goðmundr. Then, the armies clashed at Frekastein and Helgi was victorious winning Sigrún as his bride.Notes
External links
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe19.htm Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I] Translation and commentary by
Henry Adams Bellows
* [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/poetic2/021_01.php Helgakviða Hundingsbana Fyrri] Translation byBenjamin Thorpe
* [http://www.angelfire.com/on/Wodensharrow/helgakvidha1.html Helgakviða Hundingsbana I] Translation by Lee M. Hollander
* [http://etext.old.no/Bugge/helga1.html Helgakviða Hundingsbana hin fyrri]Sophus Bugge 's edition of the manuscript text
* [http://www.heimskringla.no/original/edda/helgakvidahundingsbanaa.php Helgakviða Hundingsbana I] Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling
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