{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/north/sigr.htm","path":"neu/north/sigr.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/north/sigr.htm","text":"Who has slit my byrnie and from sleep roused me, \nWho has broken the spell that bound me so long?\nSigmund's son, Sigurd, who lately \nKilled the Raven's Carrion Tree.\nLong have I slept, long was I sleeping, \nLong are the miseries of men:Odhinn chose to charm me to sleep \nWhen he spoke a spell over me.\nSigurd sat down and asked her her name. She took a horn full of mead and gave him a remembrance drink.\nHail Day, Hail, Sons of Day! \nHail Night and New Moon!\nWith kind eyes look hither and grant us \nVictory while we live.\nHail Gods! Hail Goddesses!\nHail bountiful Earth!\nGrace us both with the gift of speech \nAnd leech hands while we live.\nHer name was Sigrdrifa, meaning Victory-Granter, and she was a Valkyrie. She said that two kings had fought. One was named Helm Gunnar; he had grown old but was still the greatest warriors, and to him Odhinn had decreed victory. The other Agnar, Hauda's brother, who never had hopes of being favoured. Victory-Granter felled Helm Gunnar in battle. In revenge Odhinn pricked her with a sleep thorn and said that she should never there-after fight for victory but should be married. But, she said him, I in my turn bind myself by a vow to marry no man except one who knows no fear. Sigurd asked her to make her wisdom known to him, since she had knowledge of all the worlds, Sigrdrifa said :\nSea runes you should know to save from wreck \nSail steeds on the Sea:\nCarve them on the bow and the blade of the rudder, \nEtch them with fire on the oars;\nThough high the breakers and blue the waves.\nYou shall sail safe into harbour.\nLimb-runes you should know if a leech you would be, \nWho can properly probe wounds:\nIt is best to carve them on the bark of trees \nWhose limbs lean to the east.\nSpeech-runes you should know, so that no man \nOut of hatred may do you harm:\nThese you shall wind\" these you shall fold, \nThese you shall gather together, \nWhen the people throng to the Thing to hear \nJust judgements given.\nThought-runes you should know if you would be thought by all \nThe wisest of mortal men:\nHropt devised them, \nHropt scratched them\nHropt took them to heart \nFrom the wise waters the waters then run \nFrom the head of Heidraupnir \nFrom the horn of Hoddrofnir.\nOn the Ben he stood with Brimir's sword\" \nA helmet upon his head:\nThen Mimir's head uttered for the first time \nWords of great wisdom.\nHe spoke runes on the shied that stands before the shining god, \nIn the ear of Early Awake and on the hoof of All-Wise\nOn the wheel that turns ever under Hrungnir's chariot, \nOn the sled straps and on Sleipnir's teeth.\nOn the bears paw and on Bragi's tongue,\nOn the wolfs foot and the falcons beak,\nOn the bloody wings and at the bridges end,\nOn the palm of child loosener and the path of comfort .\nOn glass and on gold and the fore-guesses of men,\nIn wine and in malt and in the mind's seat, \nOn Gungnir's point and on Grani's breast,\nOn the nails of the Norns and the Night Owls beak.\nAll were scratched off which were scratched on,\nMingled with holy mead \nAnd sent on the wide ways, \nSome to gods some to elves, \nSome to the wise Vanes, \nSome to the sons of men\nThere are Beech runes, there are Birth Runes,\nAnd all the ale runes\nPrecious runes of power!\nUnspoiled they are un-spoiled they are, \nLearn them and use them long \nTill the high powers perish.\nNow you shall choose, for the choice is given you,\nMaple - of - well - forged - weapons, \nSpeech or silence, you shall say which:\nEvil is allotted to all.\nI shall not flee, though fated to die, \nFor never have I known fear.\nGrant me but this give me all \nYour love counsel while I live.\"\nI counsel you first , among kinsmen remain\nFree from fault and reproach: \nBe slow to wrath though they wrong you much,\nThis will do you good in death.\nI counsel you second; swear no oath \nBut what you mean to abide by:\nA halter awaits the word breaker, \nVillainous is the wolf-of-vows.\nI counsel you third; at the Thing never bandy \nWords with unwise men, \nFor the unwise man often speaks\nworse words than he knows.\nBut speak your mind; of the silent it is often \nBelieved they are low-born cowards, \nThat their foes are speaking the truth .\nFamous-at-home may fail abroad \nWhen strangers test his truth:\nThe reward of the liar is not long in coming; \nHe dies the very next day.\nI say to you fourth; if a sorceress dwell, \nA witch by the way side, \nIt is better to leave than to be her guest \nThough night fall on your faring.\nFore sighted eyes need the sons of men \nWhenever they come to combat;\nBy the broad road may sit bale wise women \nWho blunt both blades and courage.\nI counsel you fifth; though fair be the maids \nOn the benches within the hall, \nLet your sleep not be ruled by the silver of marriage, \nNor beguile the girls with kisses\nI counsel you sixth; if you sit with warriors \nAnd the ale talk turns ill, \nBandy no words with bragging drunkards:\nWine steals the wits of many.\nQuarrels and ale have often been \nThe cause of ill to heroes:\nDeath to some, to some bewitchment, \nMany are the grief's of men.\nI counsel you seventh; if you Come disputing \nWith fierce hearted fighters, \nTo battle is better than to be burned in the hall,\nAlthough it gleam with gold.\nI counsel you eighth; of evil beware, \nOf charming smiles of deceit: \nLet no maidens entice you, nor men's wives, \nNor lead them into lawless pleasures.\nI counsel you ninth; cover the dead\nWhenever on earth you find them, \nBe they dead of sickness. or drowned in the river,\nOr warriors slain by weapons.\nDead corpses you should clean with water, \nWash their hands and heads, \nComb and dry them. in their coffins lay them, \nAnd bid them a blessed sleep.\nI counsel you tenth; trust not ever\nthe words of a wolf's kin, \nIf you have killed his kin \nOr felled his father:\nWolf's bane is in his blood \nThough he be glad of your gold.\nAnger and hate are ever awake, \nSo is harm also:\nThe boar visored, when vain-glorious.\nLack both wit and weapons.\nI counsel you eleventh; there lurks evil \nRound each bend of the road:\nA long life you must not look to have, \nSo great are the hatreds grown.","title":"The Lay of Sigrdrifa","type":"page"}