1.  “Say thou to Heming, that Helgi bears in mind who the mailed warrior was, whom the men laid low, when the grey wolf ye had within, and King Hunding thought it was Hamal.”

Hamal was the son of Hagal.  King Hunding sent men to Hagal in search of Helgi, and Helgi had no other way to save himself than by taking the clothes of a female slave and going to grind.  They sought but did not find him.  Then said Blind the Baleful: 

2.  Sharp are the eyes of Hagal’s thrall-wench; of no churlish race is she who at the mill stands.  The millstones are split, the receiver flies asunder.  Now a hard fate has befallen the warrior, when a prince must barley grind:  much more fitting to that hand is the falchion’s hilt than a mill-handle.

Hagal answered and said:—­

3.  No wonder ’tis that the receiver rattles, when a royal damsel the handle turns.  She hovered higher than the clouds, and, like the vikings, dared to fight, until Helgi made her captive.  She is a sister of Sigar and Hogni; therefore has fierce eyes the Ylfing maid.

Helgi escaped and went on board a ship of war.  He slew King Hunding, and was afterwards named Helgi Hundingsbani.  He lay with his force in Brunavagar, and carried on “strand-hogg"[54] and ate raw flesh.  There was a king named Hogni, whose daughter was Sigrun:  she was a Valkyria, and rode through the air and over the sea.  She was Svava regenerated.  Sigrun rode to Helgi, and said:—­

4.  What men cause a ship along the coasts to float? where do ye warriors a home possess? what await ye in Brunavagar? whither desire ye to explore a way?

Helgi.

5.  Hamal causes a ship along the coasts to float; we have home in Hlesey; a fair wind we await in Brunavagar; eastward we desire to explore a way.

Sigrun.

6.  Where, O prince! hast thou wakened war, or fed the birds of conflict’s sisters?[55] Why is thy corslet sprinkled with blood?  Why beneath the helm eat ye raw flesh?

Helgi.

7.  It was the Ylfings’ son’s last achievement,—­if thou desirest to know—­west of the ocean, that I took bears in Bragalund, and the eagles’ race with our weapons sated.  Now, maiden!  I have said what the reasons were, why at sea we little cooked meat ate.

Sigrun.

8.  To a battle thou alludest.  Before Helgi has King Hunding been doomed to fall.  In conflict ye have engaged, when your kindred ye avenged, and stained with blood the falchion’s edge.

Helgi.

9.  Why dost thou suppose, sagacious maiden! that it was they, who their kin avenged?  Many a warrior’s bold sons there are, and hostile to our kindred.

Sigrun.

10.  I was not far, leader of people! eager, at many a chieftain’s end:  yet crafty I account Sigmund’s son, when in val-runes[56] the slaughter he announces.

11.  A while ago I saw thee commanding the warships, when thou hadst station on the bloody prow, and the cold sea waves were playing.  Now, prince! thou wilt from me conceal it, but Hogni’s daughter recognizes thee.