Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-06-29


Brusheth sweetly sin ging by
On the heather,
Lights streak of eastern sky.
Wake awaking,
Slumber shaking
From each dull and drowsy head
Dreaming bansh
Wine-fumes vanish
Lithely spring from couch and bed
Gather foemen,
Sword and bow men,
In wreath around this hall;
Nearer creeping,
Fuel heaping
In fame to fold all.
Thou old iI arolf Krake
Bodvar BjarN Hromund true!
Champions, waking,
Grid you, taking
Battleaxe and broadsword blaze
Then up sprang the twelve and armed
themselves with speed. King Hrolf strobe
to his high seat, and babe all the compan-
ions take their places. Then he said:
Bring US drink, that we may be right joy
full, and show what men we be Bear mes
sage to King Hjorvard and to Skulda, and
their knights, that Hrolf Krake and his com
panions are having toast before they re-
ceive the skat which is due /! "
This was done as the king commanded,
and Skulda said:
"Surely the like of King Hrolf my broth
er, is not to be seen-he is the very greatest
OF men !"
Now Hrof sprang out of the high seat and
the rest followed him; but the king went i'm
mediately after his banner, and they came
out Of the hall. Then the fight began,
There might one see great blows struck on
helm and corselet-many a sword and spear
glittered in the air; and so many corpses fell
that the ground was hidden Haiti the wise
of head, cried:
Many breastplates are now slit, and many
good weapons spoiled, and many helmets
cleft, and many gallant knights overthrow.
Our king is of good heart, for now is he as
glad as though he were drinking ale as fast as
he might, and he Stays, shifting with both
hands. He has the strength of twelve kings,
Etrow and Hjorvard mark how the sword
SkOfnung bites, and how it chimes shrilly
whenever it tastes blood: and for that is the
wont of Skofnung, which rejoices with him
who yields it at the noise of battle"
Bodvar swept with his sword and moved
down many a brave man, desiring to do his
best before he fell. The blood was up to his
shoulders, and he stood in the midst of a cir
Gle of corpses.
Hrolf was surrounded by his champions,
who made wall of shields about him but
the wall was broken through, and one brave
man fell after another, till they all sank down,
all twelve into one heap, and the old king fell
in the midst.
Hrolf and his champions were buried in
great cairn; and Skofnung the good sword,
was laid by the side of the king, and his bat
tleaxe by the side of HALT but Bodvar
Bark was laid holding his sword clenched in
his hands and every man who there laid
laid with his weapon beside him. Hjor-
ward, the king, had also fallen in the battle
and mound was thrown up over him. Many
years after came Skeggi, of the Middlefrith,
in Iceland, and he dug into the cairn of King
Hrolf and took from him his sword. This
sword he afterwards gave to his son Eidr, who
gave it to Thorkel Eyjoljsson. Thorkel was
wrecked on the coast of Iceland, and lost in
the dark sea; but the sword Skofnung was
fixed in piece of timber, and it came safely
to land. Thorkers son, Gellir, bore the good
weapon to Rome, and died on his way backt
He was buried in the great church of Rose1-
kilde, where are buried the kings of DEN
mark and there he lies with his sword in his
hand to this day. But when Skeggi opened
the cairn of Hrolf he could not withdraw the
sword from Bodyar Bark; for the dead
hands were clenched too firmly around the
hilt, and the dead hands eff Bodvar were
stronger than the living hands of Skeggi.
few poor fragmen is remain of the ancient poem.
Saxo Grammaticus gives latin version of it, how
ever The saga gives mere outline of the sub
stance in prose-
fGellir Thorkelsson d ed in the eleventh century.