Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-07-02

q
touched their weapons they flashed like
northern lights.
HALT walked back to the hall door, for he
saw that treachery was intended and when
he stood in the door, half in the moon, half
in the shade, he lifted mp his voice and began
the great Bjarkamai.*
Day is dawning,
Pale the morning
Brusheth sweetly singing byj
Vets each feather
On the heather,
Lights streak of eastern SKY
Wake awaking,
SIumber shaking
From each dull and drowsy head
Dreaming Danish
Wine-fumes vanishl
Lithely spring from couch and Ded!
Gather foemen, vtt
Sword and bow men,
In a wreath around this hall;
Nearer creeping,
Fuel heaping
In q flame to fold us all.
Awake, awake,
Thou old Hrolf Krake
Bodvar 3jark Hromund truel
Champions, waking,
Grid you, taking
Battleaxe and broadsword blue
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 a toast before they re-
ceiye 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 gre atest
of meni"
Now Hrolf 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 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 a
great cairn; and Skofnung, the good sword
was laid by the side Of the king, and his bat
tle-axe by the side of HALT but BodvaI
| Bark was laid holding his sword clenched in
| his hands and every man who was there laid
| was 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. Thorkeps son, Gellir, bore the good
weapon to Rome, and died on his way back. I
He was buried in the great church of Rosen-
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 Bodvar Bark; for the dead
hands were clenched too firmly around the
hilt, and the dead hands of Bodvar were
stronger than the living hands of Skeggi.
THE famous Bjarkamal has persisted. Only a
| few poor fragments remain of the ancient poem.
Saxo Grammaticus gives a latin version Of it, how
| ever. The saga gives mere outline of the sub
stance in prose.
tGellir Thorkelsson died in the eleventh century.