Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1979, Síða 72

80
The Case of »Hernilds kvæði«
text of »Hernilds kvæði,« also from Fugloyarbók, numbering
elements that are common to each text and bracketing those
that are not.9
»Hermundur illi«
(1) King Atli and Earl Sigur are brothers who rule Saks-
land. (2) Earl Sigur has two sons; (3) the elder Heiðrikur is
a coward, (4) whereas the younger Hermundur is very pugna-
cious and (5) kills many of King Atli’s men. [(A) Atli sees
the results of the carnage and goes to Earl Sigur and tells
him that Hermundur may be hanged if he keeps it up.
Sigur then talks to his wife, but nothing helps. Atli tells his
daughter Halga and says that she may choose how Her-
mundur is to die. Instead, Halga advises her father to exile
him, which the king does that very day. Hermundur says to
the king that he would like to have him by the neck. Her-
mundur then goes to Halga and asks her to remember him
kindly. She, however, reproaches him for the trouble he has
caused, to which he retorts that if she had been a man he
would have killed her. But he is upset by her words and
leaves the country on his ship. Halga uses runes to force a
reluctant old man Haki to find Hermundur. Hermundur
sights Haki’s boat and asks how Halga is faring. Haki re-
ports that she misses him but has engaged herself to a knight
named Hergeiri. Hermundur returns to Saksland and swears
Haki to secrecy. Everyone is at church for the wedding, so
Hermundur disguises himself in women’s clothes. The wed-
ding party returns, and Halga’s handmaiden Beyða (also
Hergeiri’s sister) is suspicious of the disguised Hermundur.
The newly married couple retires, and Hermundur hides in
their bedroom. He kills Hergeiri, but (6) Beyða sees this
and (7) tells everyone what has happened. (8) King Atli
orders his capture, and (9) the king’s men throw him with
difficulty into a dungeon, where he is given neither food nor
drink. [(B) Halga sends him food, and then] (10) sends