Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1979, Page 90

98
The Case of »Hernilds kvæði
6 The editors of TSB have minimized this problem with regard to
Faroese ballads by cataloging separately the different tættir (chapters)
into which the longer heroic ballads are usually divided.
7 Ibid., p. 235.
8 Ibid., p. 216.
9 I have not had access to Fugloyarbók for the texts of these two
ballads, but have relied upon Føroya kvæði: Corpus Carminum Færoensi-
um, ed. Christian Matras (Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1945), III:2,
70—75, 89—93.
10 Trans.: (20) »Let that ship onto the ramp, and have it worked with
red gold, so choose for yourself some five hundred, and venture to tame
your son!«
11 Trans.: (21) »Hermundur has done us great harm, now his life is in
jeopardy; shall we rather exile him or tear him apart between horses?«
(22) Lady Halga answered: »Oh, it will cause less trouble — send him
rather to foreign lands, away from your country.«
12 Trans.: (73) The king begins to speak, well can he choose his words:
Halga must hold that in mind, to sorrow for Bad Hermundur! (74) If
Hermundur had controlled himself and behaved with good sense, no man
in Saksland would be his match. (75) If Hermundur had controlled him-
self and behaved with any thought, he was full well born to that, to marry
my daughter.*
13 In Landstad’s A-text Hæge plays no role in this section of the ballad
dealing with Hermoð’s early crime and exile.
14 Trans.: (8) It was the king of Serkland, he passes the worst sentence:
they shall either hang Hermoð or tear him apart with horses. (9) To that
answered Lady Hæge, she stood by the broad bench: »If Hermoð must
thus leave the estate, it seems to be so bad. (10) You are not to hang
Hermoð and not to tear him apart with horses, but let him wander from
land to land, that seems to me to be the best.«
15 Trans.: (27) Hermundur stands on the hall floor with gladness, de-
cency and composure: »Be well, Lady Halga, you must think of me
kindly!« (28) »There are neither thieves nor thralls, no peace in this land,
why should I think of you, you are bound for exile?« (29) Hermundur
stands on the hall floor with a sheathed knife: »Had you been your
father’s son, so you would have lost your life.«
16 Trans.: 14) »1 am usually not so scared, I seem to shake in my shoes,
I dare to go into the high-ceilinged room and speak to Lady Hæge.«
(15) They lay together all night long, right by each other’s side, the night
passed and day came, they parted with sorrow and pain. (16) »The thieves
and the thralls, now they have peace in the land, except for you Bad
Hermoð, you make things worse for yourself. (17) The thieves and the
thralls, they have peace in the land, except for you Bad Hermoð, you