Various Shape-Changings

In the morning the king was told that High-Stepper had been killed by the very means he had prepared for Hjalmther. The king paid little attention to it.

The winter now passed. When there were three nights till summer, Hjalmther visited Hervor.

She said, 'Do you want to stay any longer here with my father?'

'No,' said Hjalmther.

She said, 'This evening you must go before him and thank him for the winter quarters, because he sleeps for three days and nights before summer and becomes aware of everything in and on the earth. Nothing can take him by surprise then. I want you to sail away early tomorrow, for he is not well disposed towards you.'

He thanked her for all her good advice, and they ended their conversation.

And in the evening Hjalmther went before the king and thanked hirn for the winter quarters - 'I shall carry your fame and hospitality abroad to every land.'

The king said, 'This is the advice of my daughter Hervor. So now we are to part. I cannot do anything about that for the time being.'

The men now slept through the night. And early in the morning Hjalmther bade everyone farewell.

He asked Hervor to come with him, but she said she did not want to - 'because that would be the death of you. I would sooner lose my own life. My father spares no-one when he first wakes up, neither friend nor foe.'

Hjalmther bade her farewell, and she bade him farewell and wished him a safe journey and for all honour and glory to fall to his lot. At their parting she fell into a swoon.

And when Hjalmther and Olvir carne to the ships, Hord said, 'I have not said goodbye to Hervor.'

He took a large rope of walrus-hide, went back and cast it around Hervor's tower, and so carried it right down to the ships and aboard his ship. The sworn brothers were on the other ship. Hjalmther asked what Hord was carrying.

'I am travelling with Hervor here,' he said, 'without the consent of her father, kinsmen or friends. She will come with me - she wants to see you quickly.'

'That was done wisely and bravely.' said Hjalmther. 'You have achieved more than the best of men.'

Hjalmther now leapt aboard the ship Hervor was on.

She stood up to meet him and spoke to him in a friendly manner. 'Have you not left yet, my friend?' she said.

'Not yet, dear princess,' he said. 'I would very much like you to come aboard my ship.'

'Gladly,' she said, 'but you have done my father a great injury by taking me away without his consent - though I would rather come with you than stay behind.'

Now a keen wind blew up. They put out to sea. But when they could no longer see land, the wind died down, and then they drifted at sea with the currents for four days. On the fifth day the ships were becalmed.

Hervor said, 'My father controls this weather, and that is why the ships are becalmed. He must have woken up now, and he will have dreamt not a little. He now knows all about your conduct and intentions, and that you have taken me away. You will have plenty of trials now for what you have done.'

A little later they saw a huge walrus coming at them with great splashings and revolting noises.

Hord said, 'There is the creature which I hate most, and I must not look at it. Now, brothers, you will be helped by a little bodily strength - but you must not speak my name while it is here, for then I would die.'

Then he lay down in the keel. They spread clothes over him. Then they saw a whale gliding out from beneath their ship, and it went for the walrus very fiercely and attacked it at once. They plunged around a great deal. A little later they saw gliding from beneath Hervor's ship a dolphin, elegant and handsome. It attacked the walrus at once. They were treating each other to great thrashings and fierce onslaughts. The whale and the dolphin soon became exhausted, for the walrus was heavier and very strong; so it threw them off and they landed far out to sea. Hjalmther now felt sure that this horrible creature would soon finish them off.

Then he said, 'When will I ever have more need of Skinhood and Wolf-Ember to come to our aid then now?'

As soon as he had said this, he saw two vultures flying. They had beaks and claws of iron. They perched on the walrus and pecked at it mercilessly, for they were tearing great gobbets from its nasty humped back. But it attacked fiercely in return. They tore and ripped at the walrus as much as they were able. Then the battle drew near the ships, and they were swamped by great waves. Hjalmther saw that all these creatures were giving way before the evil walrus.

He took his sword and said, 'I would rather lose you than not help these creatures.'

He flung the sword down into the walrus's skull. Olvir saw this and at once threw his shortsword, and that went into the walrus's other eye, like the first. At this the walrus became a little faint and did not know what to do. It rolled on either side, and snapped and tore whatever it could reach. The blood was running like streams down from the vultures, for they were gaping all over with wounds, as were the whale and the dolphin. It turned out at last that the walrus began to sink. Then they tore it to death, and it sank to the bottom. The vultures flew away completely exhausted, and the blood dripped from under each one of their feathers. They flew slowly and low.

Hjalmther went to where Hord lay and noticed that he was wet.

Hord said, 'Is the walrus dead now?'

Hjalmther said he was gone, 'and I have lost rny sword with him. and Olvir his shortsword.'

'Here are both of them now.' said Hord, 'and that was quite a feat, for King Hunding has been put to death.'

They now thanked him for saving their lives, in that he had rescued them from the mortal danger they had come into.

Hord said, 'Go to Hervor, because soon she will need your help.'

Now Hjalmther leapt aboard her ship. She was lying senseless then, and was in a very bad way. Hjalmther then dripped wine on to her, and she quickly came round. Then a fair wind blew up and they hoisted sail. The ships were now free, and they sailed all summer.

And in the autumn they came to a large, splendid country. It had big cities, rich and fair pastures, large and beautiful forests, and all kinds of animals and birds. The sworn brothers thought they had never seen or heard tell of such a land. They asked Hord what land it was.


- The Saga of Hjalmther and Olvir (Hjálmþés saga ok Ölvis), Chapter 11