FRÁ DAUÐA SINFJÖTLA (The Death of Sinfjötli)

Bellows’ Introduction (1936)
FRÁ DAUÐA SINFJÖTLA
(The Death of Sinfjötli)
It has been pointed out that the Helgi tradition, coming originally from Denmark, was early associated with that of the Volsungs, which was of German, or rather of
Frankish, origin (cf. Introductory Note to Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar). The connecting links between these two sets of stories were few in number, the main point being
the identification of Helgi as a son of Sigmund Volsungsson. Another son of Sigmund, however, appears in the Helgi poems, though not in any of the poems dealing with
the Volsung cycle proper. This is Sinfjotli, whose sole function in the extant Helgi lays is to have a wordy dispute with Gothmund Granmarsson.
Sinfjotli's history is told in detail in the early chapters of the Volsungasaga. The twin sister of Sigmund Volsungsson, Signy, had married Siggeir, who hated his brotherin-law
by reason of his desire to possess a sword which had belonged to Othin and been won by Sigmund. Having treacherously invited Volsung and his ten sons to visit
him, Siggeir slew Volsung and captured his sons, who were set in the stocks. Each night a wolf ("some men say that she was Siggeir's mother") came out of the woods
and ate up one of the brothers, till on the tenth night Sigmund alone was left. Then, however, Signy aided him to escape, and incidentally to kill the wolf. He vowed
vengeance on Siggeir, and Signy, who hated her husband, was determined to help him. Convinced that Sigmund must have a helper of his own race, Signy changed forms
with a witch, and in this guise sought out Sigmund, who, not knowing who she was, spent three nights with her. Thereafter she gave birth to a boy, whom she named
Sinfjotli ("The Yellow-Spotted"?), whom she sent to Sigmund. For a time they lived in the woods, occasionally turning into wolves (whence perhaps Sinfjotli's name).
When Sinfjotli was full grown, he and his father came to Siggeir's house, but were seen and betrayed by the two young sons of Signy and Siggeir, whereupon Sinfjotli
slew them. Siggeir promptly had Sigmund and Sinfjotli buried alive, but Signy managed to smuggle Sigmund's famous sword into the grave, and with this the father and
son dug themselves out. The next night they burned Siggeir's house, their enemy dying in the flames, and Signy, who had at the last refused to leave her husband, from a
sense of somewhat belated loyalty, perishing with him.
Was this story, which the Volsungasaga relates in considerable detail, the basis of an old poem which has been lost? Almost certainly it was, although, as I have pointed
out, many if not most of the old stories appear to have been handed down rather in prose than in verse, for the Volsungasaga quotes two lines of verse regarding the
escape from the grave. At any rate, Sinfjotli early became a part of the Volsung tradition, which, in turn, formed the basis for no less than fifteen poems generally included
in the Eddic collection. Of this tradition we may recognize three distinct parts: the Volsung-Sigmund-Sinfjotli story; the Helgi story, and the Sigurth story, the last of these
three being by far the most extensive, and suggesting an almost limitless amount of further subdivision. With the Volsung-Sigmund-Sinfjotli story the Sigurth legend is
connected only by the fact that Sigurth appears as Sigmund's son by his last wife, Hjordis; with the Helgi legend it is not connected directly at all. Aside from the fact that
Helgi appears as Sigmund's son by his first wife, Borghild, the only link between the Volsung story proper and that of Helgi is the appearance of Sinfjotli in two of the
Helgi poems. Originally it is altogether probable that the three stories, or sets of stories, were entirely distinct, and that Sigurth (the familiar Siegfried) had little or nothing
more to do with the Volsungs of northern mythological-heroic tradition than he had with Helgi.
The annotator or compiler of the collection of poems preserved in the Codex Regius, having finished with the Helgi lays, had before him the task of setting down the
fifteen complete or fragmentary poems dealing with the Sigurth story. Before doing this, however, he felt it incumbent on him to dispose of both Sigmund and Sinfjotli,
the sole links with the two other sets of stories. He apparently knew of no poem or poems concerning the deaths of these two; perhaps there were none, though this is
unlikely. Certainly the story of how Sinfjotli and Sigmund died was current in oral prose tradition, and this story the compiler set forth in the short prose passage entitled
Of Sinfjotli's Death which, in Regius, immediately follows the second lay of Helgi Hundingsbane. The relation of this passage to the prose of the Reginsmol is discussed
in the introductory note to that poem.

Thorpe (1866) Bellows (1936) Hollander (1962)
Sigmund Volsung's son was a king in Frankland. Sinfiotli
was the eldest of his sons, the second was Helgi, the third
Hamund. Borghild, Sigmund's wife, had a brother named
Gunnar; but Sinfiotli her stepson and Gunnar both courted
one woman, on which account Sinfiotli slew Gunnar.
When he came home, Borghild bade him go away, but
Sigmund offered the blood-fine, which it was incumbent
on her to accept. At the funeral feast Borghild presented
the beer: she took a large horn full of poison, and offered it
to Sinfiotli; who, when he looked into the horn, and saw
that there was poison in it, said to Sigmund: "the drink
ferments!" Sigmund took the horn and drank up the
contents. It is said that Sigmund was so strong that no
poison could hurt him, either outwardly or inwardly; but
that all his sons could endure poison outwardly. Borghild
bore another horn to Sinfiotli, and prayed him to drink,
when all took place as before. Yet a third time she offered
him the horn, using reproachful words on his refusing to
drink. He said as before to Sigmund, but the latter
answered: "Let it pass through thy lips, my son." Sinfiotli
drank and instantly died. Sigmund bore him a long way in
his arms, and came to a long and narrow firth, where there
was a little vessel and one man in it. He offered Sigmund
to convey him over the firth; but when Sigmund had borne
the corpse into the vessel, the boat was full-laden. The man
then said that Sigmund should go before through the firth.
He then pushed off his boat and instantly departed.
King Sigmund sojourned long in Denmark, in Borghild's
kingdom, after having espoused her. He then went south to
Frankland, to the kingdom he there possessed. There he
married Hiordis, the daughter of Eylimi. Sigurd was their
son. King Sigmund fell in a battle with the sons of
Hunding. Hiordis was afterwards married to Alf, son of
King Hialprek, with whom Sigurd grew up in childhood.
Sigmund and his sons exceeded all other men in strength,
and stature, and courage, and all accomplishments, though
Sigurd was foremost of all; and in old traditions he is
mentioned as excelling all men, and as the most renowned
of warlike kings.
Sigmund, the son of Volsung, was a king in the land of the
Franks; 1 Sinfjotli was his eldest son, the second was Helgi,
and the third Hamund. 2 Borghild, Sigmund's wife, had a
brother who was named [ ]. 3 Sinfjotli, her stepson, and
[ ] both wooed the same woman, wherefore Sinfjotli
slew him. And when he came home, Borghild bade him
depart, but Sigmund offered her atonement-money, and
this she had to accept. At the funeral feast Borghild
brought in ale; she took poison, a great horn full, and
brought it to Sinfjotli. But when he looked into the horn, he
saw that it was poison, and said to Sigmund: "Muddy is the
drink, Father!" Sigmund took the horn and drank
therefrom. It is said that Sigmund was so hardy that poison
might not harm him, either outside or in, but all his sons
could withstand poison only without on their skin.
Borghild bore another horn to Sinfjotli and bade him drink,
and all happened as before. And yet a third time she
brought him a horn, and spoke therewith scornful words of
him if he should not drink from it. He spoke as before with
Sigmund. The latter said: "Let it trickle through your beard,
Son!" 4 Sinfjotli drank, and straight way was dead. Sigmund
bore him a long way in his arms, and came to a narrow and
long fjord, and there was a little boat and a man in it. 5 He
offered to take Sigmund across the fjord. But when
Sigmund had borne the corpse out into the boat, then the
craft was full. The man told Sigmund to go round the inner
end of the fjord. Then the man pushed the boat off, and
disappeared.
King Sigmund dwelt long in Denmark 6 in Borghild's
kingdom after he had married her. Thereafter Sigmund
went south into the land of the Franks, 7 to the kingdom
which he had there. There he married Hjordis, 8 the
daughter of King Eylimi; their son was Sigurth. King
Sigmund fell in a battle with the sons of Hunding, 9 and
Hjordis then married Alf 10 the son of King Hjalprek. There
Sigurth grew up in his boyhood. Sigmund and all his sons
were far above all other men in might and stature and
courage and every kind of ability. Sigurth, however, was
the foremost of all, and all men call him in the old tales the
noblest of mankind and the mightiest leader.
11
Sigmund, son of Volsung, was king over Frankland. His
eldest son was hight Sinfjotli, 12 the second, Helgi, and the
third Hámund. Borghild, Sigmund’s wife, had a brother
called … ; 13 but Sinfjotli, her stepson, and … wooed the
same woman. Therefore Sinfjotli slew him. When he
returned, Borghild bade him betake himself away; but
Sigmund offered weregild, and this she had to take. At the
arvel, Borghild handed ale about. She took poison, a big
drinking horn full, and handed it to Sinfjotli. But when he
looked into the horn he saw that there was poison in it and
said to Sigmund, “Muddied is the ale, father!” Sigmund
grasped the horn and finished it off. It is told of Sigmund
that he was proof against poison, so that it would not harm
him within nor without. But his sons could stand poison
only without, on their skin. Borghild brought Sinfjotli
another horn and bade him drink of it, and all happened as
before. Still a third time she handed him the horn, shaming
him if he drank not. Sinfjotli spoke as before to his father.
Sigmund said: “Let your beard filter it, my son!” Sinfjotli
drank, and forthwith fell down dead.
Sigmund carried him a long way in his arms until he came
to a firth which was both long and narrow. There lay a
small boat, and in it was a man. He offered to ferry
Sigmund over. But when Sigmund had borne the body into
the boat there was no more room in it for another person.
The man told Sigmund to walk around the firth; then he
shoved the boat off and forthwith vanished. 14
King Sigmund dwelled for a long time in Denmark in
Borghild’s realm, after marrying her; but afterwards he
fared south to Frankland to the kingdom over which he
himself had sway. There he married Hjordis, the daughter
of King Eylimi, and their son was Sigurth. King Sigmund
fell in battle against the sons of Hunding. Then Hjordis
married Álf, the son of King Hjalprek. 15 The boy Sigruth 16
grew up at his court. Both Sigmund and all his sons were
far above other men in strength, in stature, in hardihood,
and in all manly feats; but Sigurth was foremost of them
all, and about him men are at one in the olden tales, that he
was the noblest of men and the greatest of leaders in war.

I.
II.
OUTLINE of CONTENTS
1. Sinfjotli and Gunnar court the same woman
2. Sinfjotli slays Gunnar because of it
3. Borghild is angry at Sinfjotli and bids him depart
4. Sigmund pays the weregild for Gunnar’s death, which Borghild must accept
5. At the funeral feast, Borghild poisons Sinfjotli’s beer
6. Sigmund drinks the poison for Sinfjotli, and is unharmed
7. The poison episode repeats
8. The third time Sigmund tells Sinfjotli to strain the beer through his beard
9. Sinfjotli drinks the poison and dies
10. Sigmund bears Sinfjotli’s body to a narrow firth, where a small boat awaits to cross
11. The boatman bears Sinfjotli’s body away as soon as it’s on board
1. Sigmund journeys to his kingdom in Frankland, leaving Borghild behind in Denmark
2. Sigmund marries Hjordis, daughter of Eylimi
3. Sigurd born to Sigmund and Hjordis
4. Sigmund falls in battle with the sons of Hunding
5. Hjordis marries Alf, son of Hialprek, with whom Sigurd is raised
6. Sigmund and his sons are said to exceed all other men in strength and courage
1 The Franks: although the Sigurth story had reached the North as early as the sixth or seventh century, it never lost all the marks of its Frankish origin.
2 Helgi and Hamund: sons of Sigmund and Borghild; Helgi is, of course Helgi Hundingsbane; of Hamund nothing further is recorded.
3 Borghild: the manuscript leaves a blank for the name of her brother; evidently the compiler hoped someday to discover it and write it in, but never did. A few editions insert wholly unauthorized names
from late paper manuscripts, such as Hroar, Gunnar, or Borgar.
4 In the Volsungasaga Borghild bids Sinfjotli drink "if he has the courage of a Volsung." Sigmund gives his advice because "the king was very drunk, and that was why he spoke thus." Gering, on the
other hand, gives Sigmund credit for having believed that the draught would deposit its poisonous contents in Sinfjotli's beard, and thus do him no harm.
5 Boat: the man who thus carries off the dead Sinfjotli in his boat is presumably Othin.
6
Denmark: Borghild belongs to the Danish Helgi part of the story.
7
The Franks: with this the Danish and Norse stories of Helgi and Sinfjotli come to an end, and the Frankish story of Sigurth begins. Sigmund's two kingdoms are an echo of the blended traditions.
8
Hjordis: just where this name came from is not clear, for in the German story Siegfried's mother is Sigelint, but the name of the father of Hjordis, Eylimi, gives a clue, for Eylimi is the father of Svava,
wife of Helgi Hjorvarthsson. Doubtless the two men are not identical, but it seems likely that both Eylimi and Hjordis were introduced into the Sigmund-Sigurth story, the latter replacing Sigelint, from
some version of the Helgi tradition.
9
Hunding: in the Helgi lays the sons of Hunding are all killed, but they reappear here and in two of the poems (Gripisspo, 9, and Reginsmol, 15), and the Volsungasaga names Lyngvi as the son of
Hunding who, as the rejected lover of Hjordis, kills Sigmund and his father-in-law, Eylimi, as well. The episode of Hunding and his sons belongs entirely to the Danish (Helgi) part of the story; the
German legend knows nothing of it, and permits the elderly Sigmund to outlive his son. There was doubtless a poem on this battle, for the Volsungasaga quotes two lines spoken by the dying Sigmund
to Hjordis before he tells her to give the pieces of his broken sword to their unborn son.
10
Alf: after the battle, according to the Volsungasaga, Lyngvi Hundingsson tried to capture Hjordis, but she was rescued by the sea-rover Alf, son of King Hjalprek of Denmark, who subsequently
married her. Here is another trace of the Danish Helgi tradition. The Nornageststhattr briefly tells the same story.
11
This link, in very mediocre prose, was placed here by the Collector to form a transition to the Sigurth lays. It might with equal justice be entitled “Of Sigurth’s Origin.”
12
See Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, St.33 and note.
13
There is space left here in the manuscript for the insertion of the other suitor’s name, which is not known to the Volsunga saga, either.
14
The ferryman is none other than Othin, who thus himself accompanies the hero on his journey to the realm of the dead.
15
Of Denmark, according to the Volsunga saga. The name corresponds to that of the West Frankish King Chilperich. In the Volsunga saga it is explained how this comes about: Álf happens to arrive on
the scene of battle with his fleet, and there finds Hjordis and one of her maids by the side of the dying Sigmund. He carries them off as bondmaids, but later marries Hjordis when her true status becomes
known. Her son by Sigmund, Sigurth, may thus be said to have been born in captivity: see Fáfnismál, Sts.7-8.
16
“Warder of Victory.” The German form Sigfrit means “Peace by Victory.”