Reginsmál

Reginsmál (Rm.) ‘The Sayings of Reginn’ is another prosimetrum. Its status as a distinct work bearing this title is attributable to modern editors; in R (fol. 28v–30r), it bears no such heading,¹ although its opening word clearly marks the start of a new compositional unit, its initial letter being a rubricated (but now faded) and enlarged S. Rm. should be taken together with Fáfnismál, the next poem (prosimetrum) in R.

After the synopsis of Grp., it is really with Rm. that the story of Sigurðr gets under way, if only after much colourful information about how the troublesome god Loki’s earlier killing of a dwarf led to the cursing of treasure which Sigurðr will later take from the dragon Fáfnir, brother of Reginn, Sigurðr’s foster-father. It does so with some vigour, with Sigurðr taking the god Óðinn onboard his ship, learning battle-wisdom from him, and ultimately carving a ‘blood-eagle’ into the back of his father’s killer.

The narrative advances largely in simply-worded prose summaries, but there is also much verse dialogue, more characterful than that of Grp. In common with other Eddic dialogues, some of this poetry has a gnomic character and is mostly in ljóðaháttr, although there are some stanzas of fornyrðislag. Also shared with some preceding dialogue poems in R (Vm., Grm. and Hrbl.) is the prominent involvement of an incognito Óðinn.

More specific Old Norse parallels to Rm. exist in:

• VS (13–15 and 17–18), which includes variants of stt. 1, 2, 6 and 18.
• Norna-Gests þáttr ‘The Story of Norna-Gestr’ (4–6; FSN I), which includes variants of stt. 13–26. This story probably dates from the early fourteenth century.
• SnESkáld (I, 39–40, pp. 45–47), which tells the story of the killing of Otr and its aftermath.

These three texts also contain parallels to some of Rm.’s prose passages.

Comparison may also be made with the Faroese ballad Regin smiður ‘Regin the Smith’.

Synopsis

Further Reading

Fjalldal, M., ‘The Last Viking Battle’, SS 87 (2015), 317–31, https://doi.org/10.5406/scanstud.87.3.0317

Frank, R., ‘Viking Atrocity and Skaldic Verse: The Rite of the Blood-Eagle’, English Historical Review 99 (1984), 332–43.

Haimerl, E., ‘Sigurðr, a Medieval Hero: A Manuscript-Based Interpretation of the “Young Sigurðr Poems”’, in P. Acker and C. Larrington, ed., Revisiting the Poetic Edda: Essays on Old Norse Heroic Legend (New York: Routledge, 2013), pp. 32–52, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203098608-11

Kershaw, N., Stories and Ballads of the Far Past (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1921) [Translation of Norna-Gests þáttr].

Larrington, C., A Store of Common Sense: Gnomic Theme and Style in Old Icelandic and Old English Wisdom Poetry (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993).

Lassen, A., Odin’s Ways: A Guide to the Pagan God in Medieval Literature (New York: Routledge, 2022).

Oberlin, A., ‘Odinic Elements in the Northern Sigurðr Legend: A Re-Reading of Fáfnismál’, in E. Torner and V. Lenshyn, ed., Myth: German and Scandinavian Studies (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009), pp. 170–79.

Von See, K., B. La Farge, W. Gerhold, E. Picard and K. Schulz, Kommentar zu den Liedern der Edda, Bd. 5: Heldenlieder (Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter, 2006).

Reginsmál

1. ‘Hvat er þat fiska,   er renn flóði í?

Kannat sér við víti varask!

Hǫfuð þitt   leystu Helju ór:

finn mér lindar loga!’

2. ‘Andvari ek heiti,   Óinn hét minn faðir,

margan hefi ek fors um farit;

aumlig Norn   skóp oss í árdaga

at ek skylda í vatni vaða.’

3. ‘Segðu þat, Andvari,’ kvað Loki,   ‘ef þú eiga vill

líf í lýða sǫlum:

hver gjǫld fá   gumna synir,

ef þeir hǫggvask orðum á?’

4. ‘Ofrgjǫld fá   gumna synir,

þeir er Vaðgelmi vaða;

ósaðra orða,   hverr er á annan lýgr,

of lengi leiða limar!’

Loki sá allt gull, þat er Andvari átti. En er hann hafði fram reitt gullit, þá hafði hann eptir einn hring, ok tók Loki þann af honum. Dvergrinn gekk inn í steininn ok mælti:

5. ‘Þat skal gull,   er Gustr átti,

brœðrum tveim   at bana verða,

ok ǫðlingum   átta at rógi —

mun míns fjár   mangi njóta!’

Æsir reiddu Hreiðmari féit ok tráðu upp otrbelginn ok reistu á fœtr. Þá skyldu Æsirnir hlaða upp gullinu ok hylja. En er þat var gǫrt, gekk Hreiðmarr fram ok sá eitt granahár, ok bað hylja. Þá dró Óðinn fram hringinn Andvaranaut ok hulði hárit.

6. ‘Gull er þér nú reitt’, kvað Loki,   ‘en þú gjǫld hefir

mikil míns hǫfuðs;

syni þínum   verðra sæla skǫpuð —

þat verðr ykkarr beggja bani!’

Hreiðmarr sagði:

7. ‘Gjafar þú gaft,   gaftattu ástgjafar,

gaftattu af heilum hug!

Fjǫrvi yðru   skylduð ér firðir vera,

ef ek vissa þat fár fyrir!’

8. ‘Enn er verra —   þat vita þikkjumk —

niðja stríð ónept;

jǫfra óborna   hygg ek þá enn vera,

er þat er til hatrs hugat!’

9. ‘Rauðu gulli’, kvað Hreiðmarr,   ‘hugg ek mik ráða munu,

svá lengi sem ek lifi;

hót þín   hræðumk ekki lyf,

ok haldið heim heðan!’

Fáfnir ok Reginn krǫfðu Hreiðmar niðgjalda eptir Otr, bróður sinn. Hann kvað nei við. En Fáfnir lagði sverði Hreiðmar, fǫður sinn, sofanda. Hreiðmarr kallaði á dœtr sínar:

10. ‘Lyngheiðr ok Lofnheiðr,   vitið mínu líf farit!

Mart er þat er þǫrf þjár!’

Lyngheiðr svaraði:

‘Fátt mun systir,   þótt fǫður missi,

hefna hlýra harms!’

11. ‘Al þú þó dóttur’, kvað Hreiðmarr,   ‘dís úlfhuguð,

ef þú getrat son   við siklingi!

Fá þú mey mann   í meginþarfar!

Þá mun þeirar sonr   þíns harms reka!’

Þá dó Hreiðmarr, en Fáfnir tók gullit alt. Þá beiddisk Reginn at hafa fǫðurarf sinn, en Fáfnir galt þar nei við. Þá leitaði Reginn ráða við Lyngheiði, systur sína, hvernig hann skyldi heimta fǫðurarf sinn. Hon kvað:

12. ‘Bróður kveðja   skaltu blíðliga

arfs ok œðra hugar;

era þat hœft   at þú hjǫrvi skylir

kveðja Fáfni fjár!’

Þessa hluti sagði Reginn Sigurði. Einn dag, er hann kom til húsa Regins, var honum vel fagnat. Reginn kvað:

13. ‘Kominn er hingat   konr Sigmundar,

seggr inn snarráði,   til sala várra;

móð hefir meira   en maðr gamall,

ok er mér fangs vón   at frekum úlfi!

14. ‘Ek mun fœða   fólkdjarfan gram;

nú er Yngva konr   með oss kominn;

sjá mun ræsir   ríkstr und sólu —

þrymr um ǫll lǫnd   ørlǫgsímu!’

Sigurðr var þá jafnan með Regin, ok sagði hann Sigurði at Fáfnir lá á Gnitaheiði ok var í orms líki. Hann átti ægishjálm, er ǫll kvikvindi hrœddusk við.

Reginn gerði Sigurði sverð, er Gramr hét. Þat var svá hvast at hann brá því ofan í Rín ok lét reka ullarlagð fyrir straumi, ok tók í sundr lagðinn sem vatnit. Því sverði klauf Sigurðr í sundr steðja Regins.

Eptir þat eggjaði Reginn Sigurð at vega Fáfni. Hann sagði:

15. ‘Hátt munu hlæja   Hundings synir,

þeir er Eylima   aldrs synjuðu,

ef meirr tiggja   munar at sœkja

16. ‘Hverir ríða þar   Rævils hestum

hávar unnir,   haf glymjanda?

Seglvigg eru   sveita stokkin,

munat vágmarar   vind um standask!’

Reginn svaraði:

17. ‘Hér eru vér Sigurðr   á sætrjám,

er oss byrr gefinn   við bana sjálfan!

Fellr brattr breki   brǫndum hæri,

18. ‘Hnikar hétu mik,   þá er Hugin gladdi

Vǫlsungr ungi,   ok vegit hafði;

nú máttu kalla   “karl af bergi,”

Feng eða Fjǫlni —   far vil ek þiggja!’

Þeir viku at landi, ok gekk karl á skip, ok lægði þá veðrit.

19. ‘Segðu mér þat, Hnikarr,   allz þú hvárttveggja veizt,

goða heill ok guma:

hver bǫzt eru,   ef berjask skal,

heill at sverða svipun?’

Hnikarr kvað:

20. ‘Mǫrg eru góð,   ef gumar vissi,

heill at sverða svipun;

dyggja fylgju   hygg ek ins døkkva vera

at hrottameiði hrafns.

21. ‘Þat er annat,   ef þú ert út um kominn

ok ert á braut búinn:

tvá þú lítr   á tái standa

hróðrfúsa hali.

22. ‘Þat er it þriðja,   ef þú þjóta heyrir

úlf und asklimum;

heilla auðit   verðr þér af hjálmstǫfum,

ef þú sér þá fyrri fara.

23. ‘Engr skal gumna   í gǫgn vega

síð skínandi   systur mána;

þeir sigr hafa,   er sjá kunnu,

hjǫrleiks hvatir,   eða hamalt fylkja.

24. ‘Þat er fár mikit,   ef þú fœti drepr,

þars þú at vígi veðr;

tálar dísir   standa þér á tvær hliðar

ok vilja þik sáran sjá.

25. ‘Kemðr ok þveginn   skal kœnna hverr

ok at morni mettr,

þvíat ósýnt er,   hvar at apni kømr;

illt er fyr heill at hrapa.’

Capitulum

Sigurðr átti orrostu mikla við Lyngva, Hundings son, ok brœðr hans. Þar fell Lyngvi ok þeir þrír brœðr. Eptir orrostu kvað Reginn:

26. ‘Nú er blóðugr ǫrn   bitrum hjǫrvi

bana Sigmundar   á baki ristinn!

Ǫngr er fremri,   sá er fold ryði,

hilmis arfi,   ok Hugin gladdi!’

Heim fór Sigurðr til Hjálpreks. Þá eggjaði Reginn Sigurð til at vega Fáfni.

The Sayings of Reginn

Sigurðr went to Hjálprekr’s stud and chose himself a horse, which was called Grani thereafter. Then Reginn, son of Hreiðmarr,2 had come to Hjálprekr’s. He was more skilful than any man, and a dwarf in stature. He was wise, grim and skilled in magic.

Reginn offered Sigurðr fosterage and instruction and loved him greatly. He told Sigurðr about his3 forefathers and those events in which Óðinn and Hœnir and Loki4 had come to Andvarafors.5 In that waterfall was a multitude of fish. There was a dwarf called Andvari.6 He was in the waterfall for a long time in the form of a pike and got himself food there.

‘Our brother was called Otr,’7 said Reginn, ‘who often went into the waterfall in the form of an otter. He had caught a salmon and was sitting on the riverbank and eating with his eyes closed. Loki stuck him to death with a stone. The Æsir8 thought they had been very lucky and flayed the skin from the otter.

The same evening they sought lodging at Hreiðmarr’s and showed their kill. Then we seized them and imposed on them as ransom the requirement that the otter-skin be filled with gold, and also to cover the outside with red gold. Then they sent Loki to procure the gold. He came to Rán9 and got her net and went then to Andvarafors and cast the net before the pike, and it leapt into the net.

Then Loki said:

1.¹⁰ ‘What sort of fish is that, which swims in the flood?

It doesn’t know how to guard itself against misfortune!

Free your head from Hel:11

find me “blaze of the brook”!’¹²

2.¹³ ‘I am called Andvari, my father was called Óinn,14

I have travelled though many a waterfall;

in early days a wretched Norn shaped [as destiny] for us

3. ‘Tell [me] this, Andvari’, said Loki, ‘if you want to have

if they hack at15 each other with words?’¹⁶

4. ‘The sons of men receive excessive retribution,

those who wade Vaðgelmir;17

[for] everyone who lies about another,

the ramifications of untrue words accompany him long [after]!’¹⁸

Loki saw all the gold, that which Andvari owned. And when he19 had brought forth the gold, then he kept back one ring,²⁰ and Loki took that from him. The dwarf went into the stone21 and said:

5. ‘That gold, which Gustr22 owned,

shall be the death of two brothers,²³

and for eight noblemen²⁴ a source of strife —

no one will profit from my possessions!’

The Æsir paid Hreiðmarr the treasure and filled up the otter-skin and stood it on its legs. Then the Æsir had to pile up the gold and cover it. And when that was done, Hreiðmarr went forward and saw a whisker, and he told them to cover it. Then Óðinn drew forth the ring Andvaranautr25 and covered the hair.

6.²⁶ ‘The gold is now paid to you’, said Loki, ‘and you have

for your son happiness will not be shaped27 —

it will be the death of you both!’

Hreiðmarr said:

7. ‘You gave gifts, [but] you didn’t give love-gifts,

you didn’t give them with your whole heart!

You’d have been separated from your life,²⁸

if I’d known of this mischief before!’

8.²⁹ ‘It’s even worse — I think I know this —

the unceasing strife³⁰ of kinsmen;³¹

I think the boars³² are still unborn

for whom this hatred is intended!’

9. ‘With red gold,’ said Hreiðmarr, ‘I think I shall rule,

Fáfnir and Reginn demanded kin-compensation from Hreiðmarr after Otr, their brother. He said no to that. And Fáfnir ran Hreiðmarr, his father, through with a sword, as he was sleeping. Hreiðmarr called to his daughters:

10. ‘Lyngheiðr and Lofnheiðr,33 know that my life is destroyed!

It’s many a thing that need compels!’

Lyngheiðr answered:

11. ‘Yet bear a daughter,’ said Hreiðmarr, ‘wolf-hearted woman,

Get for the maid a man in great need!34

Then their son will avenge your sorrow!’

Then Hreiðmarr died, and Fáfnir took all the gold. Then Reginn asked to have his patrimony, but Fáfnir paid with a ‘no’.35 Then Reginn sought advice from Lyngheiðr, his sister, as to how he should obtain his patrimony. She said:

12. ‘You must ask your brother amiably

for your inheritance and in a better spirit;

it’s not fitting that you should

demand treasure from Fáfnir with a sword!’

Reginn told these things to Sigurðr. One day, when he36 came to Reginn’s farmstead, he was greeted well. Reginn said:

13.³⁷ ‘Sigmundr’s offspring has come here,

and I expect a wrestle with a ravenous wolf!38

14.³⁹ ‘I shall bring up the battle-brave prince;

now Yngvi’s40 offspring has come among us;

that prince will be the most powerful under the sun —

his fate-threads lie⁴¹ across all lands!’⁴²

Sigurðr was then always with Reginn, and he told Sigurðr that Fáfnir lay on Gnitaheiðr and was in the form of a snake. He43 had a helm of terror, of which all living things were afraid.

Reginn made Sigurðr a sword, which was called Gramr.44 It was so sharp that he dipped it in the Rín45 and let a tuft of wool drift with the current, and it took the tuft apart as [easily as it did] the water. With that sword Sigurðr clove asunder Reginn’s anvil.

After that Reginn incited Sigurðr to slay Fáfnir. He46 said:

15.⁴⁷ ‘Hundingr’s sons will laugh loudly,

they who denied Eylimi48 his old age,⁴⁹

if the prince’s wishes are more to seek

red rings than revenge for his father!’

King Hjálprekr gave Sigurðr a naval force to avenge his father. They ran into a great storm and tacked for a certain rocky promontory. A man was standing on the cliff and he said:

16.⁵⁰ ‘Who is riding there, on Rævill’s51 horses,

the high waves, the roaring sea?

The sail-horses⁵² are splattered with sweat,

the wave-steeds won’t withstand the wind!’

Reginn answered:

17.⁵³ ‘Here we are with Sigurðr on sea-trees,54

since a fair wind is given to us toward death itself!

The steep breaker falls from higher than the prow-boards,

the roller-steeds⁵⁵ stumble — who asks about this?’

18.⁵⁶ ‘They called me Hnikarr,57 when young Vǫlsungr

gladdened Huginn,58 and he had slain;

now you can me “old man from the cliff,”

Fengr59 or Fjǫlnir60 — I want to receive passage!’

They steered to land, and the old man went on to a ship, and then the weather calmed.⁶¹

19.⁶² ‘Tell me this, Hnikarr, since you know

at the swinging of swords?’63

Hnikarr said:

20.⁶⁴ ‘There are many good signs, if men [only] knew them,

at the swinging of swords;

I think the dark raven is a doughty escort

for a sword-tree.⁶⁵

21.⁶⁶ ‘This is the second, if you’ve come outside

and are ready for the road:

you see standing on the threshold⁶⁷

two fame-eager fellows.

22.⁶⁸ ‘This is the third, if you hear

a wolf howling beneath ash-branches;⁶⁹

good luck will granted to you from helm-staves,⁷⁰

if you see them travelling first.⁷¹

23.⁷² ‘No man shall fight when facing towards

the late-shining sister of the moon;⁷³

they have victory, whetters of sword-play,⁷⁴

who know how to see, or how to form a snout-like phalanx.⁷⁵

24.⁷⁶ ‘It’s a great hazard, if you stub your toe,⁷⁷

when you wade into battle;

treacherous females⁷⁸ stand on both sides of you

and want to see you wounded.

25.⁷⁹ ‘Combed and washed shall every wise man be

and fully fed in the morning,

because it’s uncertain where one will come to by evening;

it’s [a] bad [idea] to press ahead despite an omen.’⁸⁰

Capitulum⁸¹

Sigurðr had a great battle against Lyngvi, Hundingr’s son, and his brothers. There Lyngvi fell and those three brothers. After the battle Reginn said:

26. ‘Now a bloody eagle is carved with bitter sword

on the back of the slayer of Sigmundr!82

None is more outstanding [than] the one who might redden the earth,

the ruler’s heir,⁸³ and gladden Huginn!’

Sigurðr went back to Hjálprekr’s. Then Reginn incited Sigurðr to kill Fáfnir.

Textual Apparatus to Reginsmál