Grimhild's Vengeance: Three Ballads

“I’m weary, weary to the heart,
And weak in verity;
O would to God in heaven is
A horn of wine had I.”

He lifted up his vizor,
Of human blood a draught
He took – “In nomine Domini”
The Hero Hogen quaffed.

See, there the knights of Grimhild
Lie slaughtered every one;
And that has Hero Hogen,
And valiant Folker done.

“God bless thee, Folker Spillemand,
Who here a corse dost lie,
Full well and without treachery
Thy faulchion thou didst ply.

“Full four and twenty fell for one,
Their death from him they found;
He slew them like a warrior,
Ere sank he on the ground.

“Ah, brother, by my heart beloved,
Thy coming cost me dear;
How woeful is my destiny
That I should lose thee here.

“And if to me is granted
To live another day,
My sister this shall expiate,
I her will burn or slay.”

The evil fate’s o’ertaken her.
She’s paid for all her ill;
King Hogen’s son caused Grimhild
To starve within the hill.

GRIMHILD’S VENGEANCE

Song the Third

O, where will ye find kempions
So bold and strong of hand,
As Hogen and his brother dear,
Sir Folker Spillemand?

Forward stepped she, Bodild,
Hero Hogen’s mother, crying:
“Methought the gallant coursers all
Were either dead or dying.

“And I possess full wit enow
That vision to explain;
If to the Hvenish land ye go
There’ll many a man be slain.”

Out rode the valiant brothers where
The river rolled its tide,
There they the Mermaid found asleep
Beneath a green hill’s side.

“Awake, awake, thou Mermaiden,
Thou creature wondrous fair;
Say, will my life in danger be
If I to Hven repair?”

“O turn thee, Hero Hogen, back,
Thou art a knight so bold,
Thou dost in thy own land possess
Full many a tower and hold.

“Return, return to thine own land,
Seek not the warrior joust,
If thou dost to thy sister go
Thy young life it will cost.”

It was the Hero Hogen then
His sword he straight drew out;
It was the wretched Mermaiden
From whom the head he smote.

“By thee I now am prophesied,
And dead thou liest there;
I to the land of Hven will go,
Soon as the wind is fair.”

Then forward went the heroes two,
They found the ferry-house:
“Arise, arise, good ferryman,
And come here out to us.

“Now listen what I say to thee,
Convey us o’er the Sound,
And I will give thee this gold ring,
It weighs full fifteen pound.”

“Thy bright gold ring keep thou thyself,