He was born in 1834. His profession was thus
that of a manufacturer, designer, and decorator. When he had to
describe himself by a single word, he called himself a designer. His business, in which he was the principal and finally
the sole partner, took up the main part of his time. The longest of these tales, "The Life and Death of
Jason," appeared in 1867. This poem was written in the form of a play, not of a narrative. Verse came naturally to him, and he composed in prose only
with much effort until after long practice. Sometimes different names were given to
the characters, sometimes the events of the story were slightly
altered, but in the main points it was one and the same tale. Moreover, they knew nothing of mercy to
the conquered. They worshipped one chief god, Odin, and other gods and goddesses who
were his children. His children were terrible monsters, as hated as himself. The gods inhabited Asgard, a city standing on a high mountain in the
middle of the world. Odin's palace of Valhalla was there, and other
palaces for his sons and daughters. All round Asgard lay Midgard, or
the ordinary world of men and women. They
had to submit to this fate, for there were three beings even greater
than they. These were the Norns, deciders of the fate of gods and men
alike. Little by little they left the old Viking life, and it lived only in
their songs and stories. BOOK I.
SIGMUND. Then forth to the tree went Siggeir, the Goth-folk's mighty lord,
And laid his hand on the gemstones, and strained at the glorious sword
Till his heart grew black with anger; and never a word he said
As he wended back to the high-seat: but Signy waxed blood-red
When he sat him adown beside her; and her heart was nigh to break
For the shame and the fateful boding: and therewith King Volsung spake:
"Thus comes back empty-handed the mightiest King of Earth,
And how shall the feeble venture? Then came
midnight, and one of the wolves fell upon Sigi and the other turned
on me. And the boy feared not the worm, but kneaded it with
the dough and baked all together. And she swiftly rose to her feet as she said, "And which be they?" So they turned their faces to Sigmund, and waded the swathes of the sword. BOOK II. REGIN. In this land of the Helper and Elf, his son, dwelt Hiordis, and here
her son, the last of the Volsungs, was born. Is it grief in the merry morning, or joy or wonder or fear?" "A fear of all fears," said the third, "for the sword is uplifted on men." "A joy of all joys," said the fourth, "once come, and it comes not again!" Said King Elf: "How say ye, women? And now, O mighty Sigmund, wherewith shall we name thy son?" How many things shalt thou quicken, how many shalt thou slay! How many things shalt thou waken, how many lull to sleep! How many things shalt thou scatter, how many gather and keep! O SIGURD, Son of the Volsungs, O Victory yet to be!" But Regin the wise craftsmaster heedeth the youngling well,
And before the Kings he cometh, and saith such words to tell. And now, despite my cunning, how deem ye I shall die?" And they said he would live as he listed, and at last in peace should lie
When he listed to live no longer; so mighty and wise he was. Nought needest thou show the token, for I know of thy life and thy light. Then forth he strode to the mountains, and fain was Sigurd now. Is it over the main sea's darkness, or beyond the mountain wall? I am Reidmar, and ye come
straight from the slaying of Reidmar's son. This is my sentence. --Lo this is the doom of the wise, and no doom shall be spoken anew.' O thou, wilt thou tarry and tarry, till I cast thy blood on the guilt? "Then unto this land I came, and that was long ago. Where hast thou laid them, my mother?" "Yea, and what else?" I greet thee, my friend and my fathers' friend." "To the greedy house," said Sigurd, "and the King of the Heavy Hoard." "Wilt thou smite, O Sigurd, Sigurd?" "Thou hast praised the sword," said the child, "and the sword shall find a
way." "Be learned of me," said the Wise-one, "for I was the first of thy folk." bright child, of whence is
thy birth?" "Woe, woe! But Regin crouched and darkened: "Thou hast slain my brother," he said. And he toucheth her breast and her hands, and he loveth her passing sore. And he saith: "Awake! But many though they were they were not enough for him, who prayed
her to speak with him more of Wisdom. BRYNHILD. To them he cried, saying:--
"Ho, men of this mighty burg, to what folk of the world am I come? Ah, if I thy soul might gladden! Yet my words thy words shall cherish, as thy lips my lips have done. But among the folk of the Niblungs goes forth the tale of the same,
And men deem the tidings a glory and the garland of their fame. Lo, how he beareth the people! Is it thou, O Sigurd the Stranger? is it thou, O younger-born? Dost thou laugh in the hall, O Mother? Yea, verily I am Brynhild; what other is like unto me? Lo, here, my gift of the morning! hail, helper of my kin! She spake no word, and smiled not, but she held his hand henceforth. And he said; "Now take the greetings of my men, the most of worth." "I deemed the sons of Giuki had been but three," said
Brynhild. hail, lord of Odin's storm! hail, thou desire of eyes! Hail, wife of my brother Gunnar! Then sought she Hogni, and behold, he was in the like guise, and sat
as one that waits for a foe. "Thou hast spoken the word," said Brynhild, "if the word is enough, it is
well. Let us eat and drink and be merry, that all men of our words may tell!" "Drink, son," she said, "and be merry! _Abasement_, casting down, defeat. _Ark_, a box for treasures. _Atwain_, in two pieces, e.g. _Avail_, n. power; n. to have power, to succeed. _Balks_, pieces of timber used to make a bridge. _Bast_, wrappings made of the soft inner bark of trees. _Bath of the swan_, the sea. _Battle-acre_, field of battle. _Beaker_, a drinking cup. _Befall_, happen. _Bent_, a piece of high ground. _Betide_, p.t. betided; p.p. betid; to happen, come to pass,
e.g. _Bickering_, stormy, struggling. _Bide_ or _abide_, p.t. abode; p.p. _Bill_, an axe with a long handle. _Blazoning_, painting, especially the painting of coats of arms or of
records of valiant deeds. _Boding_, a misgiving, a feeling that evil is to come. _Bole_, a tree-trunk. _Brand_, a sword. _Bucklers_, shields. _Burg_, a town, a fortress. _Carles_, peasants; a contemptuous word used for a man who is not a
warrior. Victory-Wafter is another
title of Brynhild, since she brought victory to those for whom it was
appointed and death to others. _Churl_, a grudging, ungracious man. _Clave_, p.p. of cleave, to pierce, hew, cut through. _Close_, a field. _Compass_, to contrive, accomplish. _Constrain_, to force, to control and guide. _Coping_, the topmost row of bricks in a wall, the top of a wall. _Cull_, to choose, pick out. _Cup of Daring Promise_, see _Boar of Son_. _Dastard_, a coward. _Dearth_, want, famine, scarcity. _Deft_, skilful, e.g. war-dight, prepared for war. _Doom_, n. a sentence, verdict, e.g. give righteous doom; n. to
condemn, to sentence. _Do on_, put on; often shortened into "don"; cf. doff, which is
shortened from do off. _Door-wards_, porters, door-keepers. _Dwindle_, to grow less. _Edges of bale_, the sword edges, which bring bale or destruction. _Egg_, to urge on, to persuade to some deed, e.g. "Too much thou
eggest me." _Eld_, old age. _Endlong_, length-ways, along. _Erewhile_, some time ago, formerly. _Erne_, an eagle. _Eyen_, eyes; old plural of eye. _Fain_, glad, willing, full of desire. Sometimes used as an adverb
meaning "willingly," e.g. _Fallow_, lying quiet, inactive, not bearing crops. _Fare_, to travel. Sometimes when joined to adverbs it means to
prosper, e.g. to fare ill, to fare well, how does he fare? _Fashion_, to make, to arrange. _Flame-blink_, the flash of light from the fire round Brynhild's home. _Flaw_, defect, fault, e.g. If used
of rain, it means a slight shower, e.g. "a flaw of summer rain,"
_Fleck_, spot, mark. _Foil_, n. defeat, failure; n. to defeat, to baffle. _Fold_, a place for shutting up sheep. It is often used meaning any
dwelling-place, e.g. _Folk_, people. It is often joined with other words, e.g. man-folk,
Goth-folk. _Foster_, to rear, to bring up a child, to care for, to shelter,
e.g. _Freyia_, the wife of Odin and chief of the goddesses. _Gainsay_, to resist, to refuse a request. _Garner_, to gather up, to store up; sometimes, to reap. war-gear, all a man's
armour and weapons; mail-gear, a man's armour. _Gird_, to tie round, to be all round, e.g. _Glaive_, a sword. _God-home_, Asgard. _Good-heart_, kindly strength. _Grovel_, to crouch low on the ground. _Guise_, appearance, kind, dress, e.g. _Harness_, armour. _Hauberk_, a breast-plate. _Heave_, to rise and fall, sometimes merely to rise, e.g. _High-tide_, time of festival. _Hireling_, a servant. _Hist_, to give attention, to listen. _Hithermost_, nearest. _Hoard_, a store. Fafnir's wisdom is called "grudged and hoarded
wisdom," and his gold the "heavy hoard." _Holt_, a woodland. _Hoppled_, fettered. _Horse-fed_, cropped by horses. _Horse-herd_, keeper of horses. "Herd" means any keeper of animals,
and is generally joined with other words, e.g. shepherd, swine-herd. _Huddled_, twisted together in a small space. _Intent_, intention, purpose. _Kin_, family, relations. _Kine_, cattle. _Kirtle_, a long cloak. _Lack_, loss, e.g. n. "To
be without," or, "to be found wanting." _Lay_, a song. _Lea_, a meadow. _Leeches_, doctors. _Lief_, willing. _Lift_, the arch of the sky overhead, the highest part of the sky. _Linden_, the lime-tree. _Lintel_, the top of a doorway. _List_, to wish, to choose. _Litten_, lighted up; cf. red-litten, torch-litten. _Long-ships_, ships of war. _Lore_, learning, knowledge. _Loth_, unwilling, grieved. _Mar_, to spoil, disfigure. _Mark_, boundary, borderland. _Mattock_, a pick-axe. _Mead_, a meadow. _Mew_, a sea-gull. _Mid-mirk_, thick darkness. _Mirk_, darkness. _Midward_, prime, best days. _Minish_, to grow less. _Moon-wake_, the long straight path of light made by the moon on
water. _Mute_, dumb, silent. _Nether_, lower. _Niggard_, grudging, miserly, unproductive, e.g. _Odin's door_, a warrior's shield. _Passing_, very; used to give emphasis, e.g. "He loveth her passing
sore," where both words are simply emphatic. _Peers_, equals in age and rank. Odin, chief of the gods. _Purblind_, dim-sighted. The syllable "pur" is a form of the word
pure, and gives emphasis to blind. _Quarry_, game, prey, the animal chased by a hunter. _Quell_, to stop, make to cease. _Quicken_, to rouse, bring to life. _Reck_, to notice, care about. _Renown_, fame, honour. _Rock-wall_, mountain cliff. _Roof-tree_, the topmost beam which forms the ridge of a roof. _Rue_, to regret, to find a cause of woe. _Rumour_, report, gossiping tale. _Rune_, letter. _Ruth_, pity, regret, e.g. _Salutation_, greeting. _Sate_, satisfy to the full. _Scalds_, the poets who recited poems or stories at feasts. _Scoff_, an object of mockery. _Sea-mead_, the wide surface of the sea. _Seethe_, to bubble and move like boiling water. _Serry_, to crowd closely together. _Shards_, broken fragments, e.g. _Shield-burg_, a fortress built of shields. Burg means either a town,
a castle, or a fortress. _Shift_, n. a trick, cunning plan, e.g. "my cunning shifts;" n.
to contrive, be able, e.g. _Shimmer_, to gleam and change colour as the light alters. _Skerry_, a rocky island near the coast. _Sleight_, cunning, trickery. _Sleipnir_, Odin's horse. It was grey, had eight feet, and could carry
him over sea and land, and could also fly through the air. _Slot_, the track left by a wild animal. _Sloth_, idleness. _Smithy_, to do the work of a smith, forge weapons. _Sooth_, truth. _Sore_, very much. _Spear-hedge_, the bristling spears of an army in battle; cf. battle-wood, spear-wood. _Spell-drenched_, stupefied or overwhelmed by magic. _Staunch_, steadfast, unchanging. _Stithy_, a blacksmith's forge. _Strait_, narrow, cramped. _Stripling_, a young man just grown up; cf. youngling. _Sunder_, to separate, e.g. "swathes
of the sword," _i.e._ heaps of dead in battle. _Targe_, a shield. _Tarry_, to wait, to linger, e.g. _Tide_, time, e.g. _Tiller_, the handle of the rudder which steers a ship. _Toils_, snares, fetters. _To-morn_, tomorrow morning. _Train_, to entice, bring by trickery. _Tree-hole_, tree-trunk. _Troth_, a promise, generally a promise of marriage. _Troth-plight_, promised in marriage. _Trow_, to believe. _Twi-bill_, an axe with a double-edged blade. _Unholpen_, unhelped. helped. _Unstable_, changeable, not lasting. _Uttermost horn_, the signal for Ragnarok. _Venom_, poison. _Wall-nook_, an opening or bend in a wall. _Wallow_, to roll about upon the ground, e.g. "Fafnir, the wallower
on the gold." _Wan_, pale, pinched with suffering. _Wane_, to fade away, grow dim. _Warding-walls_, guarding-walls. _Wards_, keepers, e.g. _War-wand_, a sword. _Wary_, careful, ever on the watch. _Waxen_, grown, become. _Weal_, happiness, good-fortune. _Weed_, dress. _Welter_, the toss and ripple of the sea-waves. _Wend_, to go. "the whetted
Wrath." _Whileome_, in the past, once upon a time. _Whiles_, from time to time. _Whit_, a very small particle, a trifle, e.g. never a whit, no whit. _Wight_, a man, a creature, e.g. sea-wights, great sea-monsters. _Wise_, way, manner, after the fashion of. _Witch-wife_, witch. _Wold_, a hill; often used to mean open country. _Wot_, to know. _Wrack_, strife, destruction, ruins. _Wrack of a mighty battle_, the
dead left on the field. _Wrights_, workmen, makers. _Writhen_, bent, twisted out of shape, e.g. _Written spear_, a spear carved with letters or words. Arnold's Sohrab and Rustum, and Balder Dead. Dickens, Selections from. Selections. Jefferies (Richard), Selections from. Macaulay's History of England. Macaulay's History of England, Selections from. Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome, &c.
Marryat's Settlers in Canada. Books I, II, III, IV, and V.
Milton's Comus, Il Penseroso, L'Allegro and Lycidas. Morris's Atalanta's Race, and The Proud King. Newman, Literary Selections from. With a Portrait. Thackeray, Selections from.