11. "How didst thou know | that now our kin,
Maiden wise, | we have well avenged?
Many there are | of the sons of the mighty
Who share alike | our lofty race."

Sigrun spake:

12. "Not far was I | from the lord of the folk,
Yester morn, | when the monarch was slain;
Though crafty the son | of Sigmund, methinks,
When he speaks of the fight | in slaughter-runes.

13. "On the long-ship once | I saw thee well,
When in the blood-stained | bow thou wast,
(And round thee icy | waves were raging;)
Now would the hero | hide from me,
But to Hogni's daughter | is Helgi known."

Granmar was the name of a mighty king, who dwelt at Svarin's hill. He had many sons; one was named Hothbrodd, another Gothmund, a third Starkath. Hothbrodd was in a kings' meeting, and he won the promise of having Sigrun, Hogni's daughter, for his wife. But when she heard this, she rode with the Valkyries over air and sea to seek Helgi. Helgi was then at Logafjoll, and had fought with Hunding's sons; there he killed Alf and Eyolf, Hjorvarth and Hervarth. He was all weary with battle, and sat under the eagle-stone. There Sigrun found him, and ran to throw her arms about his neck, and kissed him, and told him her tidings, as is set forth in the old Volsung lay:

14. Sigrun the joyful | chieftain sought,
Forthwith Helgi's | hand she took;
She greeted the hero | helmed and kissed him,
The warrior's heart | to the woman turned.

15. From her heart the daughter | of Hogni spake,
Dear was Helgi, | she said, to her;

[11. Helgi's meaning in lines 3-4 is that, although he has al ready declared himself an Ylfing (stanza 8, line 1), there are many heroes of that race, and he does not understand how Sigrun knows him to be Helgi.

12. Slaughter-runes: equivocal or deceptive speech regarding the battle. The word "rune" had the meaning of "magic" or "mystery" long before it was applied to the signs or characters with which it was later identified.

13. Some editors reject line 3, others line 5. The manuscript omits Helgi's name in line 5, thereby destroying both the sense and the meter. Vigfusson, following his Karuljoth theory (cf. note on prose following stanza 4), changes Hogni to Halfdan, father of Kara.

Prose. The manuscript indicates no division. Most of this prose passage is evidently based on Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I; the only new features are the introduction of Starkath as a third son of Granmar, which is clearly an error based on a misunderstanding of stanza 19, and the reference to the kings' meeting, based on stanza 16. Kings' meetings, or councils, were by no means unusual; the North in early days was prolific in kings. For the remaining names, cf. Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I: Granmar, stanza 19; Hothbrodd, stanza 33; Gothmund, stanza 33; Svarin's hill, stanza 32; Logafjoll, stanza 13; .41f, Eyjolf, Hjorvarth and Hervarth, stanza 14. The old Volsung lay: cf. Introductory Note.

14. Some editions combine lines 3-4, Or line 4, with part of stanza 14.

15. The lines of stanzas 15 and 16 are here rearranged in accordance with Bugge's emendation; in the manuscript they stand as follows: lines 3-4 of stanza 15; stanza 16; lines 1-2 of stanza 15. This confusion has given rise to various editorial conjectures. * Note * The ON does not reflect this change. Bellows has also changed one statement from indirect to direct speech, it is necessary to point this out as Bellows did not.

"Long with all | my heart I loved
Sigmund's son | ere ever I saw him.

These lines were removed and inserted as Stanza 17 in the restructuring of the poem to conform to the ON.]

11. "Hvat vissir þú, at þeir séim,
snót svinnhuguð, er sefa hefndum?
Margir ro hvassir hildings synir
ok ámunir ossum niðjum."

Sigrún kvað:

12. "Vark-a ek fjarri, folks oddviti,
gær á morgun grams aldrlokum,
þó tel ek slægjan Sigmundar bur,
er í valrúnum vígspjöll segir.

13. Leit ek þik um sinn fyrr á langskipum,
þá er þú byggðir blóðga stafna
ok úrsvalar unnir léku;
nú vill dyljask döglingr fyr mér,
en Högna mær Helga kennir."

Granmarr hét ríkr konungr, er bjó at Svarinshaugi. Hann átti marga sonu: Höðbroddr, annarr Guðmundr, þriði Starkaðr. Höðbroddr var í konungastefnu. Hann fastnaði sér Sigrúnu Högnadóttur. En er hon spyrr þat, þá reið hon með valkyrjur um loft ok um lög at leita Helga. Helgi var þá at Logafjöllum ok hafði barizt við Hundings sonu. Þar felldi hann þá Álf ok Eyjólf, Hjörvarð ok Hervarð, ok var hann allvígmóðr ok sat undir Arasteini. Þar hitti Sigrún hann ok rann á háls honum ok kyssti hann ok sagði honum erindi sitt, svá sem segir í Völsungakviðu inni fornu:

14. Sótti Sigrún sikling glaðan,
heim nam hon Helga hönd at sækja,
kyssti ok kvaddi konung und hjalmi;
þá varð hilmi hugr á vífi.

15. Fyrr lézk hon unna af öllum hug
syni Sigmundar en hon sét hafði.