(Hloth is enraged and returns to Humli, who promises help for the summer after.)27
Humli said:
16. “Shall we feast at our ease till over is winter,
drink and hold converse, quaffing the mead,
and teach our warriors weapons to fashion,
which to battle bravely we shall bear forward.
17. “Well shall we arm the warrior host,
and help thee, Hloth, with hardy deeds;28
with twelve-year old draughts, and two-year old foals,29
thus shall the host of the Huns be gathered.”
That winter, King Humli and Hloth stayed at home; but when spring came they drew together so great a host that there
was a dearth of fighting men in Hunland. . . . And when this mighty host was gathered they rode through Murkwood. . . .
As they came out of the forest they found many farms and level fields. In the fields there stood a fair castle. There
ruled Hervor, Angantýr’s and Hloth’s sister, and with her, Ormar, her foster father. They warded the land against the Huns
and had a great host. . . . One morning, about sunrise, Hervor stood on a tower above the castle gate. She saw so much dust
southward toward the forest that it hid the sun for a long time. Then saw she a glow under the dust, as though from gold,
of fair shields inlaid with gold, of gilded helmets and bright byrnies. Then understood she that this was the Hunnish host,
and most numerous. She hurried down and called her trumpeter and bade him summon the host. Then said Hervor to them: “Take
your weapons and make ready for battle; but thou, Ormar, ride out toward the Huns and affer them battle before the southern gate.”30
Ormar31 said:
18. “Assuredly shall I, with shield aloft,
(to the Hunnish host hurriedly ride,
to summon them to the southern gate)32
there ’gainst the Goths to try the game of war.”
(And so he did and) then returned to the castle. Then was Hervor armed and all her host. . . . There was a great battle;
but because the Huns had a much greater host, the battle turned against Hervor, and at length she fell, and round about her,
many men. But when Ormar saw her fall he fled, and with him all they who still lived. He rode day and night as fast as he could,
to King Angantýr in Árheimar, while the Huns took to harrying and burning the countryside. When he arrived he said:
19. “From the south am I come, to say these tidings:
burned is the far-famed forest Murkwood,
all Goth-land drenched with the gore of the fallen.
20. “I know that Hervor, Heithrek’s daughter,
and thy sister, by the sword has fallen.
Have Hunnish hosts hewed down the maiden
with many an other of your warriors.
[27. The wordy prose link of the original no doubt represents one or more stanzas now lost.
28. The half-line is uncertain.
29. I.e., down to the last available resources in men and supplies.
30. This passage must represent a series of stanzas; the last one evidently in direct speech, to which the following stanza is the answer.
31. The Wyrmhere of Wīdsīth, 119.
32. The missing half-stanza is supplied following the suggestions of Bugge and Heusler-Ranisch.]
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Hlöðr reiddist nú mjök, er hann var þýbarn ok hornungr kallaðr, ef hann þægi boð bróður síns,
ok sneri hann þá þegar í burt með alla sína menn, til þess er hann kom heim í Húnaland til Humla
konungs, frænda síns, ok sagði honum, at Angantýr, bróðir hans, hefði synjat honum helmingaskiptis.
Humli spyrr nú allt tal þeira. Varð hann þá reiðr mjök, ef Hlöðr, dóttursonr hans, skyldi ambáttarsonr
heita, ok kvað þá:
16. "Sitja skulu vér í vetr ok sælliga lifa,
drekka ok dæma dýrar veigar,
kenna Húnum hervápn búa,
þau er fræknliga skulum fram bera.
17. Vel skulum þér, Hlöðr, herlið búa
ok framliga fylki týja;
með tolf vetra mengi ok tvævetrum fola,
svá skal Húna her of samna."
Þenna vetr sátu þeir Humli ok Hlöðr um kyrrt. Um várit drógu þeir her saman svá mikinn, at aleyða var eftir vígra manna í Húnalandi....
Sem þessi herr kom saman, riðu þeir skóg þann, er Myrkviðr heitir, er skilr Húnaland ok Gotaland. En sem þeir kómu af skóginum, þá váru
byggðir stórar ok vellir sléttir, ok á völlunum stóð borg ein fögr, en þar réð fyrir Hervör, systir Angantýs konungs, ok Ormarr, fóstri
hennar. Váru þau sett þar til landgæzlu fyrir her Húna, ok höfðu þau þar mikit lið. Þat var einn morgun í sólar upprás, at Hervör stóð
upp á kastala einum yfir borgarhliði. Hon sá jóreyki stóra suðr til skógarins, svá at löngum fal sólina. Því næst sá hon glóa undir
jóreyknum, sem á gull eitt liti, fagra skjöldu ok gulli lagða, gyllta hjalma ok hvítar brynjur. Sá hon þá, at þetta var herr Húna ok mikill
fjölði. Hervör gekk ofan skyndiliga ok kallar lúðrsvein ok bað blása saman lið. Ok síðan mælti Hervör: "Takið vápn yður ok búizk til orrostu,
en þú, Ormarr, ríð í mót Húnum ok bjóð þeim orrostu fyrir borgarhliði inu syðra." Ormarr kvað:
18. "Skal ek víst ríða ok rönd bera,
-- -- --
Gota þjóðum gunni at heyja."
Þá reið Ormarr af borginni ok í mót hernum. Hann kallaði hátt ok bað þá ríða til borgarinnar, -- "ok úti fyrir borgarhliðinu
suðr á völlinn -- þar býð ek yðr til orrostu. Bíði þeir þar annarra, er fyrr koma." Nú reið Ormarr aftr til borgarinnar, ok
var Hervör þá albúin ok allr herr. Riðu þau nú út af borginni með hernum móti Húnum, ok hófsk þar allmikil orrosta. En með því
at Húnar hafa lið miklu meira, sneri mannfallinu í lið þeira Hervarar, ok um síðir fell Hervör ok mikit lið umhverfis hana.
En er Ormarr sá fall hennar, flýði hann ok allir þeir, er lífit þágu. Ormarr reið dag ok nótt, sem mest mátti hann, á fund
Angantýs konungs í Árheima. .... Og sem Ormarr kom fyrir Angantý konung, þá kvað hann:
19. "Sunnan em ek kominn at segja spjöll þessi:
Sviðin er öll in mæra Myrkviðar heiðr,
drifin öll Goðþjóð gumna blóði.
20. Mey veit ek Heiðreks, [fyr mækis eggjum],
systur þína, svigna til jarðar;
hafa Húnar hana fellda
ok marga aðra yðra þegna.
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