Volsunga Saga; The Story of the Volsungs and Niblungs (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAP. VII. Of the Birth of Sinfjotli the Son of Sigmund. O on a tide it befell as Signy sat in her bower, that there came to her a witch-wife exceeding cunning, and Signy talked with her in such wise, " Fain am I," says she, "that we should change semblances together." She says, " Even as thou wilt then." And so by her wiles she brought it about that they changed semblances, and now the witch-wife sits in Signy's place according to her rede, and goes to bed by the king that night, and he knows not that he has other than Signy beside him. But the tale tells of Signy, that she fared to the earth- house of her brother, and prayed him give her harbouring for the night; " For I have gone astray abroad, in the woods, and know not whither I am going." So he said she might abide, and that he would not refuse harbour to one lone woman, deeming that she would scarce pay back his good cheer by tale-bearing: so she came into the house, and they sat down to meat, and his eyes were often on her, and a goodly and fair woman she seemed to him; but when they are full, then he says to her, that he is right fain that they should have but one bed that night; she nowise turned awaytherefrom, and so for three nights together he laid her in bed by him. Thereafter she fared home, and found the witch-wife, and bade her change semblances again, and she did so. Now as time wears, Signy brings forth a man-child, who was named Sinfjotli, and when he grew up he was both big and strong, and fair of face, and much like unto the kin of the Volsungs, and he was hardly yet ten winters old when she sent him to Sigmund's earth-house; but this trial she had made of her other sons or ever she had sent them to Sigmund, that she had sewed gloves on to their hands through flesh and skin, and they had...