Having been told of her by the birds at the end of Fafnismal, Sigurth now goes to the mountain Hindarfjall where the Valkyrie Sigerdrifa sleeps. As with many other poems concerned with the Volsungs, there is a prose introduction and occasional prose notes in the manuscript, which are translated here along with the poetic stanzas. Sigerdrifa (literally “victory-driver”) may or may not be the same person as the Valkyrie Brynhild, who appears in the later poems about Sigurth. Much of the poem consists of Sigerdrifa’s advice to Sigurth, which is reminiscent of Havamal, both in the tone of her general advice, and in her insistence about the power of the runes.
Sigurth rode up on the mountain Hindarfjall, south toward Frankish lands. He saw a great light on the mountain, as though a fire burned there, and it glowed against the sky. When he came to it, he saw a fortress, and there were flags flying on top of it. Sigurth went into the fortress and saw a person sleeping there on the floor, fully armed. He took the helmet off first, and then he realized this person was a woman. Her chainmail was as tight as if it had grown to her skin. He took his sword Gram and cut the chainmail off, first cutting down the middle, and then down both sleeves. Then he took the chainmail off of her, and she woke up and saw Sigurth and said:
“WHAT BROKE THE CHAINMAIL? Why am I awake? Who has freed me from my imprisoning armor?”
He answered:
“Sigmund’s son is the one who cut it. Sigurth’s sword is fresh from feeding the ravens.”
She said: “I have slept so long, I have been asleep so long, human sorrows last so long. Odin cursed me never to break the sleeping-spell by my own power.”
Sigurth sat down and asked her name. She took a horn full of mead and offered him the ritual drink.
She said: “Hail the day! Hail the sons of day! Hail to night and her sister! Look on the two of us here with friendly eyes, and give us victory.
“Hail the gods! Hail the goddesses! Hail the hospitable earth! Give the two of us eloquent speech, and wisdom— and healing hands, while we live.”
She was named Sigerdrifa and she was a Valkyrie. She said that two kings had fought. One was named Hjalm-Gunnar; he was old and a great warrior, and Odin had promised him victory. The other was named Agnar, brother of Hautha, who received help from no one. Sigerdrifa killed Hjalm-Gunnar in this battle. But Odin stung her with a sleep-thorn in revenge for this, and said she would never again choose victories in battle and that she would have to marry. “But I told him that I had sworn an oath to marry no man except one who knew no fear,” she said.
Sigurth asked her to teach him wisdom, if she knew news from all the realms. Sigerdrifa said:
“I bring you beer, warrior, blended with strength and fame. It’s full of spells and magic, good enchantments and happy words.
“You should carve victory-runes if you want to have victory. Carve some on the hilt of your sword, carve some on the middle of the blade also, some elsewhere on the sword, and name Tyr twice.
“You should learn beer-runes if you don’t want another man’s wife to abuse your trust if you have a tryst. Carve them on the drinking-horn and on the back of your hand, and carve the rune for ‘N’ on your fingernail.
“You should bless the drinking-horn; then watch out for trouble and throw garlic in the drink. If you do this, I know you’ll never drink mead that’s blended with a curse.
“You should learn life-saving runes if you want to save a woman’s life when she is in the throes of childbirth. Carve them on your palm, and clasp them around your limbs, and pray to your family spirits for help.
“You should make wave-runes if you want to save ships out on the wild water. You should carve them on the ship’s bow and on the steering-rudder, and burn them into the oars. Then there won’t be any steep wave, there won’t be any blue waves, that you won’t escape from safely.
“You should learn limb-runes if you want to be a healer and learn how to heal wounds. Carve them on bark, carve them on the needles of a pine that bends eastward.
“You should learn speech-runes to prevent those who hate you from taking vengeance on you. Wind them around, weave them around, set them all around, at the court where people go for judgments.
“You should learn mind-runes if you want to be wiser than any other man. Odin read them, Odin carved them, Odin thought them up, from the liquid that leaked from the skull of Heithdraupnir, from the horn of Hoddrofnir.
“Odin stood on a mountain, Brimir’s sword in his hand and a helmet on his head, when wise Mimir’s head spoke the first word, and spoke truthfully.
“Runes were carved on the shield that stood before the shining sun, on the ears and hooves of the horses that draw the sun, on the wheel of the chariot of Thor, on the reins of Sleipnir, on the reins of his sled.
“They were carved on a bear’s paw and a poet’s tongue, on a wolf’s claws and an eagle’s beak, on bloody wings and a bridge’s beams, on a helper’s palm and a healer’s footprint.
“They were carved on glass and gold, on treasures, in wine and in beer and a witch’s chair, on Odin’s spearpoint and a troll-woman’s breast, on a Norn’s fingernail and the beak of an owl.
“All of them that were carved were then shaved off, and they were stirred into the holy mead and sent far away. Some are with the Aesir, some are with the elves, some are with the Vanir, and mortal men have some.
“The beechtree-runes and life-saving runes and all the beer-runes and the famous strength-runes will be of good use for everyone who knows them completely and correctly. Use them, if you know them, till the gods die.
“Now you must choose from the options you are offered, mighty warrior. Choose to speak, or choose to remain silent: Your fate is already decided.”
Sigurth responded, “I will never flee, even if you know I am doomed to die. I was not born a coward. I want to have all of your loving advice, as long as I live.”
Sigerdrifa said, “I advise you first, that you behave faultlessly with regard to your kin. Don’t avenge yourself on them, even if they give you cause— or your bad name will lead to your death.
“I’ll give you more advice: Never swear an oath, unless your words are true. The grim rope of a hangman waits for the oath-breaker, the fate of a liar is agony.
“I’ll give you a third bit of advice. You should not speak with fools at public events. An unwise man will often say worse things than he realizes.
“You’ll lose everything if you stay silent when you’re mocked. You will seem like a coward, or the slander will seem true. A reputation is dangerous, unless you earn yourself a good one. So wait for another day to kill a fool who mocks you, and then repay him for his lie.
“I’ll give you advice a fourth time. If an evil sorceress offers you lodging on your journey, it is better to keep going than to stay with her— even if darkness sets on you outside.
“Warriors need prudent eyes, if they wish to wage battles. Often witches wise in magic will sit near a road, dulling men’s sword-blades—and their minds.
“I’ll give you a fifth shred of advice. If you see a pretty woman sitting on a bench, don’t let that woman into your dreams— don’t try to seduce a woman.
“I’ll advise you a sixth thing: If, in the course of drinking, men become drunk, do not fight your enemy while you are drunk. Wine steals the wits of many.
“Often a night of song and beer has caused men unhappiness; it’s sometimes caused their death, it’s sometimes gotten them cursed. Drunkenness has caused untold sorrows.
“I’ll give you a seventh bit of advice. If you dispute a case with courageous men, it is better to fight them right away than wait for them to burn you inside your own home.
“I’ll give you advice an eighth time. You should avoid evil, and stay a long way away from lying. Do not seduce a girl, nor any man’s wife— do not encourage women’s looseness.
“I’ll give you advice a ninth time. Respect a dead body, whether you find it on the ground, whether the death was from sickness, or drowning at sea, or men’s violence.
“Clean the bodies of the dead, wash their hands and head, and comb and dry them before you put them in a coffin, then wish them a good rest.
“I’ll give you a tenth bit of advice. You should never believe the oaths of your enemy’s son. If you have killed his brother, or slain his father, then there’s a wolf in that young man, even if he accepts your money.
“Disputes and fights are never forgotten, and no one forgets sorrow. Every man needs his wits and his weapons if he wants to have his way.
“I’ll give you an eleventh bit of advice: Avoid evil, whatever path you take. I don’t think you’ll live long, prince of warriors— great battles are before you.”