Heiðreks saga/Hervarar saga/The saga of King Heiðrek
the Wise
Chapter 1
King Sigrlami of Gardaríki1 has a daughter named Eyfura. He obtains from the dwarves a sword
named Tyrfing. Every time it is drawn light shines from it like a ray of sun and it can only be sheathed
after it has killed a man & with the blood still warm on it. Anyone who is wounded by it can no
longer live, regardless of the size of the wound, and anyone carrying the sword into battle will be
victorious.
Chapter 2
Angrím, a great viking, becomes Sigrlami’s captain of the army and later marries Eyfura. He inherits
the sword and settles on an island called Bólm. He gets 12 sons, all berserks. 2 They win each battle
and every king grants them what they demand.
On one Yule-eve they all make solemn vows, as is custom. Hjörvard vows he will marry the daughter
of King Ingjald of Sweden, Ingibjörg. That spring the brothers go to Uppsala where Hjörvard
proposes. As the king is thinking, a man named Hjálmar the Great-Hearted says he deserves to marry
the princess more, because he fought for the king. The king says that his daughter should choose.
Ingibjörg chooses Hjálmar, because she, y’know, actually personally knows him, so Hjörvard
challenges Hjálmar to a duel at Sámsey. 3
The brothers travel home and tell their father about this. Then they travel to the jarl Bjarmar, and
Angantýr marries his daughter Sváfa. 4 Angantýr dreams that he and his brothers arrive at Sámsey,
where they kill a whole bunch of birds, then battle with two eagles of which Angantýr kills one and
his brothers attempt to kill the other, but the eagle has the upper hand. The jarl says that this reveals
the downfall of mighty men.
1
The name of the Swedish realm in Russia, extending sourth from lake Ladoga into the lands of the Dniper.
2
You can find the full family tree here.
3
Honestly, that’s only just proving she made the correct choice imo.
4
the Wise
Chapter 1
King Sigrlami of Gardaríki1 has a daughter named Eyfura. He obtains from the dwarves a sword
named Tyrfing. Every time it is drawn light shines from it like a ray of sun and it can only be sheathed
after it has killed a man & with the blood still warm on it. Anyone who is wounded by it can no
longer live, regardless of the size of the wound, and anyone carrying the sword into battle will be
victorious.
Chapter 2
Angrím, a great viking, becomes Sigrlami’s captain of the army and later marries Eyfura. He inherits
the sword and settles on an island called Bólm. He gets 12 sons, all berserks. 2 They win each battle
and every king grants them what they demand.
On one Yule-eve they all make solemn vows, as is custom. Hjörvard vows he will marry the daughter
of King Ingjald of Sweden, Ingibjörg. That spring the brothers go to Uppsala where Hjörvard
proposes. As the king is thinking, a man named Hjálmar the Great-Hearted says he deserves to marry
the princess more, because he fought for the king. The king says that his daughter should choose.
Ingibjörg chooses Hjálmar, because she, y’know, actually personally knows him, so Hjörvard
challenges Hjálmar to a duel at Sámsey. 3
The brothers travel home and tell their father about this. Then they travel to the jarl Bjarmar, and
Angantýr marries his daughter Sváfa. 4 Angantýr dreams that he and his brothers arrive at Sámsey,
where they kill a whole bunch of birds, then battle with two eagles of which Angantýr kills one and
his brothers attempt to kill the other, but the eagle has the upper hand. The jarl says that this reveals
the downfall of mighty men.
1
The name of the Swedish realm in Russia, extending sourth from lake Ladoga into the lands of the Dniper.
2
You can find the full family tree here.
3
Honestly, that’s only just proving she made the correct choice imo.
4
