The Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks is an Icelandic Fornaldarsaga from the 13th century that contains various Scandinavian traditions combined with a poem called Hlöðskviða which seems to preserve much older traditions based on events featuring battles between Goths and Huns in Migration Period Europe. Certain characters from Hlöðskviða also find parallels in the Old English Widsith.
The Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks tells the story of the mythical cursed sword (each time the sword is drawn from its scabbard it must kill a man) called Tyrfing and how it was forged by the Dwarves Dvalinn and Durin for king Svafrlami and how he lost it to the berserker Arngrim from Bolmsö who gave it to his son Angantyr. Angantyr died during a fight on Samsø against the Swedish hero Hjalmar, whose friend Orvar-Odd buried the cursed sword in a barrow together with Angantyr. In a particularly haunting section of the saga Angantyr's Valkyrie daughter, Valkyrie daughter, the shieldmaiden Hervor visits the barrow and retrieves the sword Tyrfing by summoning her dead father from the barrow to claim her inheritance. The the saga continues with her and her son Heidrek, his banishment from his father's kingdom and adventures with the sword Tyrfing. Heidrek's adventures take him to Reidgotaland, where he marries the kings daughter and has a son named Angantyr. Eventually Heidrek becomes ruler of the Goths and defeats the Hunnish king Humle in battle and captures his daughter Sifka, whom he raped. When Sifka becomes pregnant, she is sent back to her father's kingdom, where she has a son named Hlöd.
The saga now tells the story of how Angantyr inherits his father's kingdom in Gothland and how his stepbrother Hlöd with Hunnish backing arrives to claim half of the Gothic kingdom from his brother. Upon Angantyr's refusal of Hlöd's claim a huge battle ensues between Goths and Huns. The battle commences with an old and grizzled Gothic warrior named Gizur (Odin?) taunting the Huns. In the ensuing battle, Hervor, Angantyr's Valkyrie sister is slain by the invading Hunnish forces. The battle reaches its climatic conclusion with Hlöd's death at the hands of his half brother Angantyr. The final section of the saga is taken up by a somewhat dry section that links the saga to Scandinavian history.
The last section of the saga that includes the Hlöðskviða has become something of scholarly preoccupation with numerous scholars trying to identify the poem with various battles from the Migration Period. Candidates have included everything from the Battle of Nedao to Attila's Battle on the Catalaunian Plains. In this edition Tolkien puts forward is theory that the events in the poem "contain legend and not history" and that "the matter of legend has roots, however much transformed by poets" also that "no actual event has been found in the meagrely recorded history of those times, and surely never will be." The inclusion of a section in the Old English Widsith that mentions Heidrek (Heathoric) together with his sons Angantyr (Incgentheow) and Hlöð (Hlith) is ample proof that the story was well known throughout the Germanic speaking areas of Europe in the Middle Ages.
Christopher Tolkien's edition of this saga is excellent and contains an informative introduction, the Norse text of the saga and an English translation on the opposing page. There's also a few useful appendices that include translations from the beginning of a variant manuscript of the saga and parallels to the work from Örvar-Odds saga. Due to the Tolkien connection the original first edition of this book has become something of a collectors item and fetches high prices on the secondhand market, but the Official Tolkien Bookshop have recently released print on demand copies at a more reasonable price and are available to order on their site. Alternatively there's free downloadable pdf versions available from the Viking Societies online publications site.
Battle of the Goths and Huns, extracted from The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise
The Battle Of The Goths And Huns
Of old they said Humli
of Huns was ruler,
Gizur of the Gautar,
of Goths Agantyr,
Valdar the Danes ruled,
and the Valir Kjar,
Alrek the valiant
the English people.
Hlod, the son of King Heidrek, had been brought up in the halls
of King Humli, his mother's father, and he was the most valiant of all
men, and the most beautiful in appearance, There was an old saying
at that time, that a man was born with weapons or horses; and the
explanation of this is that it was said of those weapons which were
being made at the time when the man was born, and so likewise with
beasts. sheep, oxen, or horses, which were born at the same time: all
this was gathered together in honour of men of noble birth, as is told
here concerning Hlod, the son of Heidrek:
In the Hun-kingdom
was Hlod's birthplace,
with sword and cutlass
and corslet hanging,
ring-adorned helmet
and harsh-edged sword,
horse well-broken
in the holy forest.
Now Hlod learnt of the death of his father, and learnt too that
Agantyr his brother had been made king over all the realm which
their father had held. Then Humli the king and Hlod resolved that
Hlod should go and demand his inheritance from Agantyr his brother,
using fair words at first, as is thus told:
Hlod rode from the east,
heir of Heidrek,
he came to the court
claiming his birhtright,
to Arheimar,
the homes of the Goths;
there drank Agantyr
arval for Heidrek.
And so Hlod came to Arheimar with a great following, as is told in
this verse:
A man he found lingering
late in the open
by the high dwelling.
and hailed him thereafter:
Friend, now hasten
to the high dwelling,
demand of Agantyr
that with me he speak!
The man went in, up to the king's table, and hailed Agantyr with
fair words, and then he said:
Hlod is come here,
Heidrek's offspring,
your own brother,
for battle eager;
mighty this youth is
mounted on horseback;
king! he claims now
converse with you.
When the king heard that, he cast down his knife upon the board
and rose from the table; he put on his coat of mail, and took his white
shield in one hand and the sword Tyrfing in the other. Then there
arose a great din within the hall, as is thus told:
Clamour woke in the court,
with the king rising
each would hearken
to Hlod's greeting
and learn what answer
Agantyr gave.
'You are welcome, Hlod my brother! said Agantyr then. 'Come
in and drink with us; and first let us drink in memory of our
father, for concord between us, us for the honour of us all, with all
the dignity we have!'
But Hlod answered,'We have come here for something other than
the filling of our bellies.' Then he said:
Half will I have
of Heidrek's riches,
of cow and of calf,
of creaking handmill,
tools and weapons,
treasure undivided,
slave and bondmaid
and thier sons and daughters;
the renowned forest
that is named Mirkwood,
the hallowed grave
in Gothland standing,
the fair-wrought stone
beside the Dneiper,
half the armour
owned by Heidrek,
lands and leigemen
and lustrous rings!
Then Agantyr said,'You have no title to this land, and you are
resolved to deal unjustly'; and then he said:
The bright buckler
shall break, kinsman,
the cold lances
clash together,
grim men unnumbered
in the grass sinking,
ere the heritage I share
with Humli's grandson
or ever Tyrfing
in twain sunder!
Yet more Agantyr uttered:
I will give you
gleaming lances,
wealth and cattle
well to content you;
thralls a thousand,
a thousand horses,
a thousand bondsmen
bearing armour.
Each shall get of me
gifts in plenty,
nobler than all that
he now possess;
to every man
shall a maid be given,
the neck of each
by necklace clasped.
I will measure you in silver
as you sit in your chair,
upon your departing
I will pour down gold,
rings shall go rolling
round about you;
a third of Gothland
shall you govern over.
Gizur Grytingalidi, the foster-father of King Heidrek, was at
that time at the court of King Agantyr; he was now very aged.
When he heard Agantyr's offer it seemed that he offered too
much, and he said:
A bountiful offer
for a bondmaid's child-
child of a bondmaid.
though born to a king!
The bastard son
did sit on a mound
while the prince was
parting the heritage.
Hlod became greatly enraged at being called a bastard and the son
of a slave-girl, if he should accept his brother's offer, and immediately
he went away with all his following, and returned home to the land of
the Huns, to King Humli his mother's father, and told him that his
brother Agantyr has refused him an equal division of the inheritance.
Humli the king asked then concerning all that had passed, and he
was very angry that Hlod, his daughters son, should be called the son
of a bondmaid; and he said:
In winter unstirring
let us sit content,
in converse drinking
the costly wine;
let us teach the Huns
to tend their wargear,
which bold-hearted
we shall bear to war.
We shall for you, Hlod,
the host be armed,
fearless-hearted
shall we fight this war,
with twelve year-old warriors
and two-winter foals,
so shall we muster
the might of Hunland.
All that winter Humli and Hlod remained quiet; but in the spring
they gathered together an army so vast that afterwards the land of the
Huns was utterly despoiled of all it's fighting- men. All men went,
from twelve years old and upwards, who were able to bear weapons in
war, and all their horses went, of two years old or more. So great was
the multitude that the men of the phalanxes could be counted by their
thousands only, and by nothing less than thousands; a captain was set
over every thousand, and a standard over every phalanx. There were
five thousands in every phalanx, each thousand containing thirteen
hundreds, and in each hundred were four times forty men; these
phalanxes were thirty-three in number.
When this host had gaethered together they rode through the forest
called Mirkwood, which divided the land of the Huns from the land of
the Goths; and when they came out of the forest they were in a land
of broad populous tracts and level plains. On the plains stood a fair
stronghold, over which Hervor, the sister of Hlod and Agantyr, had
command, together with Ormar her foster-father; they were set there
to defend this land against the army of the Huns, and they had a strong garrison.
One morning at sunrise Hervor stood on a watchtower above the
fortress-gate, and she saw a great cloud of dust from horses' hooves
rising southwards toward the forest, which for a long time hid the sun.
Presently she saw a glittering beneath the dustcloud, as though she
were gazing on a mass of gold, bright shields overlaid with gold,
gilded helms and bright corslets; and then she saw that it was the
army of the Huns, and a mighty host.
Hervor went down swiftly and called her trumpeter, and ordered
him to blow a summons to the host; and then she said,'Take your
weapons and make ready for battle; but do you, ormar, ride to meet
the Huns and challenge them to battle before the south gate of the
stronghold.
Ormar answered:
Surely shall I ride,
my shield holding,
to give battle
for the Gothic people!
Then Ormar rode out of the fortress towards the Huns; he called
out in a great voice and told them to ride on to the fortress--' and out-
side the stronghold-gate, in the plains to the south, there I offer you
battle; and let them await the others, those who first come there'
Now Ormar rode back to the fortress, and Hervor was ready, and
all her army. They rode out of the stronghold with alll the garrison to
meet the Huns; and there a mighty battle arose. But since the
Huns had by far the larger army the slaughter became heavier in
Hervor's host; and at last Hervor fell, and a great compamy around
her. When Ormar saw her fall he fled away, and all the rest, who were
fainthearted. Day and night Ormar rode, as fast as he could, to reach
King Agantyr in Arheimar; but the Huns began now to ravage and
burn far and wide accross the land.
When Ormar came before Agantyr the king, he said:
From the south have I come
to speak these tidings:
fire in the marches
of Mirkwood is raging,
with the gore of men
all Gothland's sprinkled!
And more he spoke:
I know that Hervor
Heidrek's daughter,
your own sister,
has sunk to the earth;
the Hun foemen
felled the maiden
and many more
of your men by her--
In war more happy
than in wooer's converse,
or at a bridal banquet
on bench to seat her.
When King Agantyr heard this, he drew back his lips, and was
slow to speak; at last he said,' In no brotherly fashion have you been
treated, my noble sister.' Then he cast his eye over his following,
and no great company was there with him; and he said:
Full many we were
at the mead-drinking;
when more are needed
the number is smaller.
I see not the man
among my lieges, not though I begged him
and bribed him with rings,
who would surely ride,
his shield bearing,
to seek the host
of the Hun people.
Then Gizur the old spoke:
No single ounce
do I ask from you,
no single coin
of clinking gold;
yet ride I shall,
my shield bearing,
and to the Hun army
offer the war-staff.
Now it was the law of King Heidrek that if an army were invading
a land and the king of that country marked out a field with hazel-poles
and ordained a place of battle, then the raiders should do no ravaging
before the battle's issue was decided.
Gizur now clad himself for war with good weapons. and leapt upon
his horse as if he were a youth. Then he said to the king:
Where shall the Huns be
to war bidden?
The kind answered:
On the Danube-heath
below the Hills of Ash
shall you call them to fight,
their foes meeting;
there often Goths
have given battle,
renown gaining
in noble victories.
Now Gizur rode away until he came to the host of the Huns; but
he rode no nearer than within earshot, and called out in a great voice:
Daunted are your legions,
doomed your leader,
banners rise over you,
Odin is wrathful!
And then he said:
On the Danube-heath
below the Hills of Ash
I call you to fight,
your foes meeting;...
may Odin let the dart fly
as I prescribe it!
When Hlod heard the words of Gizur, he cried:
Seize you Gizur
Gryntingalidi,
Agantyr's man
come from Arheimar!
But Humli the king answered him, We must not harm heralds
who ride alone.'
Then Gizur said,' Neither the Huns nor their hornbows make us
afraid!' Then he struck spurs to his horse and rode back to King
Agantyr, and went before him, and greeted him with fair words.
The king asked whether he had met with the king of the Huns, and
Gizur answered, ' I spoke with them, and summoned them to the
battlefield on the Danube-heath, in the dales of strife.'
Agantyr asked how great was the host of the Huns, and Gizur
replied, ' Huge is their multitude':
Of soldiers have they
six phalanxes,
every phalanx
has five thousands,
every thousand
thirteen hundreds,
and a full hundred
is four times counted.
Agantyr learnt now of the strength of the Hunnish host, and then
he sent out messengers to every quarter, summoning to him every man
who could bear arms and would give him service. He marched then
to the Danube Heath with his army, and it was very great; and the
Hunnish host came against him, and it was as great again.
On the next day they began the battle, and all that day they fought,
and in the evening they went to their tents. They fought thus for
eight days without the captains being wounded, but no-one could
number the fallen. But both by day and night men thronged in to
Agantyr from every quarter, and thus it was that he had no fewer
men than at the beginning of the battle. And now the fighting grew
yet more bitter than before; the Huns were ferocious. seeing their
case, that only in victory lay hope of life, and that it would be of little
avail to ask quarter of the Goths. But the Goths were defending their
freedom and the land of their birth against the Huns, and for this they
stood firm, and each man urged on his comrade. When the day was
far spent the Goths pressed on so hard that the Hunnish legions gave
way before them; and seeing this Agantyr strode out from behind
the shield-wall and up into the foremost rank, and in his hand he held
Tyrfing, and he cut down both men and horses; then the ranks fell
apart before the kings of the Huns, and brother struck at brother.
There Hlod fell and Humli the king, and the Huns took to flight; but
the Goths slew them, and made such carnage that the rivers were
choked and turned from their courses, and the valleys were filled with
dead men and horses.
Agantyr went to search among the slain, and finding his brother
Hlod he said:
Treasures uncounted,
kinsman, I offered you,
wealth and cattle
well to content you;
but for war's reward
you have won neither
realm more spacious
nor rings glittering.
And then he said:
We are cursed, kinsman,
your killer am I!
It will never be forgotten;
the Norns doom is evil.
Christopher Tolkien translation.
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