Sigemund and the Wyrm

 

"A serpent, a winged serpent and a dragon" woodcut by Conrad Gessner (1613).

Translated from Old English by Þórbeorht, Ealdorblótere of the Ealdríce, for his book Of Ghosts and Godpoles: Theodish Essays Pertaining to the Reconstruction of Saxon Heathen Belief, Both Old and Anglo.

Sigemund and the Wyrm (Beowulf 875-900)

 wélhwylc gecwæð

                          well-all he quoth

þæt hé fram Sigemunde     secgan hyrde 

that he of Sigemund     heard spoke

ellendaédum     uncúþes fela

bold-deeds     many uncouth[i]

Wælsinges gewin     wíde síðas

the Wælsing’s[ii] wars     wide wanderings

þára þe gumena bearn     gearwe ne wiston

thereof which the bairns of men     yare not wist[iii]

fǽhðe ond fyrena     búton Fitela mid hine

feuds and foul deeds[iv]     but Fitela, with him,

þonne hé swulces hwæt     secgan wolde

then of such things     he would speak

éam his nefan     swá híe á waeron

[as an] uncle [to] his nephew     as they ever were

æt níða gehwám     nýdgesteallan

against every evil     need-stabled companions

hæfdon ealfela     eotena cynnes

had all-many     of the kindreds of Eaters (Devourers, Giants)

sweordum gesaeged     Sigemunde gesprong

with swords laid low.     Sigemund sprang

æfter déaðdæge     dóm unlýtel

after his death-day     [of] no little doom

syþðan wíges heard     wyrm ácwealde

since the war-hardened one[v]     quelled the Wyrm,

hoards hyrde     hé under hárne stán

hoard’s hearder,     he under hoary stone,

æþelinges bearn     ána genéðde

atheling’s bairn     alone dared

frécne daéde     ne waes him Fitela mid

the fierce deed.     Not with him was Fitela.

hwæþre him gesaelde     ðæt þæt swurd þurhwód

It befell him however     that the sword through-waded

wrætlícne wyrm     þæt hit on wealle ætstód

wondrously-bejeweled [vi] Wyrm     that it a-stood[vii] on the wall

dryhtlíc íren     draca morðre swealt

drightlike[viii] iron     [the]Drake sweltered[ix] in its murder

hæfde áglæca     elne gegongen

the wicked-leech[x] had     by boldness overcame

þæt hé béahhoard     brúcan móste

that, of the ring-hoard, he     might brook

selfes dome     sæbát gehléod

self’s doom.     Sea-boat loaded

bær on bearm scipes     beorhte frætwa

bore on ship’s bosom     bright treasures,

Wælses eafera     Wyrm hát gemealt

Wæls’ heir.     The hot Wyrm melted.

se wæs wreccena     wíde mærost

That wretch was     widely renown

ofer werþéode     wígendra hléo

over the tribes of men     the lee[xi] of warriors

ellendaédum     hé þæs ær onðáh

for bold-deeds.     He thus ere throve.

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[i] unknown, strange

[ii] Sigemund the son of Wæl

[iii]  Are equipped without knowledge (do not know)

[iv] Seamus Heaney translates this as “feuds and foul doings.”  Benjamin Slade translated it as “feuds and feats of arms.”  Fyren (Firen) has only negative connotations. Bosworth-Toller defines it as “wicked deed, sin, crime.”  T’would seem as if Sigemund was not without fault.

[v] Literally, “war’s hard” with hard being a noun meaning “hard object.”

[vi] Wrætlíc from wræt, “ornament, work of art, jewel” and líc (-like). Most translations render this as “wondrous” for the purpose of alliterating with Wyrm. I have expounded upon this some to keep the alliteration yet convey the beauty of the beast.

[vii] This conveys the image of the dragon pinned through, like a butterfly, against the wall.

[viii] Drighten (warlord)-like, becoming of a warlord, becoming of a noble.

[ix] The OE: sweltan originally meant “to die”.

[x] Áglæca is generally translated as “monster” or “demon.”  Its etymology is disputed. It is generally agreed that ág means “wicked” yet læca could mean “leech,” an old world use for a healer, or it could possibly be a variant of lác, a word which means “play, sport, dance” but which also means “sacrifice.”

[xi] The lee of warriors, the shelter of warriors, a lord.