Saturday, April 25, 2020

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.



[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.