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Would you, Heimdall, hold me back?" said Thor. "Yes, for I am Keeper of the Way to the Norns," said Heimdall. "You with the mighty hammer you carry are too weighty for this way. The bridge I guard would break under you, Thor with the hammer." "Nevertheless I will go visit the Norns with Odin and my comrades," said Thor. "But not this way, Thor," said Heimdall.
Then, perchance, leaving all my lands and goods, I will take thy hand, Eric, and we will fare together to England, seeking such fortune as the Norns may give us. What sayest thou?" "I say it is a good rede, and would that the spring were come." "Ay, Eric, would that the spring were come. Our lot has been hard, and I doubt much if things will go well with us at the last.
"Hail, prince with the gleaming eye! I know thee, and I know the woof that the Norns have woven for thee. Welcome to my lonely mountain home! Come and sit by my side in the high-seat where man has never sat, and I will tell thee of things that have been, and of things that are yet to be." Then Siegfried fearlessly went and sat by the side of the ancient wise one.
There stood the low hut of a witch who lived in darkness, and, like the Norns, spun the thread of fate for gods and men. Odin stood before the hut, and sang a wondrous song of witchery and enchantment; and he laid a spell upon the weird woman, and forced her to come out of her dark dwelling, and to answer his questions. "Who is this stranger?" asked the witch.
And the burden of common things would surely be all unmeet for her after what she has borne hither." "It is well said, Leva, my wife," my father answered. From that time he was cheerful, and told us how it was certain that we had been brought here for good, seeing that the Norns must have led the stones to the haven, so that this must be the place that we sought.
Its roots ran in three directions, to heaven, to the frost giants' home and to the under-world, beneath the earth. Near the roots in the dark under-world sat the Norns, or fates. Each held a bowl with which she dipped water out of a sacred spring and poured it upon the roots of the ash tree. This was the reason why this wonderful tree was always growing, and why it grew as high as the sky.
"I will turn winter into summer; I will make the desert-places glad; I will bring back the golden age; I will make myself a god: for mine shall be the wisdom and the gathered wealth of the world. And yet I fear" "What do you fear?" "The ring, the ring it is accursed! The Norns, too, have spoken, and my doom is known. I cannot escape it."
He sang her one night as she lay in his arms the terrible Song of Helgi and Sigrun. Certainly Death and Love embrace in that. Helgi was a Wolfing, the son of Sigmund and Borghild. He was forecast a hero by the Norns, and at fifteen slew Hunding, who had slain his father. The sons of Hunding gathered themselves Alf and Eywolf, Hiorward and Haward and the hosts met in the plain under Lowfell.
In one place at the roots of Yggdrasil was a fair fountain called the Urdar-well, where the three Norn maidens, who knew the past, present, and future, dwelt with their pets, the two white swans. This was magic water in the fountain, which the Norns sprinkled every day upon the giant tree to keep it green water so sacred that everything which entered it became white as the film of an eggshell.
But I am also fair, and, if I find space to strike in, I also have a show of strength. Pray thou that I find not space, Gudruda. Now is Eric thine. Perchance one day he may be mine. It lies in the lap of the Norns." "Fair words from Atli's bride," mocked Gudruda. "Ay, Atli's bride, but never Atli's love!" said Swanhild, and swept on. A while after Eric rode up.
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