Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar

When they came up on a mountain, they saw Sváfaland in flames and great clouds of dust rolling across the land coming from warriors on horseback.

It was the army of king Hróðmarr who also desired princess Sigrlinn, but had been denied and decided to attempt to seize her by force.

When this silent man had grown up, he was one day sitting on a hill, and he saw nine valkyries riding of whom Sváfa was the most beautiful one.

Sverð veit ek liggja í Sigarsholmi fjórum færi en fimm tögu; eitt er þeira öllum betra vígnesta böl ok varit gulli.

In the hilt is fame, in the haft is courage, In the point is fear, for its owner's foes; On the blade there lies a blood-flecked snake, And a serpent's tail round the flat is twisted.

One Yule, Helgi's brother Heðinn found a troll-woman riding on a wolf with snakes for bridles.

The troll woman cursed and said that he would come to regret his decision at the king's toast during the Yule festivities.

During the festivities, the men laid their hands on the sacred boar to swear their oaths and Heðinn vowed that he would have Sváfa, his brother's wife as his own.

He also informed Heðinn that king Hróðmar's son Álfr wanted to avenge his father and had challenged Helgi to a holmgang at Sigarsvoll which would take place three nights later.

Helgi then sent his companion Sigarr to king Eylimi in order to fetch Sváfa so that they could meet before he died.