ENDNOTES:
(1) May (A.S. "maeg"), a maid.
CHAPTER III.
Of the Sword that Sigmund, Volsung's son, drew from the
Branstock.
There was a king called Siggeir, who ruled over Gothland, a
mighty king and of many folk; he went to meet Volsung, the king,
and prayed him for Signy his daughter to wife; and the king took
his talk well, and his sons withal, but she was loth thereto, yet
she bade her father rule in this as in all other things that
concerned her, so the king took such rede (1) that he gave her to
him, and she was betrothed to King Siggeir; and for the
fulfilling of the feast and the wedding, was King Siggeir to come
to the house of King Volsung. The king got ready the feast
according to his best might, and when all things were ready, came
the king's guests and King Siggeir withal at the day appointed,
and many a man of great account had Siggeir with him.
The tale tells that great fires were made endlong the hall, and
the great tree aforesaid stood midmost thereof, withal folk say
that, whenas men sat by the fires in the evening, a certain man
came into the hall unknown of aspect to all men; and suchlike
array he had, that over him was a spotted cloak, and he was bare-
foot, and had linen-breeches knit tight even unto the bone, and
he had a sword in his hand as he went up to the Branstock, and a
slouched hat upon his head: huge he was, and seeming-ancient, and
one-eyed.
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