Viktor Rydberg's Investigations into Germanic Mythology, Vol. II

conceal her sorrow, and the wedding became hers and Svipdag's. Sif's will and,
moreover, Svipdag's intention was to return Freyja to Asgard unviolated, since the Aesir
were their family's enemies, and he hated them too. He laid a naked sword in the conjugal
bed between himself and his bride. The following day, Freyja, again deep in dreams, was
led to Asgard by Sif. 33
88. Frey Returned to Asgard. The gods now knew where Frey could be found,
and Njörd, who long had looked for him in vain, traveled on Skidbladnir to the fogshrouded
skerries of Beli's giant-clan. There, Njörd surprised the thurses, put them to
flight, and, after a fortunate struggle, liberated his son. Frey himself slew Beli.
89. Halfdan’s Campaign into the North. In his Germanic kingdom south along
the Baltic Sea, Halfdan gathered a powerful army to reclaim his father's sacred land, the
Scandinavian peninsula, from the forces of winter. He equipped a fleet, and the army
landed in Aurvangaland. The Swedes, who now lived there, would not affiliate
themselves with the campaign. They wanted to keep the fertile fields they possessed
there. They found support from the giant clans living in the north, who opposed the
advancing procession. On his side, Halfdan received the support of the gods and of
Mimir's sons, so that the gods, the nature-smiths, the giants, and human heroes fought
beside one another in a bloody battle, in which Halfdan opened a path all the way to the
north. With astonishment, the Swedes noticed that their retreat was followed by Spring
and flowers, and flocks of migratory birds. Above Halfdan's fylkings (troops), Valkyries
with golden spears appeared. From their horses' manes and bridles dropped nourishing
dew over the fields, which for years had borne only frost-flowers. And the same Sindri-
Dvalin, under whose leadership the nature-smiths had previously withdrawn from the far
north, now traveled back in that direction and took part in the battle under Halfdan's
banner.
90. The Battle on the Ice was the name of one of the celebrated battles. Frey,
Delling, Dag, Sindri and another son of Mimir, Bjarr, took part in this battle, and so too
the ruler of the settlers, Vifill. Another bloody battle occurred on Moin's Heath.
91. Hildiger. In one of these battles, Hildiger, Halfdan's half-brother, fell while
he fought on the side of the Swedes. In a previous marriage with the progenitor of the
Hildings, Drott had borne Hildiger in Svithjod. She then had had Halfdan with Skjöld-
Borgar in Denmark. Hildiger fell in battle with Halfdan, whose life he had wanted to
spare. Dying, he revealed to Halfdan who he was, and asked to be wrapped in his
brother's cloak.
92. Battles on the Western Sea and the Baltic. In connection with Halfdan's
advance by land, there were advances by water on the Western Sea and on the Baltic
against the powers of winter. Sindri's brothers, Brokk and Bjarr, cleansed the Western sea
of thurs-monsters. Thor and Thjalfi freed the Danish and Swedish islands from magic and
giants. On Hlessey (Lässo), Thjalfi came close to being killed by furious giantesses, but
was rescued by Thor.
33 In Saxo Grammaticus' Danish History Book 7, the source of this tale, Svipdag (Otharus) leaves Freyja
(Syritha) alone wandering in the realm of the giants after rescuing her from the goatherd. She then descends
the rocky terrain "in the manner common in antiquity" (probably in her falcon-guise) and comes to Egil's
house ahead of Svipdag. The events that follow are perhaps better placed after section 98, where Svipdag
obtains the sword of revenge. Thus, the sword laid between him and Freyja on their wedding night would
be Völund's sword. Afterwards, Sif returns Freyja to Asgard. Rydberg suggests elsewhere that Njörd
spirited Freyja away from Egil's house.