The History of Hnefatafl

Tafl emk örr at efla,
íþróttir kannk níu,
týnik trauðla rúnum,
tíð er mér bók ok smíðir.

Skríða kannk á skíðum,
skýtk ok ræ´k, svát nýtir,
hvárt tveggja kannk hyggja
harpslótt ok bragþóttu.

Tæfl can I play,
nine skills do I know,
hardly I forget the runes,
deal with books and smithing.

I can slide on skis,
shooting and rowing are useful,
both of two things I know,
playing harp and speaking poetry.

Hringr hét konungr, er réð fyrir Svíþjóð. Hann mælti einn tíma heimugliga við vini sína: „Þat hefi ek spurt, at synir Bela konungs hafa slitit vinfengi við Friðþjóf, er ágætastr er allra þeira. Nú vil ek senda menn mína á fund þeira, at þeir gangi á hönd mér, ella mun ek gera lið á hendr þeim, ok mun laust fyrir liggja því at þeir hafa hvárki við mér liðsafla né vitsmuni, ok er gott á gamals aldri at vinna þá yfir.“
Sendimenn kómu til Bela sona ok mæltu svá: „Svíakonungr sendir ykkr orð ok vill, at þit gjaldið þeim skatt eða berizt við hann ella.“ En þeir sögðust eigi vilja þjóna honum á unga aldri við skömm ok svívirðing, ok fóru sendimenn með þeim orðum aptr til konungs síns.
En konungs synir söfnuðu liði ok fengu lítit lið ok sendu orð Friðþjófi ok báðu hann liðs, en hann sat at tafli, er sendimenn kómu til hans.
Þeir mæltu: „Konungar várir sendu þér kvedju ok vildu þiggja liðsinni þitt til orrostu með sér.“
Hann svaraði engu ok mælti við Björn: „Leita ráðs fyrir at tefla, því at tvíkostr er þér á tvá vega,“ sagði hann.
Þá mæltu sendimenn: „Heyrir þú várt mál?“
Friðþjófr svarar þeim, hann kveðst löngu heyra, „en lið mun ek þeim aldri veita.“
Síðan fóru sendimenn aptr ok sögðu svá búit þeim bræðrum.
Eptir þat bjuggust þeir til ferðarinnar ok kváðu þat mundu ráð að flytja systur sína í Baldrshaga ok átta konur með henni, „Því at þar er engi svá djarfr, at þar grandi neinu,“
því at þar var hof mikit ok goðablót ok skíðgarðr um hofit, ok skyldi þar ekki saman koma konur ok karlar.
Konungarnir fóru í hernað í móti Hringi konungi, sem fyrr var sagt.
Þat var einn tíma, er konungar báðir váru á burt farnir, at Friðþjófr bað sína menn at setja fram skipit Elliða, „ok vitum, hvárt hann kann ekki at skríða í Baldrshaga.“ Nú kómu þeir þar, ok váru viðtektir góðar. Settist Friðþjófr hjá konungsdóttur, ok allir hans menn skipuðu sæti.
Konungsdóttir mælti: „Fast sækir þú, Friðþjófr, er þú vilt halda hér fjórtánmenning í Baldrshaga.“
Hann svarar: „Ekki hirði ek um Baldr eða blót yður. Jafngóðir eru mér þínir málsendar hér sem heima.“
Þar skorti ekki drykk ok góða gleði. Fór nú svá fram hvern dag, á meðan konungar eru í burtu, at þeir fóru þangat at skemmta ser.

There was a king named Ring, who ruled over Ringrealm (Sweden), which also was in Norway: a mighty folk-king he was, and a great man, but come by now unto his latter days.
Now he spake to his men: „Lo, I have heard that the sons of King Bele have brought to nought their friendship with Frithiof, who is the noblest of men; wherefore will I send men to these kings, and bid them choose whether they will submit them to me and pay me tribute, or else that I bring war on them: and all things then shall lie ready to my hand to take, for they have neither might nor wisdom to withstand me; yet great fame were it to my old age to overcome them."
After that fared the messengers of King Ring, and found those brethren, Helge and Halfdan, in Sogn, and spake to them thus: „King Ring sends bidding to you to send him tribute, or else will he war against your realm."
They answered and said that they would not learn in the days of their youth what they would be loth to know in their old age, even how to serve King Ring with shame. „Nay, now shall we draw together all the folk that we may."
Even so they did; but now, when they beheld their force that it was but little, they sent Hilding their fosterer to Frithiof to bid him come help them against King Ring. Now Frithiof sat at the knaveplay (Hnefatafl) when Hilding came thither, who spake thus: „Our kings send thee greeting, Frithiof, and would have thy help in battle against King Ring, who cometh against their realm with violence and wrong."
Frithiof answered him nought, but said to Björn, with whom he was playing: „A bare place in thy board, foster-brother, and nowise mayst thou amend it; nay, for my part I shall beset thy red piece there, and wot whether it be safe."
Then Hilding spake again:
„King Helge bade me say thus much, Frithiof, that thou shouldst go on this journey with them, or else look for ill at their hands when they at the last come back."
„A double game, foster-brother," said Björn; „and two ways to meet thy play."
Frithiof said: „Thy play is to fall first on the knave, yet the double game is sure to be."
No other outcome of his errand had Hilding: he went back speedily to the kings, and told them Frithiof's answer.
They asked Hilding what he made out of those words. He said:
„Whereas he spake of the bare place he will have been thinking of the lack in this journey of yours; but when he said he would beset the red piece, that will mean Ingeborg, your sister; so give ye all the heed ye may to her. But whereas I threatened him with ill from you, Björn deemed the game a double one; but Frithiof said that the knave must be set on first, speaking thereby of King Ring."
So then the brethren arrayed them for departing; but, ere they went, they let bring Ingeborg and eight women with her to Baldershage (Tempel of the God Balder), as to go see her thither, since there was none who durst make riot there.
Then fared those brethren south to Jadar, and met King Ring in Sogn-Sound. Now, herewith was King Ring most of all wroth that the brothers had said that they accounted it a shame to fight with a man so old that he might not get a-horseback unholpen.

Ingeborg (Peter Nicolai Arbo)

Hittusk æsir
á Iðavelli,
þeir er hörg ok hof
hátimbruðu,
afla lögðu,
auð smíðuðu,
tangir skópu
ok tól gerðu.

Tefldu í túni,
teitir váru,
var þeim vættugis
vant ór gulli,
uns þrjár kvámu
þursa meyjar
ámátkar mjök
ór Jötunheimum.

The Anses met
at Ithavoll,
Hörg (Shrine) and Hof (temple)
they timbered high,
Forges they set,
and they smithied ore,
Tongs were wrought,
and tools they fashioned.

They played tafl, In their dwellings,
at frith (peace),
Of gold no lack,
did the gods then know,
Till thither came up
etin-maids three,
Hugh of might,
out of Jötunheim.

Þar munu eftir
undursamligar
gullnar töflur
í grasi finnask,
þærs í árdaga
áttar höfðu.

In wondrous beauty
once again
shall the golden taflstones stand
in the grass,
which the gods had owned,
in days of old.