Now Sigurd rides away; many-folded is his shield,
an blazing with red gold, and the image of a dragon is drawn thereon;
and this same was dark brown above, and bright red below; and with even
such-like image was adorned helm, and saddle, and coat-armour; and he
was clad in the golden byrny, and all his weapons were gold wrought.
Now for this cause was the drake drawn on all his weapons,
that when he was seen of men, all folk might know who went there; yea,
all those who had heard of his slaying of that great dragon, that the
Voerings call Fafnir, and for that cause are his weapons gold-wrought,
and brown of hue, and that he was by far above other men in courtesy
and goodly manners, and well-nigh in all things else; and whenas folk
tell of all the mightiest champions, and the noblest chiefs, then ever
is he named the foremost, and his name goes wide about on all tongues
north of the sea of the Greek-lands, and even so shall it be while the
world endures.
Now the hair of this Sigurd was golden-red of hue, fair
of fashion, and falling down in great locks; thick and short was his
beard, and of no other colour, high-nosed he was, broad and high- boned
of face; so keen were his eyes, that few durst gaze up under the brows
of him; his shoulders were as broad to look on as the shoulders of two;
most duly was his body fashioned betwixt height and breadth, and in
such wise as was seemliest; and this is the sign told of his height,
that when he was girt with his sword Gram, which same was seven spans
long, as he went through the full-grown rye-fields, the dew-shoe of
the said sword smote the ears of the standing corn; and, for all that,
;~greater was his strength than his growth: well could he wield sword,
and cast forth spear, shoot shaft, and hold shield, bend bow, back horse,
and do all the goodly deeds that he learned in his youth's days.
Wise he was to know things yet undone; and the voice
of all fowls he knew, wherefore few things fell on him unawares.
Of many words he was and so fair of speech withal, that
whensoever he made it his business to speak, he never left speaking
before that to all men it seemed full sure, that no otherwise must the
matter be than as he said.
His sport and pleasure it was to give aid to his own
folk, and to prove himself in mighty matters, to take wealth from his
unfriends, and give the same to his friends.
Never did he lose heart, and of naught was he adrad.