The Lay of Frithgar and the Snow Maid; Part I. Prologue & Frithgar's Dream

From the Heimurinn Cycle

The Lay of Frithgar and the Snow Maid

Part I. Prologue & Frithgar's Dream

Here begins the tale of Frithgar Cold-Heart,

Son of Ivrik Arnbjornson,

Gothi of the Haekkadings, ruler of the mead-hall, Lindsulla

Widower of Ren and Rihildr

Slayer of Andgith Silver-Tongue and Rurik Unnurson

Frithgar sired no sons or daughters,

And his brothers and sisters had gone forth,

To sit among the gods

To feast with their ancestors,

In their great halls.

He was granted his name by his aett.

Named as such due to his frozen core.

As being left alone and weary,

Drives a man to hate the world.

And wish for death.

Hear this, the world is full of wicked men.

Who seek to gain much

With no effort

Or with sly words or tricks

And this brings us to Blasith the Trickster.

Blasith was a queer man.

Round and plump,

With breasts larger than the most buxom of maidens.

In fact, many have said that he was not actually a man at all

But a woman who could grow a beard.

No one ever saw Blasith bathe,

Nor change tunics 

Nor trim his shaggy beard.

And every small child knows,

Never trust a man who does not keep a neat set of bristles.

Now Blasith was welcomed by Frithgar

Into Lindsulla, the mead-hall

He was given a place by the fire and a hot meal,

And Frithgar shared his bed 

As is expected of any host.

While he sat next to the fire 

And ate his host’s food,

Blasith learned of Firthgar’s troubles and loneliness

He listened and played sympathetic

To the ails of his host.

It is known to all people of Midgard,

That should a gothi be slain,

He or she who does the slaying

May take the seat of the fallen

Assuming the challenger as the favor of the aett.

This task,

Blasith set out to do.

So he went to all the Haekkadings,

And began to sow the seeds

Of mistrust and doubt

Once the time was right

Blasith was to appear at Lindsulla,

Challenge Frithgar to single combat,

Slay the gothi 

And rule of the Haekkadings would be his.

While Blasith talked among the people,

Spredding falsehoods

And embodying, Loki the Frost Giant,

Frithgar had other things to think about

In fact, many believe, Blasith was actually the Trickster God in disguise.

Now Frithgar was beset by a dream.

This dream, was of great distress to Frithgar

And he could not discard what he had seen,

And one night he made a journey,

To speak to the Seer.

Hear that when a man or woman

Is distressed or has a question for the gods,

They must make a pilgrimage into the mountains

And there, they will the speak to the Seer.

The Seer had asked Firthgar, what he had seen while he slumbered.

He said, “I have seen a spring, cloaked with mist,

I have felt it’s warmth and smelt it’s pines

And heard the rapids it feeds 

And seen the light dancing across it’s bed

And seen the woman bathing in the pure waters.”

“Her hair was the color of wind-bitten cheeks of a Fjallar maid, in the dead of winter.

Her eyes were portals of the sea, during the calm after a great storm

And her skin, shone with the light of Sunna, And was smooth like that of a newborn babe,

And as pale as a freshly fallen snow.

And she sings sweet things in my ears while I sleep!”

Since the Seer knows many things of the world, She knew at once who Frithgar spoke of.

She told him, “I know of the maid, of who you speak.

She lives far away, in the frigid north.

She calls for a husband, as she is sad and alone.

Just as you, Frithgar, feel at Lindsulla.”

Frithgar who still mourned,

For his long dead wives,

Did not know what to make

Of the Seer’s words.

The Seer told him, “You must go questing to find her.”

He replied, “I cannot leave my home.

Winter is fast approaching 

And the north is covered with snow

Up to the eaves 

And lowermost braches!”

The Seer, cast a fist of herbs into the fire

And breathed deep.

“Leaving your home now,

May be the best course, for you to sail.

Renounce your position, and you will find your bathing maid.”

Frithgar asked, “Lo, you are very wise Seer! But how will I find this woman?”

The Seer breathed in the herb-smoke,

She said, “Find the lair of the giant,

Then you must walk along the serpents spine,

And in the dark forest, you will find your singing bath girl.”

Frithgar heeded the Seer’s words,

He left Lindsulla,

Only taking with him,

His cloak, and shield,

And his blade, Steelclaw.