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Hjaðningavíg (the 'battle of the Heodenings'[1]), thelegend of Heðinn and Hǫgni or theSaga of Hild is aGermanic heroic legend about a never-ending battle which is documented inSörla þáttr,Ragnarsdrápa,Gesta Danorum,Skíðaríma and inSkáldskaparmál. It is also held to appear on theimage stone at Stora Hammar onGotland[2] (see illustration). Moreover, it is alluded to in theOld English poemsDeor[1] andWidsið,[3] and in the Old NorseHáttalykill inn forni, and a version of it survived down to the 18th century in the traditionalNorn language ballad "Hildina".[4] An altered version of the saga is found in theMiddle High German poemKudrun, as a prologue to the story of Kudrun herself. Yet another version is found in the OldYiddishDukus Horant.
Like the namesHeðinn (O.E.Heoden) andHǫgni (O.E.Hagena), the legend is believed to have continental Germanic origins.[5]
In theSkáldskaparmál and inRagnarsdrápa, it is related that once when Hǫgni was away, his daughterHildr was kidnapped by a prince named Heðinn, the son ofHjarrandi (O.E. Heorrenda). When Hǫgni came back, he immediately started to search for her. In the older poemRagnarsdrápa, Hǫgni finally found her and the island where Heðinn waited with his army. This island is explained as the island ofHoy inOrkney bySnorri Sturluson inSkáldskaparmál.
Hildr welcomed her father and offered him peace and a necklace on behalf of Heðinn. However, Hǫgni had already unsheathed his swordDáinsleif, which gave wounds that never healed and likeTyrfing always killed a man once it had been unsheathed. A battle ensued and they fought all day and many died. In the evening Heðinn and Hǫgni returned to their camps, but Hildr stayed on the battle-field. She resurrected them with incantations and the fallen soldiers started to fight anew, and this went on untilRagnarök.
Sörla þáttr is a short story inFlateyjarbok, a collection of tales aboutNorwegiankings written by twoChristianpriests in the 15th century, owned by a family fromFlatey island. Sörla þáttr is about KingOlaf I of Norway (Olaf Tryggvason), who was the first to encourageChristianity inNorway andIceland.
The story borrowed parts ofHeimskringla, parts of the poemLokasenna (ofGefjon sleeping with a boy for a necklace), parts of theHúsdrápa poem (ofLoki stealing Brisingamen), and the eternal battleHjaðningavíg. In the end of the story, the arrival ofChristianity dissolves the old curse that traditionally was to endure untilRagnarök.
InSkíðaríma, the war threatens to destroyValhalla itself, and soOdin sendsThor to fetch Skíði, a pathetic beggar, so that he can stop the war. Skíði manages to stop the fight by asking to marry Hildr and she consents.
Saxo Grammaticus relates that Hithinus was the prince of a Norwegian tribe and a small man. Hithinus fell in love with Hilda, the daughter of Höginus, a strongly builtJutish chieftain. Hithinus and Hilda had in fact been so impressed with each other's reputation that they had fallen in love before meeting.
In spring, Hithinus and Höginus went pillaging together, and Höginus betrothed his daughter to Hithinus promising each other that they would avenge one another if anything happened.
However, evil tongues spread the rumour that Hithinus had touched Hilda before the betrothal. Höginus believed the false rumour and attacked Hithinus, but Höginus was beaten and returned to Jutland.
KingFrotho of Denmark tried to mediate, but had to decide that the matter be settled in aholmgang. During the combat Hithinus was seriously wounded, and started losing blood. Höginus decided to have mercy on Hithinus, because among the old Scandinavians it was considered shameful to kill someone who was weaker, and so Hithinus was taken home by his men.
For of old it was accounted shameful to deprive of his life one who was ungrown or a weakling; so closely did the antique bravery of champions take heed of all that could incline them to modesty. So Hedin, with the help of his men, was taken back to his ship, saved by the kindness of his foe.[6]
After seven years, the two men started to fight again but both died from their wounds. But, Hilda loved both so much, so that she used spells to conjure up the dead each night, and so the battle went on and on.
The battle is alluded to in the Old English 10th century poemDeor. The poet explains that he served the Heodenings (people of Heðinn) until Heorrenda a more skilled poet replaced him:
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The Heodenings and Heorrenda are probably mentioned inDeor to add a level of irony or humour. Being eternal, the tragedy of the Heodenings would not "go by".
Hjaðningavíg (The Battle of the Heodenings) tells the legend of two mortal warriors, Heðinn and Hǫgni as well as the female figure of Hildr Hǫgnadóttir. In a conflict between the two men over Hild, they meet in battle upon an island and are forced/cursed to rise and fight again every day for eternity. The legend can be found documented in numerous sources within the poetry of the Viking Age and into the Medieval literature with examples such as Sǫrla þáttr, Ragnarsdrápa, Gesta Danorum and Skáldskaparmál. Depictions of the narrative can also be identified upon two Gotlandic picture stones, Lärbro Stora Hammars I and Stenkyrka Smiss I.