When it was the morning, all the host of the Markmen was astir on either side of the water, and when they had broken their fast, they got speedily into array, and were presently on the road again; and the host was now strung out longer yet, for the space between water and wood once more diminished till at last it was no wider than ten men might go abreast2, and looking ahead it was as if the wild-wood swallowed up both river and road.
But the fighting-men hastened on merrily with their hearts raised high, since they knew that they would soon be falling in with more of their people, and the coming fight was growing a clearer picture to their eyes; so from side to side of the river they shouted out the cries of their Houses, or friend called to friend across the eddies3 of Mirkwood-water, and there was game and glee enough.
So they fared till the wood gave way before them, and lo, the beginning of another plain, somewhat like the Mid-mark. There also the water widened out before them, and there were eyots in it with stony4 shores crowned with willow5 or with alder6, and aspens rising from the midst of them.
But as for the plain, it was thus much different from Mid-mark, that the wood which begirt it rose on the south into low hills, and away beyond them were other hills blue in the distance, for the most bare of wood, and not right high, the pastures of the wild-bull and the bison, whereas now dwelt a folk somewhat scattered7 and feeble; hunters and herdsmen, with little tillage about their abodes8, a folk akin10 to the Markmen and allied11 to them. They had come into those parts later than the Markmen, as the old tales told; which said moreover that in days gone by a folk dwelt among those hills who were alien from the Goths, and great foes13 to the Markmen; and how that on a time they came down from their hills with a great host, together with new-comers of their own blood, and made their way through the wild-wood, and fell upon the Upper-mark; and how that there befel a fearful battle that endured for three days; and the first day the Aliens worsted the Markmen, who were but a few, since they were they of the Upper-mark only. So the Aliens burned their houses and slew14 their old men, and drave off many of their women and children; and the remnant of the men of the Upper-mark with all that they had, which was now but little, took refuge in an island of Mirkwood-water, where they fenced themselves as well as they could for that night; for they expected the succour of their kindred of the Mid-mark and the Nether-mark, unto whom they had sped the war-arrow when they first had tidings of the onset15 of the Aliens.
So at the sun-rising they sacrificed to the Gods twenty chieftains of the Aliens whom they had taken, and therewithal a maiden16 of their own kindred, the daughter of their war-duke, that she might lead that mighty17 company to the House of the Gods; and thereto was she nothing loth, but went right willingly.
There then they awaited the onset. But the men of Mid-mark came up in the morning, when the battle was but just joined, and fell on so fiercely that the aliens gave back, and then they of the Upper-mark stormed out of their eyot, and fell on over the ford18, and fought till the water ran red with their blood, and the blood of the foemen. So the Aliens gave back before the onset of the Markmen all over the meads; but when they came to the hillocks and the tofts of the half-burned habitations, and the wood was on their flank, they made a stand again, and once more the battle waxed hot, for they were very many, and had many bow-men: there fell the War-duke of the Markmen, whose daughter had been offered up for victory, and his name was Agni, so that the tofts where he fell have since been called Agni’s Tofts. So that day they fought all over the plain, and a great many died, both of the Aliens and the Markmen, and though these last were victorious19, yet when the sun went down there still were the Aliens abiding20 in the Upper-mark, fenced by their wain-burg, beaten, and much diminished in number, but still a host of men: while of the Markmen many had fallen, and many more were hurt, because the Aliens were good bowmen.
But on the morrow again, as the old tale told, came up the men of the Nether-mark fresh and unwounded; and so the battle began again on the southern limit of the Upper-mark where the Aliens had made their wain-burg. But not long did it endure; for the Markmen fell on so fiercely, that they stormed over the wain-burg, and slew all before them, and there was a very great slaughter21 of the Aliens; so great, tells the old tale, that never again durst they meet the Markmen in war.
Thus went forth22 the host of the Markmen, faring along both sides of the water into the Upper-mark; and on the west side, where went the Wolfings, the ground now rose by a long slope into a low hill, and when they came unto the brow thereof, they beheld23 before them the whole plain of the Upper-mark, and the dwellings25 of the kindred therein all girdled about by the wild-wood; and beyond, the blue hills of the herdsmen, and beyond them still, a long way aloof27, lying like a white cloud on the verge28 of the heavens, the snowy tops of the great mountains. And as they looked down on to the plain they saw it embroidered29, as it were, round about the habitations which lay within ken1 by crowds of many people, and the banners of the kindreds and the arms of men; and many a place they saw named after the ancient battle and that great slaughter of the Aliens.
On their left hand lay the river, and as it now fairly entered with them into the Upper-mark, it spread out into wide rippling30 shallows beset31 with yet more sandy eyots, amongst which was one much greater, rising amidmost into a low hill, grassy32 and bare of tree or bush; and this was the island whereon the Markmen stood on the first day of the Great Battle, and it was now called the Island of the Gods.
Thereby33 was the ford, which was firm and good and changed little from year to year, so that all Markmen knew it well and it was called Battleford: thereover now crossed all the eastern companies, footmen and horsemen, freemen and thralls34, wains and banners, with shouting and laughter, and the noise of horns and the lowing of neat, till all that plain’s end was flooded with the host of the Markmen.
But when the eastern-abiders had crossed, they made no stay, but went duly ordered about their banners, winding35 on toward the first of the abodes on the western side of the water; because it was but a little way southwest of this that the Thing-stead of the Upper-mark lay; and the whole Folk was summoned thither36 when war threatened from the South, just as it was called to the Thing-stead of the Nether-mark, when the threat of war came from the North. But the western companies stayed on the brow of that low hilt till all the eastern men were over the river, and on their way to the Thing-stead, and then they moved on.
So came the Wolfings and their fellows up to the dwellings of the northernmost kindred, who were called the Daylings, and bore on their banner the image of the rising sun. Thereabout was the Mark somewhat more hilly and broken than in the Mid-mark, so that the Great Roof of the Daylings, which was a very big house, stood on a hillock whose sides had been deft37 down sheer on all sides save one (which was left as a bridge) by the labour of men, and it was a very defensible place.
Thereon were now gathered round about the Roof all the stay-at-homes of the kindred, who greeted with joyous38 cries the men-at-arms as they passed. Albeit39 one very old man, who sat in a chair near to the edge of the sheer hill looking on the war array, when he saw the Wolfing banner draw near, stood up to gaze on it, and then shook his head sadly, and sank back again into his chair, and covered his face with his hands: and when the folk saw that, a silence bred of the coldness of fear fell on them, for that elder was deemed a foreseeing man.
But as those three fellows, of whose talk of yesterday the tale has told, drew near and beheld what the old carle did (for they were riding together this day also) the Beaming man laid his hand on Wolfkettle’s rein26 and said:
“Lo you, neighbour, if thy Vala hath seen nought40, yet hath this old man seen somewhat, and that somewhat even as the little lad saw it. Many a mother’s son shall fall before the Welshmen.”
But Wolfkettle shook his rein free, and his face reddened as of one who is angry, yet he kept silence, while the Elking said:
“Let be, Toti! for he that lives shall tell the tale to the foreseers, and shall make them wiser than they are to-day.”
Then laughed Toti, as one who would not be thought to be too heedful of the morrow. But Wolfkettle brake out into speech and rhyme, and said:
“O warriors41, the Wolfing kindred shall live or it shall die;
And alive it shall be as the oak-tree when the summer storm goes by;
But dead it shall be as its bole, that they hew43 for the corner-post
Of some fair and mighty folk-hall, and the roof of a war-fain host.”
So therewith they rode their ways past the abode9 of the Daylings.
Straight to the wood went all the host, and so into it by a wide way cleft44 through the thicket45, and in some thirty minutes they came thereby into a great wood-lawn cleared amidst of it by the work of men’s hands. There already was much of the host gathered, sitting or standing46 in a great ring round about a space bare of men, where amidmost rose a great mound47 raised by men’s hands and wrought48 into steps to be the sitting-places of the chosen elders and chief men of the kindred; and atop the mound was flat and smooth save for a turf bench or seat that went athwart it whereon ten men might sit.
All the wains save the banner-wains had been left behind at the Dayling abode, nor was any beast there save the holy beasts who drew the banner-wains and twenty white horses, that stood wreathed about with flowers within the ring of warriors, and these were for the burnt offering to be given to the Gods for a happy day of battle. Even the war-horses of the host they must leave in the wood without the wood-lawn, and all men were afoot who were there.
For this was the Thing-stead of the Upper-mark, and the holiest place of the Markmen, and no beast, either neat, sheep, or horse might pasture there, but was straightway slain49 and burned if he wandered there; nor might any man eat therein save at the holy feasts when offerings were made to the Gods.
So the Wolfings took their place there in the ring of men with the Elkings on their right hand and the Beamings on their left. And in the midst of the Wolfing array stood Thiodolf clad in the dwarf-wrought hauberk: but his head was bare; for he had sworn over the Cup of Renown50 that he would fight unhelmed throughout all that trouble, and would bear no shield in any battle thereof however fierce the onset might be.
Short, and curling close to his head was his black hair, a little grizzled, so that it looked like rings of hard dark iron: his forehead was high and smooth, his lips full and red, his eyes steady and wide-open, and all his face joyous with the thought of the fame of his deeds, and the coming battle with a foeman whom the Markmen knew not yet.
He was tall and wide-shouldered, but so exceeding well fashioned of all his limbs and body that he looked no huge man. He was a man well beloved of women, and children would mostly run to him gladly and play with him. A most fell warrior42 was he, whose deeds no man of the Mark could equal, but blithe51 of speech even when he was sorrowful of mood, a man that knew not bitterness of heart: and for all his exceeding might and valiancy, he was proud and high to no man; so that the very thralls loved him.
He was not abounding52 in words in the field; nor did he use much the custom of those days in reviling53 and defying with words the foe12 that was to be smitten54 with swords.
There were those who had seen him in the field for the first time who deemed him slack at the work: for he would not always press on with the foremost, but would hold him a little aback, and while the battle was young he forbore to smite55, and would do nothing but help a kinsman56 who was hard pressed, or succour the wounded. So that if men were dealing57 with no very hard matter, and their hearts were high and overweening, he would come home at whiles with unbloodied blade. But no man blamed him save those who knew him not: for his intent was that the younger men should win themselves fame, and so raise their courage, and become high-hearted and stout58.
But when the stour was hard, and the battle was broken, and the hearts of men began to fail them, and doubt fell upon the Markmen, then was he another man to see: wise, but swift and dangerous, rushing on as if shot out by some mighty engine: heedful of all, on either side and in front; running hither and thither as the fight failed and the fire of battle faltered59; his sword so swift and deadly that it was as if he wielded60 the very lightening of the heavens: for with the sword it was ever his wont62 to fight.
But it must be said that when the foemen turned their backs, and the chase began, then Thiodolf would nowise withhold63 his might as in the early battle, but ever led the chase, and smote64 on the right hand and on the left, sparing none, and crying out to the men of the kindred not to weary in their work, but to fulfil all the hours of their day.
For thuswise would he say and this was a word of his:
“Let us rest to-morrow, fellows, since to-day we have fought amain!
Let not these men we have smitten come aback on our hands again,
And say ‘Ye Wolfing warriors, ye have done your work but ill,
Fall to now and do it again, like the craftsman65 who learneth his skill.’”
Such then was Thiodolf, and ever was he the chosen leader of the Wolfings and often the War-duke of the whole Folk.
By his side stood the other chosen leader, whose name was Heriulf; a man well stricken in years, but very mighty and valiant66; wise in war and well renowned67; of few words save in battle, and therein a singer of songs, a laugher, a joyous man, a merry companion. He was a much bigger man than Thiodolf; and indeed so huge was his stature68, that he seemed to be of the kindred of the Mountain Giants; and his bodily might went with his stature, so that no one man might deal with him body to body. His face was big; his cheek-bones high; his nose like an eagle’s neb, his mouth wide, his chin square and big; his eyes light-grey and fierce under shaggy eyebrows69: his hair white and long.
Such were his raiment and weapons, that he wore a coat of fence of dark iron scales sewn on to horse-hide, and a dark iron helm fashioned above his brow into the similitude of the Wolf’s head with gaping70 jaws71; and this he had wrought for himself with his own hands, for he was a good smith. A round buckler he bore and a huge twibill, which no man of the kindred could well wield61 save himself; and it was done both blade and shaft72 with knots and runes in gold; and he loved that twibill well, and called it the Wolf’s Sister.
There then stood Heriulf, looking no less than one of the forefathers73 of the kindred come back again to the battle of the Wolfings.
He was well-beloved for his wondrous74 might, and he was no hard man, though so fell a warrior, and though of few words, as aforesaid, was a blithe companion to old and young. In numberless battles had he fought, and men deemed it a wonder that Odin had not taken to him a man so much after his own heart; and they said it was neighbourly done of the Father of the Slain to forbear his company so long, and showed how well he loved the Wolfing House.
For a good while yet came other bands of Markmen into the Thing-stead; but at last there was an end of their coming. Then the ring of men opened, and ten warriors of the Daylings made their way through it, and one of them, the oldest, bore in his hand the War-horn of the Daylings; for this kindred had charge of the Thing-stead, and of all appertaining to it. So while his nine fellows stood round about the Speech-Hill, the old warrior clomb up to the topmost of it, and blew a blast on the horn. Thereon they who were sitting rose up, and they who were talking each to each held their peace, and the whole ring drew nigher to the hill, so that there was a clear space behind them ’twixt them and the wood, and a space before them between them and the hill, wherein were those nine warriors, and the horses for the burnt-offering, and the altar of the Gods; and now were all well within ear-shot of a man speaking amidst the silence in a clear voice.
But there were gathered of the Markmen to that place some four thousand men, all chosen warriors and doughty75 men; and of the thralls and aliens dwelling24 with them they were leading two thousand. But not all of the freemen of the Upper-mark could be at the Thing; for needs must there be some guard to the passes of the wood toward the south and the hills of the herdsmen, whereas it was no wise impassable to a wisely led host: so five hundred men, what of freemen, what of thralls, abode there to guard the wild-wood; and these looked to have some helping76 from the hill-men.
Now came an ancient warrior into the space between the men and the wild-wood holding in his hand a kindled77 torch; and first he faced due south by the sun, then, turning, he slowly paced the whole circle going from east to west, and so on till he had reached the place he started from: then he dashed the torch to the ground and quenched78 the fire, and so went his ways to his own company again.
Then the old Dayling warrior on the mound-top drew his sword, and waved it flashing in the sun toward the four quarters of the heavens; and thereafter blew again a blast on the War-horn. Then fell utter silence on the whole assembly, and the wood was still around them, save here and there the stamping of a war-horse or the sound of his tugging79 at the woodland grass; for there was little resort of birds to the depths of the thicket, and the summer morning was windless.
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1
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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eddies
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| （水、烟等的）漩涡，涡流( eddy的名词复数 ) | |
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stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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alder
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| n.赤杨树 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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abodes
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| 住所( abode的名词复数 )； 公寓； （在某地的）暂住； 逗留 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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14
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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15
onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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abiding
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| adj.永久的，持久的，不变的 | |
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slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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24
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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29
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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30
rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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32
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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33
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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34
thralls
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| n.奴隶( thrall的名词复数 )；奴役；奴隶制；奴隶般受支配的人 | |
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35
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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deft
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| adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手） | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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41
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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42
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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43
hew
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| v.砍；伐；削 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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51
blithe
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| adj.快乐的，无忧无虑的 | |
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52
abounding
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| adj.丰富的，大量的v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的现在分词 ) | |
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reviling
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| v.辱骂，痛斥( revile的现在分词 ) | |
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smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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smite
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| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
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56
kinsman
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| n.男亲属 | |
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57
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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60
wielded
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的过去式和过去分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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61
wield
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| vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等) | |
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62
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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63
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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64
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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65
craftsman
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| n.技工，精于一门工艺的匠人 | |
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66
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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67
renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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68
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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69
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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70
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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71
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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72
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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73
forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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74
wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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75
doughty
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| adj.勇猛的，坚强的 | |
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76
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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77
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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78
quenched
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| 解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却 | |
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79
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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