Terms of
Use
Submissions
~ Poetry by me ~
Hadding
...Thus Hadding prevailed. But the old man, when he parted from him, foretold that the death
whereby he would perish would be inflicted, not by the might of an enemy, but by his own
hand...
...Meanwhile Hunding, King of the Swedes, heard false tidings that Hadding was dead,
and resolved to greet them with obsequies. So he gathered his nobles together, and filled a jar
of extraordinary size with ale, and had this set in the midst of the feasters for their delight, and,
to omit no mark of solemnity, himself assumed a servant's part, not hesitating to play the cupbearer.
And while he was passing through the palace in fulfilment of his office, he stumbled and fell into the jar,
and, being choked by the liquor, gave up the ghost ...
Hadding, when he heard this, wished to pay like thanks to his worshipper, and,
not enduring to survive his death, hanged himself in sight of the whole people...
Source: Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum, from the The Internet Sacred Text Archive
P.S. It is not mentioned that Hadding
also pierced himself with a spear, but I thought it fitting to add.
Gave me an excuse to create new imagery with kennings :).