Young Swaigder; or, The Force of Runes, and Other Ballads
Date: 2009-05-29T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Poetry; Ballads

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Young Swaigder; or, The Force of Runes, and Other Ballads

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Young Swaigder; or, The Force of Runes, and Other Ballads

Author: George Borrow

Editor: Thomas James Wise

Release date: May 29, 2009 [eBook #28986]

Language: English

Credits: Transcribed from the 1913 Thomas J. Wise pamphlet by David Price

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG SWAIGDER; OR, THE FORCE OF RUNES, AND OTHER BALLADS ***

Transcribed from the 1913 Thomas J. Wise pamphlet by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

YOUNG SWAIGDER
or
THE FORCE OF RUNES
and other ballads
by
GEORGE BORROW

London:
printed for private circulation

1913

Copyright in the United States of America
by Houghton, Mifflin & Co. for Clement Shorter.

YOUNG SWAIGDER
or
THE FORCE OF RUNES

It was the young Swaigder,
With the little ball he played;
The ball flew into the Damsel’s lap,
And pale her cheeks it made.

The ball flew into the Damsel’s bower.
He went of it in quest;
Before he out of the bower came,
Much care had filled his breast!

“The ball, the ball thou shouldst not fling,
Shouldst cast it not at me;
There sits a maid in a foreign land,
She sighs and weeps for thee.

“Thou never more shalt peace obtain,
Or close in sleep thine eyes,
Till thou has freed the lovely maid,
In thrall for thee that lies.”

It was the young Swaigder,
Placed his cap upon his head,
And into the high chamber
Unto his knights he sped.

“Here, quaffing mead from out the shell
Sit ye, my Courtmen bold,
Whilst I go to the mountain drear,
Speech with the Dead to hold!

“Here, quaffing mead and ruddy wine,
Sit ye my men so brave,
Whilst I go to the mountain drear,
With my mother speech to have!”

It was the young Swaigder,
And he began to call—
Riven were wall and marble stone,
And the hill began to fall.

“Who is it breaks my sleep,
And works me such annoy?
Deep, deep below the earth so swart
Can I not peace enjoy?”

“O, it is the young Swaigder,
The son thou lovest dear;
He fain would good advice from thee,
His darling mother, hear.

“For I have now a step-mother,
So harsh she is of mood,
And she upon me Runes has cast
For a maid I ne’er have view’d.”

“I will give thee a noble horse,
Shall bear thee at thy need,
And he will run upon the sea
As on the verdant mead.

“And I will to thee a napkin give,
’Tis of Ager wool entire,
Before thee on the board shall stand,
What meat thou shalt desire.

“I will to thee a deer’s horn give,
Mark well its golden gleam;
All the drink thou wishest for,
From the golden horn shall stream.

“And I will give to thee a sword,
Hardened in Dragon’s blood;
It will glitter like a beam
When thou ridest through the wood.

“I will give to thee a barque,
Its white sails silk shall be;
Shall move as well on the verdant earth
As on the foaming sea.”

Their silken sails on the gilded yard
So wide, so wide they spread;
Away they sailed to the distant land,
Where dwelt the lovely maid.

And they have cast their anchors
Upon the yellow sand;
It was the young Swaigder
Who stepped the first to land.

It was the young Swaigder,
His ship to the shore he steers;
And the first man there that met him,
Was a man of many years.

It was then the ancient man
Was the first to make enquire:
“O, what is the name of the young swain
With the sword, and the look of fire?”

“O, he is hight young Swaigder,
So wide his fame doth fly;
And he for a maid is pining sore
On whom he ne’er set eye.”

“There is within this land a maid,
Who pining long hath been
For a swain that hight is Swaigder,
And him she ne’er has seen.”

“If longs she after a young swain
On whom she ne’er set eye,
And he is hight young Swaigder,
He is here in verity.

“Now do thou hear, thou ancient man,
If it as thou sayest be,
Become I King upon this land,
I’ll make a Count of thee.”

“’Midst of yonder verdant wood
Stands the castle of the maid;
The house is of gray marble stone,
The court with steel belaid.

“The house is of grey marble stone
The court with steel is floored,
The portal is of ruddy gold,
Twelve bears before it guard.

“In middle of the maiden’s court
A linden spreads its shade,
If truly thou art Swaigder,
Hie forward unafraid.”

Away then rode young Swaigder,
Cast towards the gate his eye;
And all the locks that before it hung,
Down fell they instantly.

Then withered the leaf, then withered the linden,
And the grass at the linden’s root;
And the twelve bears who the portal guard
They fell at the hero’s foot.

When he came into the castle-court,
He smoothèd his array,
Then proudly up to the high, high hall
To the King he took his way.

“Hail to thee, hail to thee, heathen King,
Who dost at the wide board sit,
Wilt thou give me thy daughter fair?
Return me an answer fit.”

“I have no daughter, I have no daughter,
No daughter but one have I;
And she so sorely longing
For a young swain doth lie.

“For a young swain whom she has never seen
My daughter longing lies;
The swain he hight is Swaigder,
So far his fame it hies.”

In went the little serving boy,
Wore a kirtle white to see:
“If thou dost long for Swaigder,
Know that hither come is he.”

In then came the lovely maid,
In white silk clad was she:
“Now welcome, welcome my dearest heart,
Young Swaigder, welcome be!”

“Wilt thou consent baptized to be,
And the Christian faith receive,
And follow me to Denmark
With young Swaigder to live?”

“Willingly I baptized will be,
Will the Christian faith receive;
And will follow thee to Denmark,
Young Swaigder, with thee to live.”

On a Thursday she baptizèd was,
She the Christian faith received;
On a Sunday they their bridal held,
And ever in peace they lived.

They kept their bridal feast for a day,
They kept the same for nine;
And there sat waiting the ancient man,
And through all of them did pine.

Be thanks to brave young Swaigder,
He kept so well his word;
A Knight he made of that ancient man,
Set him highest at the board.

Now joyful is young Swaigder,
His trouble all has fled;
He King became upon that land,
She Queen, when her sire was dead.

THE HAIL STORM [14]

As in Horunga haven
We fed the crow and raven,
I heard the tempest breaking
Of demon Thorgerd’s waking;
Sent by the fiend in anger,
With din and stunning clangor;
To crush our might intended,
Gigantic hail descended.

A pound the smallest pebble
Did weigh, and others treble;
It drifted, dealing slaughter,
And blood ran out like water,
Ran recking, red and horrid,
From battered cheek and forehead;
But, though so rudely greeted,
No Jornsberg man retreated.

With anger ever sharper,
Thorgerda fierce, and Yrpr,
Shot lightning from each finger,
Which sped and did not linger.
Then sank our brave in numbers
To cold, eternal slumbers;
There lay the good and gallant,
Renowned for warlike talent.

To bide the storm unable
Our chieftain hewed his cable,
And with his ship departed—
We follow, broken-hearted;
For in Horunga haven
Our bravest feed the raven;
We did our best, but no men
Can stand ’gainst hail and foemen.

ROSMER MEREMAN [16]

In Denmark once a lady dwelt,
Hellelil the name she bore;
A castle new that lady built,
It shone all Denmark o’er.

Her daughter dear was stolen away,
She sought for her far and near;
The more she sought the less she found,
To her great distress and care.

She bid a noble ship be built,
Therein gilt masts did stand;
With valiant knights and courtmen bold
She caused it to be manned.

Her sons she followed to the strand,
With many a fond caress;
For eight long years they sailed away,
Enduring much distress.

For eight years had they sailed away,
So long they thought the tide,
When they sailed before a lofty hill,
And straight to land they hied.

Then peeped the Damsel Swanelil
Forth from the mountain brow:
“O whence can be these stranger swains,
As guests that seek us now?”

The youngest brother then replied,
So ready of speech was he:
“A widow’s three poor sons we are,
So long we’ve sailed the sea.

“Dame Hellelil our mother is,
We were born on Denmark’s ground;
From us our sister stolen was,
And her we have yet not found.”

“If thou wert born on Danish ground,
And Dame Hellelil be thy mother
Then I thy beloved sister am
And thou art my youngest brother.

“Now do thou hear, my youngest brother,
Why didst not at home remain?
If thou hadst a thousand thousand lives
Thou none of them couldst retain.”

She placed him in the smallest nook
She could in the house espy:
She bade him for sake of the highest God,
Neither to laugh nor cry.

Rosmer came from the ocean home,
And straight he fell to bann:
“O I can smell by my right hand
That here is a Christian man.”

“A Bird with a dead man’s shank in its mouth,
Chanced over our house to fly;
He cast it in, I cast it out,
And that full speedily.”

A noble meal she then prepared,
And she gave him many a kiss:
“O here is come my sister’s son,
It would grieve me him to miss.

“My sister’s son is here arrived
From the land where I first drew breath;
Now give him, my lord, thy firm, firm oath,
Thou’lt do unto him no scathe.”

“If here has come thy sister’s son
From the native land of both,
To do him ne’er any kind of hurt,
I swear by my highest oath.”

It was the lofty Rosmer King
To two serving swains did call:
“Bid ye proud Swanelil’s sister’s son
Attend me in the hall.”

It was Swanelil’s sister’s son,
Before Rosmer should appear;
His heart it fluttered, his body it shivered,
He stood in such mighty fear.

Then took Rosmer her sister’s son,
Placed him upon his knee;
He stroked him so tenderly on the face
That ’twas yellow and blue to see.

Then answered proud Dame Swanelil:
“Thou forget’st, Sir Rosmer, mayhap,
Thou hast not fingers small enough
To stroke so little a chap.”

And he was there till the years were five,
Then he longed for his native land:
“Now cause, O sister Swanelil,
That I’m set on the yellow strand.”

It was proud Dame Swanelil
’Fore Rosmer goes to stand;
“The swain so long has been by the sea,
That he sighs for his native land.”

“If the swain has been so long by the sea
That he sighs for his native land,
I will give him a chest of gold,
To be subject to his hand.”

“Wilt thou give him a chest of gold,
To be subject to his hand?
Hear thou now, my noble heart’s dear,
Take him to his native land.”

It was proud Dame Swanelil,
So cunning a trick she played;
She took thereout the ruddy gold all,
And herself in the chest she laid.

He took the man upon his back,
And the chest in his mouth he’s ta’en;
And so he went the long, long way
Across the land and the main.

“Now have I borne thee to thy land,
Thou seest both sun and moon;
I conjure thee by the highest God
Name Swanelil to none.”

Rosmer sprang into the sea amain,
The water splashed to the sky;
And when he came to the mountain home
No Swanelil could he spy,

When he came to the mountain home
Gone was the belov’d of his heart;
He sprang so wild about the hill,
And changed to a flint rock swart.

There was rejoicing in Hellelil’s court,
They rejoiced in many a way;
Back to their friends her children are come,
Who had been so long away.

THE WICKED-STEPMOTHER

No. II. [23]

Sir Peter o’er to the island strayed—
All underneath a linden wide.
He weds Mettelil, so fair a maid—
In such peril with her through the forest ride.

Bracelets of gold he given her hath,
That fills his mother’s breast with wrath.

“If thou wed a maid against my desire,
With her first babe she shall expire!”

He weds her and home he her has ta’en,
To meet her his mother will not deign.

When they together a year had dwelt,
Herself with child proud Mettelil felt.

Out and in they Mettelil bear,
Death has to her approached so near.

“Since neither live nor die I may,
Take me whence a maid ye brought me away.”

Thereto the Stepmother made reply,
She was tow’rds her disposed maliciously:

“The horses graze upon the mead,
And the coach swains heavy they sleep in bed.”

Sir Peter he stood a little apart,
Mettelil has so grieved his heart.

The coach to her country was turned in haste,
And the horses before it were quickly placed.

And when they came to the verdant moor,
Her chariot broke into pieces four.

“What mighty crime can I have done,
That my own coach ’neath me will not run?”

Sir Peter at no great distance hied,
He was so near he all espied.

“We forthwith will find a remedy,
Thou shalt ride and walk will I.”

“Each noble Dame will know how fit,
I am in this plight in the saddle to sit.”

Proud Mettelil came to her father’s abode,
Her father abroad to receive her strode.

“Welcome, Mettelil, daughter mine,
How speedest thou with that burden of thine?”

“So speeding am I, such plight I am in,
That upon this earth no rest can I win.”

Little Kirsten a may was of goodness rife,
Dearly she loved her brother’s wife.

She to her brother was true of heart,
Of wax two babes she formed with art.

She wrapt them up in the linen fair,
And took them beneath her cloak with care.

She took them beneath her cloak with care,
And them to her mother she straightway bare.

“My dearest mother, no longer grieve,
The babes of your son in your arms receive.”

“Has Mettelil forth these little sons brought?
Then my dark Runes have availed nought.

“Air and earth I have spelled, save the spot alone,
The little spot, my chest stood upon.

“Oh I enchanted have as wide
As she could either walk or ride.

“I have enchanted both earth and wood,
Save the spot whereon my chest it stood.”

No sooner she the words had said,
Than proud Mettelil on the place was laid.

And when she had come where stood the chest,
Straight of two sons was she released.

That Sir Peter’s mother so mortified,
Full quickly of rage and spite she died.

* * * * *

London:
Printed for THOMAS J. WISE, Hampstead, N.W.

Edition limited to Thirty Copies

Footnotes:

[14]  This is a much later, and greatly improved, version of the ballad which first appeared in Romantic Ballads, 1826, pp. 136–138, and afterwards in Targum, 1835, pp. 42–43.

[16]  This ballad should be read in conjunction with Rosmer, printed in The Mermaid’s Prophecy, and other Songs relating to Queen Dagmar, 1913, pp. 25–30.

[23]  This ballad should be compared with The Wicked Stepmother, printed in The Dalby Bear and Other Ballads, 1913, pp. 14–20.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG SWAIGDER; OR, THE FORCE OF RUNES, AND OTHER BALLADS ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

- YOUNG SWAIGDER or THE FORCE OF RUNES and other ballads

- YOUNG SWAIGDER or THE FORCE OF RUNES
- THE HAIL STORM [14]
- ROSMER MEREMAN [16]

- THE WICKED-STEPMOTHER

- No. II. [23]

- Footnotes:

- THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE