Hagbard and Signe
The story of »Hagbard and Signe« is a well-known Nordic legend about a pair of lovers who are unable to be together because their families are feuding, ultimately choosing to die together. The basic narrative is similar to Shakespeare’s »Romeo and Juliet«. The legend is primarily known from two main sources: Saxo Grammaticus’s »Gesta Danorum« (around the year 1200) and a medieval folk ballad, “Hagbard og Signe,” which was sung throughout the Nordic region. This ballad is number 20 (DgF 20) in Svend Grundtvig’s comprehensive collection, »Danmarks gamle Folkeviser«.
The story revolves around Hagbard, son of King Håmund, and Signe (also called Signelille), daughter of King Siger (or Sigvard). Their families are enemies, and after a battle between their brothers ends in a draw, Hagbard meets and falls in love with Signe, who secretly promises to marry him.
The folk ballad version begins with Hagbard having a prophetic dream in which he is in heaven with Signe, but they fall through the sky. An “Elven Datter” (daughter of the elves) interprets the dream, predicting that he will win the maiden but must die for her. Undeterred, Hagbard disguises himself in women’s clothing to enter King Sigvard’s court and be near Signe. Signe’s father, King Sigvard, allows the disguised Hagbard to stay with his daughter to learn needlework but warns them both to beware of Hagbard, who is a cunning suitor.
During the evening, an evil serving maid (“den arge Terne”) grows suspicious of the “maiden” who carves wood expertly, drinks heavily, and has strong hands and piercing eyes. Later that night, Hagbard and Signe are together and confess their love for each other. Hagbard reveals his identity, explaining he came in disguise because Signe’s father had threatened to hang him. The evil maid overhears their conversation, steals Hagbard’s sword and armor while he sleeps, and informs King Sigvard.
The king’s men attack, and though Hagbard fights bravely with bedposts, he is eventually captured. He breaks every bond used to restrain him until the evil maid suggests binding him with a lock of Signe’s hair. His love for her is so strong that he will not break the hair, and he is finally subdued.
Sentenced to be hanged, Hagbard makes a final request to Signe: when she sees him on the gallows, she should set fire to her bower. As he is led to the gallows, he asks that his red cloak be hung up first to test Signe’s promise. Seeing the cloak, Signe believes Hagbard is dead, sets her chamber on fire, and dies in the flames with her maids. When Hagbard sees the fire, he knows Signe has kept her word and goes gladly to his death. King Sigvard, realizing too late how powerful their love was, deeply regrets his actions and orders the treacherous serving maid to be buried alive.
The tale of Hagbard and Signe’s faithful love has been known in the Nordic countries for over a thousand years and was considered an ancient memory even to the pagan forefathers. References to the story, such as a kenning for “gallows” being “Signe’s man’s cold horse,” appear in a Norwegian poem from around 900 CE. While the legend’s precise origin is unknown, name forms like “Hagbard” suggest a continental German origin.
The setting of the legend has been claimed by many locations across Scandinavia, including Sigersted in Zealand, Denmark; several sites in Sweden; and Engeløya in Norway. Various landmarks, such as burial mounds and stones, are associated with the characters.
The legend has inspired later works, including Adam Oehlenschläger’s tragedy »Hagbarth og Signe« (1815) and Gabriel Axel’s film »The Red Mantle« (1967). In modern times, an amateur play about the couple is performed every other year on the Norwegian island of Engeløya.
