Gold is called 'Kraki's seed' after Fýrisvellir: King Aðils cheats Hrólfr kraki's berserkers of their wages, but Hrólfr rides to Uppsalir, leaps over the treacherous fires and escapes with the gold his mother Yrsa gives him. In flight he sows the gold across Fýrisvellir to halt the greedy Swedes and makes Aðils 'bend like a swine' as he stoops for the ring Svíagríss.

Annat mark var þat sagt frá Hrólfi kraka um fræknleik hans, at sá konungr réð fyrir Uppsölum, er Aðils hét. Hann átti Yrsu, móður Hrólfs kraka. Hann hafði ósætt við þann konung, er réð fyrir Nóregi, er Áli hét. Þeir stefndu orrostu milli sín á ísi vatns þess, er Væni heitir. Aðils konungr sendi boð Hrólfi kraka, mági sínum, at hann kæmi til liðveizlu við hann, ok hét mála öllum her hans, meðan þeir væri í ferðinni, en konungr sjálfr skyldi eignast þrjá kostgripi, þá er hann köri af Svíðjóð. Hrólfr konungr mátti eigi fara fyrir ófriði þeim, er hann átti við Saxa, en þó sendi hann Aðilsi berserki sína tólf. Þar var einn Böðvarr bjarki ok Hjalti hugprúði, Hvítserkr hvati, Vöttr, Véseti, þeir bræðr Svipdagr ok Beiguðr. Í þeiri orrostu féll Áli konungr ok mikill hluti liðs hans. Þá tók Aðils konungr af honum dauðum hjálminn Hildisvín ok hest hans Hrafn.

Another mark told of Hrólfr kraki concerning his valour was that the king who ruled at Uppsalir was named Aðils. He had Yrsa, mother of Hrólfr kraki. He had strife with the king who ruled over Norway, named Áli. They appointed a battle between them on the ice of the lake called Vænir. King Aðils sent word to Hrólfr kraki, his kinsman, that he should come to his aid, and promised wages to all his host while they were on the expedition, and the king himself should have three treasures which he chose from Svíþjóð. King Hrólfr could not go, because of the war he was having with the Saxons, but nevertheless he sent Aðils his twelve berserkers. There was Böðvarr bjarki and Hjalti the stout-hearted, Hvítserkr the bold, Vöttr, Véseti, the brothers Svipdagr and Beiguðr. In that battle King Áli fell and a great part of his host. Then King Aðils took from him dead the helm Hildisvín and his horse Hrafn.

Þá beiddust þeir berserkir Hrólfs kraka at taka mála sinn, þrjú pund gulls hverr þeira, ok um fram beiddust þeir at flytja Hrólfi kraka kostgripi þá, er þeir kuru til handa honum. Þat var hjálmrinn Hildigöltr ok brynjan Finnsleif, er á hvárigu festi járn, ok gullhringr sá, er kallaðr var Svíagríss, er átt höfðu langfeðgar Aðils. En konungr varnaði allra gripanna, ok eigi heldr galt hann málann. Fóru berserkir braut ok unðu illa sínum hlut, sögðu svá búit Hrólfi kraka.

Then Hrólfr kraki's berserkers asked to take their wages, three pounds of gold each of them, and in addition asked to carry to Hrólfr kraki those treasures which they chose for him. That was the helm Hildigöltr and the mail-coat Finnsleif, in which no iron would stick, and the gold ring called Svíagríss, which the forefathers of Aðils had owned. But the king refused all the treasures and did not pay the wages either. The berserkers went away, ill-content with their lot, and told Hrólfr kraki how matters stood.

Ok jafnskjótt byrjaði hann ferð sína til Uppsala, ok er hann kom skipum sínum í ána Fýri, þá reið hann til Uppsala, ok með honum tólf berserkir hans, allr griðalausir. Yrsa, móðir hans, fagnaði honum ok fylgði honum til herbergis ok eigi til konungs hallar. Váru þá gervir eldar fyrir þeim ok gefit öl at drekka.

And at once he began his journey to Uppsalir, and when he brought his ships into the river Fýri, he rode to Uppsalir, and with him his twelve berserkers, all without safe-conduct. Yrsa, his mother, welcomed him and led him to lodgings, and not to the king's hall. Fires were made before them and ale given to drink.

Þá komu menn Aðils konungs inn ok báru skíð á eldinn ok gerðu svá mikinn, at klæði brunnu af þeim Hrólfi, ok mæltu: "Er þat satt, at Hrólfr kraki ok berserkir hans flýja hvárki eld né járn?"

Then King Aðils's men came in and laid wood on the fire and made it so great that the clothes burned off Hrólfr and his men, and they said: »Is it true that Hrólfr kraki and his berserkers flee neither fire nor iron?«

Þá hljóp Hrólfr kraki upp ok allir þeir. Þá mælti hann:

Then Hrólfr kraki leapt up and all of them. Then he said:

tók skjöld sinn ok kastaði á eldinn ok hljóp yfir eldinn, meðan skjöldrinn brann, ok mælti enn:

— and he took his shield and cast it on the fire and leapt over the fire while the shield burned, and said again:

Svá fór hverr at öðrum hans manna, tóku þá ok, er eldinn höfðu aukit, ok köstuðu á eldinn. Þá kom Yrsa ok fekk Hrólfi kraka dýrshorn, fullt af gulli, ok þar með hringinn Svíagrís ok bað þá braut ríða til liðsins. Þeir hljópu á hesta sína ok ríða ofan á Fýrisvöllu. Þá sá þeir, at Aðils konungr reið eftir þeim með her sinn alvápnaðan ok vill drepa þá. Þá tók Hrólfr kraki hægri hendi gullit ofan í hornit ok söri allt um götuna. En er Svíar sjá þat, hlaupa þeir ór söðlunum, ok tók hverr slíkt er fekk, en Aðils konungr bað þá ríða ok reið sjálfr ákafliga. Slöngvir hét hestr hans, allra hesta skjótastr. Þá sá Hrólfr kraki, at Aðils konungr reið nær honum, tók þá hringinn Svíagrís ok kastaði til hans ok bað hann þiggja at gjöf. Aðils konungr reið at hringinum ok tók til með spjótsoddinum ok renndi upp á falinn.

So each of his men did after the other; they then took those too who had piled the fire and cast them on it. Then Yrsa came and gave Hrólfr kraki an animal-horn full of gold, and with it the ring Svíagríss, and bade them ride away to their troops. They leapt on their horses and ride down onto Fýrisvellir. Then they saw that King Aðils rode after them with his host fully armed and means to kill them. Then Hrólfr kraki took the gold with his right hand out of the horn and strewed it all over the road. And when the Swedes see that, they leap out of their saddles, and each took what he could; but King Aðils bade them ride and rode furiously himself. His horse was named Slöngvir, swiftest of all horses. Then Hrólfr kraki saw that King Aðils rode near him, took the ring Svíagríss and threw it to him and bade him receive it as a gift. King Aðils rode at the ring and reached for it with his spear-point and ran it up onto the socket.

Þá veik Hrólfr kraki aftr ok sá, er hann laut niðr. Þá mælti hann: "Svínbeygt hefi ek nú þann, er ríkastr er með Svíum." Svá skilðust þeir.

Then Hrólfr kraki turned back and saw that he bent down. Then he said: »I have now made the one who is mightiest among the Swedes bend like a swine.« So they parted.

Af þessi sök er gull kallat sáð Kraka eða Fýrisvalla. Svá kvað Eyvindr skáldaspillir:

For this reason gold is called Kraki's seed, or the seed of Fýrisvellir. Thus spoke Eyvindr skáldaspillir:

Svá sem Þjóðólfr kvað:

As Þjóðólfr spoke:

Skaldic quotations

Hrólfr kraki (vid Aðils eldar)

"Aukum enn elda at Aðils húsum,"

»Let us pile the fires yet higher at Aðils's house,«

Hrólfr kraki (hoppar över elden)

"Flýra sá eld er yfir hleypr."

»He does not flee the fire who leaps over it.«

Eyvindr skáldaspillir (guld = Fýrisvalla fræ, Fýrisvellirs säd)

Bárum, Ullr, of alla, ímunlauks, á hauka fjöllum Fýrisvalla fræ Hákunar ævi.

We bore, O Ullr of the battle-leek [the warrior], throughout all Hákon's life, the seed of Fýrisvellir [gold] on the mountains of the hawks [the arms].

Þjóðólfr (guld = Kraka barr, Krakis korn)

Örð sær Yrsu burðar inndrótt jöfurr sinni bjartplógaðan bauga brattakr völu-spakra. Eyss landreki ljósu lastvarr Kraka barri á hlémyldar holdi, hauks kölfur mér sjalfum.

The blameless land-ruler sows the bright seed of Kraki [gold] upon my own hawk-perches [arms].