March arrived, and with it labour pains. Helgha had thought the pains of her miscarriage were bad, but they were as nothing compared to this. She screamed out as wave after wave of pain wracked her body.
The women loosened all knots in the house to help ease the passage of the child into the world and told the men to leave. Birth was not a place for men.
The midwife and her helpers came and sang songs and prayers to Frigga, goddess of marriage, to ask for her aid. The midwife told Helgha to kneel on the floor, which she did. The pains were relentless now, the next one coming as soon as the previous one had stopped. How could she bear this?
“It"s coming,” the midwife said. “Lean forward on your elbows and I"ll catch it. Push as hard as you can.”
Helgha complied, and soon the midwife rea
