The Saga of the Volsungs

by Jackson Crawford

  When he entered the hall, he had no interest in entertaining himself with the others there. Alsvið said, "Why are you so quiet? This mood saddens me and your friends. Why can’t you be happy? Even your hawks are sullen and so is Grani, and we can hardly do anything to change it."

  Sigurð said, "My good friend, listen to what I’m thinking. My hawk flew up on a high tower, and when I retrieved him, I saw a beautiful woman. She was sitting by a golden tapestry. I looked at it and saw my own past and future accomplishments."

  Alsvið said, "You have seen Brynhild, daughter of Buðli, who is the most talented of women."

  Sigurð said, "That must be true. How long has she been here?"

  Alsvið said, "She came at about the same time you did."

  Sigurð said, "I know that was a few days ago. This woman seems better to me than any other woman in the world."

  Alsvið said, "Don’t dwell on one woman, such a man as you are. It’s bad to brood over what you can’t have."

  "I’m going to meet her," said Sigurð, "I’ll bring her gold, and she will give me joy and return my feelings."

  {44} Alsvið said, "In her whole life, there has never been a man she would sit next to or give a drink to. She wants to be a warrior and do famous deeds."

  Sigurð said, "I don’t know whether she’ll answer me or not, or whether she’ll let me sit next to her."

  And the next day after, Sigurð went to Brynhild’s room. Alsvið stood outside the room and made shafts for his arrows.

  Sigurð said, "Hello, my lady. How do you do?"

  She said, "I am well. My kinsmen and friends are alive. But there is a danger in the fate that every man carries until his death-day."

  He sat next to her. Four women came in with large golden cups full of the finest wine and stood before them.

  Brynhild said, "Few men, with the exception of my father, have been allowed to sit there."

  He said, "It pleases me that this one is now allowed to."

  The room was draped with the most expensive tapestries, and the whole floor was carpeted.

  Sigurð said, "Now it has happened, as you promised me."

  She said, "Be welcome here." Then she stood up with her four serving-women and she went to him with a golden cup and asked him to drink. He stretched out his hand for the cup and took her hand in his and sat her down next to him.

  He embraced her neck and kissed her and said, "No woman more beautiful than you was ever born."

  Brynhild said, "It is not wise to place your trust in a woman, because women always break their oaths."

  He said, "The best day in my life would be the day I had you."

  Brynhild said, "It is not our fate to live together. I am a shieldmaiden, and it is my place to wear a helmet among war-kings and assist them in their campaigns, and I am not afraid to fight."

  Sigurð said, "We would be happiest if we lived together, and the pain of what you’re telling me is harder to endure than sharp blades."

  Brynhild said, "I will summon armies to battle, and you will marry Guðrún, the daughter of Gjúki."

  Sigurð said, "No other princess tempts me, and I don’t have any second thoughts about this. I swear before the gods that I will have you, or no woman otherwise."

  {45} She said likewise. Sigurð thanked her for this and gave her a golden ring, and they swore these oaths again, and he went away to join his men and he stayed there for a time and his joy was great.

  Chapter 25. Guðrún and Brynhild Talk

  A king was named Gjúki, who ruled south of the Rhine. He had three sons named Gunnar, Hogni, and Guttorm, and a daughter named Guðrún who was the most famous of women. All of his children were better than the children of other kings in every accomplishment, and in both beauty and size. His sons were always in battle, and they won many famous victories. Gjúki’s wife was the witch Grímhild.

  A king was named Buðli, who was more powerful than Gjúki although both were mighty kings. Buðli was the father of Brynhild and her brother Atli. Atli was the cruelest of men, big and black-haired and yet honorable and a great warrior.

  Grímhild was a cruel-minded woman.

  The rule of Gjúki and his sons was joyful, and mostly because of his children, who were so much better than everyone else.

  One time Guðrún said to her serving-women that she was unhappy. One of them asked her what caused her unhappiness.

  She said, "I had an unhappy dream, and now my heart is miserable. Interpret this dream that I will tell you."

  The serving-woman said, "Tell me and don’t be sad, because people always have dreams before storms come."

  Guðrún said, "This is no storm. I dreamed that there was a beautiful hawk on my arm, with feathers made of gold."

  The woman answered, "Many men have heard of your beauty, wisdom, and noble birth. Some king’s son is going to come ask for your hand in marriage."

  Guðrún said, "Nothing seemed better to me than this hawk, and I knew I would rather lose everything I owned than lose him."

  The woman answered, "The man you marry will have noble manners, and you will love him well."

  {46} Guðrún said, "I’m upset that I don’t know who he is, and I’m going to go meet with Brynhild. She will know."

  Guðrún dressed herself in gold and beautiful clothing and traveled with her serving-women until they came to Brynhild’s hall, which was decked with gold and stood on a high hill. And when people saw them coming, they told Brynhild that several women were coming in gilded wagons.

  "It must be Guðrún, daughter of Gjúki," said Brynhild. "I dreamed about her last night. Let’s go out and greet her. No women more beautiful are going to come visit me."

  Brynhild and her serving-women went out and greeted Guðrún and her servants well. Then all of them went inside Brynhild’s stately hall, which was richly decorated inside, and on the outside it was covered with a great deal of silver. Carpets were spread beneath their feet, and they were served well and played many kinds of games, but Guðrún was quiet.

  Brynhild said, "Why can’t you enjoy yourself? Don’t be like this. Let’s all enjoy ourselves together and talk about mighty kings and their great deeds."

  "Let’s do that," said Guðrún. "Who do you think has been the foremost of all kings?"

  Brynhild said, "Haki and Hagbarð, the sons of Hámund. They have done many famous deeds in battle."

  Guðrún said, "They were great and famous, though Sigar abducted their sister and burned other members of their family in their houses, and the brothers have been too slow to take vengeance. Why don’t you mention my brothers, who many now consider to be the greatest of men?"

  Brynhild said, "They come from a good family, but they haven’t been tested much yet. And I know someone who is even better: Sigurð Sigmundsson. He was still only a child when he killed the sons of King Hunding, and avenged both his father as well as his mother’s father Eylimi."

  Guðrún said, "What is the story behind that? Are you saying that he was born when his father died?"

  Brynhild said, "His mother went among the fallen after the battle and found King Sigmund wounded. She offered to treat his wounds, but he said he was too old to fight any longer and he told her to comfort herself with the knowledge that she was going to give birth to the {47} noblest of sons, and this was a true prophecy in a wise guess. And after King Sigmund died she went with King Álf, and Sigurð was raised there in great honor, and he did many great things every day and he is the greatest man in the world."

  Guðrún said, "You speak of him in love. But I came here to tell you my dreams, which have made me very miserable."

  Brynhild said, "Don’t be troubled by dreams. Spend your time with your family, who will make you cheerful."

  "I dreamed," said Guðrún, "that I left my room with many other women and we saw a huge stag, much larger than other animals. His hair was made of gold. We all wanted to catch him, but only I managed to, and that stag seemed better to me than anything else could be. And then yo
u shot down that deer right in front of me where I knelt. This was such a terrible grief to me that I could hardly bear it, and then you gave me a wolf pup, and it splattered me with the blood of my brothers."

  Brynhild said, "I will tell you what is going to happen: Sigurð will come to you, the one I have chosen for my husband, and your mother Grímhild will give him a drink of cursed mead that will cause us all great conflict. You will be married to Sigurð, and then lose him shortly thereafter, and then you will be married to King Atli. Then you will lose your brothers, and then you will kill King Atli."

  Guðrún said, "It makes me overwhelmingly sad to know these things." And then she and her serving-women went home to King Gjúki.

  Chapter 26. The Marriage of Sigurð and Guðrún

  Now Sigurð rode away with his great treasure, riding Grani with all his weapons of war and his other goods, and he parted with Alsvið in friendship.

  Sigurð rode on until he came to the hall of King Gjúki. He rode into town and was seen there by one of the king’s men, who said, "I think it’s one of the gods who goes there. This man is covered all over with gold. His horse is much larger than other horses, and his weapons are amazingly beautiful. He is much more impressive than other men—this is the greatest of men, himself!"

  {48} King Gjúki went out with his guards and greeted his visitor and asked, "Who are you riding into our town, something no one would dare attempt except with the permission of my sons?"

  He answered, "I am Sigurð, the son of King Sigmund."

  King Gjúki said, "You are most welcome, and you are welcome to anything you might want here."

  Sigurð went into the hall, and everyone there seemed short next to him. All of them served him food and drink, and he stayed there in great honor.

  Sigurð rode together later with Gunnar and Hogni, Gjúki’s sons, and though Sigurð exceeded them in all his accomplishments, they were all great men.

  Grímhild noticed how much Sigurð loved Brynhild and how often he spoke of her, and she thought it would be better luck if he stayed with them and married her daughter Guðrún, since she saw that no one was Sigurð’s equal, and she knew what a strong support he would be and that he had an incredible amount of wealth, far more than anyone had seen before. The king already treated him like another son, and their sons for their part gave him more honor than they gave themselves.

  One evening when they sat and drank, Queen Grímhild stood up and went to Sigurð and greeted him and said, "Your presence here makes us joyful, and we wish to give you every kind of good thing. Take this horn and drink."

  He accepted the horn and drank its contents completely.

  Then she said, "King Gjúki will be your father, and I will be your mother, and Gunnar and Hogni will be your brothers when you swear oaths on this, and no one equal to the three of you will be found anywhere."

  Sigurð took this gladly, and after he had drunk from the horn he forgot Brynhild.

  Sigurð stayed there for some time. And one time Grímhild went to King Gjúki and placed her arms around his neck and said, "We have the greatest champion there ever will be in the world with us now. He would be a great ally to us. Marry him to your daughter, and give him a great treasure and whatever part of our realm he wants, and he will find joy living here."

  The king said, "It is not often that a man offers his own daughters in marriage, but it is a greater honor to offer her to Sigurð than to have her courted by other men."

  {49} And one evening, when Guðrún served the drinks, Sigurð could see that she was a beautiful woman, and in every respect the most noble.

  Sigurð stayed there for two and a half years with honor and friendship, and one day the king and his family spoke with Sigurð. King Gjúki said, "You have done me a great deal of good, Sigurð, and you have done much to strengthen my realm."

  And Gunnar said, "I would do anything to see you stay here a long time, and would offer you both the kingdom and my sister, a prize no one else would get if he asked for her."

  Sigurð said, "I am grateful for these honors, and I accept." And Sigurð, Gunnar, and Hogni swore an oath of blood-brotherhood, to act as if they were brothers by the same father, and a great feast was prepared that lasted for many days, and Sigurð was married to Guðrún. There were all kinds of joys and entertainments, and each day the service was even better than the last.

  Sigurð, Gunnar, and Hogni traveled widely in many lands and did many great deeds, killing the sons of many kings. No one accomplished such great things as they did, and they returned home with huge quantities of loot.

  Sigurð gave Guðrún some of Fáfnir’s heart to eat, and this made her both crueler and wiser than she had been before. They had a son named Sigmund.

  And one time Grímhild went to her son Gunnar and said, "You have great joy in ruling, except for one thing that you lack, which is a wife. Go and woo Brynhild. She would be a noble match, and Sigurð would ride with you."

  Gunnar said, "She is certainly beautiful. And I am not reluctant to take this advice." He told this to his father and brothers and to Sigurð, and they were all eager to see it done.

  Chapter 27. Sigurð Rides through the Ring of Fire

  They prepared their journey carefully, and then rode over the mountains and valleys to King Buðli, where Gunnar made his proposal. Buðli said he would be in favor of the marriage, if Brynhild were not against {50} it, because he said she was so proud that she would only be married to a man she wanted.

  They rode now to Hlymdalir, and they were greeted well there by Heimir. Gunnar told him his errand, and Heimir said it would be Brynhild’s choice about whether she would marry him or not. He added that her hall was not very far from his, and that she would only willingly marry a man who dared to ride through the burning ring of fire that rose in flames around her hall.

  They found the hall and the fire around it, and they saw that the hall was roofed with gold and surrounded on all sides by fire. Gunnar was riding the horse Goti, and Hogni rode Holkvir. Gunnar rode toward the fire, but his horse balked.

  Sigurð said, "Why do you balk, Gunnar?"

  Gunnar said, "My horse won’t leap over the fire," and then he asked if Sigurð would loan him Grani to ride.

  "Of course," said Sigurð. And now Gunnar rode a second time at the flame, but Grani would not make the leap. And since Gunnar could not make his way through the fire, he exchanged appearances with Sigurð, as Grímhild had taught them to do. Then Sigurð rode Grani with the sword Gram in his hand and golden spurs on his feet. Grani leapt the flame when he felt the spurs.

  There was a great roar as the fire surged, and the earth around them shook and the flames reached to the heavens. No one had dared to do this before, and it seemed as though he rode into darkness. Then the fire died down and he stepped off his horse into the hall. As the poem tells it,

  The fire surged,

  the earth shook,

  and the high flames

  sawed at the heavens.

  Not many kings

  were willing

  to ride that fire,

  nor step over it.

  Sigurð drove Grani

  with a drawn sword,

  {51} and the flames

  withdrew before him;

  the fire withered

  for that man eager for honor.

  Grani’s harness, which once

  had been Regin’s, glowed.

  And when Sigurð entered the flame, he found a lovely room and Brynhild sitting within. She asked who this man was, and he answered that he was Gunnar, the son of Gjúki. "And you are going to be my wife, with the consent of your father and your foster-father, provided you also agree, now that I have ridden through the burning ring of fire."

  "I don’t know how I’m going to answer this," she said.

  Sigurð stood tall and leaned on his sword-hilt and said to Brynhild, "I will reward you with a great deal of gold and good treasures."

  She answered with sadness, sitting in her seat like a
swan on a wave, dressed in chainmail with a sword in her hand and a helmet on her head. "Gunnar," she said, "do not talk to me like this unless you are better than all other men and will agree to kill every other man who has ever asked to marry me, if you can be relied upon to do that. I have been in battle with the king of the Rus, and my weapons were red with blood, and I still long for such things."

  He said, "You have done many great deeds, but now remember your oath that you would marry the man who rode over this flame."

  She knew that this was a true reply, and she realized the importance of what he had said. She stood up and greeted him well, and he stayed there for three nights, sharing one bed with her, though he took the sword Gram and drew it from its sheath and placed it between them. She asked why he did this, and he answered that it had been foretold that this was how he would be married to his wife, or else he would die. Then he took the ring Andvaranaut, which he had given her earlier, off her finger, and gave her a new ring from Fáfnir’s treasure. Then he rode out through the same fire back to his companions, and he and Gunnar exchanged appearances again and then they rode back to Hlymdalir and told what had happened.

  That same day Brynhild went home to her foster-father Heimir and told him privately that a great king had come to her. "He rode through {52} my burning ring of fire, and he said he had come to propose to me and that his name was Gunnar. And I said that Sigurð alone would do this, and that I swore oaths to him on the mountain, and he was my first lover."

  But Heimir said that everything would be done as agreed.

  Brynhild said, "Áslaug, my daughter with Sigurð, will grow up here with you."

  And now Brynhild went to her father, and Sigurð and Gunnar rode home. Grímhild greeted them well and thanked Sigurð for the service he had done. A feast was prepared and a huge crowd attended. Then King Buðli came with his daughter Brynhild and his son Atli, and the feast lasted several days. And when the feast came to an end, Sigurð remembered all his oaths to Brynhild, but he said nothing.