The Saga of the Volsungs

by Jackson Crawford

  Harald Fairhair [R], historical first king of unified Norway; he died ca. AD 933. As the son of Ragnhild, he is represented in the Saga of Ragnar Loðbrók as the grandson of Sigurð Snake-Eye.

  Harald Hard-Ruler [R], historical king of Norway; he died in AD 1066 in a failed attempt to conquer England.

  Harald Wartooth [R], legendary early king of Denmark.

  Heðinsey [V], an island.

  Heimir [V, R], foster-father of Brynhild and husband of her sister Bekkhild. Brynhild lives with him before she marries Gunnar. The Saga of Ragnar Loðbrók tells that Heimir flees with Brynhild’s daughter Áslaugto Norway after the death of Brynhild.

  Hel [V], the underworld to which most people are committed for the afterlife. According to the classic understanding of Norse mythology, men who die in battle go to Valhalla instead, but the phrase "sending someone to Hel" may be used for killing someone in any context.

  Helgi [V], a son of Sigmund (1) and Borghild. His story is passed over quickly in chapters 8 and 9 of the Saga of the Volsungs, but three poems are devoted to him in the Poetic Edda.

  Herruð [R], a jarl in Götaland, father of Thóra (2).

  Hervarð [V], a son of Hunding, killed by Helgi.

  {140} Hild [V], a common element in women’s names (e.g., Brynhild, Svanhild). It literally means "battle."

  Hindarfjall [V], the mountain where Brynhild is imprisoned when Sigurð first meets her.

  Hjalli [V], a slave in Atli’s realm.

  Hjálm-Gunnar [V], a king killed by Brynhild, in defiance of Óðin’s orders.

  Hjálprek [V], father of Álf (2). He shares the rule of the Danish kingdom with his son.

  Hjordís [V], second wife of Sigmund (1) and mother of Sigurð. After the death of Sigmund, she is remarried to Álf (2).

  Hjorvarð[V], a son of Hunding.

  Hljóð [V], the Valkyrie sent by Óðinto Rerir to give him a magic apple allowing him to conceive a child. She later marries Rerir’s son Volsung.

  Hlymdalir [V, R], the domain of Heimir.

  Hoðbrodd [V], Helgi’s rival for the hand of Sigrún.

  Höfði á Höfðaströnd [R], a real farm in north-central Iceland on the east shore of the large fjord Skagafjörður. It is said the farm was settled by Thórð, a descendant of Ragnar Loðbrók.

  Hogni (1) [V], father of Sigrún.

  Hogni (2) [V], brother of Guttorm, Gunnar, and Guðrún. He is represented as a supremely capable warrior, and as the most honorable and reasonable of his brothers.

  Holkvir [V], the stallion of Hogni (2).

  Hǿnir [V], a poorly known god, mentioned as a companion of Óðin and Loki in Regin’s story about the origin of Fáfnir’s treasure. Aside from occurring in the story of Fáfnir’s treasure, he is mentioned only incidentally in the Poetic Edda in the story of the creation of humans and then as one of the few survivors of Ragnarok (the end of the world when most of the gods will be killed).

  Hreiðmar [V], the father of Fáfnir, Otter, and Regin. He is killed by Fáfnir.

  Hrímnir [V], a giant, and the father of the Valkyrie named Hljóð.

  Hring [V], an ally of Hoðbrodd.

  Hringstaðir [V], a location associated with the Volsungs.

  Hrotti [V], a sword.

  {141} Hun [V], an Asian people of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages whose raids in Europe reached their peak in the fifth century AD and brought them into both conflicts and alliances with the Goths and other Germanic peoples. Numerous human characters in the Saga of the Volsungs are referred to as Huns, especially Atli (who is distantly based on the historical Attila the Hun) and Sigurð.

  Hunding [V], a king who is killed by Helgi. His sons, including Lyngvi, kill Sigmund (1).

  Hunland [V], a mythical kingdom ruled by the early Volsungs. Since Sigurð and other Volsungs are occasionally referred to as Huns, the association with that people is apparently intentional.

  Hvítabǿ [R], unknown city in Europe raided by the Ragnarssons early in their career. The name would answer to Whitby in English, but the location does not seem to be in England.

  Hvítserk [R], a son of Ragnar Loðbrók and Áslaug, sometimes called Hvítserk the Bold.

  Ingibjorg [R], daughter of Eystein, who offers her in marriage to Ragnar Loðbrók.

  Ívar the Boneless [R], son of Ragnar Loðbrók and Áslaug. He has no bones, according to the Saga of Ragnar Loðbrók, because his father violated his mother’s warning against sleeping with her too early. In spite of his unique disability, Ívar is represented as the craftiest of his brothers, as well as something of a leader among them.

  Jarizleif [V], a companion of Gunnar when he goes to Guðrún after the murder of Sigurð. The name is not Norse but appears Slavic.

  Jarl [V, R], Norse title for a powerful nobleman.

  Jónakr [V], a king, third husband of Guðrún and father of Hamðir, Sorli, and Erp (2).

  Jormunrekk [V], a king who is promised the hand of Svanhild in marriage and later kills her by having her trampled to death by horses.

  Kostbera [V], the wife of Hogni (2). She has prophetic dreams and reads runes.

  Kráka [R], the name given to Áslaugby Aki and Gríma, and used by her until she reveals her true name to Ragnar when she is pregnant with Sigurð Snake-Eye. In Old Norse, the name literally means "crow."

  Láganes [V], a peninsula in an unknown location, mentioned by Sinfjotli in an insult.

  {142} Langobards [V], a Germanic tribe of the early Middle Ages. They gave their name to Lombardy in Italy.

  Leif [V], a captain in Helgi’s navy.

  Loki [V], a complicated trickster figure who helps the Norse gods in some myths and opposes them in others. In the Saga of the Volsungs, he is traveling in the company of Óðin when he kills Otter, which sets in motion the action of the remainder of the saga.

  London [R], supposedly founded by Ívar according to chapter 17 of the Saga of Ragnar Loðbrók. The City of London is in fact many centuries older than the Viking Age.

  Lyngvi [V], a son of Hunding who courts Hjordís in competition with Sigmund.

  Munarvág [R], Old Norse name for an unknown harbor on the Danish island of Samsø.

  Niflung [V], a son of Hogni (2).

  Norn [V], one of the female beings who determine the fate of gods and mortals.

  Norway [R], roughly coterminous with the modern country, but it is a region of small independent chiefdoms, rather than a unified nation, in the early Middle Ages.

  Oddrún [V], a sister of Brynhild and Atli who is mentioned by name only once in the Saga of the Volsungs (in chapter 31), when Brynhild briefly alludes to Gunnar’s secret meetings with Oddrún. This is a story told more fully in the poem Oddrúnargrátr (Oddrunargratr) in the Poetic Edda. It is also possible that Oddrún is the sister Atli is thinking of when he tells Gunnar and Hogni that they have betrayed his sister in chapter 36 of the Saga of the Volsungs.

  Óðin [V, R], god of poetry and war. He is often portrayed as a shrewd figure pursuing his own selfish interests, including the dispatching of human warriors so that they may join his army in Valhalla (the "hall of the slain" where the Valkyries bring slain warriors). Óðin is very frequently seen in disguise and takes many names, but even in disguise he is usually recognizable to the reader as an old man with one eye, often dressed in a gray or blue cloak and a wide-brimmed hat.

  Ogmund [R], nicknamed "the Dane." In the last chapter of the Saga of Ragnar Loðbrók, he encounters a talking wooden idol on Samsø, which claims it was made by the Ragnarssons.

  {143} Óin [V], a dwarf, father of Andvari.

  Orkning [V], a warrior, brother of Kostbera.

  Óskapt [V], an island mentioned by Fáfnir as the site of Ragnarok, the final battle between the gods and giants.

  Otter [V], brother of Fáfnir and Regin, son of Hreiðmar. He is literally an otter, and his name in Old Norse, Otr, is the normal Old Norse word for "otter" (and that word is used to describe him in the same chapter in which it is given as his name). He is kil
led by Loki, which begins the tale of the cursed treasure taken from Andvari.

  Ragnar Loðbrók [R], a legendary Danish king and Viking. Loðbrók is not a last name but a nickname that literally means "shaggy pants" (or "shaggy chaps") and refers to the signature item of clothing that he wore when he rescued his first wife Thóra (2) from a dragon. With Thóra he is the father of Eirek and Agnar (2). After Thóra’s death, he remarries to Áslaug(Kráka), and with her he is the father of Sigurð Snake-Eye, Ívar the Boneless, Hvítserk, Rognvald, and Bjorn Ironside.

  Ragnarssons [R], collective designation for the sons of Ragnar Loðbrók, especially his sons with Áslaug: Sigurð Snake-Eye, Ívar the Boneless, Hvítserk, Rognvald, and Bjorn Ironside.

  Ragnhild [R], mother of Harald Fairhair. She is represented as the daughter of Sigurð Snake-Eye.

  Rán [V], goddess of shipwrecks and owner of a famous net that Loki borrows to catch Andvari.

  Randalín [R], the name adopted by Áslaug when she accompanies her sons on their expedition to avenge Agnar (2) and Eirek, and for the remainder of her life thereafter.

  Randvér [V], son of Jormunrekk, who is sent by his father to bring Svanhild to him as his bride.

  Rauðabjargir [V], a site where Helgi collects his troops.

  Regin [V], a smith, brother of Fáfnir and Otter, and son of Hreiðmar. He raises Sigurð in the kingdom of Álf (2), and reforges the sword Gram.

  Rerir [V], the son of Sigi and father of Volsung.

  Rhine [V], a river near the kingdom of Gjúki and his family, and the river where Gunnar and Hogni (2) hide the treasure of Fáfnir at some point after they have killed Sigurð and before they visit Atli.

  Riðil [V], a sword Sigurð uses to cut open the dead dragon Fáfnir.

  {144} Rognvald [R], a son of Ragnar Loðbrók and Áslaug.

  Rune [V], a letter in the alphabet used in Scandinavia before the adoption of the Roman alphabet (which is the alphabet used to write English and the Scandinavian languages today). Brynhild attributes magical properties to them in chapter 20 of the Saga of the Volsungs, in lines borrowed from the poem Sigrdrífumál (Sigrdrifumal) in the Poetic Edda.

  Rus [V], a term for the people of an early medieval Swedish tribe, or the Slavic people of the kingdoms they founded in modern Russia and Ukraine. The word appears in this volume in translating Old Norse Garðakonungr, "king of the Rus," literally "king of Garðaríki," an Old Norse term for the Rus kingdoms.

  Samsø [R], a small island in Denmark where Ogmund encounters a talking wooden idol that tells him it was made by the Ragnarssons. The island (known in Old Norse as Sámsey) seems to have had a special association with magic, as it is also mentioned as a place where Óðin practiced magic in the poem Lokasenna in the Poetic Edda.

  Saxons [V], a Germanic tribe of the early medieval period. Anglo-Saxons (in England) or more likely, continental Saxons (in northern Germany), may be implied.

  Scandinavia [V, R], used as a translation of Old Norse Norðrlond (literally, "Northlands"). The term refers to the countries of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, which have closely related languages as well as strong historical links. The term often includes Iceland (which was settled from Norway), and in modern times sometimes also Finland (which has a language unrelated to Scandinavia proper, and a distinct culture, history, and mythology). It is interesting that England is included in the definition of Norðrlond in chapter 17 of the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, but throughout the early Middle Ages the English language remained very similar to its Scandinavian relatives, and the English kingdoms had frequent contact (both warlike and peaceful) with Danes and Norwegians.

  Sefafjoll [V], the home of Sigrún.

  Síbilja [R], a cow worshipped by Eystein in his kingdom in Sweden.

  Sigar [V], briefly alluded to as a relative of Siggeir. Various medieval sources mention a Sigar in Siggeir’s family, but the original relation {145} between the two is not clear. It is unclear whether the Sigar related to Siggeir is the same as the Sigar alluded to by Guðrún in chapter 25 of the Saga of the Volsungs.

  Siggeir [V], husband of Signý and killer of Volsung.

  Sigi [V], a son of Óðin and father of Rerir.He isoutlawed for the murder of Breði and driven away from home.

  Sigmund (1) [V], son of Volsung, brother of Signý, and father of Sinfjotli, Helgi, and Sigurð. He is the owner of the sword later reforged as Gram, and after killing Siggeir in revenge for his father and brothers, he becomes the king of Hunland.

  Sigmund (2) [V], son of Sigurð and Guðrún.

  Signý [V], daughter of Volsung, wife of Siggeir, and mother (with her brother Sigmund) of Sinfjotli.

  Sigrún [V], a Valkyrie, daughter of Hogni (1), and lover of Helgi.

  Sigurð [V, R], son of Sigmund (1) and renowned for slaying Fáfnir with the sword Gram. With Brynhild, he is the father of Áslaug, and with his wife Guðrún he is the father of Svanhild and Sigmund (2).

  Sigurð Ring [R], legendary king of Denmark (who is said in other sagas to be a Swede) and father of Ragnar Loðbrók.

  Sigurð Snake-Eye [R], a son of Ragnar Loðbrók and Áslaug, named for his maternal grandfather Sigurð and nicknamed for an eye that appears to have a snake (or dragon) in it.

  Sinfjotli [V], son of Sigmund (1) and his sister Signý. He is represented as a particularly fierce warrior, thanks to his descent on both his father’s and mother’s side from Volsung (and therefore from Óðin).

  Skaði [V], owner of the slave Breði.

  Sleipnir [V], the eight-legged stallion of Óðin, which is the father of Sigurð’s stallion Grani.

  Snævar [V], a son of Hogni (2).

  Sok [V], an island.

  Sólar [V], a son of Hogni (2).

  Sólfjoll [V], a location associated with the Volsungs.

  Sorli [V], son of Guðrún and Jónakr, brother of Hamðir and Erp (2).

  Southern Empire [R], a Norse designation for the Holy Roman Empire.

  Spangarheið [R], the farm of Aki and Gríma in Norway.

  {146} Svafrloð [V], one of Guðrún’s serving-women.

  Spellcaster [V], name used by Óðin in disguise in chapter 17 of the Saga of the Volsungs, and in the Poetic Edda in the poem Reginsmál (Reginsmal),which Óðin’s lines in that chapter are quoted from. "Spellcaster" is a translation of Old Norse Fjolnir, which is of uncertain exact meaning but apparently formed from a root word that has associations with magical wisdom.

  Svanhild [V], daughter of Guðrún and Sigurð. She is promised in marriage to Jormunrekk and famously killed when he orders her trampled to death by horses.

  Svarinshaug [V], the domain of Granmar (2).

  Sveipuð [V], a stallion.

  Sveggjuð [V], a stallion.

  Sweden [R], in the Middle Ages, refers chiefly to the eastern part of the modern country centered around Uppsala. Much of the southern part of what is now Sweden belonged to Denmark until early modern times, and in the early medieval period Götaland was also a distinct kingdom.

  Thór [V], the god of thunder and protector of humankind, who famously wields the hammer Mjollnir.

  Thóra (1) [V], a friend to Guðrún during her time in Denmark after the murder of Sigurð.

  Thóra (2) [R], also called Thóra Town-Doe, the first wife of Ragnar Loðbrók.

  Thórð[R], one of the original settlers of Iceland, according to the Old Norse document called Landnámabók (Book of the Settlers). According to chapter 64 of Landnámabók, he was the great-great-grandson of Ragnar Loðbrók, and the Saga of Ragnar Loðbrók affirms the tradition of a family connection in chapter 18.

  Thrasnes [V], a peninsula in an unknown location, mentioned by Granmar in an insult.

  Troll [V], an evil creature of unspecified characteristics, perhaps similar to a giant but invariably ugly (whereas the giants may be attractive).

  Týr [V], a one-handed god and also the name of a rune.

  Uppsala [R], an important city of medieval and modern Sweden.

  Valbjorg [V], an estate that is part of the
inheritance of Gjúki.

  {147} Valdar [V], mentioned as a Danish companion of Gunnar, and known elsewhere as the name of a king of Denmark.

  Valkyries [V], "choosers of the slain," women who fly over battlefields and conduct the spirits of the best slain warriors to Óðin in Valhalla. A Valkyrie is not a separate kind of being from humans but seems to be an occupation that mortal women (such as Sigrún and Brynhild) and even the daughters of giants (such as Hljóð) can assume.

  Vanir [V], a family of gods subordinate to the Æsir and associated with agriculture, the natural world, and fertility.

  Varinsey [V], an island in an unknown location, mentioned by Sinfjotli in an insult.

  Varinsfjorð [V], a fjord where Helgi first meets Sigrún.

  Vífil [R], the ruler of Vífilsborg.

  Vífilsborg [R], a city raided by the Ragnarssons in the Holy Roman Empire.

  Vínbjorg [V], an estate that is part of the inheritance of Gjúki.

  Vingi [V], a Hunnish messenger sent by Atli to invite Gunnar and Hogni to visit him.

  Volsung [V], a famously skilled and daring warrior, the son of Rerir who is born after his mother’s six-year pregnancy. He becomes king of Hunland and father of twin siblings Sigmund (1) and Signý. His descendants are known as the Volsungs in honor of him.

  Volsungs [V], the name of the family descended from Volsung. Any descendant of his (e.g., Sigmund, Sigurð, Sinfjotli, Signý) can be referred to as "a Volsung."

  William the Conqueror [R], the historical conqueror of and later king of England (ruled AD 1066–1087).