The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson
arms and lands. Sigurd would alone over all have ruled, had he a
little longer life retained.
8. Unseemly it had been that he should so have ruled over Giuki's
heritage and the Goths' people, when he five sons, for the fall of
hosts, eager for warfare, had begotten."
9. Then laughed Brynhild--the whole burgh resounded--once only from
her whole heart: "Well shall ye enjoy lands and subjects, now the
daring king ye have caused to fall."
10. Then said Gudrun, Giuki's daughter: "Much thou speakest, things
most atrocious: may fiends have Gunnar, Sigurd's murderer! Souls
malevolent vengeance awaits."
11. Sigurd had fallen south of Rhine: loud from a tree a raven
screamed: "With your blood will Atli his sword's edges redden; the
oaths ye have sworn your slaughter shall dissolve."
12. Evening was advanced, much was drunken, then did pleasant talk
of all kinds pass: all sank in sleep, when to rest they went. Gunnar
alone was wakeful longer than all:
13. He began his foot to move, and much with himself to speak; the
warlike chief in his mind pondered, what during the conflict the raven
and the eagle were ever saying, as they rode home.
14. Brynhild awoke, Budli's daughter, daughter of Skioldungs, a
little ere day: "Urge me or stay me--the mischief is perpetrated--my
sorrow to pour forth, or to suppress it."
15. All were silent at these words; few understood the lady's
conduct, that weeping she should begin to speak of what she laughing
had desired.
16. "In my dream, Gunnar! all seemed so horrid, in the chamber all
was dead; my bed was cold; and thou, king! wast riding of joy bereft,
with fetters loaded, to a hostile host. So will ye all, race of
Niflungs! be of power deprived, perjurers as ye are!
17. Ill Gunnar! didst thou remember, when blood ye in your footsteps
both let flow; now hast thou him ill for all that requited, because he
would prove himself foremost.
18. Then was it proved, when the hero had ridden to see me, to woo
me, how the warlike chief whilom held sacred his oath towards the
youthful prince.
19. Laid his sword, with gold adorned, the illustrious king between
us both: outward its edges were with fire wrought, but with venom
drops tempered within."
From this lay, in which the death of Sigurd is related, it appears
that he was slain without doors, while some relate that he was slain
sleeping in his bed: but the Germans say he was slain out in the
forest; and it is told in the "Gudrunarkvida hin Forna," that Sigurd
and the sons of Giuki had ridden to the public assembly (thing) when
he was slain. But it is said by all, without exception, that they
broke faith with him, and attacked him while lying down and
unprepared.
THE FIRST LAY OF GUDRUN.
Gudrun sat over Sigurd dead; she wept not as other women, although
ready to burst with sorrow. Both men and women, came to console her,
but that was not easy. It is said by some that Gudrun had eaten of
Fafnir's heart, and therefore understood the talk of birds. This is
also sung of Gudrun:
1. Of old it was that Gudrun prepared to die, when she sorrowing
over Sigurd sat. No sigh she uttered, nor with her hands beat, nor
wailed, as other women.
2. Jarls came forward of great sagacity, from her sad state of mind
to divert her. Gudrun could not shed a tear, such was her affliction;
ready she was to burst.
3. Sat there noble wives of jarls, adorned with gold, before Gudrun;
each of them told her sorrows, the bitterest she had known.
4. Then said Giaflaug, Giuki's sister: "I know myself to be on earth
most joyless: of five consorts I the loss have suffered; of two
daughters, sisters three, and brothers eight; I alone live."
5. Gudrun could not shed a tear, such was her affliction for her
dead consort, and her soul's anguish for the king's fall.
6. Then said Herborg, Hunaland's queen: "I a more cruel grief have
to recount: my seven sons, in the south land, my spouse the eighth, in
conflict fell.
7. My father and my mother, my brothers four, on the sea the wind
deluded; the waves struck on the ship's timbers.
8. Their last honours 'twas mine to pay, 'twas mine to see them
tombed, their funeral rites to prepare was mine. All this I underwent
in one half-year, and to me no one consolation offered.
9. Then I became a captive, taken in war, at the close of the same
half-year. Then had I to adorn, and tie the shoes, of the Hersir's
wife, each morn.
10. From jealousy she threatened me, and with hard blows drove me:
nowhere master found I a better, but mistress no where a worse."
11. Gudrun could not shed a tear, such was her affliction for her
dead consort, and her soul's anguish for the king's fall.
12. Then said Gullrond, Giuki's daughter: "Little canst thou, my
fosterer, wise as thou art, with a young wife fittingly talk." The
king's body she forbade to be longer hidden.
13. She snatched the sheet from Sigurd's corpse, and turned his cheek
towards his wife's knees: "Behold thy loved one, lay thy mouth to his
lip, as if thou wouldst embrace the living prince."
14. Gudrun upon him cast one look: she saw the prince's locks
dripping with blood, the chief's sparkling eyes closed in death, his
kingly breast cleft by the sword.
15. Then sank down Gudrun back on her pillow, her head-gear was
loosed, her cheeks grew red, and a flood of tears fell to her knees.
16. Then wept Gudrun, Giuki's daughter, so that the tears
spontaneously flowed, and at the same time screamed the geese in the
court, the noble birds, which the lady owned.
17. Then spake Gullrond, Giuki's daughter: "Your loves I know were
the most ardent among living beings upon earth: thou hadst delight
nowhere, sister mine! save with Sigurd."
18. Then said Gudrun, Giuki's daughter: "Such was my Sigurd among
Giuki's sons, as is the garlick out from the grass which grows, or a
bright stone on a thread drawn, a precious gem on kings.
19. I also seemed to the prince's warriors higher than any of
Herian's Disir; now I am as little as the leaf oft is in the
storm-winds, after the chieftain's death.
20. Sitting I miss, and in my bed, my dearest friend. Giuki's sons
have caused, Giuki's sons have caused my affliction, and their
sister's tears of anguish.
21. So ye desolate the people's land, as ye have kept your sworn
oaths. Gunnar! thou wilt not the gold enjoy; those rings will be thy
bane, for the oaths thou to Sigurd gavest.
22. Oft in the mansion was the greater mirth, when my Sigurd Grani
saddled, and Brynhild they went to woo, that which accursed, in an
evil hour!"
23. Then said Brynhild, Budli's daughter: "May the hag lack spouse
and children, who thee, Gudrun! has caused to weep, and this morning
given thee runes of speech!"[79]
24. Then said Gullrond, Giuki's daughter: "Cease, thou loathed of
all! from those words. The evil destiny of princes thou hast ever
been; thee every billow drives of an evil nature; thou sore affliction
of seven kings, the greatest bane of friendship among women!"
25. Then said Brynhild, Budli's daughter: "Atli my brother, Budli's
offspring, is the sole cause of all the evil;
26. When in the hall of the Hunnish folk, with the king we beheld
the fire of the serpent's bed.[80] Of that journey, I have paid the
penalty, that sight I have ever rued."
27. She by a column stood, the wood violently clasped. From the eyes
of Brynhild, Budli's daughter, fire gleamed forth; venom she snorted,
when she beheld the wounds of Sigurd.
Gudrun then went away to the forest and deserts, and travelled to
Denmark, where she stayed seven half-years with Thora, Hakon's
daughter. Brynhild would not outlive Sigurd. She caused her eight
thralls and five female slaves to be killed, and then slew herself
with a sword, as it is related in the "Sigurdarkvida in Skemma" (the
Short Lay of Sigurd).
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 79: Power of speech.]
[Footnote 80: A periphrasis for gold.]
BRYNHILD'S HEL-RIDE.
After Brynhild's death two piles were made, one for Sigurd, which was
the first burnt; but Brynhild was burnt afterwards, and she was in a
chariot, which was hung with precious tapestry; so that it was said
that Brynhild drove in a chariot on the way to Hel, and passed through
a place in which a giantess dwelt. The giantess said:
1. "Thou shalt not pass through my stone-supported dwelling place.
Better had it beseemed thee to work broidery, than to seek after
another's husband.
2. Why dost thou, vagrant woman! from Valland, my dwelling visit?
Thou hast, golden dame! if thou desirest to know, gentle one! from thy
hands washed human blood."
_Brynhild_.
3. "Upbraid me not, woman of the rock! although I have in warfare
been. Of us, I trow, I shall the better seem, wherever men our
conditions know."
_Giantess_.
4. "Thou, Brynhild! Budli's daughter! wast in evil hour born in the
world; thou hast been the bane of Giuki's children, and their happy
house subverted."
_Brynhild_.
5. "From my chariot I will truly tell thee, thou witless crone! if
thou desirest to know, how Giuki's heirs made me both lovelorn and
perjured.
6. The bold-hearted king[81] caused the garbs of us eight sisters
under an oak to be borne. Twelve years old was I, if thou desirest to
know, when to the youthful king oaths I gave.
7. By all in Hlymdalir I was called Hild with the helm, by all who
knew me.
8. Then caused I next, in the Gothic realm, the old Hialmgunnar to
Hel to journey: I gave victory to the youthful brother of Oda, whereat
Odin became hostile to me.
9. He with shields encompassed me, red and white, in Skatalund;
their surfaces enclosed me; him he ordained my sleep to break, who in
no place could be made to fear.
10. He made around my hall, towards the south, towering burn the
destroyer of all wood: then bade that man only over it to ride, who me
the gold should bring, that under Fafnir lay.
11. On Grani rode the chief, the gold-disperser, to where my
foster-father ruled o'er the dwellings. He alone seemed there to all
superior, the Danish warrior, of the court.
12. We slept and were content in the same bed, as if he had my born
brother been; neither of us might on the other, for eight nights, lay
a hand.
13. Reproached me Gudrun, Giuki's daughter, that I had slept in
Sigurd's arms; then was I made aware of what I fain would not,--that
they had deceived me, when a mate I took.
14. To calamities all too lasting men and women, ever will be while
living born. We two shall now, Sigurd and I pass our life together.
Sink thou of giant-kind!"
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 81: By depriving them of the swan-plumage, for they were
Valkyriur like the wives of Volund and his brothers, Agnar reduced
them under his subjection.]
THE SLAUGHTER OF THE NIFLUNGS.
Gunnar and Hogni then took all the gold, Fafnir's heritage. Dissension
prevailed afterwards between the Giukungs and Atli. He charged them
with being the cause of Brynhild's death. By way of reconciliation, it
was agreed that they should give him Gudrun in marriage, to whom they
administered an oblivious potion, before she would consent to espouse
Atli. Atli had two sons, Erp and Eitil, but Svanhild was the daughter
of Sigurd and Gudrun. King Atli invited Gunnar and Hogni to his
residence, and sent to them Vingi, or Knefrod. Gudrun was aware of
treachery, and sent them word in runes not to come; and to Hogni, as a
token, she sent the ring Andvaranaut, in which she had tied some
wolf's hair. Gunnar had sought the hand of Oddrun, Atli's sister, but
did not obtain it. He then married Glaumvor, and Hogni took Kostbera
to wife. Their sons were Solar, Snævar, and Giuki. When the Giukungs
came to Atli, Gudrun besought his sons to intercede for their lives,
but they would not. The heart of Hogni was cut out, and Gunnar was