(Hogni said:)

1. * "What hateful harm hath he done thee,

that Sigmund's son thou slain would'st have?"

* Codex Regius begins again with the words equivalent to "done harm, that thou......"

(Gunnar said:)

2. "To me hath Sigurth oft sworn dear oaths, *

hath sworn dear oaths which all were false;

and then betrayed me the trusted one---

he ought not have been---- in all these oaths."

*That he would not deprive Brynhild of her virginity after his ride through the wall of flames---as she alleges he did (St. 20).

(Hogni said:)

3. "Envious Brynhild to evil deed

in hate did whet thee, much harm to do:

begrudges Guthrun her goodly husband,

and also thee, in her arms to lie."

4. Some a wolf did steak, some a worm did bake, *

of the grim beast gave they Guthorm to eat

ere, eager to evil, the angry men

on highborn hero their hands could lay.

* There is rime here in the original. Only after having fed Guthorm ("He Who Honors the Gods") the flesh of serpents and wolves (to infuriate him) were they successful, with his aid, in slaying Sigurth. See "Sigurtharkvidha hin skamma," Sts. 20 and 21.

5. Slain was Sigurth south of the Rhine. *

A raven on tree had wrathfully cawed:

"Atli's ** sword blade your blood will redden, ***

your mainsworn oaths will murder you."

* That is, in the forest, as is the case in the German versions of the legend. See the Prose at the end of the lay. The stanza is transposed here (following Grundtvig) from its original position after Stanza 10.

** The historic Attila, King of the Huns [MHG. Etcel]. In Eddic tradition he is the son of Buthli and brother of Brynhild, and is responsible for the deaths of Gunnar and Hogni.

*** In revenge for Sigurth's death.

6. Without * stood Guthrun, Gjuki's daughter.

These words then first fell from her lips:

"Where lingers Sigurth, the leader of men,

since all my kin are come before him?"

* She stands outside of the hall to receive her returning kinsmen.

7. To which Hogni only did answer make:

"With our swords we sundered Sigurth's body;

now stands the grey steed by stricken hero." *

* See "Gudhrunarkvidha" II, St. 5.

8. Then quoth Brynhild, Buthli's daughter:

"May ye fearless now hold folklands and arms:

would Sigurth alone have had sway over all

if but little longer his life he had held.

9. "Unseeming were it if sway he had

over Gjuki's gold and Gothic * hosts,

and to fend him from foes five sons begat, **

swordplay-eager young athelings."

* Here used as an honorific epithet.

** According to "Sigurtharkvidha hin skamma," St. 12, Sigurth had only one son, Sigmund: Brynhild refers to the sons he might have begotten.

10. Laughed then Brynhild---- her bower rang---

one time only, out of inmost heart:

"Long may ye live to rule lands and thanes,

ye twain who felled the foremost hero."

11. Then quoth Guthrun, Gjuki's daughter:

"With fey mouth say'st thou foul words many:

let trolls Gunnar take who betrayed Sigurth!

Thy thoughts bloodthirsty crave threefold revenge."

12. Deep the men drank--- the dark night came----

many welcome words * then warmed their hearts.

By sleep then summoned all slept in their beds,

but Gunnar only of all did wake.

* Probably, the song of the minstrel, to dispel the uneasy feelings that arise in their hearts at nightfall after the deed.

13. Much gan mutter, and move his feet, *

gan bethink him, the thanes' leader,

what on greenwood tree the twain ** had said,

raven and hawk, when home they rode.

* Or, following Rask "roil his bedding." Either would betray his agitation.

** Compare with St. 5 where, however, only a raven is mentioned.

14. Awoke Brynhild, Buthli's daughter,

the queenly woman, ere coming of day:

"Whet me or let me, * the harm is done now,

whether I say my sorrow or cease therewith."

* In the sense of "whether you incite me or hinder me."

15. Were silent all when said these words

fair-browed Brynhild, nor fathomed her speech,

when wailing wept the woman the deeds

which laughing she had led them to do.

(Brynhild said:)

16. "Me dreamed, Gunnar, a gruesome dream,

that chill our chamber and cheerless my bed;

but thou didst ride bereft of joy,

fastened with fetters, into foemen's throng. *.

* Prophetic of his fate at Atli's court. See "Atlakvidha," St. 31.

17. "Thus shall be stricken the strength of the Niflungs, *

the mainsworn kin unmindful of oaths.

* "Sons of the Mist"; compare with Niflhel ("Vafthrudhnismal," St. 13) [MHG. Nibelungen], a demonic race, the original possessors of the treasure. In the Edda the name is applied to the kinsmen of Gjuki.

18. "Forgettest, Gunnar, altogether

how your blood ye both did blend under sward? *

Him now hast thou with hate requited,

and foully felled, who foremost made thee. **

* The ceremony of swearing foster brothership is here referred to. This was accomplished by standing underneath a strip of upraised sod and letting one's blood flow on the same spot in the ground with that of the brother-to-be. The act is probably symbolic of common issue from the same womb.

** The Volsunga saga dwells on the increase in wealth and power of the Gjukungs through their alliance with Sigurth.

19. "Was seen fully, when Sigurth rode

through flickering flame to fetch me thence,

how the high hero had held before

the oaths he sware to serve the king:

20. "His wand-of-wounds, * all wound with gold,

the trothful king betwixt us laid:

in hot fire wholly was hardened Gram,

its blade blazoned with bitter poison."

*Kenning for "sword." The hilt was gilded (or wound with gold wire).

OF SIGURTH'S DEATH

In this lay we are told about Sigurth's death, and that he was slain in such wise, as though they had slain him out of doors; but others say that they slew him while asleep in his bed. * But German men have it that he was felled in the forest, and in "The Old Song of Guthrun" ** we are told that Sigurth was slain while on his way to the Thing with the sons of Gjuki; but all are at one in saying that they overcame him by treachery and killed him while lying down and unawares.

* In his bed: "Sigurdharkvidha hin skamma," St. 22 ff; "Gudhrunarhvot," St. 4; "Hamdhismal," Sts. 6-7. In the forest: as instanced in the Nibelungenlied and Thidhreks saga (whose account is based on German stories).

** "Gudhrunarkvidha" II, St. 7; a misunderstanding.

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