THE PLAINT OF
ODDRUN
Oddrunargratr
 Oddrun's love for
Gunnar, a specifically Northern development of the
Niflung legend, hinted at also in "The Short Lay of
Sigurth," is here elaborated into a whole
poem---perhaps the most elegiac of the whole collection.
It is also probably one of the youngest, and was not
known to the compiler of the Volsunga saga. The very
beginning as well as the whole feel of the lay attest its
late origin: the many archaising turns and allusions(1)
are due to the conscious effort of an Icelandic poet of
the late twelfth century to imitate the earlier manner.
It will be by the enmity aroused by Gunnar's relations
with Oddrun---an unauthentic perversion of the legend.
Aesthetically, too, the poem is inferior. Though facile,
it is full of inconsistencies and irrelevancies (2), due
in this instance, not only to a problematic and utterly
disordered text, but also to the mediocrity of the poet.
1. For
example, Oddrun's magic spells (St. 7), and the
invocation of Frigg and Freya, (St. 8). Note on the other
hand Oddrun's general, Christian, altruism.
2. For
example, the purposeless bringing in of the fates of
Sigurth and Brynhild.
Heithrek was the name of a
king, and his daughter was hight Borgny. Vilmund (3) was
the name of her lover. She could not give birth to her
children before Oddrun, Atli's sister, came to help her.
(4) Oddrun had been the leman of Gunnar, the son of
Gjuki. Of these matters dealeth this lay.
3. These
and others names occuring here are of the poet's own
invention. Heithrek is conceived as the king of one of
Atli's domains. See Sts. 2 and 4.
4. See
"Sigurtharkvidha hin skamma," St. 57, and
"Drap Niflunga."
1. I have heard it
told in tales of yore
how that came a maid
to Mornaland; (5)
not any one could, the
earth above,
lend a helping hand to
Heithrek's daughter.
5. Unknown
elsewhere.
2. Then heard Oddrun,
Atli's sister,
that this maid lay in
throes full long;
the bitted steed from
stall she drew,
and saddle laid on the
swart-hued horse.
3. The even earth-ways
she eagerly rode
till the high-built
hall of Heithrek she saw.
She swung the saddle
from slender steed,
and in she went to
endmost gable.
These words then first
fell from her lips:
4. "I fain would
find if befallen hath evil,
as I have heard, in
Hunnish lands?" (6)
The handmaid said:
"Here lieth
Borgny by labor o'ercome,
thy friend, Oddrun----
fly to her help!"
6. See
Note 3 above. A difficult line.
Oddrun said:
5. "Who did this
harm to Heithrek's daughter,
and brought Borgny to
the brink of death?"
The handmaid said:
"Vilmund is hight
a hero proud:
under warm cover he
kept the maid, (7)
for five winters, so
her father knew not."
7.
Euphemistically.
6. Nor more spoke
they, the mournful ones;
nigh her, Oddrun did
kneel to help:
stern spells she
spake, strong spells she spake,
for womb-bound woman
witchcraft mighty. (8)
8. See the
spells referred to in "Fafnismal," St. 12, and
"Sigrdrifumal," St. 10.
7. Two bonny babes
were born to the world,
son and daughter, to
the slayers of Hogni; (9)
then said the maid
sick unto death,
nor any word she ere
that spoke:
9. The lay
stands alone in stating Hogni to have been slain by
Vilmund.
8. "May hallowed
wights bring help to thee,
Frigg and Freya, (10)
and favoring gods,
as off thou warded
evil from me
(and hastened hither
help to bring me)." (11)
10. The
aid of Frigg (see "Voluspa," St. 33), goddess
of martial love, and wife of Othin, was invoked at
births; she was sometimes confused with Freya (See
"Thrymskvidha" St. 3), the goddess of love and
sister of Frey.
11. Added
by translator.
9. "Not hastened
I hither help to bring thee,
as though worthy ever
thou wert of it:
an oath I swore, and
ever kept,
that the ailing all
'gainst ill I would guard."
Borgny said:
10. (12)"Bereft
of reason and raving art,
since spiteful words
thou speakest to me;
yet faithfully I
followed thee,
as though born we had
been to brothers twain."
12. An
extensive reordering of several stanzas (10-22) is
required here to give a passable coherence.
Oddrun said:
11. "I remember
yet how meanly you spoke,
when to Gunnar I gave
the evening goblet, (13)
saying such shame
never should be known
of any maid, but of me
only."
13.
Probably to be understood as an euphemism.
12. Then sate her down
the sorrowful queen, (14)
to tell her tales of
trials great.
14.
Oddrun.
13. "To high
heroes in hall I was born.
My life I led beloved
of most
whilst lived my
father---(15) fair was my lot---
but I fatherless
drooped when five winters.
15.
Buthli.
14. "These words
then spake the weary king
when last in life his
lips he oped:
that dowered with gold
his daughter should be
given in Southland to
Grimhild's son. (16)
16. Gunnar
is meant.
15. "But to
Brynhild he the helmet gave:
she should, said he, a
shield-maid be. (17)
'No better maiden was
born in the world
to be a queen,' he
quoth, 'while she lives.'
17. Buthli
wishes Brynhild to become a "shield-maiden," a
valkyrie, rather than to marry.
16. "In her bower
Brynhild gold braids did weave,
as lady lorded it o'er
land and folk;
the earth quivered,
and all the sky,
when Fafnir's slayer
(18) first saw the hall.
18.
Sigurth, who approaches her bower (here apparently
conceived as a fortress) with the Gjukungs to lay seige
to it.
17. "Then
Sigurth's sword did smite amain,
broke the stronghold
which Brynhild owned;
nor long it lasted,
but little while,
till of all wiles she
aware did grow. (19)
19. It was
not until her return as Gunnar's wife that she became
aware of the deception. See "Sigurtharkvidha hin
skamma," St. 34 ff.
18. "Revenge full
hard vowed she therefor,
and took felly, as we
found ourselves:
to farthest folklands
will fly the tale
how at Sigurth's side
she slew herself. (20)
20. The
theme of "Brot af Sigurtharkvidhu" and
"Sigurtharkvidha hin skamma."
19. "To Gunnar
then gladly I gave my love,
to the
breaker-of-rings, (21) as Brynhild did not;
to Atli they (22)
offered untold riches (23)
of bright gold rings,
to my brother dear.
21.
Kenning for "prince": Gunnar.
22. The
Gjukungs.
23. As
weregild for Brynhild, to appease her brother Atli.
20. "Bade he
fondly for me fifteen manors
and Grani's burden,
(24) if gold he wished;
but Atli spurned to
bespeak ever
a dowry gift from
Gjukung's kinsmen.
24. The
Niflung treasure. See "Gripissspa," St. 13.
21. "Yet could we
not overcome our love;
to the gold-ring-giver
(25) I gave myself.
Then muttered among
them many kinsmen,
and spoke they had
spied us together.
25.
Kenning for "prince": Gunnar. Oddrun has
evidently been staying at the court of the Gjukungs.
22. "Still Atli
thought that I forsooth
all stainless stayed,
nor stooped to ill;
yet should no one be
sure of this,
or believe another, if
love's at stake.
23. "Sped Atli
forth his spies full soon
through Myrkvith's
(26) fastness, to find me out:
they came indeed where
come they should not,
'neath linen where we
lay together.
26.
"The Dark Forest," which is here supposed to
separate the realm of the Burgundians from Atli's
kingdom. See "Atlakvidha," Sts. 3, 5, 13.
24. "With red
rings we richly tried them,
lest they Atli told
aught of our love;
but home in haste they
hied them back,
but hidden wholly from
her (27) kept it
who all of it ought to
have known.
27. That
is, from Guthrun, who meanwhile has married Atli: if she
had known of this situation she would have had an
additional reason to warn her brothers not to come when
Atli invited the Gjukungs to his court.
25. (28)"The
hoofbeat of horses was heard full loud
when Gjuki's sons in
the garth did ride.
Then Hogni's heart the
Huns cut out,
in dungeon laid him
who was dear to me.
28. We
gather that Oddrun has been called back by Atli. We must
suppose that some lines or stanzas are lost her, in which
was told of Atli's deceitful invitation to the Gjukungs
and their acceptance of it. See "Atlakvidha,"
St. 1 ff.
26. "His harp
then struck the hapless king (29)
(with the toes of his
feet that far it rang). (30)
Thought the highborn
king that I quickly would
hasten to help if I
heard this song.
29.
Gunnar.
30.
Supplied after "Atlamal," St. 61.
27. "Gone was I
then to Geirmund's (31) court,
the beer to brew for a
banquet there;
his harp I heard from
Hles Isle far,
how the strings he
struck, bestead full sore.
31.
Unknown elsewhere. We are told below that this castle is
on the Danish island of Hlesey.
28. "I bade my
handmaids to hold them ready:
the lord's dear life I
longed to ward;
full swiftly sailed
the sound over,
till I beheld the
halls of Atli.
29. "Then out did
crawl Atli's mother,
the evil wretch--- may
she rot foully! (32)
Into Gunnar's heart
she hewed her teeth
that I might not save
the matchless king.
32. The
poet seems to forget here that Atli's mother is her own
also. This motif is not found elsewhere.
30. "I often
wonder, woman gold-dight,
why alone longer I
live on earth,
when dead the doughty
dealer-of-rings(33)
whom more I loved than
my own self.
33.
Kenning for "prince": Gunnar.
31. "Thou sat'st
listening as I laid before thee
manifold woe, both
mine and theirs;
thus live we all as
liketh us---(34)
sad Oddrun's plaint is
ended now."
34. That
is, we obey the dictates of love (as Borgny, too, had
done).
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