The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga); with Excerpts from the Poetic Edda, - [e book reading free .txt] 📗

Originally written in Icelandic (Old Norse) in the thirteenth century A.D., by an unknown hand. However, most of the material is based substantially on previous works, some centuries older. A few of these works have been preserved in the collection of Norse poetry known as the "Poetic Edda".

The text of this edition is based on that published as "The Story of the Volsungs", translated by William Morris and Eirikr Magnusson (Walter Scott Press, London, 1888).

Douglas B. Killings

Anonymous: "Kudrun", Translated by Marion E. Gibbs & Sidney Johnson (Garland Pub., New York, 1992).

Anonymous: "Nibelungenlied", Translated by A.T. Hatto (Penguin Classics, London, 1962).

Saxo Grammaticus: "The First Nine Books of the Danish History", Translated by Oliver Elton (London, 1894; Reissued by the Online Medieval and Classical Library as E-Text OMACL #28, 1997).

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

TRANSLATORS' PREFACE.

THE STORY OF THE VOLSUNGS AND NIBLUNGS.

CHAPTER I.   Of Sigi, the Son of Odin

CHAPTER II.   Of the Birth of Volsung, the Son of Rerir, who was the Son of Sigi

CHAPTER III.   Of the Sword that Sigmund, Volsung's son, drew from the Branstock

CHAPTER IV.   How King Siggeir wedded Signy, and bade King Volsung and his son to Gothland

CHAPTER V.   Of the Slaying of King Volsung

CHAPTER VI.   Of how Signy sent the Children of her and Siggeir to Sigmund

CHAPTER VII.   Of the Birth of Sinfjotli the Son of Sigmund

CHAPTER VIII.   The Death of King Siggeir and of Signy

CHAPTER IX.   How Helgi, the son of Sigmund, won King Hodbrod and his Realm, and wedded Sigrun

CHAPTER X.   The ending of Sinfjotli, Sigmund's Son

CHAPTER XI.   Of King Sigmund's last Battle, and of how he must yield up his Sword again

CHAPTER XII.   Of the Shards of the Sword Gram, and how Hjordis went to King Alf

CHAPTER XIII.   Of the Birth and Waxing of Sigurd Fafnir's-bane

CHAPTER XIV.   Regin's tale of his Brothers, and of the Gold called Andvari's Hoard

CHAPTER XV.   Of the Welding together of the Shards of the Sword Gram

CHAPTER XVI.   The prophecy of Grifir

CHAPTER XVII.   Of Sigurd's Avenging of Sigmund his Father

CHAPTER XVIII.   Of the Slaying of the Worm Fafnir

CHAPTER XIX.   Of the Slaying of Regin, Son of Hreidmar

CHAPTER XX.   Of Sigurd's Meeting with Brynhild on the Mountain

CHAPTER XXI.   More Wise Words of Brynhild

CHAPTER XXII.   Of the Semblance and Array of Sigurd Fafnir's-bane

CHAPTER XXIII.   Sigurd comes to Hlymdale

CHAPTER XXIV.   Sigurd sees Brynhild at Hlymdale

CHAPTER XXV.   Of the Dream of Gudrun, Giuki's daughter

CHAPTER XXVI.   Sigurd comes to the Giukings and is wedded to Gudrun

CHAPTER XXVII.   The Wooing of Brynhild

CHAPTER XXVIII.   How the Queens held angry converse together at the Bathing

CHAPTER XXIX.   Of Brynhild's great Grief and Mourning

CHAPTER XXX.   Of the Slaying of Sigurd Fafnir's-bane

CHAPTER XXXI.   Of the Lamentation of Gudrun over Sigurd dead, as it is told told in ancient Songs

CHAPTER XXXII.   Of the Ending of Brynhild

CHAPTER XXXIII.   Gudrun wedded to Atli

CHAPTER XXXIV.   Atli bids the Giukings to him

CHAPTER XXXV.   The Dreams of the Wives of the Giukings

CHAPTER XXXVI.   Of the Journey of the Giukings to King Atli

CHAPTER XXXVII.   The Battle in the Burg of King Atli

CHAPTER XXXVIII.     Of the slaying of the Giukings

CHAPTER XXXIX.   The End of Atli and his Kin and Folk

CHAPTER XL.   How Gudrun cast herself into the Sea, but was brought ashore again

CHAPTER XLI.   Of the Wedding and Slaying of Swanhild

CHAPTER XLII.   Gudrun sends her Sons to avenge Swanhild

CHAPTER XLIII.   The Latter End of all the Kin of the Giukings

APPENDIX: EXCERPTS FROM THE POETIC EDDA.

PART OF THE SECOND LAY OF HELGI HUNDINGS-BANE (1)

PART OF THE LAY OF SIGRDRIFA (1)

THE LAY CALLED THE SHORT LAY OF SIGURD.

THE HELL-RIDE OF BRYNHILD.

FRAGMENTS OF THE LAY OF BRYNHILD

THE SECOND OR ANCIENT LAY OF GUDRUN.

THE SONG OF ATLI.

THE WHETTING OF GUDRUN.

THE LAY OF HAMDIR