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a summary in English by D. L. Ashliman 2010 Return to D. L. Ashliman's folktexts, a library of folktales, folklore, fairy tales, and mythology.
Volsung married Hljod, and together they had ten sons and one daughter. The eldest son was named Sigmund, and he had a twin sister named Signy. It is said that King Volsung had an excellent palace built with a large tree growing from the main hall, its branches stretching through the roof. The tree was named "Barnstock" [child-trunk].
4. Siggeir's Departure
The next day Siggeir announced his intention to return forthwith to his own country. Signy did not want to go with him, but her father insisted, claiming that there was insufficient cause to break the marriage contract already agreed to. Before leaving, Siggeir invited King Volsung, with all his sons, to visit him in Gautland, and a date for the reunion was set.
5. Volsung's Death
King Volsung and his sons journeyed to Gautland in three ships. Signy met them upon their arrival, and warned them that King Siggeir planned to ambush them. "Return at once to your own kingdom and come back with a large army," she implored her father.
He replied, "It will not be said of me that I lack courage. You must return to your husband, and I will face whatever danger comes my way." Signy returned home. The next morning, just as Signy had warned, King Siggeir attacked King Volsung. In the battle that followed King Volsung and all his men were killed. Only his ten sons survived, and they were taken prisoner. Learning the fate of her father and her brothers, Signy proposed to her husband that her brothers be put into stocks rather than being killed immediately. "Let them suffer before they die," she said, hoping to thus rescue one or more of them. King Siggeir had a large tree trunk fashioned into stocks, and the ten brothers were imprisoned by their feet somewhere in the woods. Each night a she-wolf attacked one of them, killing him and eating him, until only Sigmund remained alive. Through a trusted servant Signy learned the fate of her brothers. She gave the servant some honey, instructing him to smear it on Sigmund's face, and to put some of it in his mouth. That night, the wolf approached Sigmund, then started to lick the honey from his face and mouth. The wolf reached her tongue into Sigmund's mouth, and Sigmund bit down hard. The wolf jerked back in pain, pulling so hard that she split the tree trunk apart, and Sigmund escaped.
6. Tests of Courage
With the help of Signy and a few trusted servants, Sigmund built an underground dwelling in the woods, where he now lived as a free man. King Siggeir thought that his revenge was complete, that all the Volsungs, save his wife Signy, were dead. King Siggeir had two sons by his wife Signy, and Signy thought that they might help her avenge the death of her father and brothers. When the elder one was ten years old she sent him to visit Sigmund in his underground dwelling. Before sending him out, she tested his courage by sewing shut the cuffs of his shirt, with the stitches going through his flesh and skin. He withstood this ordeal poorly, and cried out in pain. As a further test, Sigmund handed him a sack of flour containing snakes, and asked him to make some bread. The boy refused, stating, "There is something alive in the flour." Sigmund reported this incident to his sister the next time that they met. "The boy lacks courage," said Signy. "Take him out and kill him." Sigmund did as his sister requested.
A year later much the same events transpired with Signy's younger son. He too was found lacking in courage, and he too was killed at his mother's bidding.
7. Sinfjotli
Signy knew a sorceress, skilled in all magic arts. She said to the sorceress, "I want the two of us to exchange shapes." The sorceress was able to do this, and that night she, in Signy's shape, slept with King Siggeir, who was not aware of the exchange. Signy, in the sorceress's shape, went into the woods to Sigmund's dwelling. "I have lost my way," she told him. Sigmund gave her shelter. She was very beautiful, and they shared the same bed. After three nights she returned home and exchanged shapes again with the sorceress. Some time later Signy gave birth to a son who was named Sinfjotli. He grew large and strong, very much like the Volsung stock. When he was not quite ten years old she sent him to his father Sigmund in the underground shelter. As she had done previously, she tested his ability to withstand pain by stitching his shirt cuffs to his skin. He did not flinch. After arriving at the underground shelter, Sinfjotli was given snake-infested flour to make bread with. "There was something in the flour," he later reported to Sigmund, "but I kneaded it into the bread, whatever it was."
Signy and Siggeir had two young children. That evening one of the children saw Sigmund and Sinfjotli hiding in the outer room, and he told his father about the strangers. Signy overheard this, and took the two children to Sigmund and Sinfjotli, saying, "These children have betrayed you. I advise you to kill them." Sigmund replied, "I will not kill your children," but Sinfjotli had no such qualms. Without hesitating he drew his sword and killed the two children, then threw down their bodies before King Siggeir. A great battle ensued. Sigmund and Sinfjotli fought valiantly, but the king's soldiers finally overpowered them. Wanting to subject them to the slowest death possible, King Siggeir had Sigmund and Sinfjotli buried alive inside a large stone mound. As the mound was being closed, Signy approached, carrying a bundle of straw, which she threw into the mound. Inside the straw was Sigmund's sword, and that night he used the sword to saw an opening in the rock mound. Sigmund and Sinfjotli were now free. They carried wood into the king's hall, where the men were all asleep. Then they set it afire. The king, surrounded by flames, asked who had done this deed, and Sigmund answered, "I, Sigmund, and my sister's son Sinfjotli have done this deed! Know this, that not all the Volsungs are dead!" Signy could have saved herself from the flames, but chose otherwise. "I married King Siggeir against my will," she said, "but now that my father's and my brothers' deaths have been avenged, I die with him willingly." So saying, she wished Sigmund and Sinfjotli farewell and walked into the flames. Sigmund now returned with Sinfjotli to his homeland, and he regained the kingship that had once belonged to Volsung. Sigmund married a woman named Borghild, and they had two sons, one named Helgi and one named Hamund. At Helgi's birth the Norns [supernatural beings who control fate] said of him that he was destined to become the most famous of all kings.
Sinfjotli, who was with Helgi, was a man who knew how to speak to kings, and he shouted to the men on shore, "After you have fed your pigs and kissed your bondwomen, inform Hodbrodd that Helgi is here to do battle with him." Hodbrodd's father answered, "You lie about noble men. It is obvious that you know nothing of ancient lore! You are one who sucks the blood from cold corpses killed by wolves." Sinfjotli replied, "You should know something of wolves. I am the one who sired nine wolves by you. I was the father of your wolf-children. Hodbrodd's father answered, "You lie again. You could not father anything, because the giant's daughters gelded you at Thrasness." Sinfjotli responded, "Have you forgotten that you were a mare to the stallion Grani? Then afterward you served as the giant Golnir's goatherd." Hodbrodd's father answered, "I'll not stand here quarrelling with you any longer. Instead, I'll feed your corpse to the birds," and with that he rode back to King Hodbrodd, reporting that King Helgi was preparing to attack their land with thousands of men. King Hodbrodd assembled his own troops, and a savage battle ensued. In the midst of the furor a large band of shield-maidens [Valkyries?] appeared. Helgi's troops were victorious, and Hodbrodd was killed. Helgi took possession of his kingdom and married Sigrun. He is now out of the saga.
13. Sigurd
Hjordis gave birth to a son who was named Sigurd. When the most famous heroes of the ancient sagas are named, Sigurd must be counted first in valor, strength, and accomplishments. In keeping with tradition, Sigurd was placed under the care of a foster father, Regin, the son of Hreidmar. Regin taught him runes, sports, chess, and languages. One day Sigurd went into the woods, where he came upon an old man with a long beard. The man, who was none other than Odin, offered Sigurd a horse, saying, "Raise this horse carefully, for it is descended from Sleipnir." Sigurd named this horse Grani.
One day Regin said to Sigurd, "You have too little wealth. Let me tell you where a great treasure lies. If you could take possession of it, it would bring you great glory. It lies but a short distance from here at a placed called Gnitaheath, and is guarded by a serpent named Fafnir." Then Regin related to Sigurd the story of how Fafnir came to control the great treasure.
"I have done my part," said Regin, "now you must help me avenge the death of my father by killing the dragon Fafnir."
"Upon my death you may well take my treasure," replied Fafnir, "but you shall receive little benefit from it. It will be your death. I advise you to ride away from here while you still can." Then Fafnir died.
"It is so," answered Sigurd. "I am a descendent of Volsung. I understand that you are Brynhild, the daughter of a famous king, and yourself famous for your beauty and wisdom." Brynhild replied that two kings had fought. Odin favored the one, but she had granted victory to the other. Angered, Odin had stabbed her with a sleeping thorn.
She replied, "We are not destined to live together. I am a shield-maiden, and I must ride with warrior kings. You are destined to marry Gudrun, the daughter of Gjuki." "I shall marry you, or no other woman," replied Sigurd. He then gave her a gold ring, and they swore their oaths anew.
for Brynhild. Sigurd stayed at this court for five seasons. He married Gudrun, and swore an oath of brotherhood with her brothers. He and Gudrun had a son, whom they named Sigmund [after Sigurd's grandfather]. One day Grimhild approached Gunnar, saying, "All is well with you, except for one thing: you are still unmarried. You should ask for Brynhild's hand in marriage."
argument, she showed Brynhild the ring Andvaranaut that Sigurd had taken from here at that time. Brynhild recognized the ring, and was overcome with grief and anger.
In the end Grimhild announced to Gudrun: "It is arranged that soon you shall marry the powerful King Atli [Attila the Hun]. This marriage will bring you great wealth, but you must never abandon your kinsmen." Gudrun replied, "I shall marry King Atli only against my will. This union will bring only grief to all concerned!" Nonetheless, Gudrun proceeded with the wedding arrangements. She and her party traveled seven days on horseback, then seven days by ship, then finally another seven days overland before reaching Atli's kingdom [Hungary?]. The wedding was celebrated with a great festival, but there was little affection between the king and his new queen.
Atli met the brothers with a greeting and with a threat: "You are welcome here," he said. "Now give to me the treasure that is rightfully mine by way of my wife Gudrun: the gold that Sigurd acquired from the dragon, and that he by law and tradition bequeathed to his widow Gudrun." When the brothers refused to turn over the treasure, or to reveal its location, a fierce battle broke out. Seeing that the fight was going against her brothers, Gudrun put on a coat of armor and fought beside them.