THE STORY OF THE VOLSUNGS
(VOLSUNGA SAGA)
with Excerpts from the Poetic Edda

Online Medieval and Classical Library Release #29

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). This edition is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN in the United States.

This electronic edition was edited, proofed, and prepared by Douglas B. Killings ([email protected]), May 1997.

CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Translators' Preface
• 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 Stigny
• Chapter IX: How Helgi, the son of Sigmund, won King Hodbrod and his Realm, and wedded Sigurn
• Chapter X: The ending of Sinfjatli, 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 Sward 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
• 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's dead, as it is 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
  • Part of the Lay of Sigrdrifa
  • 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
  • The Lament of Oddrun

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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:

RECOMMENDED READING --

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).