The Volsunga Saga

The Story Of The Volsungs

Drawing of the Ramsund carving from c. 1030, illustrating the *Völsunga saga* on a rock in Sweden. At (1), Sigurd sits in front of the fire preparing the dragon’s heart . Click the picture for the wiki .

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 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).

The Völsunga saga (often referred to in English as the Volsunga Saga or Saga of the Völsungs) is a legendary saga, a late 13th century poetic rendition in the Icelandic language of the origin and decline of the Völsung clan (including the story of Sigurd and Brynhild and destruction of the Burgundians).

The saga covers themes including the power struggles among Sigurd’s ancestors; Sigurd’s killing of the dragon Fafnir; and the influence of the cursed ring Andvaranaut.

Contents ;

Introduction.
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

The Honest Modern Heathen

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The Volsunga Saga

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