Gods and Monsters A Study of Norse Mythology Week 4: February 6th, 2015

The runestone at Drvle, Sweden, depicting scenes from the Sigurd legend.

This Week

Any questions from last week? An example of Skaldic poetry in Old Norse

Construction of a Skaldic stanza New for this week: A look at the Sigurd story from different angles

Otters ransom from the Snorra Edda Atlakvia from the Poetic Edda Imagery

A Skaldic Stanza

Part of a poem praising the Norwegian King Olaf Tryggvason (r. 995-1000) ,by the poet Hallfrer vandrskld (troublesome poet), cite in Snorri Sturlusons The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason, part of the wider compilation Heimskringla (c. 1230). The foes of the bow-string caused the island army and the Irish to die. The Tr of precious swords was eager for glory. The prince beat the inhabitants of the British land and felled the Cumbrian peoples. Hunger diminished for the osprey of the storm of spears. Foes of the bow-string = warriors Tr of precious swords = warrior Storm of spears = battle; its osprey = raven (beast of battle) Translation by Anthony Faulkes in New Introduction to Old Norse Part II: Reader (London: Viking Society for Northern

Research, 4th edn. 2007), p.94

A Skaldic Stanza

drgar lt gir eyverskan her deyja -- Tr ver tjrva drra trar gjarn ok ra. Bari brezkrar jarar byggvendr ok hj tyggi, -- grr varr geira hrar gji kumrskar jir.

A Skaldic Stanza

drgar lt gir eyverskan her deyja -- Tr ver tjrva drra trar gjarn ok ra. Bari brezkrar jarar byggvendr ok hj tyggi, -- grr varr geira hrar gji kumrskar jir. Alliteration

A Skaldic Stanza

drgar lt gir eyverskan her deyja -- Tr ver tjrva drra trar gjarn ok ra. Bari brezkrar jarar byggvendr ok hj tyggi, -- grr varr geira hrar gji kumrskar jir. Alliteration Internal rhyme

Atlakvia, from the Poetic Edda

Dramatis Personn

The Niflungs (Burgundians) -Giki: the ancestral king of the Niflungs -Gunnarr: the current king of the Niflungs -Hgni: his younger brother, an important leader in his own right -Fjrnir: a retainer -Gurn: their sister, married to the Hunnish king Atli -Hialli: a retainer, renowned for his cowardice

The Huns -Atli: King of the Huns (Attila) -Knfrr: a messenger -Bikki: Ancestral leader of the Huns -Erpr and Eitill: sons of Atli and Gurn -Buli: another ancestral leader of the Huns

Atlakvia, from the Poetic Edda

Synopsis

Atli invites Gunnarr and Hogni, lords of the Niflungs, to his kingdom, intending to kill them. Atli wants to get his hands on the treasure from Gnita Heath, which is in the Niflungs possession. Their sister Gurun attempts to warn them, but they come anyway. They are killed by Atli and his men. Gunnarr says that he will not pay with gold (divulge the location of the treasure) until his brothers hear lies in his hand. Hognis heart is cut out, and then, sure that the secret is now safe with him alone, Gunnarr refuses to reveal it. He is killed by being thrown into a pit of snakes. Brave in the face of danger, he plays his harp as he dies. Gurun feigns to congratulate Atli on his victory against her brothers, but gets her revenge on him by killing his (and her) sons and serving them at the victory feast. Having got Atli drunk during the feast, he is unable to defend himself when Gurun stabs him to death in bed after the feast. She distributes the Huns treasure amongst the servants and sets them free, before burning down the kings hall with all others inside. Thus she atoned for the murder of her brothers.

Otters Ransom from Snorri Sturlusons Edda

Dramatis Personn

The Gods (the sir) etc. -Odin: the chief god. -Loki: the mischief-maker, kills the otter. -Hnir: one of the sir. -Andvari: shape-shifting Dwarf smith, captured by Loki whilst in the shape of a fish, pronounces curse on the gold.

Hreidmars Kin -Hreidmar: powerful farmer magician, father of Otter, Regin and Fafnir. Killed by Regin and Fafnir for the treasure. -Otter: Hreidmars shape-shifting son, killed by Loki. -Regin: son of Hreidmar. Becomes craftsman/smith to King Hialprek. Fosters Sigurd. Killed by Sigurd. -Fafnir: son of Hreidmar. Steals the treasure and becomes a dragon to protect it on Gnita-heath. Killed by Sigurd.

Dramatis Personn

The Volsungs -Volsung: Sigurds paternal grandfather. -Eylimi: Sigurs maternal grandfather. -Sigmund: Sigurds father. -Hiordis: Sigurds mother. -Sigurd: Hero, killer of Fafnir and Regin. Married to Gudrun, father of Sigmund and Svanhild. Father of Aslaug. Wins Brynhild for Gunnar. Killed by Gothorm by the scheming of Brynhild, Gunnar and Hogni. Kills Gothorm. -Sigmund (2): Son of Sigurd and Gudrun, killed by Gothorm. -Svanhild: Daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun. Moves across the sea with Gudrun. Wooed by Randver, married to Iormunrekk and trampled to death by Iormunrekks forces. Avenged by Gudruns and Ionakrs sons. -Aslaug: Daughter of Sigurd, raised in the home of Heimir in Hlymdales.

The Giukungs/Niflungs -Giuki: King. Father of Gunnar, Hogni, Gudrun and Gudny, step-father of Gothorm. Married to Grimhild. -Grimhild: Married to Giuki. Mother of Gothorm? -Gunnar: Married to Brynhild. Refuses to kill Sigurd. Killed by Atli by being thrown into a snake-pit. Plays the harp with his feet to appease the snakes. -Hogni: Refuses to kill Sigurd. Killed by Atli by having his heart cut out. Has a son who avenges him with Gudrun. -Gothorm: Incited by Gunnar and Hogni to kill Sigurd. Killed by Sigurd. -Gudrun: Married to Sigurd (mother of Sigmund and Svanhild), then to Atli (has two sons), then to Ionakr (mother of Sorli, Hamdir and Erp). Avenges her brothers by slaughtering Atli, his sons and his retinue. Attempts suicide but ends up in Ionakrs kingdom. Has her sons avenge Svanhild by killing Iormunrekk.

Dramatis Personn

The Huns -Budli: Father of Atli and Brynhild. -Atli: King, bother of Brynhild. Marries Gudrun after the death of Sigurd. Father of two sons by Gudrun. Kills Gunnar and Hogni. Killed by Gudrun and Hognis son. -Brynhild: (aka Hild) A Valkyrie. Married to Gunnar. Masterminds the death of Sigurd, then commits suicide.

Ionakrs Kin -Ionakr: a king across the sea. Marries Gudrun after the massacre of Atli & co. Father of Sorli, Hamdir and Erp. -Sorli: Son of Ionakr and Gudrun. Kills his brother Erp. Attacks Iormunrekk but is killed in the process. -Hamdir: Son of Ionakr and Gudrun. Kills his brother Erp. Attacks Iormunrekk but is killed in the process. -Erp: Son of Ionakr and Gudrun. Killed by his brothers Sorli and Hamdir.

Iormunrekks Kin -Iormunrekk: a King across the sea. Father of Randver. Marries Svanhild. Has Randver killed over his affections for Svanhild. Tramples Svanhild to death. Is mutilated by Sorli and Hamdir. -Randver: son of Iormunrekk. Wooes Svanhild on the advice of Bikki. Is killed by his father. -Bikki: a treacherous adviser who brings about the death of Randver and Svanhild.

Other Humans -Hialprek: a king. Regin becomes his craftsman/smit. -Himir: raises Sigurds daughter Auslaug.

Otters Ransom from Snorri Sturlusons Edda

Synopsis

On a journey with other gods, Loki kills an otter who is actually the shape-shifting son of the magician Hreidmar. In order to pay compensation and ransom the lives of the guilty gods, Loki steals treasure from the dwarf Andvari, who places a curse upon the treasure. Hreidmars two other sons, Regin and Fafnir, kill their father for the treasure, then fall out with each other. Fafnir steals the treasure and brings it to Gnita heath, and turns into a dragon to guard it. Regin becomes a smith in the court of King Hialprek, and fosters the hero Sigurd, son of Sigmund, son of Volsung. He trains Sigurd to kill Fafnir, planning in turn to kill Sigurd and to get the treasure for himself. Sigurd learns of Regins plan and kills him, taking the treasure for himself. After some petty family intrigues, Gunnarr and Hogni, brothers of Gudrun, Sigurds wife, contrive to have Sigurd killed. They take the treasure for themselves. Atli, king of the Huns and brother in law to Gunnarr through his first wife Brynhild, marries the widowed Gudrun. Atli invites Gunnarr and Hogni to his kingdom with the intent of getting the location of the treasure from them, but they have hidden it in the Rhine. Atli has Gunnarr and Hogni killed, and Gudrun exacts her terrible revenge. She tries to kill herself by drowning but floats (with her daughter Svanhild) to the land of king Inoakr...

Otters Ransom from Snorri Sturlusons Edda

Synopsis

Ionakr marries Gudrun and they have three sons, Sorli, Hamdir and Erp. Another king, Iormunrekk, falls in love with Svanhild, but she loves his son Randver. Iormunrekk has Randver killed and has Scanhild trampled to death. Gudrun incites her sons o kill Iormunrekk in revenge. But Sorli and Hamdir have idiotically killed Erp, and without his help, their venture fails (though Iormunrekk is maimed) and they too are killed. The tale ends with accounts of the scattered survivors.

Genealogies

Gudrun

Hogni Gunnarr Gothorm

Giuki Grimhild

Sigurd

Sigmund Hiordis

Volsung Eylimi

Aslaug

Sigmund* Svanhild*

Budli

Atli Brynhild Ionakr

Sorli* Hamdir* Erp* Iormunrekk

Randver

Two sons*

(1)

(2) (3)

Regin Fafnir Otter

Hreidmar

Heimir

The Giukungs/Niflungs The Volsungs The Huns Ionakrs Kin Iormunrekks Kin Hreidmars Kin Heimir Marriage Fostering * Gudruns children

A son

Kennings

Gold Otter-payment The sirs forced payment Strife-metal Lair/