Volsunga saga ranks as one of the foremost works of prose written in thirteenth-century Iceland.
A highly dramatic rendering of tales from the remote Germanic past, the saga presents the Old Norse version of the story of the Volsungs, Gjukungs, and Budlungs, three families fated to destroy each other.
A continental German version of this history is recounted in the well-known Middle High German epic the Nibelungenlied. The author composed the saga using earlier cycles of heroic poems, imbedding in his prose text a number of poetic stanzas and one nearly complete poem that we also have recorded in a thirteenth-century collection of poetry known as the Poetic Edda. In the nineteenth century the story was recreated as a major cultural document by Richard Wagner in his cycle of epic music dramas Der Ring des Nibelungen, inspired by his reading of Volsunga saga.
This edition presents a new English translation of the saga with a diplomatic transcription of the Old Norse text, based on the only vellum manuscript Nks 1824 b, 4° from 1400, on facing pages. The introduction provides the reader with an analysis of the saga’s structure and thematic content.
Table of Content
Contents
Abbreviations and Symbols8
Preface9
The Introduction
The Saga15
The Edition30
The Translation32
Genealogy Chart??
V–lsunga saga • The Saga of the Volsungs
1I. Capitulum • Chapter I32/33
2Fœddr V–lsungr • The Birth of Volsung34/35
3Siggeir Weds Signy, Daughter of Volsung38/39
4Siggeir Invites King Volsung42/43
5Fall V–lsungs konungs • The Death of King Volsung
6Sigmund Slays King Siggeir’s Sons
7Sign‡ gat Sinfj–tla • Signy Gave Birth to Sinfjotli54/55
8fieir Sigmundr fóru í hamina • Sigmund and Sinfjotli Donned Wolfskins
9Helgi fekk Sigrúnar • Helgi Married Sigrun
10Frá V–lsungum • Concerning the Volsungs
11King Sigmund Marries Hjordis
12The Deaths of King Sigmund and King Eylimi
13Fœddr Sigur›r • The Birth of Sigurd
14Wergild Paid for Otr
15Reginn gj–r›i Gram • Regin Forged Gram68/69
16Sigur›r var› víss ørl–ga sinna • Sigurd Learned of His Fate70/71
17Sigur›r drap Lyngva ok Hj–rvar› ok flá alla •
Sigurd Slew Lyngvi and Hjorvard and Everyone Else72/73
18Nú rí›a fleir Reginn ok Sigur›r • Regin and Sigurd Go Riding74/75
19Reginn drakk bló› Fáfnis • Regin Drank Fafnir’s Blood76/77
20Sigur›r át hjartat ormsins • Sigurd Ate the Dragon’s Heart
21Frá Sigur›i • Concerning Sigurd
22Spekirá› Brynhildar • Brynhild’s Words of Wisdom
23Frá yfirlitum Sigur›ar • Concerning Sigurd’s Appearance
24Sigur›r kom til Heimis • Sigurd Came to Heimir
25Vi›rtal Sigur›ar ok Brynhildar • A Conversation between Sigurd and Brynhild
26Frá Gjúka kóngi ok sonum • Concerning King Gjuki and His Sons
27Draumr Gu›rúnar rá›inn af Brynhildi • Brynhild Interprets Gudrun’s Dream
28Sigur›i var blandat óminnis–l •
A Potion of Forgetfulness Was Concocted for Sigurd
29Sigur›r rei› vafrlogan Brynhildar Bu›ladóttur •
Sigurd Rode through Brynhild’s Wall of Fire
30Deild dróttninganna Brynhildar ok Gu›rúnar •
The Quarrel between the Queens, Brynhild and Gudrun
31Harmr Brynhildar óx at eins • Brynhild’s Grief Intensified
32Svikinn Sigur›r • The Betrayal of Sigurd
33Bœn Brynhildar • Brynhild’s Last Request
34Brotthvarf Gu›rúnar • Gudrun’s Disappearance
35Gu›rún reist rúnar • Gudrun Carved Runes
36H–gni ré› drauma konu sinnar • Hogni Interpreted His Wife’s Dreams
37Heimanfer› fleirra brœ›ra • The Brothers’ Departure
38Orrosta í borginni ok sigr • The Battle in the Palace and the Victory
39H–gni handtekinn • Hogni Is Captured
40Vi›tal Atla ok Gu›rúnar • A Conversation between Atli and Gudrun
41Frá Gu›rúnu • Concerning Gudrun
42Gipt Svanhildr ok tro›in undir hrossa fótum til bana •
Svanhild Is Married and Trampled to Death by Horses
43Gu›rún eggjar sonu sína at hefna Svanhildar •
Gudrun Incites Her Sons to Avenge Svanhild
44Frá sonum Gu›rúnar capitulum • A Chapter Concerning the Sons of Gudrun
Bibliography
About the author
Kaaren Grimstad studied at the University of Wisconsin and at Harvard University, where she received her Ph. D, Since 1970 she has taught Swedish and Old Norse language and literature at the University of Minnesota.
She has previously edited Elucidarius in Old Norse Translation (Reykjavik, 1989).
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