Sagas and Myths of the Northmen Read online

  Boar’s liver boiled,

  So that blunted were claims.

  After that, when their desires were in accord, there was great rejoicing. When she met Gudrun, Grimhild said: ‘Good fortune to you, daughter. I give you gold and all kinds of treasure from your father’s legacy, precious rings and bed hangings of the most gracious Hunnish maids. Thus you will be compensated for your husband. Then you will be given in marriage to King Atli the Powerful (Attila the Hun). You will rule over his wealth. But do not abandon your kinsmen for the sake of one man; instead, you must do as we ask.’ Gudrun answered: ‘I will never marry King Atli. There is for us no honor in augmenting our kin through such a union.’

  Grimhild replied: ‘You must not now plan revenge. If you have sons, behave as if Sigurd and Sigmund were alive.’ Gudrun said: ‘Never will Sigurd be far from my thoughts, for he was best among men.’ Grimhild insisted: ‘You are ordered to marry King Atli, or you shall not marry at all.’ Gudrun answered her: ‘Do not offer me this king, for from my marriage with him only grief for our family will arise. He will treat your sons cruelly and afterward grim vengeance will fall upon him.’ Grimhild, disturbed by Gudrun’s statements about her sons, said: ‘Do as we ask and you will receive great honor and our friendship, as well as the regions that go by the names of Vinbjorg and Valbjorg.’ Grimhild’s words carried such weight that this had to come about. Gudrun said: ‘This must happen then, although it be against my will. And it will lead to little joy. Rather, it will bring grief.’

  They all then mounted their horses and their women were put in wagons. They traveled for seven days by horse, another seven by ship, and the third seven again over land, until they came to a high palace. A large number of people came to greet Gudrun and a splendid feast was prepared, as had earlier been agreed between them. The banquet proceeded with honor and magnificence. At this feast Atli drank the marriage toast to Gudrun. But her thoughts never laughed with him, and their life together contained little affection.

  Gudrun Carves Runes

  Now it is said that on a certain night King Atli awoke from his sleep. He spoke with Gudrun. ‘I dreamt,’ he said, ‘that you thrust at me with a sword.’ Gudrun interpreted the dream, saying that to dream of iron indicated fire and ‘your self-deception in thinking yourself the foremost of all.’

  Atli then said: ‘I dreamt further. It seemed to me that two reeds were growing here and I wanted never to harm them. Then they were torn up by the roots and reddened with blood, brought to the table, and offered to me to eat. I then dreamt that two hawks flew from my hand, that they had no prey to catch, and thus went down to Hel. It seemed to me that their hearts were mixed with honey and that I ate of them. Afterward it seemed to me that handsome whelps lay before me and cried out loudly, and I ate their corpses unwillingly.’ Gudrun said: ‘Your dreams do not bode well, yet they will be fulfilled. Your sons are fated to die and many oppressive events are in store for us.’ ‘Furthermore I dreamt,’ he said, ‘that I lay bedridden and that my death had been contrived.’

  Now time passed and their life together was cold. King Atli pondered the whereabouts of the hoard of gold that Sigurd had owned, but of which only King Gunnar and his brother now knew. Atli was a great and powerful king; he was wise and had a large following. He took counsel with his men as to which course of action should be followed. He knew that Gunnar and his kin had more wealth than anyone else. He now resolved to send men to meet the brothers, invite them to a banquet, and honor them in many ways. A man called Vingi led King Atli’s messengers.

  The queen, aware of the king’s private meeting with his counselors, suspected there would be treachery toward her brothers. Gudrun cut runes, and took a gold ring and tied a wolf’s hair onto it. She gave it to the king’s messengers who then departed as the king had ordered. Before they stepped ashore, Vingi saw the runes and changed them in such a way that Gudrun appeared to be urging the brothers to come and meet with Atli. Then they arrived at King Gunnar’s hall; they were received well and large fires were built for them. They drank the finest drink with good cheer. Then Vingi said: ‘King Atli sent me here to ask you to visit him in great honor and to receive great honor from him, as well as helmets and shields, swords and mail coats, gold and fine clothes, troops and horses, and a large fief. He declares it best that you succeed him.’

  Gunnar turned aside and asked Hogni: ‘What shall we make of this offer? He is asking us to accept vast power, yet I know of no kings with as much gold as we have, because we have all the gold that lay on Gnitaheath. We have large chambers filled with gold and with the best of edged weapons and all kinds of armor. I know my horse to be the finest and my sword the sharpest, the gold the most precious.’ Hogni answered: ‘I wonder at his offer, for it is not like him to behave in this way. It seems inadvisable to go to visit him. And when I looked at the treasures King Atli had sent us, I wondered at the wolf’s hair I saw tied around a gold ring. It may be that Gudrun thinks he has the thoughts of a wolf toward us, and that she does not want us to go.’ Vingi then showed him the runes that he said Gudrun had sent them.

  Now most people went to sleep, but some stayed up drinking with a few of the men. Hogni’s wife, Kostbera, the fairest of women, went and looked at the runes. Gunnar’s wife, named Glaumvor, was a woman of noble character. She and Kostbera served the drink, and the kings became very drunk. Vingi, observing their condition, said: ‘It cannot be concealed that King Atli is too old and too infirm to defend his kingdom, and his sons are too young and unprepared. Atli wants to give you authority over his kingdom while they are so young. He would be most contented if you made use of it.’ It happened that Gunnar by this time was very drunk and was being offered much power. He could also not escape his destiny. He vowed to make the journey and told his brother Hogni. Hogni replied: ‘Your word must stand and I will follow you, but I am not eager to make this trip.’

  When the men had drunk as much as they cared to, they went to bed. Kostbera began to look at the runes and to read the letters. She saw that something else had been cut over what lay underneath and that the runes had been falsified. Still she discerned through her wisdom what the runes said. After that she went to bed beside her husband. When they awoke she said to Hogni: ‘You intend to go away from home but that is inadvisable. Go instead another time. You cannot be very skilled at reading runes if you think your sister has asked you to come at this time. I read the runes and wondered how so wise a woman could have carved them so confusedly. Yet it seems that your death is indicated underneath. Either Gudrun missed a letter or someone else has falsified the runes. And now you shall hear my dream.’

  Hogni Interprets His Wife’s Dream

  ‘In my dream it seemed as if a turbulent river had rushed in here and broken up the beams in the hall.’ Hogni replied: ‘You often have premonitions of evil, but it is not my nature to show hostility toward men unless it is deserved. Atli will receive us well.’

  She said: ‘You may put it to the test, yet friendship is not behind this invitation. I dreamt again that another river rushed through here with a terrible uproar. It demolished all the benches in the hall, and broke the legs of you and your brother both. That must signify something.’ ‘Crop fields must stretch out there where you thought there was a river,’ he replied. ‘When we walk through a field the large husks often cover our legs.’

  ‘I dreamt,’ she said, ‘that your bedcovers were ablaze, and that the fire leapt up from the hall.’ He answered: ‘I know quite clearly what that is. Our clothes are lying about neglected, and they are what will burn when your thoughts turn to bedcovers.’

  ‘I thought a bear entered here,’ she said. ‘He destroyed the king’s throne and waved his paws so much about that we all grew afraid. He had us all in his mouth together, so that we could do nothing and great terror arose.’ He answered: ‘A strong tempest will come, where you thought it a white bear.’

  ‘I thought an eagle entered here and flew through the hall,’ she said, ‘splashing me
, and all of us, with blood. That must bode ill, for it seemed to me that the eagle was the apparition of King Atli.’ He answered: ‘We often slaughter generously and kill large oxen for our pleasure. It signifies cattle when one dreams of an eagle. Atli means well by us.’ Thus they ended their talk.

  The Brothers’ Journey from Home

  It is told of Gunnar that the same thing happened when he and his wife awoke. Glaumvor, Gunnar’s wife, spoke of her many dreams which seemed to her to portend betrayal, but Gunnar gave them all a different meaning.

  ‘This was one of my dreams,’ she said. ‘I thought a bloody sword was carried here into the hall. You were pierced through with this sword, and wolves were howling at both ends of the sword.’ The king answered: ‘Little dogs will want to bite me there. The barking of dogs is often indicated by bloodied weapons.’

  She said: ‘Again I thought that somber-looking women entered here and chose you as husband. It could be that they were your disir.’ He answered: ‘Things are becoming difficult to interpret, but no one can avoid death. It is not unlikely that I will be short-lived.’

  In the morning the men leapt up and wanted to leave, but others tried to dissuade them. Then Gunnar spoke to a man named Fjornir: ‘Get up and give us good wine to drink from large goblets, for it may be that this will be our last banquet. The old wolf will now get to the gold if we die, and the bear will not hesitate to bite with his battle-teeth.’ Then the weeping household led them out. Hogni’s son said: ‘Farewell and enjoy good fortune.’

  Most of their warriors remained behind. Solar and Snaevar, the sons of Hogni, went with them, as well as a famous champion called Orkning, the brother of Bera. The people followed them to the ships and everyone tried to persuade them not to go, but it was to no avail. Then Glaumvor spoke. ‘Vingi,’ she said, ‘it is very likely that serious misfortune will arise from your coming here and that significant events will arise from your journey.’ He replied: ‘I swear I am not lying. May the high gallows and all the demons take me if I lie with any word.’ He did not spare himself in such speeches. Then Bera said: ‘Farewell, and may good fortune be with you.’ ‘Be of good cheer, whatever happens to us,’ replied Hogni. They parted there, each with his own destiny.

  They rowed so hard and with so much strength that almost half the keel came loose from the ship. They hauled hard on the oars with long pulls, so that the handles and oar pins broke. And when they made land they did not secure their ships. Then for a time they rode their excellent mounts through a dark forest. Finally they saw the king’s dwelling. From there they heard a harsh clamor and the clash of arms. They saw a host of men and the many preparations they were making. At all the gates of the fortress there were crowds of men. The travelers rode up to the fortress but found it closed. Hogni broke open the gate and they rode into the stronghold. Then Vingi said: ‘You would better have left that undone. Now wait here while I look for a gallows tree for you. I asked you courteously to come here, but deceit lurked underneath. Now it will be only a short wait before you will be swinging aloft.’ Hogni answered: ‘We will not give way to you, and I doubt we will shrink back if this comes to a battle. It is of no use for you to try to frighten us – it will prove ill for you.’ Then they threw Vingi down and beat him to death with the blunt ends of their axes.

  The Battle in the Fortress and the Victory

  They now rode to the king’s hall. King Atli arranged his forces for battle; the formations were deployed so that a courtyard lay between them. ‘Be welcome here with us,’ he said, ‘and give me the store of gold that belongs to me, the treasure that Sigurd possessed and Gudrun now owns.’ Gunnar said: ‘You will never get that treasure and, if you offer us hostility, you will come up against resolute men before we give up our lives. It may be that you will provide, with magnificence and with little stinginess, a feast for the eagle and the wolf.’ ‘For a long time,’ replied Atli, ‘I have intended to take your lives, to control the gold, and to repay you for your villainy when you betrayed your finest brother-in-law. And I shall avenge him.’ Hogni answered: ‘It is of no help to you to have plotted this deed for a long time, for you are not ready.’

  A fierce battle then broke out, beginning with a shower of missiles. The news of the fighting came to Gudrun. When she heard it, she grew heavy with anger and sorrow. She threw off her cloak and then went out. She greeted those who had come, kissing her brothers and showing them affection. This was their last greeting. She said: ‘I thought I had contrived a way to prevent your coming here. But no one can withstand his fate.’ And she added: ‘Is there any use in seeking a settlement?’ But they all flatly refused.

  Gudrun, seeing that the game was going against her brothers, set a bold course. She put on a mail coat, took up a sword, and fought beside her brothers, advancing like the most valiant of men. Everybody agreed that a stronger defense could hardly have been seen. A large number of men fell, yet the brothers’ courage still surpassed that of others. The battle raged for a long time, right up to the middle of the day. Gunnar and Hogni went through King Atli’s ranks, and it is said that the whole field was awash with blood. Hogni’s sons pressed strongly forward. King Atli said: ‘I had a large splendid army and proud champions, yet now many of us have fallen and we have ill to repay you. Nineteen of my champions have been killed, and only eleven remain.’

  There was a pause in the fighting. Then King Atli said: ‘We were four brothers and now I am the only one left. I attached myself to a powerful family through a good marriage, thinking to further myself. I had a wise and beautiful wife, magnanimous and determined, but I could not benefit from her wisdom, for we seldom agreed. Now you have killed many of my relatives, cheated me of treasure and kingdom, and contrived my sister’s death, which grieves me the most.’ Hogni replied: ‘Why do you say such things? You broke the peace first. You took my kinswoman, starved her to death, murdered her, and took the treasure. Such conduct was not kingly, and I think it laughable that you are recounting your woes. I thank the gods that things are going badly for you.’

  Hogni Is Captured

  Now King Atli urged his troops to make a fierce assault. They fought valiantly, but the Gjukungs pressed forward so resolutely that King Atli was driven back into the hall. Now they fought inside and the battle raged savagely. There was heavy loss of life and the battle ended with the brothers’ whole army fallen. Gunnar and Hogni were the only two left standing. Before that many a man was sent to Hel by their weapons. King Gunnar was now attacked and by dint of their superior strength, Atli’s men seized and fettered him. Then Hogni fought on gallantly and courageously, killing twenty of King Atli’s greatest champions. He flung many into the fire that had been built there in the hall. All were agreed that such a man had hardly ever been seen before. Nevertheless, at the end Hogni was overpowered and made prisoner. King Atli said: ‘It is astonishing how many men have fallen before him. Now, cut out his heart and may that be his death.’

  Hogni said: ‘Do as you like. I will gladly await whatever you choose to do. You will see that my heart is not timid and that I have encountered severe ordeals before. When I was not wounded, I willingly endured trials of adversity. But now I am sorely wounded, and you alone will decide our dispute.’ A counselor of King Atli’s then spoke: ‘I have a better idea. Let us take instead the thrall Hjalli and spare Hogni. The thrall is destined for death; as long as he lives he will be trouble.’

  The thrall, hearing what was said, cried loudly and ran away to wherever he saw hope of shelter. He said he had drawn a bad lot from their enmity and he was the one to pay. He declared it would be an evil day when he would die and leave his soft life and his pig keeping. The men grabbed him and drew their knives out. He cried out loudly even before he felt the point. Then Hogni spoke, in a way that is customary for the strong when in deadly peril: he interceded for the thrall’s life, saying he did not want to hear the shrieking, that this game was easier for himself to play. The thrall was then set free and granted his life.

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bsp; Both Gunnar and Hogni were put in fetters. King Atli said to King Gunnar that he must tell him the location of the gold if he wanted to keep his life. Gunnar replied: ‘I would sooner see the bloody heart of my brother Hogni.’ They seized the thrall a second time, cut out his heart, and carried it to King Gunnar. He said: ‘Here can be seen the heart of Hjalli the cowardly; it is unlike the heart of Hogni the valiant, for it quakes tremulously. Yet it quaked even more when it lay in his breast.’

  Now, at the urging of King Atli, they seized Hogni and cut out his heart. Hogni’s strength was so immense that he laughed while he suffered this torture. Everyone wondered at his courage and it has been remembered ever since. They showed Gunnar the heart of Hogni. Gunnar answered: ‘Here now can be seen the heart of Hogni the valiant; it is unlike the heart of Hjalli the cowardly, because it stirs little. Yet it stirred still less when it lay in his breast. So, Atli, you will lose your life as we now lose ours. I alone now know where the gold is, and Hogni cannot tell you. My mind wavered while we both lived, but now I alone have the decision. Rather shall the Rhine rule over the gold than the Huns wear it on their arms.’ King Atli said: ‘Take the prisoner away.’ And it was done.

  Gudrun now summoned men to her, met with Atli, and said: ‘May misfortune go with you now, in the same measure as you kept your word to Gunnar and me.’ King Gunnar was then placed in a snake pit with many serpents, and his hands were bound fast. Gudrun sent him a harp and he showed his skill by artfully plucking the strings with his toes. He played so exceedingly well that few thought they had heard such strumming even with the hands. And he continued playing skillfully until all the serpents had fallen asleep, except for one large and hideous adder which crawled up to him and burrowed with its head until it struck his heart. And there, with much valor, Gunnar lost his life.