The Slaying of the Niflungs
Gunnarr and Hogni took all the gold then, Fafnir's inheritance. There was enmity between the Gjukings and Atli. He knew that the Gjukings had caused Brynhildr's death. That was settled, that they should give him Gudhrun in marriage, and they gave her a draught of forgetfulness, before she agreed to be married to Atli. Atli's sons were Erpr and Eitill. But Swanhild was the daughter of Sigurdhr and Gudhrun. King Atli invited Gunnarr and Hogni home and sent Vingni or Knefrodh. Gudhrun knew of desception and sent word with runes that they should not come, and as a token she sent the ring Andvaranaut to Hogni and wove a warg's hair into it. - Gunnarr had asked for Oddrun, Atli's sister, and not gotten her; then he got Glaumvor. But Hogni married Kostbera; their sons were Solarr and Snaevarr and Gjuki. - But when the Gjukings came to Atli, then Gudhrun asked her sons that they ask for the lives of the Gjukings, and they did not want to. The heart was cut from Hogni, but Gunnarr was set in a wyrm-garth. He struck on a harp and put the wyrms to sleep, but an adder bit into his liver.
King Theoderik was with Atli and had lost most of his men there. Theoderik and Gušrun told their sorrows between them. She spoke to him and said:
1.
I was a maid of maids
- my mother raised me up -
bright in bower,
I loved (my) brothers well -
until Gjuki
dowered me with gold,
dowered with gold,
gave to Siguršr.2.
Siguršr was thus
above the sons of Gjuki,
as were the green leek
grown above the grass,
or high-boned hart
among brave beasts,
or glow-red gold
on gray silver.3.
Afterwards my brothers
would not grant me,
that I had a husband
foremost of all;
they could not sleep
nor judge causes,
before they caused
Siguršr to die.4.
Grani ran to the Thing
- whinnying could be heard -
yet Siguršr
came not himself;
saddle-beasts were all
sprinkled with sweat,
and from much toil,
under the slayers.5.
I went weeping
to speak with Grani,
wet-cheeked I asked
the horse of his tale;
Grani bent downward then,
drooped head to grass,
the horse knew
that his owner did not live.6.
I delayed long,
long thoughts strove together,
before I asked
folk-warder about leader.7.
Gunnar droped his head;
Hogni told me
of Siguršr's
sorrowful death:
'Gothormr's bane
lies hewed
on the other side of the river,
given over to wolves.8.
'Look for Siguršr
on the southern road!
there you shall hear
the ravens calling,
eagles calling,
glad of food,
wargs howl
around your husband.'9.
'Why, Hogni do you wish
to say
such sorrows to me,
deprived of joy?
The ravens
should rend your heart
in a far-off land;
you are worst of men!"10.
Hogni answered
only once,
not inclined to good soul,
from great grief:
'You shall have
much weeping of this, Gušrun,
when the ravens
rend my heart."11.
I turned alone from there,
from talk,
to the wood,
to gather the wargs' leavings:
I made no weeping,
nor wrung hands,
nor complained about it,
like other women,
when I sat sorrowing
over Siguršr.12.
The night seemed
deeply dark to me,
when I sat sorrowfully
over Siguršr,
I thought the wolves
to be all-better,
if they caused me
to part from life
or burnt me
like birch-wood!13.
I fared from the fells
five days counted.
until I saw
Half's high hall.14.
I sat seven half-years
with Thora,
Hakon's daughter,
in Denmark.
She embroidered in gold
for my pleasure
Southern halls
and Danish swans.15.
We two had that
which warriors play on the picture,
and on the handwork
helm-warder's thanes,
red shields,
Hunnish host,
helm-warder's following, sword-clad, helm-clad;16.
Sigmundr's ships
glided from land,
gilded figureheads,
graven stems;
we wove onto the tapestry
that when they did battle,
Sigarr and Siggeirr,
south on Funen.17.
Then Grimhildr,
the Gothic woman,
asked what I
was thinking of...
she threw down tapestry
and summoned her bairns,
single-mindedly
to ask of this,
whether son
would atone to sister,
or would pay
for slain husband.18.
Gunnarr was ready
to let gold be offered,
to atone for causes,
and Hogni the same.
She asked of this:
which wished to fare,
to saddle steed,
to hitch wagon,
to ride horse,
to fly hawk,
to shoot arrows
from yew-bow.19.
[...
...]
Then they went
in like boars,
Langobardish hosts,
they had red fur-cloaks,
polished byrnies,
crested helmets,
saxes girded on,
they had dark-brown hair.20.
Each wanted
to choose treasures for me,
choose treasures
and speak bravely,
if they might be able
to win my trust
from many sorrows -
I did not bring myself to trust.21.
Grimhildr brought me
a cup to drink,
cold and bitter,
that I not mind my causes:
that was mixed
with Wyrd's main,
very cold sea,
and hallowed boar's blood.22.
In the horn,
every sort of staves were
risted and reddened -
I was not able to understand -
a long ling-fish
from the Haddings' land,
an uncut ear of grain,
beasts' innards.23.
Many bales were together
in that beer,
all herbs of the wood
and a burnt acorn,
dew of the hearth,
sacrifice-entrails,
seethed swine's liver,
with which she silenced (my) claims.24.
Yet I forgot all
which I had gotten,
all about the boar,
iron-slain in hall.
The three kings came
before (my) knee,
before she herself sought
to speak with me.
Grimhildr said:
25.
"Gušrun, I will give you
gold to receive,
much of all wealth,
from your father's death,
red rings,
Hlodhver's hall,
all bedclothes,
for the fallen boar;26.
Hunnish maids,
they who weave with little boards
and ready fair gold,
so that you receive pleasure -
you shall rule
Bušli's wealth alone,
bedecked with gold,
and given in marriage to Atli!"
Gušrun said:
27.
"I do not wish
to go with a husband,
nor have
Brynhildr's brother!
It is not seemly
for me to raise a clan
with Budhli's son,
nor enjoy life!"
Grimhildr said:
28.
"Do not intend any longer
that folk pay for hate,
although we have
caused it before!
so shall you let it be
as if they both lived,
Siguršr and Sigmundr,
if you raise up sons!"
Gušrun said:
29.
"I may not be
joyful, Grimhildr,
nor offer hopes
to the battle-eager one,
since the corpse-ravenous
(and) Huginn greedily
drank Siguršr's
heartblood together!"
Grimhildr said:
30.
"I have found him
the most clan-stately
of all folk,
and foremost of any;
you shall have him,
until your life-age fades -
be husbandless,
unless you choose him!"
Gušrun said:
31.
"Bid me no longer,
single-mindedly,
to those bale-full kin!
he shall grimly act
towards Gunnarr
and rend the heart
from Hogni.
I shall not be light
over it before
from the life-strong
of whetted edge-play
I take life-age."32.
Weeping, Grimhildr
gripped the words
which showed bale
to her bairns,
and great ill
to her youths:
Grimhildr said:
33.
"Yet I shall give you
lands, a following,
Wine-Burg, Wal-Burg,
if you will receive (them) -
have and enjoy that
to age, daughter!"
Gušrun said:
34.
"Then I shall choose
from kings,
and indeed have
that needful from kin!
This husband will never
become loved by me,
nor ill to brothers
be protection to bairns!"35.
That moment every
dreng was seen on horse
but the Welsh women
(were) lifted into wagon:
we rode cold land
seven days,
yet another seven
we struck waves,
yet on the third seven
we strode dry land.36.
There the door-warders
of the high burg
unlocked the gates
before we rode into garth.37.
Atli wakened me -
but I seemed to myself to be
full of ill soul
at kin's death - :
Atli said:
38.
"So norns newly
wakened me,"
he wished that I
give rede about spae of danger:
"I sensed that you, Gušrun,
Gjuki's daughter,
laid a destruction-blended blade
against me."
Gušrun said:
39.
"That is before a fire,
when iron is dreamed,
before conceit and wilfulness,
a woman's wrath.
I shall go to burn you
against bale,
tend and leech,
although it be loathly to me."
Atli said:
40.
"I sensed saplings
falling here in the dwelling,
those which I wished
to let wax,
ripped up by roots,
reddened in blood,
born to the bench,
you bade me to eat.41.
I sensed hawks fly
from my hand,
deprived of meat,
to ill-luck's house;
I sensed their hearts
eaten with honey,
in sorrow-mood of soul,
swollen with blood.42.
I sensed whelps
loosed from my hand,
both yelped,
deprived of joy;
I sensed their flesh
become carrion,
against my will,
I had to eat the corpses."
Gušrun said:
43.
"There shall warriors
speak of slaughtering
and take head
from the white-haired beasts.
They are fey:
in a few nights
before the days grow short,
the warriors shall enjoy them."
Atli said:
44.
"I lay afterwards -
I did not want to sleep -
self-willed in sickbed -
I shall remember to do..."
Note: This translation and others in this collection are the sole work of Stephan Grundy and are here with his permission. They are under his copyright. They are freely reproducible and quotable as long as this notice is attached if these are being reproduced or due credit is given to him for his translation if they are being quoted in another work.