The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer (Penguin Classics)

by Jesse L. Byock

  Feng (Fengr): 17, a byname of Odin.

  Fjolnir (Fjölnir): 17, a byname of Odin.

  Fjon (Fjón), Danish island: 34, Gudrun and Thora’s tapestry shows the battle of Sigar and Siggeir in the south of Fjon.

  Fjornir (Fjórnir), Gunnar’s cupbearer: 37, Gunnar asks him for wine, for it may be Gunnar’s last entertainment.

  Frakkland (Frakkland), the land of the Franks: 21, Sigurd is going toward Frakkland when he comes upon the sleeping Brynhild.

  Franks (Frakkar), a Germanic people: 34, accompany the sons of Gjuki on their journey to Denmark to be reconciled with Gudrun.

  Frekastein (Frekasteinn): 9, the place where Helgi and Sinfjotli do battle against Granmar and Hodbrodd.

  Frigg (Frigg), a goddess, the wife of Odin: 1, conveys to Odin Rerir’s prayers for a child.

  Gardakonungr (Garðakonungr): 29, Brynhild says she went to battle with this king.

  Gaupnir (Gaupnir), perhaps a manuscript mistake for Gungnir, Odin’s sword: 21, runes were cut on the point of Gaupnir.

  Gautland (Gautland), region that is today in Sweden: 3, 4, 5, Siggeir’s kingdom.

  Gjuki (Gjúki): 25, father of Gudrun; 26, king of a kingdom south of the Rhine; father of Gunnar, Hogni, Guttorm, and Gudrun; married to Grimhild; 27, mentioned; 28, Sigurd visits him, receives his daughter in marriage, and swears brotherhood with his sons; 29, mentioned as father of Gunnar; 31, several allusions to the sons of Gjuki.

  Gjukungs (Gjúkungar), descendants of Gjuki: 26, 39, fight with Atli; 40, mentioned.

  Glaumvor (Glaumvör): 35, Gunnar’s wife; 37, has prophetic dreams of Atli’s treachery.

  Gnipalund (Gnipalundr): 9, harbor to which Sigrun directs Helgi.

  Gnitaheath (Gnitaheiðr): 13, the place where Fafnir, as a serpent, lies upon great wealth; 35, Gunnar and Hogni have all the gold that lay on Gnitaheath.

  Golnir (Gölnir), a giant: 9, insult directed at Granmar, “You were the goatherd of the giant Golnir.”

  Goti (Goti) Gunnar’s horse: 29, refuses to pass through Brynhild’s wall of flame.

  Gram (Gramr): 12, the fragments of Sigmund’s broken sword will be mended and made into a sword named Gram; 15, Regin forges Gram; 17, Sigurd does battle against Lyngvi with the sword Gram; 19, Sigurd cleans the sword Gram after slaying Fafnir with it; 20, Sigurd beheads Regin with Gram; 23, seven spans long; 29, when Sigurd in Gunnar’s shape rides through Brynhild’s wall of flame, he sleeps with Brynhild in one bed with Gram unsheathed between them.

  Grani (Grani), Sigurd’s horse: 9, insult directed at Granmar, “You were a mare with the stallion Grani”; 13, chosen by Sigurd with Odin’s advice; 20, Sigurd loads Fafnir’s treasure on Grani’s back; 25, mopes when Sigurd is lovesick for Brynhild; 28, Sigurd rides Grani to Gjuki’s hall; 29, refuses to go through the wall of flame with Gunnar on his back; carries Sigurd through the flames; 30, Gudrun excuses Gunnar’s failure to ride through the fire by pointing out that Grani refused to carry him; 31, Brynhild had declared herself betrothed to the one who would ride Grani through her wall of flame; 32, Atli had asked if Brynhild would marry the man who rode Grani; 34, Gudrun describes how Grani mourned Sigurd’s death.

  Granmar (Granmarr): 9, a king, the father of Hodbrodd; engages in a senna, or contest of insults, with Sinfjotli; does battle with Helgi; is defeated.

  Greek Ocean (Grikklandshaf), the Aegean Sea: 23, Sigurd’s name is known in all tongues north of the Greek Ocean.

  Grimhild (Grímhildr): 26, a sorceress, wife of King Gjuki; 27, Brynhild predicts that Grimhild will give Sigurd bespelled mead; 28; gives Sigurd drink so he forgets Brynhild; connives Sigurd’s marriage to Gudrun; urges Gunnar to court Brynhild; 29, has taught Sigurd and Gunnar how to exchange shapes; 30, 31, Brynhild blames Grimhild for her misfortunes; 32, incites Guttorm to kill Sigurd; 34, urges her sons to reconcile themselves with Gudrun; gives Gudrun a magic drink of forgetfulness; urges Gudrun to marry Atli.

  Gripir (Grípir): 16, Sigurd’s mother’s brother; prophesies Sigurd’s fate.

  Gudrun (Guðrún Gjúkadóttir): 25, Brynhild predicts that Sigurd will marry Gudrun; 26, daughter of King Gjuki; visits Brynhild to tell her dreams; 27, Brynhild interprets Gudrun’s dreams; 28, is married to Sigurd; 30, she and Brynhild quarrel; 31, sends others to placate Brynhild; 32, awakes to find Sigurd fatally wounded in her arms; upon dying, Brynhild prophesies Gudrun’s future misfortunes; 34, Gudrun laments Sigurd; takes refuge with King Half of Denmark; is reconciled with her brothers and given a magic drink of forgetfulness by Grimhild; is married to Atli, although she foresees misfortune from it; 35, sends her brothers a ring wound with wolf’s hair bearing a runic message to warn of Atli’s treachery; 38, dons mail coat and fights beside her brothers against Atli; 39, Gudrun sends Gunnar a harp in the snake pit; 40, Gudrun kills her sons by Atli and gives him their blood and hearts to eat; then she kills Atli and burns his hall; 41, has daughter Svanhild by Sigurd; tries to drown herself, but is carried by the waves across the sea; marries King Jonakr, by whom she has sons Hamdir, Sorli, and Erp; 42, has doubts about Svanhild’s marriage to Jormunrek; 43, incites her sons to avenge Svanhild; laments her sorrows; 44, provides her sons with armor that iron will not bite; warns them not to harm stones.

  Gunnar (Gunnarr Gjúkason): 26, son of King Gjuki; 28, offers his sister Gudrun to Sigurd in marriage; swears brotherhood with Sigurd; decides to win Brynhild as his wife; 29, fails to ride through Brynhild’s wall of flame; changes shapes with Sigurd, who performs the feat; Brynhild marries him, believing that he has ridden through her wall of flame; 30, Brynhild and Gudrun quarrel over the relative merits of Gunnar and Sigurd; 31, tries to placate Brynhild, and she pours out her contempt for him and her preference for Sigurd; 32, incites Guttorm to kill Sigurd; upon dying, Brynhild predicts his death at Atli’s hands; 33, Brynhild asks Gunnar to burn her on Sigurd’s pyre; 34, reconciled with his sister Gudrun; 35, accepts Atli’s treacherous invitation to visit him; 37, travels to Atli’s, despite premonitions of disaster; 38, refuses to give treasure to Atli; does battle against him; 39, Atli captures Gunnar; when the location of the treasure is demanded of him, Gunnar asks to see Hogni’s bloody heart first (so that he will know that he is the last person alive who knows the secret); Atli puts Gunnar in a snake pit, and he dies; 43, Gudrun taunts her sons that they lack the spirit of Gunnar; she laments Gunnar’s death.

  Guttorm (Guttormr Gjúkason): 26, son of King Gjuki; 32, is incited to kill Sigurd; is slain by dying Sigurd; 33, Guttorm’s body is burned on the pyre with Sigurd and Brynhild.

  Haddings (Haddingjar), legendary viking princes: 34, “Haddings’ land” is a kenning for the sea.

  Hagbard (Hagbarðr Hámundarson), son of Hamund: 26, Brynhild lists him as foremost of kings; Sigar took his sister and burned another sister in her house.

  Hagbard (Hagbarðr Hundingsson), son of Hunding: 9, killed by Helgi.

  Haki (Haki Hámundarson): 26, son of Hamund; Brynhild lists him as foremost of kings; Sigar took his sister and burned another sister in her house.

  Hakon (Hákon): 34, father of Thora, with whom Gudrun takes refuge in Denmark.

  Half (Hálfr): 34, after Sigurd’s death Gudrun takes refuge with King Half of Denmark.

  Hamdir (Hamðir Jónakrsson): 41, Gudrun’s son by Jonakr; 43, Gudrun incites him and his brothers to avenge Svanhild; he responds by pointing out to Gudrun her wrongdoings; he predicts that he and his brothers will be killed; 44, kills Erp; cuts off Jormunrek’s hands; is stoned to death.

  Hamund (Hámundr): 26, father of Haki and Hagbard.

  Hamund (Hámundr Sigmundarson): 8, son of Sigmund and Borg-hild.

  Hedinsey (Heðinsey), a Baltic island: 9, place from which a company comes to join Helgi’s forces.

  Heimir (Heimir): 24, a chieftain, married to Bekkhild, sister of Brynhild; Sigurd visits him; 25, foster father of Brynhild; 29, Gunnar consults him in his suit for Brynhild; Heimir directs Sigurd and Gunnar to Brynhild’s wall of flame.

  Hel (Hel), the goddess of the dead an
d the name of her realm: 14, Andvari is forced to pay gold as a ransom to save his head from Hel; 18, Sigurd sends Fafnir to Hel; 35, Atli dreams that two hawks (symbolizing his sons) travel the road to Hel; 39, many a man travels the road to Hel because of Gunnar’s and Helgi’s weapons; 43, Gudrun recalls that Sigurd said he would wait for her in Hel.

  Helgi (Helgi Sigmundarson): 8, born to Sigmund and Borghild; 9, kills Hunding and Hunding’s sons; kills Hodbrodd; marries Sigrun.

  Hervard (Hervarðn Hundingssori): 9, son of Hunding; killed by Helgi.

  Hindarfell (Hindarfjall), a mountain: 20, birds advise Sigurd to ride to Hindarfell, where Brynhild sleeps; 21, Sigurd awakens Brynhild on Hindarfell, obtains runes from her.

  Hjalli (Hjalli): 39, a thrall who is killed in Hogni’s stead; Gunnar recognizes a heart as Hjalli’s not Hogni’s, because it quakes.

  Hjalmgunnar (Hjálmgunnarr): 21, a king who fought Agnar; Odin promised victory to Hjalmgunnar, but Brynhild struck him down in battle; in revenge, Odin stuck Brynhild with a sleep-thorn.

  Hjalprek (Hjálprekr): 12, king of Denmark, father of Alf; 13, Sigurd’s guardian; [17, equips Sigurd for expedition to avenge Sigmund]; 30, Brynhild charges that Sigurd was a thrall of Hjalprek.

  Hjordis (Hjördís Eylimadóttir): 11, daughter of King Eylimi; courted by both Sigmund and Lyngvi; chooses to marry Sigmund; 12, receives fragments of sword from dying Sigmund; is taken in a viking raid by Alf, who plans to marry her; 13, gives birth to Sigurd; married to Alf; [15, gives Sigurd fragments of Sigmund’s broken sword].

  Hjorvard (Hjörvarðr Hundingsson): 17, son of Hunding; killed by Sigurd.

  Hljod (Hljóð), daughter of the giant Hrimnir: [1, Odin’s wishmaiden, brings apple of fertility to Rerir]; 2, marries Volsung.

  Hlymdale (Hlymdalir): 29, Heimir’s home.

  Hnikar (Hnikarr): 17, a byname of Odin.

  Hodbrodd (Hodbroddr Granmarsson): 9, son of Granmar; betrothed to Sigrun, who is unwilling to marry him; killed by Helgi at Sigrun’s instigation.

  Hoenir (Hœnir), a god: 14, is traveling with Odin and Loki when Loki kills Otr and the gods are forced to pay compensation.

  Hogni (Högni): 9, a king; father of Sigrun.

  Hogni (Högni Gjúkason): 26, son of King Gjuki; 28, swears brotherhood with Sigurd; 29, accompanies Gunnar and Sigurd on Gunnar’s expedition to win Brynhild; 31, fetters Brynhild when she tries to kill Gunnar; sends Sigurd to placate Brynhild; 32, advises Gunnar against killing Sigurd; counsels Gunnar to let Brynhild die; 35, suspects treachery in Atli’s invitation, but agrees to go with Gunnar to visit Atli; 36, dismisses his wife’s prophetic dreams of Atli’s treachery; 37, goes to Atli’s stronghold; breaks down the gate; beats Vingi to death; 38, fights against Atli; hurls accusations against him; 39, Atli captures Hogni; Gunnar demands to see Hogni’s bloody heart (so he will know that the secret of the location of the treasure is safe); Hogni’s heart is cut out; 40, Hogni’s son helps Gudrun kill Atli; 43, Gudrun taunts her sons that they lack the spirit of Hogni; she laments Hogni’s death.

  Holkvir (Hölkvir): 29, Hogni’s horse.

  Hreidmar (Hreiðmarr): 13, father of Regin; 14, father of Fafnir, Otr, and Regin; demands the gold of the dwarf Andvari from the gods as compensation for his slain son Otr; is killed by Fafnir.

  Hrimnir (Hrímnir): 1, a giant whose daughter—Odin’s wish-maiden—conveys apple of fertility to Rerir; 2, sends his daughter to Hljod to marry Volsung.

  Hring’s sons (Hrings synir): 9, fight with Granmar and Hodbrodd against Helgi and Sinfjotli.

  Hringstead (Hringstaðir), a place in Denmark, possibly Ringsted in Zealand: 8, Sigmund’s naming gift to Helgi.

  Hropt (Hroptr), a name for Odin: 21, mind runes were read, carved, and heeded by Hropt.

  Hrotti (Hrotti): 20, a sword that Sigurd finds in Fafnir’s hoard.

  Hugin (Huginn), Odin’s raven: 17, [Odin] says: “As Hnikar they hailed me when Hugin I gladdened.”

  Hunding (Hundingr): 9, killed by Helgi; 11, father of Lyngvi.

  Hunding’s sons (Hundings synir): 9, call out an army against Helgi to avenge their father; 17, Sigurd kills Lyngvi and Hjorvard; 26, Sigurd praised for killing the sons of Hunding.

  Hunland (Húnaland): 1, ruled by Sigi; 2, ruled by Volsung; 11, Sigmund’s kingdom; 32, Sigurd called king of Hunland.

  Huns (Hýnir also Húnar), a people of central Asia: 39, the Rhine shall have the gold before the Huns wear it.

  In-Front-of-Grindir (Fyrir Grindum): 9, a place where Helgi stations some of his troops.

  Jarisleif (Jarisleifr), probably Jaroslav the Great of Russia (1015–1054): 34, accompanies the sons of Gjuki on their journey to Denmark to be reconciled with Gudrun.

  Jonakr (Jónakr): 32, upon dying, Brynhild prophesies Gudrun’s marriage to Jonakr; 41, a king who marries Gudrun, by whom he has sons Hamdir, Sorli, and Erp; 42, consents to Jormunrek’s marriage to Svanhild.

  Jormunrek (Jörmunrekr), Ermanaric, king of the Goths: 32, upon dying, Brynhild prophesies Svanhild’s marriage to Jormunrek; 42, seeks Svanhild in marriage; believes Bikki’s slander that she has had a love affair with his son Randver; has Randver hanged and Svanhild trampled to death by horses; 43, Gudrun incites her sons to take revenge on Jormunrek for killing Svanhild; 44, Hamdir and Sorli cut off his hands and feet; Jormunrek has Hamdir and Sorli stoned to death.

  King of the Danes (Danakonungr): 31, the sons of Gjuki killed the king of the Danes.

  Kostbera (Kostbera) or Bera: 35, Hogni’s wife; deciphers the runes sent by Gudrun warning of Atli’s treachery, even though they have been falsified by Vingi; [36, tells Hogni her dreams foreboding Atli’s treachery]; 37, bids Hogni farewell.

  Laganess (Láganess), a place: 9, Sinfjotli’s insult to Granmar, “I sired nine wolves on you at Laganess.”

  Langobards (Langbarðar), a Germanic people: 34, accompany the sons of Gjuki on their journey to Denmark to be reconciled with Gudrun.

  Leif (Leifr): 9, captain of Helgi’s ship.

  Loki (Loki), a supernatural trickster, companion and sometimes opponent of the gods: 14, slays Otr; captures the dwarf Andvari and forces him to give up his gold so that the gods can pay it as compensation for Otr.

  Lyngvi (Lyngvi Hundingsson): 11, son of Hunding; rival suitor of Hjordis who makes war on Sigmund; 12, is victorious in battle but fails to obtain Hjordis; 17, killed by Sigurd.

  Need (Nauð): 21, a runic symbol marked on the fingernail to guard against poison.

  Niflung (Niflungr Högnason): 40, son of Hogni; helps Gudrun kill Atli.

  Norns (Nornir), supernatural women who control the fates of men: 8, prophesy Helgi’s future fame at his birth; 14, a Norn decreed that the dwarf Andvari should live in the water; 18; the Norns separate sons from their mothers; some are of the race of Æsir, some are of the race of elves, and some are daughters of Dvalin; 21, runes carved on a Norn’s nail.

  Norvasund (Nörvasund): 9, a place from which a troop comes to join Helgi’s forces.

  Oddrun (Oddrún), Atli’s sister: 32, upon dying, Brynhild prophesies Gunnar’s love affair with Oddrun.

  Odin (Óðinn), foremost of the Norse gods: 1, father of Sigi; gives his outlawed son warships and troops; sends his wish-maiden to childless Rerir with apple of fertility; 2, Rerir dies, goes home to Odin; [3, thrusts sword into Barnstock]; [8, Odin’s raven brings a leaf to heal Sinfjotli]; [10, takes Sinfjotli’s body]; [11, breaks Sigmund’s sword with his spear in the midst of a battle]; 12, Sigmund says: “Odin does not want me to wield the sword since it is now broken”; 13, advises Sigurd on how to choose a horse; 14, forced by Hreidmar to pay Andvari’s gold in compensation for Otr; attempts to hold for himself the cursed ring Andvaranaut, but is forced to relinquish it; 14, Andvari’s father; [17, hails Sigurd from a headland as Sigurd is sailing to avenge his father]; [18, advises Sigurd how to slay the dragon]; 21, Odin promised victory to Hjalmgunnar, but Brynhild struck him down in battle; in revenge, Odin stuck Brynhild with a sleep-thorn, and said that she should never afterward have a vict
ory and that she must marry; [44, advises that Hamdir and Sorli be stoned to death]. See also Feng, Fjolnir, Hnikar, Hropt.

  Oin (Óinn): 14, Andvari’s father [the spelling óðinn in the manuscript is almost certainly a mistake; see “The Lay of Regin”].

  Orkning (Orkningr): 37, a renowned champion; brother of Bera; accompanies his brother-in-law Hogni to Atli’s stronghold.

  Oskapt (Óskaptr): 18, “the uncreated,” an island where Surt and the Æsir will mix together their blood.

  Otr (Otr Hreiðmarsson): 14, son of Hreidmar; is accustomed to fish in the likeness of an otter; is killed by the gods while in the shape of an otter; his father demands that the gods stuff the otter skin and cover it with gold as compensation for Otr.