Ran (Rán), goddess of the sea: 14, Loki borrows her net to catch the dwarf Andvari in the shape of a pike.
Randver (Randvérr Jörmunreksson): 42, Jormunrek’s son, slanderously accused by Bikki of having a love affair with Svanhild; Jormunrek has him hanged; he sends his father a plucked hawk, a token that Jormunrek is plucking out his own honor, but Jormunrek receives the message too late to save Randver.
Raudabjorg (Rauðabjörg): 9, the place where Helgi’s troops meet.
Regin (Reginn Hreiðmarsson): 13, son of Hreidmar; foster father of Sigurd; urges Sigurd to slay Fafnir; 14, tells Sigurd the story of how Fafnir obtained the gold treasure and became a dragon; 15, forges sword Gram for Sigurd; 16 and 17, urges Sigurd to slay Fafnir; 18, takes Sigurd to slay Fafnir; 19, drinks Fafnir’s blood; instructs Sigurd to roast Fafnir’s heart for him to eat; 20, bird reveals that Regin is plotting treachery against Sigurd; Sigurd slays Regin; 25, Brynhild weaves death of Regin into the tapestry of Sigurd’s deeds; 29, Regin had owned Grani’s harness; 31, Sigurd praised for killing Regin.
Rerir (Rerir Sigason): 1, son of Sigi; kills his kin to avenge his father; childless, receives apple of fertility from Odin’s wish-maiden; 2, dies; goes home to Odin.
Rhine River (Rín): 26, Gjuki’s kingdom lies south of the Rhine; 30, Gudrun and Brynhild bathe in the Rhine, where they quarrel; 39, the Rhine shall have the gold before the Huns wear it.
Ridill (Riðill): 19, a sword; Sigurd cuts out Fafnir’s heart with it.
Rognir (Rögnir): 21, runes were cut under Rognir’s chariot.
Saxons (Saxar), a Germanic people: 34, accompany the sons of Gjuki on their journey to be reconciled with Gudrun.
Sigar (Sigarr): 26, he took away with him one sister of Haki and Hagbard and burned another in her house.
Sigar (Sigarr): 34, Gudrun and Thora’s tapestry shows battle of Sigar and Siggeir in the south of Fjon.
Siggeir (Siggeirr): 3, king of Gautdand; marries Signy; fails to draw sword from Barnstock; 4, treacherously invites Volsung and his sons to visit him; 5, puts Volsung’s sons in stocks to be killed by a she-wolf who is his mother; 6, his sons killed by Sigmund; 8, puts Sigmund and Sinfjotli alive in a mound; is burned in his house by Sigmund and Sinfjotli; 9, insult directed at Sinfjotli: “You are the stepson of King Siggeir.”
Siggeir (Siggeirr): 34, Gudrun and Thora’s tapestry shows the battle of Sigar and Siggeir in the south of Fjon.
Sigi (Sigi Ó insson): 1, son of Odin; outlawed for killing thrall Bredi; rules over Hunland; father of Rerir; killed by his wife’s brother.
Sigmund (Sigmundr Völsungsson), king of Hunland: 2, son of Volsung; 3, draws sword from Barnstock; 5, put in stocks by Siggeir to be killed by a she-wolf; escapes; 6, tests and kills Signy’s sons by Siggeir; 7, mates with Signy, begetting Sinfjotli; tests Sinfjotli; 8, lives in the forest in wolf shape; kills Siggeir; marries Borghild and fathers Helgi; 10, his son Sinfjotli poisoned; 11, marries Hjordis; is forced to do battle with her other suitor Lyngvi; [Odin] breaks Sigmund’s sword in the battle; 12, tells Hjordis that she will bear his son Sigurd; dies from wounds; 15, his broken sword given to Sigurd; 16, Sigurd says that he must avenge Sigmund; 17, his son Sigurd kills Lyngvi and Hjorvard in order to avenge him; 18, 21, 26, 28, Sigurd identified as son of Sigmund; 32, Brynhild had promised to marry the son of Sigmund; 34, Gudrun weaves a tapestry showing ships of Sigmund.
Sigmund (Sigmundr Sigurðarson): 28, son of Sigurd and Gudrun; [32, Brynhild urges that Sigurd’s son be killed; the dying Sigurd fears that his son will be killed]; [33, Brynhild has had Sigurd’s three-year-old son killed; he is burned on the pyre with Sigurd and Brynhild]; 34, Gudrun’s brothers compensate her for the death of her son; Grimhild urges Gudrun to let sons by Atli take the place of her son Sigmund.
Signy (Signý Völsungsdóttir): 2, daughter of Volsung; 3, married to Siggeir; 4, foretells unhappiness for her family from Siggeir; 5, tries to warn Volsung of Siggeir’s treachery; contrives a plan to save Sigmund’s life; 6, sends her two sons by Siggeir to Sigmund for testing; 7, mates with Sigmund, gives birth to Sinfjotli, sends him to Sigmund for testing; 8, contrives Sigmund’s and Sinfjotli’s escape from the mound; chooses to die in burning house with Siggeir.
Sigrun (Sigrún Högnadóttir): 9, a shield-maiden (i.e., a valkyrie), daughter of Hogni, who is betrothed against her will to Hodbrodd; she incites Helgi to kill Hodbrodd and marry her.
Sigurd (Sigurðr Sigmundarson): 13, posthumous son of Sigmund; born to Hjordis; chooses horse Grani; urged by foster father Regin to slay Fafnir; 14, Regin tells him the story of the origin of Faf-nir’s hoard; 15, Regin forges sword Gram for him; 16, his fate prophesied by Gripir; 17, kills Lyngvi and Hjorvard to avenge his father Sigmund; 18, slays dragon Fafnir; 19, roasts Fafnir’s heart; tastes Fafnir’s blood; understands the speech of birds; 20, learns of Regin’s treachery from speech of birds; slays Regin; takes Fafnir’s hoard; 21, awakens Brynhild on Hindarfell; obtains runes from her; 22, Brynhild gives him wise advice; he pledges to marry her; 23, Sigurd described; 24, visits Heimir; 25, meets with Brynhild at Heimir’s house; he pledges to marry her; gives her a gold ring; 26, Brynhild and Gudrun are discussing famous men, and Brynhild praises Sigurd; 27, Brynhild predicts Gudrun’s marriage to Sigurd; 28, goes to King Gjuki; is given a drink by Grimhild which makes him forget Brynhild; marries Gudrun; swears brotherhood with Gunnar and Hogni; 29, rides through Brynhild’s wall of flame in the guise of Gunnar, winning Brynhild as wife for Gunnar; 30, Brynhild and Gudrun quarrel over the relative merits of Gunnar and Sigurd, and Gudrun reveals that it was Sigurd, not Gunnar, who rode through Brynhild’s wall of flame; 31, tries to placate angry Brynhild, reveals his love for her; 32, killed by Guttorm at Brynhild’s and Gunnar’s instigation; 33, Brynhild gives Gunnar instructions for Sigurd’s funeral pyre, on which she too will be burned; 34, Sigurd’s renown praised; Gudrun laments Sigurd; 35, Atli desires the gold hoard that Sigurd had owned; 38, Atli demands of Gunnar the treasure of Sigurd; 40, Gudrun laments: “Life was better when I was with Sigurd”; 41, Sigurd and Gudrun have a daughter named Svanhild; 42, Svanhild is daughter of Sigurd Fafnir’s Bane; 43, Gudrun longs to join Sigurd in death.
Sinfjotli (Sinfjötli Sigmundarson): 7, son of Sigmund and Signy; passes test set by Sigmund; 8, lives in the forest in wolf shape; is wounded and then cured when a raven brings a healing leaf to Sigmund; joins Sigmund in revenge against Siggeir; 9, joins Helgi in expedition against Hodbrodd; engages in a senna, or contest of insults, with Granmar; 10, poisoned by his stepmother Borghild.
Skadi (Skaði): 1, owner of the thrall Bredi.
Sleipnir (Sleipnir), Odin’s eight-legged horse: 13, Sigurd’s horse Grani is descended from Sleipnir; 21, runes were cut on Sleipnir’s reins.
Snaevar (Snœvarr Högnason): 37, son of Hogni; accompanies his father to Atli’s stronghold.
Sok (Sök): 9, an island near which Helgi stations part of his troops.
Solar (Sólarr Högnason): 37, son of Hogni; accompanies his father to Atli’s stronghold.
Solfell (Sólfjöll), an unidentified place: 8, Sigmund’s naming gift to Helgi; 9, Granmar and Hodbrodd meet at Solfell.
Sorli (Sörli Jónakrsson): 41, Gudrun’s sons by Jonakr; 44, kills Erp; cuts off Jormunrek’s feet; is stoned to death.
Surt (Surtr), a fire-giant: 18, Surt and the Æsir will mix together their blood on the island called Oskapt.
Svafrlod (Svafrlöð): 31, a woman of the court who expresses concern and alarm over Brynhild’s state of mind.
Svanhild (Svanhildr Sigurðardóttir): 32, upon dying, Brynhild prophesies her marriage to Jormunrek and subsequent misfortune; 41, daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun; exceptionally beautiful, with keen eyes; 42, married to Jormunrek; slanderously accused by Bikki of having a love affair with Randver; put to death by being trampled by horses; 43, Gudrun incites her sons to avenge Svanhild.
Svarinshaug (Svarinshaugr): 9, the region ruled by King Hodbrodd’s brother, possibly the Schwerin district.
Sveggj
ud (Sveggjuðr): 9, a horse belonging to Hodbrodd.
Sveipud (Sveipuðr): 9, a horse belonging to Granmar.
Thora (ρóra Hákonardóttir): 34, daughter of Hakon; Gudrun takes refuge in Denmark with Thora.
Thrasness (ρrasnes), a place: 9, insult directed at Sinfjotli: “You were gelded by the giant’s daughters on Thrasness.”
Tyr (Týr), a god: 21, invoke Tyr when writing war runes.
Vaerings (Vœringjar), Scandinavians: 23, reference to “the dragon called Fafnir by the Vaerings.”
Valbjorg (Valbjörg): 34, a place given to Gudrun as compensation for her husband and her son.
Valdamar of Denmark (Valdamarr af Danmörk): 34, accompanies the sons of Gjuki on their journey to Denmark to be reconciled with Gudrun.
Valkyrie (Valkyrja): 9, insult directed at Granmar: “You were a valkyrie in Asgard.” See also Brynhild, Hljod, Sigrun.
Vanir (Vanir), a class of Norse gods largely concerned with fertility and prosperity: 21, possess runes.
Varinsey (Varinsey), an unidentified island: 9, insult directed at Granmar: “You were a witch on Varinsey.”
Varinsfjord (Varinsfjörðr): 9, unidentified fjord where a storm overtakes Helgi.
Vinbjorg (Vínbjörg): 34, a place given to Gudrun as compensation for her husband and son.
Vingi (Vingi): 35, Atli’s messenger to Gunnar and Hogni; falsifies Gudrun’s message warning of Atli’s treachery; 37, accompanies Gunnar and Hogni to Atli’s stronghold; reveals his treachery and threatens to hang them; they beat him to death.
Volsung (Völsungr Rerisson): 2, born by being cut from his mother’s body; marries, has children, builds a hall; 3, gives his daughter Signy in marriage to Siggeir; 4, dismisses Signy’s warning, accepts Siggeir’s treacherous invitation; 5, killed by Siggeir; 8, mentioned; 21, Sigurd identifies himself as being of the line of Volsung.
Volsungs (Völsungar), descendants of King Volsung: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 40.
Wavering flames (Vafrlogi), Odin creates wall of flames around the sleeping Brynhild: [21, approaching Hindarfell, Sigurd sees a light, as if a fire were burning]; 29, Sigurd in guise of Gunnar rides through Brynhild’s wall of flame; 30, Gudrun reveals that it was Sigurd, not Gunnar, who rode through her wavering flames.
*Chapter titles with an asterisk have been supplied by the translator; all other titles are in the original manuscript.
*Chapter titles with an asterisk have been supplied by the translator; all other titles are in the original manuscript.
The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer (Penguin Classics) Page 16
