THE STORY OF THE VOLSUNGS

(VOLSUNGA SAGA)
With excerpts from the Poetic Edda


Originally written in Icelandic (Old Norse) in the thirteenth century A.D., by an unknown hand. However, most of the material is based substantially on previous works, some centuries older. A few of these works have been preserved in the collection of Norse poetry known as the "Poetic Edda". The text of this edition is based on that published as "The Story of the Volsungs", translated by William Morris and Eirikr Magnusson (Walter Scott Press, London, 1888). This edition is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN in the United States.


CONTENTS

    Volsunga Saga: Introduction
    Volsunga Saga: Translators' Preface
    Chapter I: Of Sigi, the Son of Odin
    Chapter II: Of the Birth of Volsung, the Son of Rerir, who was the Son of Sigi
    Chapter III: Of the Sword that Sigmund, Volsung's son, drew from the Branstock
    Chapter IV: How King Siggeir wedded Signy, and bade King Volsung and his son to Gothland
    Chapter V: Of the Slaying of King Volsung
    Chapter VI: Of how Signy sent the Children of her and Siggeir to Sigmund
    Chapter VII: Of the Birth of Sinfjotli the Son of Sigmund
    Chapter VIII: The Death of King Siggeir and of Stigny
    Chapter IX: How Helgi, the son of Sigmund, won King Hodbrod and his Realm, and wedded Sigurn
    Chapter X: The ending of Sinfjatli, Sigmund's Son
    Chapter XI: Of King Sigmund's last battle, and of how he must yield up his sword again
    Chapter XII: Of the shards of the sword Gram, and how Hjordis went to King Alf
    Chapter XIII: Of the birth and waxing of Sigurd Fafnir's-bane
    Chapter XIV: Regin's tale of his brothers, and of the gold called Andvari's Hoard
    Chapter XV: Of the Welding together of the Shards of the Sward Gram
    Chapter XVI: The prophecy of Grifir
    Chapter XVII: Of Sigurd's Avenging of Sigmund his Father
    Chapter XVIII: Of the Slaying of the Worm Fafnir
    Chapter XIX: Of the Slaying of Regin, Son of Hreidmar
    Chapter XX: Of Sigurd's Meeting with Brynhild on the Mountain
    Chapter XXI: More Wise Words of Brynhild
    Chapter XXII: Of the Semblance and Array of Sigurd Fafnir's bane
    Chapter XXIII: Sigurd comes to Hlymdale
    Chapter XXIV: Sigurd sees Brynhild at Hlymdale
    Chapter XXV: Of the Dream of Gudrun, Giuki's daughter
    Chapter XXVI
    Chapter XXVII: The Wooing of Brynhild
    Chapter XXVIII: How the Queens held angry converse together at the Bathing
    Chapter XXIX: Of Brynhild's great Grief and Mourning
    Chapter XXX: Of the Slaying of Sigurd Fafnir's-bane
    Chapter XXXI: Of the Lamentation of Gudrun over Sigurd's dead, as it is told in ancient Songs
    Chapter XXXII: Of the Ending of Brynhild
    Chapter XXXIII: Gudrun wedded to Atli
    Chapter XXXIV: Atli bids the Giukings to him
    Chapter XXXV: The Dreams of the Wives of the Giukings
    Chapter XXXVI: Of the Journey of the Giukings to King Atli
    Chapter XXXVII: The Battle in the Burg of King Atli
    Chapter XXXVIII: Of the slaying of the Giukings
    Chapter XXXIX: The End of Atli and his Kin and Folk
    Chapter XL: How Gudrun cast herself into the Sea, but was brought ashore again
    Chapter XLI: Of the Wedding and Slaying of Swanhild
    Chapter XLII: Gudrun sends her Sons to avenge Swanhild
    Chapter XLIII: The Latter End of all the Kin of the Giukings



APPENDIX: Excerpts from the Poetic Edda
    Part of the Second Lay of Helgi Hundings-Bane
    Part of the Lay of Sigrdrifa
    The Lay Called the Short Lay of Sigurd
    The Hell-Ride of Brynhild
    Fragments of the Lay of Brynhild
    The Second or Ancient Lay of Gudrun
    The Song of Atli
    The Whetting of Gudrun
    The Lay of Hamdir
    The Lament of Oddrun