Sigurd is the son of the god odin

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Many scholars con­ sider the Teutonic epic of Sigurd the Vo/sung to be The Iliad of the northern countries.

The story is found in Scandinavian, British, and German literature. The earli­ est existing version appears in the epic of Beowulf (written in about A.D. 1000), where a minstrel sings the tale as enter­ tainment for the nobility. Clearly, the story was already famous at that time. The Volsunga Saga, written in 1300 by an anonymous author, is the definitive Norse version because it is the most detailed, cohesive, and complete ver­ s ion of the story.

The saga of Sigurd reflects the unstable political conditions in north­ ern Europe between A.D. 400 and 600, before the arrival of Christianity in that part of the world. The wars between neighboring kingdoms produced many local heroes and villains, and their dar­ ing deeds became the subjects of pop­ ular songs and poems.

APPEAL AND VALUE

For hundreds of years the story of Sigurd disappeared from view, because its stark drama and pre-Christian val­ ues did not appeal to people living during those centuries. In the nine­ teenth century, Sigurd again became popular when writers recognized the saga's many attractions.

First, Sigurd is an outstanding adventure story. It contains magic, a monster, cursed treasure, passionate love, violent hatred, jealousy,treachery, danger, and death. Within its pages are both an early version of the Sleeping

Beauty tale and a major source for the tale of the cursed ring

that J . R. R. Tolkien

used in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Richard Wagner used in his cycle of four

operas, The Ring of the Nibelung.

Second, Sigurd is an ideal hero. His wisdom is as great as his courage. He chooses to lead an honorable Iife by putting the needs of others above his own personal desires.

Third, the story contains numerous complex characters who are loyal to their families and friends until circum­ stances lead them to act treacherously. They are intelligent but they act fool­ ishly, with tragic consequences. They cannot profit from prophecies because their human frailties doom them. No one in the saga is completely pre­ dictable or completely trustworthy, and this creates an atmosphere of sus­ pense, excitement, and danger.

The reader can easily identify with the problems and emotions of the characters in Sigurd. They struggle to find happiness and to lead meaningful lives in a world that is uncaring, brutal, and treacherous. Death is inevitable, and the Norse gods offer no comfort. The characters cannot control their fates. They can try only to control their values, attitudes, and behavior. Their struggle to create meaning in their lives is viewed on a bare stage under harsh lighting. Life is a tragic experience, and the best the characters can hope for is to live with dignity.

The story of Sigurd strikes a sympa­ thetic chord today because we too must create a meaningful life in a world that is often uncaring and dan­ gerous. Ultimately, we must accept the inevitability of death. We must not give

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in to despair but must concentrate on the aspects of our Iives that we can control. Like the characters in Sigurd, we cannot determine when we w ill die, but we can try to determine how we live.

THE NORSE HERO

In the Norse world, events are con­ trol led by an unalterable fate. Both gods and humans know that their inevitable destiny is death. Since immortality exists only in the memory of the living, achieving honor and fame is the hero's principal goal.

The Norse hero creates his own meaning by living in such a way that others honor him. His greatness is measured by the quality of his life and his courage and dignity in facing death. Honor is earned primarily on the battlefield, where the hero attains glory according to whom he kills and the amount of treasure he acquires. The heroic goal is fame after death, the only immortality that a mortal can achieve. The hero aims to accomplish feats worth remembering-the type of great and glorious deeds that inspire poets and singers.

In the Norse world, a person's first loyalty is to his or her king. Family comes second, and friends third. No one else seems to exist. Gold is the greatest treasure. The noble person shares it generously,but the temptation to hoard treasure and let it corrupt one's personal va lues is very strong. Only the best human beings can with­ stand the temptation.

Retribution dominates Norse soci­ ety. Justice is a private affair between one person and another or between one family and another. Even in the case of accidental death or murder, an

individua l takes full responsibility for his or her actions. The killer may choose to offer wergild (man-price), which is a designated payment as resti­ tution for the death, but the recipient is free to reject the offer. As often as not, blood vengeance is the rule. The char­ acter accepts his or her punishment­ death-without flinching, and the fam ily feud continues to demand one Iife after another.

The fittest survive for a time, but raw courage and strength are not enough. Although the man or woman who is generous and loyal is less likely to have to stand alone against the human and natural world, in the Norse world no one is safe.

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS*

SIGMUND: son of Volsung; king of Hunland; father of Sigurd

SIGURD: son of Sigmund; performs heroic deeds

HREIDMAR: father of Regin, Fafnir, and

Otter; skilled in magic

FAFNIR: son of Hreidmar; brother of Regin and Otter; takes the form of a dragon REGIN: son of Hreidmar; brother of Fafnir and Otter; tutors Sigurd

OTTER: son of Hreidmar; brother of Fafnir and Regin; often takes the form of an otter ANDVARI: dwarf; possesses a magic ring and a hoard of gold

BRUNHILD: disobedient Valkyrie; rescued by Sigurd; wife of Gunnar

ATLI: brother of Brunhild; husband of Gudrun after Sigurd's death

GIUKI: king of a land south of the Rhine; husband of Grimhild; father of Gunnar, Hogni, Guttorm, and Gudrun

GRIMHILD: wife of Giuki; mother of Gunnar, Hogni, Guttorm, and Gudrun; ski lled in magic

S ig u r d t h e V o 1 s u n g 479

( GUNNAR: son of Giuk i and Grim hild ; brother of Ho g ni , Guttorm, and Gudrun; hu sband of Brunh il d HOGN I : so n of Giuki and Grim h ild; brother of Gunnar, Guttorm, a nd Gudrun GUTTORM: youngest c hild of G iuki a nd Grimhild; brother of G unn a r , H og ni , a n d Gudrun GUDRUN: daughter of Giuk i and Gr imhild ; s i ster of Gunnar , Ho g ni , a nd G uttorm ; w i fe of S i g urd a nd l ate r of Atli * For a li st of the Norse gods, see page 460 . )

SI G U R D TH E VO LSU NG

Chapter 1
Sigmund, son of Volsung,pulls the god Odin's swordfrom the trunk of a tree. On the day that Sigmund isfated to die, Odin smashes the sword. Sigmund tells his wife to save thepieces for their son and then dies.
Listen to this tale from the heart of the north country, a land of snow-capped mountains, icy hills, and cold, gray seas. Hear of Sigurd, hero bright as the sun, and of Brunhild and Gudrun, who loved him. Hear of the treachery and woe that form the dark side of love and j oy. Hear of men and women, heroes and villains, love and hate, life and death. Listen!

In days of old, Volsung, the great-grandson of Odin and the king of Hunland, was the greatest of all warriors-the strongest, most skilled, and most daring of all. He built his royal house around a huge oak tree, so the trunk of the tree grew through the center of the great hall and its many branches overshad­ owed the roof of the building.

The most noble of King Volsung's many children were his youngest, the twins Sigmund and Signy. King Volsung gave his daughter Signy in marriage to the king of Gothland. The Volsung family and their guests gathered in the great hall to enjoy the wedding feast. Suddenly a strange, old, long-bearded man walked, unannounced, into the room. He was barefoot and huge, and something about him seemed to speak of another, ancient time. He wore a blue cloak and a broad-brimmed hat that overshadowed his forehead, and he had only one eye. In his hand he held a shimmering long-bladed sword.

With broad steps, the old man strode up to the great trunk of the oak tree and plunged his sword deep into the wood, so that only the hilt of the sword was visible. While the family and their guests stood in amazed silence, the stranger announced, "Whoever draws this sword from this oak will have the sword as my gift to him, and will find that he never had a better friend in time of need." The old man then turned and left the hall. Everyone present realized that the visitor had been Odin, the All-Father.

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Immediately, all of the noblemen rushed toward the sword in the tree. But it would not budge, no matter how hard they tugged. Finally, Sigmund put his hand upon the hilt and withdrew the sword as easily as if it lay loosely in the wood.

Sigmund announced, "I am destined to own this sword, for I have with­

drawn it from its place in the tree. I will never give it up, even if a mighty king offers to pay me all the gold that he possesses!"

In time, Sigmund became the noble king of Hunland. So great were his courage and cunning, his skill in warfare, and the treasure he had won with his sword that his name was known throughout the northern lands.

After ruling wisely for many years, one day Sigmund was forced to fight an invading army. In spite of his age, he fought with great strength and skill. The bat­ tle raged furiously; the sky became gray with the passage of arrows and spears. Sigmund was covered with the blood of his enemies, yet he himself remained unwounded .

Suddenly, into the midst of the battle came an old, long-bearded man. He wore a blue cloak and a broad-brimmed hat that overshadowed his forehead, and he had only one eye. In his hand he carried a hooked spear. The old man approached King Sigmund and said, "Sigmund the Volsung, your time has come!" With that, he attacked the king.

Sigmund confidently struck the hooked spear with his own marvelous sword. But to his amazement the impact broke his sword into pieces, as if it were an ordi­ nary weapon.

From that moment, Sigmund's success left him . No matter how well he fought, his enemies remained strong, while his men fell to their deaths all around him. Finally Sigmund received his death wound.

That night, the queen came out of hiding and searched among the corpses that littered the battlefield for her husband 's body. She found Sigmund still alive.

While she comforted him, he said, "Odin, the All-Father, has brought an end to my days as a warrior. I am dying. Care for our son who is now within you and who is destined to be the most noble and famous of all the Volsungs. Preserve the pieces of my broken sword for him. They can be recast and will make a great sword called Gram, with which our son will accomplish deeds that will make his name live as long as there are bards on earth to tell the tale. Now let me rest here until Death claims me."

The queen sat with her husband throughout the night, and he died with the coming of dawn. The early morning light revealed many ships sailing toward them.

The young king of Denmark landed with his men and took Sigmund's queen and treasure back to his country. He promised the captive queen, "I will make you my wife, and you will live with honor in this kingdom . You will con­ tinue to be regarded as the best of women, and your son will be born into a royal home."

S ig u r d t h e V o 1 s u n g .-..., 481

Chapter 2
Odin helps Sigurd choose his horse, Grani. His tutor, Regin, tells Sigurd about the dwarf Andvari's hoard of gold and the curse that Andvari placed upon it.
Sigurd, the son of Sigmund, was extraordinary from the time of his birth . He was raised in the royal house of Denmark, where he was loved and honored . All who met him marveled at his size, his strength, his courage, his skill, his intelligence, and his good heart. No one in the north lands could match Sigurd's gifts.

Sigurd's tutor was a gifted man by the name of Regin, who had earned fame as a metalsmith. Regin taught Sigurd to speak many languages, understand the ancient letters called runes, use weapons, and master all the other skills a prince was expected to know.

One day Regin said to Sigurd, "I am amazed to see that you are treated like a

servant of the Danish king!"

"You are wrong!" Sigurd replied. "I can do whatever I want, and if I ever wish for anything, the king gives me what I desire with a cheerful heart."

"Then," Regin counseled, "I suggest that you ask him to give you a horse."

Sigurd went to the king and said, "I think that I am old enough now to have my own horse. I would like to train it myself."

The king replied, "Choose whatever horse you wish, Sigurd, and whatever else you desire as well."

Sigurd immediately left the great hall and set out to find the royal horses. He was walking through the forest when he came upon an old, long-bearded man whom he had never seen before. The man was wearing a blue cloak and a broad­ brimmed hat that overshadowed his forehead, and he had only one eye.

"Where are you going, Sigurd, son of Sigmund the Volsung?" the old man asked him.

"Sir, I am going to find the royal horses," Sigurd replied, "for I intend to choose the best one for myself. You appear to be a very wise man. Would you like to come along and advise me?" he asked.

"That is just what I had in mind," the old man replied. "Let us drive the horses into the fast-flowing river. That should test their courage and strength!"

So the old man and the youth found the royal horses and drove them into the fast-flowing waters. Horse after horse shied away from the turbulent water. Some were so skittish that they would not enter the water at all. Others reared up on their hind legs in fright, turned around, and quickly regained dry land. Only one horse forged across the river. He was beautiful to see: gray in color, unusually large and strong in build, and yet quite young.

"The gray horse is the one I would choose!" Sigurd exclaimed. "I do not remember seeing him among these horses before today, or surely I would have remembered him. What do you think of my choice?"

"You have chosen wisely and well, Sigurd the Volsung!" the old man replied. "That gray horse is related to my horse, Sleipnir. Feed him well, and care for him. He will repay you by being the best of all horses!" And with these words, the old man vanished.

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Then Sigurd realized that it was Odin, the All-Father, who had helped him.

He called his horse Grani and trained him well.

Regin was still not satisfied. One day he said to Sigurd, "I marvel that you are satisfied to play here upon the royal grounds as if you were a peasant lad. Out in the world you would find treasure for the taking, and you would earn fame and honor by winning it. You are old enough and skilled enough. You have within you the blood of the mighty Volsungs. But tell me, do you have the courage needed for adventure?"

"Of course Ido!" the youth replied. "What treasure do you have in mind?

Where is it? And why is it available for the taking?"

Regin replied, "I have in mind the treasure that is guarded by the dragon Fafnir, whose den is on the Gnita Heath. He sits upon more gold than you will ever find in one place, and even the most greedy king would be satisfied with such a treasure!"

'file you trying to help me or kill me?" Sigurd asked. "Young as Iam, even I have heard of that treasure and that dragon! The monster is unusually large and evil. He continues to guard that treasure because there is no man alive who has the courage to fight him! How do you expect me to succeed where all others have failed?"

"Clearly you are no Volsung!" Regin replied. "Your father would never let children's tales fill his heart with terror! He had courage in his heart, not mush. Among those whose deeds have earned them lasting fame and honor, Sigmund the Volsung stood tallest. How ashamed he would be to think that his son was afraid of an ordinary dragon!"

"I am still so young that I am certain that Ilack my father's strength and skill," Sigurd replied. "But Ido not deserve to have you call me a coward! Why are you treating me like this? You must have some reason hiding behind your taunt­ ing words!"

"I certainly do!" said Regin. "I have a tale that Ihave been waiting many a year to tell you. You have come of age, and Ihave trained you well. You are ready. Listen to my tale, for it is the story of my life."

My father, Hreidmar, was a man of great strength and great wealth, and he taught us his skill in the arts of magic. He had three sons: Fafnir, Otter, and me. Fafnir was most similar to our father, both in physical strength and in greed. He possessed one extraordinary gift. He could change his shape to please himself.

Otter was completely different from Fafnir. He was simple, gentle, and kind. He loved to fish, and he was quite skilled at that pursuit. Like Fafnir, he could change his shape. He particularly enjoyed becoming an otter. In that form he would spend each day, from dawn to dusk, by the side of the river near the base of a waterfall.

Otter loved to plunge into the water to catch a fish, swim back to shore, and place it on the river bank. By the time the sun was setting, he would have stacked a sizable pile of fish. He would gather the fish he had caught into a net and bring them to our father. Otter would eat alone and then go to sleep. Nothing on dry land interested him, so he spent most of his time in the appearance of an otter, and he lived from one day's fishing to the next.

S ig u r d t h e V o 1 s u n g r-.,, 483

I was different from my brothers. I excelled in a more ordinary way. I loved to work with metals, and I became quite skilled at creating objects in silver and gold, and in working with iron as well.

Behind the waterfa ll near Otter's favorite fishing place lived a dwarf named Andvari. The waterfall itself was called Andvari's Force. Like Otter, Andvari could change his shape, and he too loved to fish. The dwarf fished in the form of a pike, and he ate the smaller fish that came over the waterfall. So many fish swam over the waterfall that there were always more than enough for both Otter and Andvari.

One day the gods Odin, Loki, and Hoenir were wandering upon the earth disguised as ordinary mortals. They enjoyed leaving Asgard , the home of the gods, to visit the homes of country folk. So it happened that the three gods came upon Andvari's Force. The sun was low in the sky, and it was time for supper. Otter had caught a salmon and was lazily lounging upon the bank of the river, about to eat it.

Loki spied both the otter and the salmon and said, "I think that I can kill that otter with the toss of one stone, and then we will have both otter and salmon to eat! That surely will satisfy our hunger!" He picked up a large stone, tossed it, and killed Otter. The gods then collected the otter and the salmon and walked toward our father's house.

"May we spend the night with you?" Odin asked my father when he opened the door. "We have brought enough food for all of us!"

Hreidmar courteously invited the visitors inside. However, when he noticed the otter hanging from Loki's hand, he became enraged. "What kind of guests are you?" he roared. "You have killed my son! I will return your kindness in equal measure!"

With these words, my father secretly signaled to Fafnir and me. We quickly grabbed our visitors and placed chains around them.

"Now prepare to die!" Hreidmar exclaimed. "You will pay with your lives for the crime you have committed!"

"You are being unduly harsh, sir!" Odin complained. "Your son's death was an accident! My companion killed what appeared to be an ordinary otter. How could we know that your son had transformed himself into an animal? If you agree to free us, we will pay you as much wergild as you demand. Will you accept treasure instead of our deaths?"

"All right, then," Hreidmar replied. "As payment for slaying my son Otter, I demand that you pay me the value I have set upon his life. Fill the interior of his otter skin with gold, then stand the skin upon its tail and cover the entire exterior with gold. Not one hair on the skin must be visible. If you refuse, I will kill the three of you as you killed my son!"

Hreidmar concluded, "You may discuss among the three of you who will col­ lect the gold, for I intend to keep the other two here as my prisoners until you make this payment. "

Odin and Hoenir looked at Loki in dismay. Then Odin said to Loki, "I think it is best that you locate the wergild for us, for you are far more clever than we are and you know where to look for it. As I look upon our host, I can tell that he is a man who will keep his word."

484 .--...., N o r t h e r n E u r o p e

Once we had freed Loki, he went down to the bottom of the sea and bor­ rowed a large net from the sea goddess Ran. He returned with it to Andvari's Force. He swiftly cast his net over the waters with such skill that it enclosed the pike before the fish became aware of the danger and could swim out of reach. Loki then drew the thrashing pike from the water and placed it, still confined in Ran's net, upon the bank next to him.

"Pike," Loki began, "if fish you truly are, how is it that you survive in the waterfall without being crushed, and yet you do not have the good sense to be aware that nets are no friends of yours? Who are you?"

"People call me Andvari, " the pike craftily replied, "and in my true form I am a dwarf. The Norns, who determine the destiny of every mortal being, have changed me into the pike you see. They have forced me to spend all the days of my life swimming in rivers. I do not enjoy it, but I have no choice!"

"So you are Andvari!" Loki replied. "You need say no more! Nets are not the

only enemies you have! If you intend ever to leave Ran's net alive, you must promise to give me all of the gold that you guard behind Andvari's Force in that cave of yours. Do not try to deny it, for I will kill you before I believe any other tales you create in order to deceive me!"

Loki convinced Andvari to resume his dwarf shape and bring him the gold that the gods needed in order to free themselves from my father's wrath and make amends for the death of my brother. Andvari soon returned to Loki in his true shape, lugging an enormous bag of gold.

Loki opened the bag and grinned with delight. Then he spied a beautiful gold ring upon Andvari's finger. ''I'll take that, too!" he exclaimed.

"Let me keep just this one ring!" Andvari pleaded. "It is of little use to you.

However, because I am a dwarf, I can use it to create more gold."

"No," Loki replied , "I intend to take every piece of gold you have, including that ring!"

When Andvari made no effort to remove the ring, Loki grabbed the dwarf from behind and pulled it from his finger. Satisfied that he had acquired every ounce of treasure, Loki then released the dwarf.

Andvari ran to the rocks by the waterfall and shouted, "From this time forth, that gold ring and all of the treasure that accompanies it will be the bane of every being who possesses it! Death and destruction will follow the gold as surely as night follows day, and no one who owns it will remain untouched by its curse. Only when the ring and the gold have returned to the deep waters will the bane end."

Loki ignored the dwarf's curse. He put the beautiful ring on his own finger and walked toward Hreidmar's house, dragging the bag of gold behind him.

Odin admired Andvari's beautiful ring, so Loki gave it to him. Then Loki took the otter skin and stuffed it with gold coins until the skin looked as if it might burst. When not another coin would fit into it, he stood the otter skin upon its tail and began to pile the gold around it. As Hreidmar had anticipated, in order for the fur to be covered it had to be completely buried in gold.

Loki was forced to use every gold coin in Andvari's bag to fulfill the terms of Hreidmar's wergild. Finally, Loki had emptied the bag and had arranged the coins so that even Hreidmar would be satisfied.

S ig u r d t h e V o 1 s u n g r-.,, 485

Hreidmar examined rhe pile with great care. "Ah!" he exclaimed. "I see an exposed hair-right there!"

Loki immediately moved a coin to cover the hair, bur as soon as he did so, other coins moved also, uncovering more fur. Carefully, Loki set about rearrang­ ing them again so that they would completely cover the otter skin. When he had finished, he sat back with a smile of relief upon his face.

Hreidmar examined the pile again with great care. ''Ah!" he exclaimed, with a sharp gleam in his eyes. "I see an exposed whisker-right there! Ifyou do not have enough gold to cover that hair, I will be forced to take your three lives as pay­ ment for the life of my son Otter!"

Odin had so far made no attempt to add Andvari's beautiful gold ring to the pile. But when it became clear that the gold pieces were not sufficient, he said to Loki, "Take this ring and place it over the exposed whisker. Then we will have ful­ filled the wergild agreement."

Hreidmar was satisfied, so he allowed the three gods to leave his house. Loki turned in the doorway to face Hreidmar and the two of us. Now that he felt safe, he exclaimed, "You have the wergild that you demanded of us, and a wealth of treasure it is! But I m ust warn you that every last piece of that gold carries with it the curse of the dwarf Andvari. The gold ring and all the treasure that accompa­ nies it will be the bane of every being who possesses it! Death and destruction will follow the gold as surely as night follows day, and no one who owns it will remain untouched by its curse. Only when the ring and the gold have returned to the deep waters will the bane end."

As soon as our visitors had left, our father walked over to the otter skin and placed the beautiful ring on his own finger. Then he shook every last piece of gold out of the otter skin and locked it all away in a heavy wooden chest. He hung the key around his neck and said nothing more about it.

"Do you intend to keep the wergild all for yourself, Father?" I asked. "I think we should divide the treasure among the three of us!"

"You do not deserve a single coin!" Hreidmar replied. "Otter was my son, and the wergild is mine alone. I will not discuss the matter further!"

Fafnir was furious. Once we were alone, he exclaimed, "Regin, you and I each deserve one-third of that wergild! After all, Otter was our brother! Will you help me steal the key and remove our share of the treasure from the chest?"

"I am afraid that we may have to kill Father in order to get his key!" I objected. "You know how lightly he sleeps. The sound of grass growing is enough to awaken him! I am not certain I have what it rakes to murder my father! I will have to think about it."

As it happened, I did not have long to consider the matter. When I awakened the next morning, the house was strangely quiet and my brother's bed was empty. I found our father stabbed to death in his bed. The key that had hung around his neck was gone. The ring that he had placed on his finger was gone. All of the wergild that he had put into the chest was gone.

I found my brother outside. "Fafnir, you certainly are brave to have had the nerve to kill Father!" I exclaimed. "Now we only need to divide the wergild between the two of us. Thar is even better!"

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"I will never divide Andvari's treasure hoard with you, Regin!" Fafnir replied. "You were too cowardly to kill our father. Why do you think you deserve any of the gold? The risk was all mine, so the treasure is all mine! Ifyou want it, you will have to fight me for it. I doubt if you have the courage to do that, either! I am much stronger than you are, you know. If you know what is good for you, you will leave here before I kill you as I killed Father!"

Fafnir entered the house and immediately returned wearing our father's hel­ met upon his head. We called it the Helmet of Terror because it caused the heart of anyone who gazed upon it to flood with great fear.

I took one look at Fafnir in that helmet and, seeing his sword in his hand, I fled. I sought employment with the king of Denmark. My fame as a metalsmith had preceded me, so he welcomed me.

In time, I learned that my brother had taken refuge in a cave on Gnita Heath and had turned himself into a fearsome dragon to protect the wergild he had stolen. He spent every day and night in his lair, with his body draped over Andvari's treasure hoard.