Brot af Sigurðarkviðu

This poem in fornyrðislag is known to scholars as Brot af Sigurðarkviðu (Br.) ‘Fragment of a Lay of Sigurðr’ or Sigurðarkviða in forna ‘The Old Lay of Sigurðr’. It is acephalous in R (fol. 33r–v) owing to the loss of leaves which also seriously damaged Sd. Unfortunately, in contrast to Sd., there is no means of restoring the lost stanzas of Br. We cannot even be sure how many stanzas it lacks, but it has been proposed that the poem is now about half its original length.

It is, however, possible to determine broadly the events leading up to the fragment’s starting point by studying other Old Norse accounts of the Nibelung story in R, such as Grp., but especially VS (up to chapter 32), which is likely to reflect the content of this poem before the loss. The saga even includes a version of one stanza that recurs in Br. (4) and several others (quoted below) which may well have been in R’s ‘great lacuna’, which possibly included *Sigurðarkviða in meira ‘The Longer Lay of Sigurðr’.

It is likely that, after exchanging marriage vows with the valkyrie Brynhildr, Sigurðr had come to the court of Gjúki, a king of the southern Rhineland, whose sons included Gunnarr, Hǫgni and Guthormr (Gothormr/Guttormr), and whose daughter was Guðrún. There Sigurðr had unwittingly drunk a magical drink given to him by Grímildr, Gjúki’s wife, which had caused him to forget Brynhildr entirely. Having entered into blood-brotherhood with Gunnarr and Hǫgni, and having married Guðrún, Sigurðr had agreed to help Gunnarr win Brynhildr, as Gunnarr himself had been unable to cross the wall of fire surrounding her dwelling. The two men had exchanged appearances, and Sigurðr had then ridden towards the raging fire, which subsided before him:

Eldr nam¹ at œsask,    en jǫrð at skjálfa,

ok hár logi   við himni gnæfa;

fár treystisk þar    fylkis rekka

eld at ríða    né yfir stíga.

Sigurðr Grana    sverði keyrði,

eldr sloknaði    fyrir ǫðlingi,

logi allr lægðisk    fyrir lofgjǫrnum,

bliku reiði,²    er Reginn átti.

Fire began to rage, and the earth to shake,

and high flame to ascend to the sky;

few of the men of a marshal dared

ride into the fire or to surmount it.

Sigurðr spurred Grani with his sword,

the fire went out before the prince,

the flame all subsided before the glory-eager one,

the riding gear glinted, which Reginn owned.

(VS 29)

The disguised Sigurðr lay beside Brynhildr for three nights, but they were separated by his sword throughout, so they never touched. They had then exchanged rings from Fáfnir’s treasure in the shared understanding that they would marry, whereupon Sigurðr had left her to return to Gunnarr and the others.

Subsequently, Brynhildr and Guðrún had quarrelled in the Rhine, where Guðrún revealed the deception. Brynhildr said that she would have revenge. Unhappy with her marriage to Gunnarr, she declared to Guðrún:

‘Sigurðr vá at ormi,    en þat síðan mun

engum fyrnask,    meðan ǫld lifir;

en hlýri þinn    hvárki þorði

eld at ríða    né yfir stíga.’

‘Sigurðr struck at the snake, and henceforth that

will be forgotten by no one, as long as humanity lives;

but your brother³ dared neither

ride into the fire nor surmount it.’

(VS 30)

Afterwards, Gunnarr went to see Brynhildr, who had been made ill by the turn of events. She had harsh words for him and declared that she would cause his death and be revenged on Grímildr. Hǫgni put her in chains to prevent her killing Gunnarr there and then, whereupon she tore down her tapestry work and lamented so loudly that she was heard from far away.

Gunnarr went again to see her, as did Hǫgni, but she would speak to neither. Then Guðrún urged Sigurðr to visit her and pacify her with gold. Brynhildr, however, was outraged at his visit. During their difficult conversation Brynhildr expressed regret that she could not redden a sword in Sigurðr’s blood, and he, having remembered his love for her, declared that he would like to marry her and leave Guðrún. But Brynhildr was implacable: ‘Eigi vil ek þik … ok engan annarra’ ‘I don’t want you … and no other [either]’. Whereupon, svá segir í Sigurðarkviðu ‘as it says in Sigurðarkviða [the Lay of Sigurðr]’:

Út gekk Sigurðr    andspjalli frá,

hollvinr lofða,    ok hnipaði,

svá at ganga nam    gunnarfúsum

sundr of síður    serkr járnofinn.

Out went Sigurðr from their conversation,

the gracious friend of praiseworthy ones, and hung his head,

so that, for the battle-eager one,⁴ the iron-woven shirt

began to [split] apart at the sides.⁵

(VS 31)

Gunnarr went to see Brynhildr twice more, but she said she would reject him utterly unless he killed Sigurðr and his son. She also falsely told him that Sigurðr had taken her virginity. Gunnarr then discussed the matter with Hǫgni, which is probably the point at which Br. begins.

Br. is the first surviving member of a number of poems in R concerned with the death of Sigurðr. As they stand, these poems are generally supposed to have been composed in the twelfth or early thirteenth centuries, possibly in the following order, which does not match their sequence in R:⁶

1. Brot af Sigurðarkviðu
2. Sigurðarkviða in skamma
3. *Sigurðarkviða in meira (a hypothetical work believed by some scholars to have been in R’s great lacuna)
4. Guðrúnarkviða ǫnnur
5. Guðrúnarkviða in fyrsta
6. Helreið Brynhildar

In these poems, female voices, especially those of Guðrún and Brynhildr, come to the fore in grief, insult, accusation, self-justification, incitement to vengeance and prophecy.

Important variant accounts of the dealings of figures corresponding to Sigurðr, Gunnarr, Hǫgni, Brynhildr and Guðrún appear in the Middle High German Nibelungenlied, the Old Norse (Norwegian) Þiðreks saga af Bern, and the Faroese ballad Brynhildar táttur ‘Brynhild’s Story’.

Synopsis

Verse: What remains of Br. probably starts with Hǫgni asking Gunnarr why he wants to kill Sigurðr (1). Gunnarr replies that Sigurðr has tricked him (he presumably believes, mistakenly, that Sigurðr had taken Brynhildr’s virginity) (2). Hǫgni asserts that Brynhildr has incited Gunnarr because she begrudges Guðrún her marriage to Sigurðr (3).

We then hear that Gothormr was fed noxious food, evidently to fortify him for the daunting task of killing Sigurðr (4).

Guðrún then asks where Sigurðr is (5). Hǫgni replies that they have hacked him to pieces (6). Brynhildr congratulates Hǫgni, as she thinks it would have been unfitting for Sigurðr to rule Gjúki’s inheritance, and laughs loudly (7–9). Guðrún declares that their malice will be avenged (10).

A single stanza (possibly misplaced) then records that Sigurðr had died south of the Rhine, and that a raven foretold that Atli would kill both Gunnarr and Hǫgni (11). Gunnarr reflects anxiously on the raven’s words, and those of an eagle (unreported), when riding home (13).

Next Brynhildr expresses her internal conflict about Sigurðr’s killing (14), at which all those present fall silent (15). She describes a dream which bodes ill for Gunnarr and his fellow oath-breakers (16), points out that Gunnarr has forgotten his blood-brotherhood with Sigurðr (17), and reveals that Sigurðr had not betrayed Gunnarr with her (18), but rather placed a sword between them when they slept side-by-side (19).

Prose: A concluding passage records the existence of different traditions about Sigurðr’s death, with some maintaining that he was killed in bed, some in a forest, and one poem that he died at an assembly.

Further Reading

Andersson, T. M., The Legend of Brynhild (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1980).

Andersson, T. M., ‘The Lays in the Lacuna of Codex Regius’, in U. Dronke, Guðrún P. Helgadóttir, G. W. Weber and H. Bekker-Nielsen, ed., Speculum Norroenum: Norse Studies in Memory of Gabriel Turville-Petre (Odense: Odense University Press, 1981), pp. 6–26.

Andersson, T. M., ‘Beyond Epic and Romance: Sigurðarkviða in meiri’, in R. Simek, Jónas Kristjánsson and H. Bekker-Nielsen, ed., Sagnaskemmtun: Studies in Honour of Hermann Pálsson (Vienna: Böhlau, 1986), pp. 1–11.

Batten, C. R., ‘Strengði hon elfi: Female Reactions to Male Violence in Eddic Heroic Poetry’, SS 91 (2019), 289–321, https://doi.org/10.5406/scanstud.91.3.0289

McKinnell, J., ‘Female Reactions to the Death of Sigurðr’, in D. Kick and J. D. Shafer, ed., Essays on Eddic Poetry (Toronto: Toronto University Press, 2014), pp. 249–67, https://doi.org/10.3138/9781442669260-012

Uspenskij, F., ‘The Talk of the Tits: Some Notes on the Death of Sigurðr Fáfnisbani in Norna-Gests þáttr’, Retrospective Methods Newsletter (RMN) 5 (2012), 10–14.

Von See, K., B. La Farge, E. Picard, K. Schulz and M. Teichert, Kommentar zu den Liedern der Edda, Bd. 6: Heldenlieder (Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter, 2009).

Brot af Sigurðarkviðu

1. ‘....

Hvat hefir Sigurðr   til saka unnit,

er þú frœknan vill   fjǫrvi næma?’

2. ‘Mér hefir Sigurðr   selda eiða,

eiða selda,   alla logna —

þá vélti hann mik,   er hann vera skyldi

allra eiða   einn fulltrúi!’

3. ‘Þik hefir Brynhildr   bǫl at gerva,

heiptar hvattan   harm at vinna;

fyrman hon Guðrúnu   góðra ráða,

en síðan þér   sín at njóta!’

4. Sumir úlf sviðu,   sumir orm sniðu,

sumir Gothormi   af gera deildu,

áðr þeir mætti,   meins um lystir,

á horskum hal   hendr um leggja.

5 [6]. Úti stóð Guðrún,   Gjúka dóttir,

ok hon þat orða   alls fyrst um kvað:

‘Hvar er nú Sigurðr,   seggja dróttinn,

er frœndr mínir   fyrri ríða?’

6 [7]. Einn því Hǫgni   andsvǫr veitti:

‘Sundr hǫfum Sigurð   sverði hǫgginn;

gnapir æ grár jór   yfir gram dauðum.’

7 [8]. Þá kvað þat Brynhildr,   Buðla dóttir:

‘Vel skuluð njóta   vápna ok landa!

Einn myndi Sigurðr   ǫllu ráða,

ef hann lengr litlu   lífi heldi!

8 [9]. ‘Væria þat sœmt   at hann svá réði

Gjúka arfi   ok Gota mengi,

er hann fimm sonu   at fólkræði,

gunnar fúsa,   getna hafði!’

9 [10]. Hló þá Brynhildr —   bœr allr dunði —

einu sinni   af ǫllum hug:

‘Vel skuluð njóta   landa ok þegna,

er þér frœknan gram   falla létuð!’

10 [11]. Þá kvað þat Guðrún,   Gjúka dóttir:

‘Mjǫk mælir þú   miklar firnar!

Gramir hafi Gunnar,   gǫtvað Sigurðar!

Heiptgjarns hugar   hefnt skal verða!’

11 [5]. Soltinn varð Sigurðr   sunnan Rínar;

hrafn at meiði   hátt kallaði:

‘Ykkr mun Atli   eggjar rjóða!

Munu vígská   of viða eiðar!’

12. Fram var kvelda,   fjǫlð var drukkit,

þá var hvívetna   vilmál talit;

sofnuðu allir   er í sæing kvómu;

einn vakði Gunnarr   ǫllum lengr.

13. Fót nam at hrœra,   fjǫlð nam at spjalla;

hitt herglǫtuðr   hyggja téði:

hvat þeir í bǫðvi   báðir sǫgðu,

hrafn ey ok ǫrn,   er þeir heim riðu.

14. Vaknaði Brynhildr,   Buðla dóttir,

dís Skjǫldunga,   fyr dag litlu:

‘Hvetið mik eða letið mik   — harmr er unninn! —

sorg at segja   eða svá láta!’

15. Þǫgðu allir   við því orði —

fár kunni þeim   fljóða látum —

er hon grátandi   gørðisk at segja

þat er hlæjandi   hǫlða beiddi.

16. ‘Hugða ek mér, Gunnarr,   grimt í svefni,

svalt allt í sal,   ættak sæing kalda;

en þú, gramr, riðir   glaums andvani,

fjǫtri fatlaðr   í fjánda lið;

svá mun ǫll yður,   ætt Niflunga,

afli gengin —   eruð eiðrofa!

17. ‘Mantattu, Gunnarr,   til gǫrva þat,

er þit blóði í spor   báðir renduð!

Nú hefir þú honum þat allt   illu launat,

er hann fremstan sik   finna vildi.

18. ‘Þá reyndi þat,   er riðit hafði

móðigr á vit   mín at biðja,

hvé herglǫtuðr   hafði fyrri

eiðum haldit   við inn unga gram!

19. ‘Benvǫnd of lét,   brugðinn gulli,

margdýrr konungr   á meðal okkar;

eldi váru eggjar   útan gǫrvar,

en eitrdropum   innan fáðar!’

Frá dauða Sigurðar

Hér er sagt í þessi kviðu frá dauða Sigurðar, ok víkr hér svá til, sem þeir dræpi hann úti. En sumir segja svá, at þeir dræpi hann inni í rekkju sinni sofanda. En þýðverskir menn segja svá, at þeir dræpi hann úti í skógi. Ok svá segir í ‘Guðrúnarkviðu inni fornu,’ at Sigurðr ok Gjúka synir hefði til þings riðit, þá er hann var drepinn. En þat segja allir einnig, at þeir sviku hann í tryggð ok vógu at honum liggjanda ok óbúnum.

Fragment of a Lay of Sigurðr

1.⁷ ‘....

What crime has Sigurðr committed,

that you want to deprive the courageous one of life?’

2.⁸ ‘Sigurðr has given me oaths,

given oaths, all broken —

he tricked me, when he should have been

one fully trustworthy in all oaths!’

3. ‘Brynhildr has inflicted injury on you,

incited hatreds to bring about harm;

she begrudges Guðrún her good marriage,

and that you should enjoy her9 thereafter!’

4.¹⁰ Some roasted a wolf, some cut up a snake,

some shared [parts] from a greedy one¹¹ with Gothormr,12

before they, keen to do harm,¹³

could lay hands on the wise man.¹⁴

5 [6].¹⁵ Outside stood Guðrún, Gjúki’s daughter,

and she spoke these words first of all:16

‘Where now is Sigurðr, the lord of men,

since my relatives ride at the fore?’17

6 [7]. To that Hǫgni alone gave answer:

‘We have hacked Sigurðr apart with a sword;

the grey steed18 hangs its head unceasingly over the dead prince.’

7 [8]. Then Brynhildr said this, Buðli’s daughter:

‘Well shall you enjoy weapons and lands!

Sigurðr alone would have ruled all,

if he’d held onto life a little longer!

8 [9]. ‘It wouldn’t be right that he should so rule

Gjúki’s inheritance and a multitude of Gotar,19

when he²⁰ had begotten five sons,²¹

eager for battle, for the command of the army!’²²

9 [10]. Brynhildr laughed then — all the dwelling resounded —

one time [only] with all her heart:23

‘Well shall you enjoy lands and thanes,²⁴

because you made the brave prince fall!’²⁵

10 [11]. Then Guðrún, Gjúki’s daughter, said this:

‘You utter very great atrocities!

May fiends26 have Gunnarr, Sigurðr’s gravedigger!

The avidly hateful thought shall be avenged!’

11 [5]. Sigurðr had died south of the Rín;27

a raven on a tree²⁸ called out loudly:

‘Atli29 will redden edges³⁰ in you both!³¹

Oaths will overthrow the warlike ones!’

12. The evening was far advanced, much had been drunk,

pleasing words had been uttered to³² everyone then:³³

all slept when they went to bed;

Gunnarr alone lay awake longer than all [the others].

13. His foot began to twitch, he began to mutter a great deal;³⁴

the army-destroyer³⁵ started to think about this:

what those in the tree(?) both said,

the raven, repeatedly, and the eagle, when they rode home.³⁶

14. Brynhildr awoke, Buðli’s daughter,

the lady of the Skjǫldungar, a little before day:

‘Urge me on or hold me back — the harm is done —

a sorrow to speak of or now to let be!’37

15. All fell silent at that speech —

few understand the ways³⁸ of women —

when she, weeping, prepared herself to speak of

that which she, laughing, had demanded of men.

16. ‘I thought, Gunnarr, of grim things in a dream:

all was chilly in the hall, I had a cold bed;

and you, prince, were riding, bereft of joy,

fettered by a fetter in the company of foes;

so all of you, the family of Niflungar,39 will be

separated from⁴⁰ strength — you are oath-breakers!

17. ‘You don’t recall it too clearly, Gunnarr,

when you both41 let your blood flow into a footprint!⁴²

Now you’ve repaid him all that with evil,

since he wanted to find himself foremost.⁴³

18. ‘It was revealed then, when the brave one⁴⁴

had ridden to see me to request [my hand],

how the army-destroyer⁴⁵ had earlier

kept his oaths to the young prince!⁴⁶

19. ‘The very worthy king⁴⁷ let a wound-wand,⁴⁸

braided with gold, be between us;⁴⁹

its edges were forged with fire on the outside,

and dyed with venom-drops on the inside!’⁵⁰

About Sigurðr’s Death51

It is said here in this poem about the death of Sigurðr, and here it points to [the belief] that they slew him outside. But some say thus, that they slew him inside in his bed as he was sleeping.52 And German people say thus, that they slew him outside in a forest.⁵³ And it says thus in Guðrúnarkviða in forna [‘The Old Lay of Guðrún’],54 that Sigurðr and Gjúki’s sons had ridden to an assembly, when he was slain. But all say this with one voice, that they broke faith with him and attacked him as he was lying down and unprepared.

Textual Apparatus to Brot af Sigurðarkviðu

Brot af Sigurðarkviðu] This title is not in R; it is supplied editorially

1/3 Hvat hefir Sigurðr til] R absent; this is a conjectural, but traditional, emendation

2/5 vélti] R velt (with e caudata)

Fra dauða Sigurðar] This rubricated but faded heading is illegible in the photograph in the facsimile volume of R; this reading is therefore reliant on the transcription therein

Hér] The first letter is large, inset and rubricated but faded in R

riðit] R riþiN (i.e., riþinn)

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