![]() ![]() ![]() King Siggeir had a large tree trunk fashioned into stocks, and the ten brothers were imprisoned by their feet somewhere in the woods.Įach night a she-wolf attacked one of them, killing him and eating him, until only Sigmund remained alive. "Let them suffer before they die," she said, hoping to thus rescue one or more of them. Learning the fate of her father and her brothers, Signy proposed to her husband that her brothers be put into stocks rather than being killed immediately. Only his ten sons survived, and they were taken prisoner. In the battle that followed King Volsung and all his men were killed. The next morning, just as Signy had warned, King Siggeir attacked King Volsung. You must return to your husband, and I will face whatever danger comes my way." He replied, "It will not be said of me that I lack courage. "Return at once to your own kingdom and come back with a large army," she implored her father. Signy met them upon their arrival, and warned them that King Siggeir planned to ambush them. King Volsung and his sons journeyed to Gautland in three ships. Before leaving, Siggeir invited King Volsung, with all his sons, to visit him in Gautland, and a date for the reunion was set. Signy did not want to go with him, but her father insisted, claiming that there was insufficient cause to break the marriage contract already agreed to. The next day Siggeir announced his intention to return forthwith to his own country. These words greatly angered Siggeir, and he resolved to gain revenge against his future brother-in-law. Sigmund refused, saying, "You could have pulled the sword from the tree as easily as I did, if it were meant to be yours, but you were not able to do so." He easily pulled the sword from the trunk.Įveryone marveled at the sword's excellent quality, and Siggeir offered to give Sigmund three times the sword's weight in gold for the weapon. ![]() Many noble men were present there, and one after another they tried to pull the sword from the tree, all without success, until Sigmund came forward. He approached the tree Barnstock, then drew a sword and thrust it up to the hilt into the trunk, saying, "I give this sword to whoever can pull it from the tree." It is told that one evening a stranger came into the hall. Although Signy opposed this match, her father promised her to King Siggeir. Ī king named Siggeir ruled in Gautland, and he came to King Volsung to ask for the hand of Princess Signy. It is said that King Volsung had an excellent palace built with a large tree growing from the main hall, its branches stretching through the roof. The eldest son was named Sigmund, and he had a twin sister named Signy. Volsung married Hljod, and together they had ten sons and one daughter. The son was named Volsung, and he became King of Hunland. The child, already well grown kissed his mother, and she died. Recognizing that she herself could not live much longer, she asked that the child be cut from her body. The queen's pregnancy continued for six years. Soon afterward the queen discovered that she was with child. Sensing its purpose, he visited the queen and ate some of the apple. The wish maiden assumed the shape of a crow, then dropped the apple onto King Rerir's lap. It is said that Frigg heard their prayers and conveyed the wish to Odin, who in turn gave one of his wish-maidens an apple, telling her to give it to Rerir. They prayed fervently to the gods, asking for offspring. Rerir took for himself a wife, but for a long time she bore him no children. Sigi's wife bore him a son named Rerir, who with time became an even more powerful king. Through his successful raids, Sigi became a powerful king, ruling over Hunland. Since that time every large snowdrift has been called a "Bredi's drift."įollowing Sigi's condemnation as an outlaw, Odin guided him to a place where many warships lay and provided him with troops. Because he had attempted to hide the body, Bredi's act was decreed murder, and he was declared an outlaw. When Bredi returned with a greater kill, Sigi grew angry and killed him, then buried the body in a snowdrift. Sigi went hunting with a thrall named Bredi. The saga begins with a man named Sigi, who, it is said, was a son of Odin. Ashliman's folktexts, a library of folktales, folklore, The Saga of the Volsungs: A Summary in English ![]()
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