Volsunga saga ranks as one of the foremost works of prose written in thirteenth-century Iceland. A highly dramatic rendering of tales from the remote Germanic past, the saga presents the Old Norse version of the story of the Volsungs, Gjukungs, and Budlungs, three families fated to destroy each other. A continental German version of this history is recounted in the well-known Middle High German epic the Nibelungenlied. The author composed the saga using earlier cycles of heroic poems, imbedding in his prose text a number of poetic stanzas and one nearly complete poem that we also have recorded in a thirteenth-century collection of poetry known as the Poetic Edda. In the nineteenth century the story was recreated as a major cultural document by Richard Wagner in his cycle of epic music dramas Der Ring des Nibelungen, inspired by his reading of Volsunga saga. This edition presents a new English translation of the saga with a diplomatic transcription of the Old Norse text, based on the only vellum manuscript Nks 1824 b, 4° from 1400, on facing pages. The introduction provides the reader with an analysis of the saga's structure and thematic content.

Kaaren Grimstad studied at the University of Wisconsin and at Harvard University, where she received her Ph. D, Since 1970 she has taught Swedish and Old Norse language and literature at the University of Minnesota. She has previously edited Elucidarius in Old Norse Translation (Reykjavik, 1989).

Contents Abbreviations and Symbols8 Preface9 The Introduction The Saga15 The Edition30 The Translation32 Genealogy Chart?? Vlsunga saga The Saga of the Volsungs 1I. Capitulum Chapter I32/33 2F½ddr Vlsungr The Birth of Volsung34/35 3Siggeir Weds Signy, Daughter of Volsung38/39 4Siggeir Invites King Volsung42/43 5Fall Vlsungs konungs The Death of King Volsung 6Sigmund Slays King Siggeir's Sons 7Sign gat Sinfjtla Signy Gave Birth to Sinfjotli54/55 8eir Sigmundr fóru í hamina Sigmund and Sinfjotli Donned Wolfskins 9Helgi fekk Sigrúnar Helgi Married Sigrun 10Frá Vlsungum Concerning the Volsungs 11King Sigmund Marries Hjordis 12The Deaths of King Sigmund and King Eylimi 13F½ddr Sigurr The Birth of Sigurd 14Wergild Paid for Otr 15Reginn gjri Gram Regin Forged Gram68/69 16Sigurr var víss ørlga sinna Sigurd Learned of His Fate70/71 17Sigurr drap Lyngva ok Hjrvar ok á alla Sigurd Slew Lyngvi and Hjorvard and Everyone Else72/73 18Nú ría eir Reginn ok Sigurr Regin and Sigurd Go Riding74/75 19Reginn drakk bló Fáfnis Regin Drank Fafnir's Blood76/77 20Sigurr át hjartat ormsins Sigurd Ate the Dragon's Heart 21Frá Siguri Concerning Sigurd 22Spekirá Brynhildar Brynhild's Words of Wisdom 23Frá yfirlitum Sigurar Concerning Sigurd's Appearance 24Sigurr kom til Heimis Sigurd Came to Heimir 25Virtal Sigurar ok Brynhildar A Conversation between Sigurd and Brynhild 26Frá Gjúka kóngi ok sonum Concerning King Gjuki and His Sons 27Draumr Gurúnar ráinn af Brynhildi Brynhild Interprets Gudrun's Dream 28Siguri var blandat óminnisl A Potion of Forgetfulness Was Concocted for Sigurd 29Sigurr rei vafrlogan Brynhildar Buladóttur Sigurd Rode through Brynhild's Wall of Fire 30Deild dróttninganna Brynhildar ok Gurúnar The Quarrel between the Queens, Brynhild and Gudrun 31Harmr Brynhildar óx at eins Brynhild's Grief Intensified 32Svikinn Sigurr The Betrayal of Sigurd 33B½n Brynhildar Brynhild's Last Request 34Brotthvarf Gurúnar Gudrun's Disappearance 35Gurún reist rúnar Gudrun Carved Runes 36Hgni ré drauma konu sinnar Hogni Interpreted His Wife's Dreams 37Heimanfer eirra br½ra The Brothers' Departure 38Orrosta í borginni ok sigr The Battle in the Palace and the Victory 39Hgni handtekinn Hogni Is Captured 40Vital Atla ok Gurúnar A Conversation between Atli and Gudrun 41Frá Gurúnu Concerning Gudrun 42Gipt Svanhildr ok troin undir hrossa fótum til bana Svanhild Is Married and Trampled to Death by Horses 43Gurún eggjar sonu sína at hefna Svanhildar Gudrun Incites Her Sons to Avenge Svanhild 44Frá sonum Gurúnar capitulum A Chapter Concerning the Sons of Gudrun Bibliography