Volsunga saga
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Volsung Cycle |
|---|
| Volsunga saga |
| Poetic Edda |
| Norna-Gests þáttr |
| Artifacts |
| Andvarinaut |
| Gram |
| Dwarves |
| Andvari |
| Hreidmar |
| Otr |
| Regin |
| Dragon |
| Fafnir |
| People |
| Volsung |
| Sigmund |
| Signy |
| Sinfjötli |
| Helgi Hundingsbane |
| Sigurd |
| Brynhild |
| Gudrun |
| Attila |
| Gunnar |
| Locations |
| Gautland |
| Hunaland |
| Related |
| Nibelungenlied |
| Hagbard and Signy |
The Völsunga saga is a late 13th century Icelandic prose rendition of the origin and decline of the Volsung clan (including the story of Sigurd and Brynhild and destruction of the Burgundians). It is largely based on epic poetry. The Middle High German epic poem Nibelungenlied is based largely on the old stories, which were commonly known in all of the Germanic lands from the early Middle Ages on, but reworks the material into a courtly medieval setting.
[edit] As depicted in the Ramsund carving
The Ramsund carving in Sweden depicts Sigurd's life as described in the Völsunga saga:
- Sigurd sits naked in front of a fire preparing the dragon Fafnir's heart for his foster-father, Regin (who is Fafnir's brother) to eat. The heart is not yet finished when Sigurd touches it, burning himself, and sticks his finger into his mouth. Tasting the dragon's blood allows him to understand birds' song.
- The birds tell Sigurd that Regin will betray him, compelling Sigurd to cut off his foster-father's head.
- Regin lies dead beside his own head; his smithy tools, with which he reforged Sigurd's sword Gram, are scattered around him.
- Regin's horse is laden with the dragon's treasure.
- Sigurd kills Fafnir.
- Ótr from the saga's beginning.
[edit] External links
- Fornaldarsögur Norðurlanda and Völsunga saga in Old Norse from «Kulturformidlingen norrøne tekster og kvad» Norway.
- Read the Volsunga Saga Here, translated by William Morris and Eirikr Magnusson.
- Timeless Myths: Volsunga Saga
- The Story of Sigurd. The Volsunga Saga retold by Andrew Lang.
 | Norse mythology |
|---|---|
| List of Norse gods | Æsir | Vanir | Giants | Elves | Dwarves | Valkyries | Einherjar | Norns | Odin | Thor | Freyr | Freyja | Loki | Balder | Tyr | Yggdrasil | Ginnungagap | Ragnarök | |
| Sources: Poetic Edda | Prose Edda | The Sagas | Volsung Cycle | Tyrfing Cycle | Rune stones | Old Norse language | Orthography | Later influence | |
| Society: Viking Age | Skald | Kenning | Blót | Seid | Numbers | |
| The nine worlds of Norse mythology | People, places and things |
es:Saga Volsunga it:Saga di Volsung pl:Saga rodu Wölsungów sv:Völsungasagan
