The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun

Sigurd

5

‘Men sing of serpents

ceaseless guarding

gold and silver

greedy-hearted;

but fell Fafnir

folk all name him

of dragons direst,

dreaming evil.’

Regin

6

‘Dragons all are dire

to the dull-hearted;

yet venom feared not

Volsung’s children.’

Sigurd

‘Eager thou urgest me,

though of age untried –

tell me now truly

why thou tauntest me!’

*

Regin

7

‘

The

falls of Andvari

frothed and spouted

with fish teeming

in foaming pools.

There Otr sported,

mine own brother;

to snare salmon

sweet he thought it.

8

With stone smote him,

stripped him naked,

a robber roving

ruthless-handed;

at Hreidmar’s house

hailed my father,

that fairest fell

for food offered.

9

There wrought Regin

by the red embers

rough iron hewing

and runes marking;

there Fafnir lay

by the fire sleeping,

fell-hearted son,

fiercely dreaming.

(Hreidmar)

10

“Redgolden rings,

ransom costly,

this fell must fill,

this fur cover.”

From the foaming force

as a fish netted

was Dwarf Andvari

dragged and plundered.

11

All

must Andvari,

all surrender,

light rings and heavy,

or life itself.

In Hreidmar’s house

heaped he laid them,

gold ring on gold,

a great weregild.

(Regin & Fafnir)

12

“Shall not brethren share

in brother’s ransom

their grief to gladden? –

gold is healing.”

(Hreidmar)

“The wreathed rings

I will rule alone,

as long as life is

they leave me never!”

13