The Boiling-Water Ordeal
The ordeal in which Guthrun takes stones from the cauldron unharmed and Herkja is then burned.
Overview
Stanzas 7–10 make the boiling cauldron the turn in the accusation: Guthrun reaches its bottom, brings out shining stones, and is cleared; Atli then orders the same test for Herkja. It is an event arranged by this poem, not a claim about any figure’s universal morality or legal history.
Key facts
Guthrun brings out the stones
Stanza 8 says Guthrun reaches the bottom of the kettle and brings out flashing stones.
Herkja’s result
Stanzas 9–10 then put Herkja to the test and say that she is burned.
Relationships
- Saxihallows the boiling cauldron
Stanza 7 says that Saxi can hallow the boiling cauldron.
- Gudrunpasses the boiling-water ordeal
Guthrun reaches the kettle’s bottom and brings out shining stones without injury.
- Herkjais burned by the ordeal
Herkja is brought to the kettle and her hands are burned in the boiling water.
Story appearances
- The Third Lay of Guthrun: The Boiling CauldronFigure or event in the Third Lay of Guthrun
The ordeal in which Guthrun takes stones from the cauldron unharmed and Herkja is then burned.
Ancient sources
MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.