Gudrun

Overview

Gudrun brings Sigurd’s heroic story into the Giuking family. After Sigurd’s death, her lament does not end the story; Atli’s gold-driven violence pushes her toward vengeance.

Key facts

Further spoiler details are available in the interactive atlas.

Relationships

• Sigurdmarries

  Sigurd marries Gudrun at Giuki’s court.

• Giukifather of

  Giuki is Gudrun’s father.

• Atlimarries

  Atli later marries Gudrun.

• Atlitakes vengeance

  Gudrun takes vengeance on Atli in answer to her brothers’ deaths.

• Gunnarwrites warning to

  Guthrun warns her brothers in runes, but Vingi falsifies the text.

• Vingifalsifies runes from

  Vingi makes Guthrun’s warning false.

• Gunnarfights beside

  Guthrun goes out to greet her brothers and joins their fight with a sword.

• Atlireveals the death-feast to

  Guthrun makes Atli learn the truth of the feast and his two sons.

• Guthrun at Sigurd’s Bodymourns at the body

  Guthrun sits by Sigurd’s body, near to breaking with grief but unable to weep.

• Gjaflaugattempts to comfort

  Gjaflaug tells of her losses but cannot make Guthrun weep.

• Herborgattempts to comfort

  Herborg tells of loss, burial, and captivity; Guthrun still cannot weep.

• Sigurdweeps for him

  After seeing Sigurd’s head, eyes, and chest wound, Guthrun finally weeps.

• Gunnarblames her brother

  Guthrun says Gjuki’s sons made her lose her heart’s friend and names Gunnar.

• Gunnarcurses his gold

  Guthrun says Gunnar’s gold will bring him no joy.

• Brynhildcalls a source of grief

  Guthrun calls the day Sigurd sought Brynhild’s hand an evil hour.

• Guthrun at Sigurd’s Bodyleaves the lament

  Closing prose says Guthrun leaves for the wilderness and lives with Thora in Denmark.

• Sigurdwakes beside him

  Guthrun had slept beside Sigurd and wakes lying in his blood.

• Sigurdwarns that their son cannot escape

  Sigurd says their young son cannot flee the home of his enemies.

• Brynhildreveals the deception

  Brynhild says Guthrun reproached her for sleeping in Sigurd’s arms, and she then heard the betrayal she had wanted hidden.

• Sigurdlaments him

  Guthrun laments Sigurd in the poem’s response to his death.

• Thjothreklaments with

  laments with

• Thjothrekshares grief

  shares grief

• Gunnarrecalls brothers killing her husband

  recalls brothers killing her husband

• Granireturns without his master

  returns without his master

• Graniasks the horse

  asks the horse

• Hognitells of death on the southern road

  tells of death on the southern road

• Thoralives with in Denmark

  lives with in Denmark

• Grimhildfinds her daughter

  finds her daughter

• Sigurdcontinues to remember

  continues to remember

• Atli’s Ominous Dreamanswers the dream

  answers the dream

• Hogniforesees brothers’ fate

  foresees brothers’ fate

• Herkjaaccuses of infidelity

  Herkja tells Atli that she saw Guthrun and Thjothrek together in bed.

• Atliquestions her about the bed

  Atli asks Guthrun whether Herkja’s claim that she lay with Thjothrek is true.

• Thjothrekshares grief with

  Guthrun says she and Thjothrek only told one another their griefs in private.

• Saxisummons the hallowing king

  Guthrun calls for Saxi because he can hallow the boiling cauldron.

• The Boiling-Water Ordealpasses the boiling-water ordeal

  Guthrun reaches the kettle’s bottom and brings out shining stones without injury.

• Atliaccepts her innocence

  Atli’s heart rejoices when he sees Guthrun’s hand unhurt.

• Gunnarwarns with a wolf-hair ring

  warns with a wolf-hair ring

• Hogniwarns with a wolf-hair ring

  warns with a wolf-hair ring

• Erpkills her son

  kills her son

• Eitilkills her son

  kills her son

• Atliserves him his sons

  serves him his sons

• Atlikills Atli

  kills Atli

• Atliburns Atli’s hall

  burns Atli’s hall

• Jonakmarries Jonak

  marries Jonak

• Svanhildmothers Svanhild

  mothers Svanhild

• Sorliincites revenge

  incites revenge

• Hamtherincites revenge

  incites revenge

• Hamtherchallenges her earlier revenge

  challenges her earlier revenge

• Hamtherarms her sons

  arms her sons

• Svanhildlaments her daughter

  laments her daughter

• Sigurdcalls to Sigurth

  calls to Sigurth

• Hamtherincites revenge for Svanhild

  incites revenge for Svanhild

• Sorliincites revenge for Svanhild

  incites revenge for Svanhild

• Hamtherchallenges her past revenge

  challenges her past revenge

Story appearances

• Sigurd and the VolsungsWife, mourner and avenger

  Gudrun marries Sigurd, laments his death and later takes vengeance on Atli.

• The Greenland Ballad of AtliExisting figure in the longer Atli poem

  This poem presents this existing figure with different details.

• Guthrunarkvitha I: A Lament at the BodyFigure or event in the lament at Sigurd’s body

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

• The Short Lay of Sigurd: An Oath-Broken BedsideFigure or event in the Short Lay’s oaths, killing, or dying words

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

• Brynhild’s Hell-Ride: A Defense on the Hel-RoadFigure or event in the Hell-Ride’s Hel-road exchange, memory, or defense

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

• Fragment of a Sigurd Lay: The Outdoor Killing VersionFigure or event in the Fragment of a Sigurd Lay

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

• The Old Lay of Guthrun: Recollection and Ominous DreamFigure or event in the Old Lay of Guthrun

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

• The Third Lay of Guthrun: The Boiling CauldronFigure or event in the Third Lay of Guthrun

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

• The Lay of Atli: Ring, Serpents, and RevengeFigure in the Lay of Atli

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

• Guthrun’s Inciting: A Daughter’s Death and Final LamentFigure in Guthrunarhvot

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

• Hamthesmol: The Fragmented End of RevengeFigure in Hamthesmol

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

• Drap Niflunga: A Bridge between LaysFigure in prose bridge

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

• Gripir’s Prophecy: Asking Fate to Its EndFigure or hoard in Gripisspo

  Giuki’s daughter and Sigurd’s wife; after Sigurd’s death she is drawn into Atli and the gold’s aftershock.

Ancient sources

MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.

• Anonymous, Volsunga Saga, Chapters XXVI-XXIX, Sigurd at Giuki's court, Gudrun, Gunnar's wooing and Brynhild's grief
• Anonymous, Volsunga Saga, Chapters XXX-XXXII, Sigurd's killing, Gudrun's lament and Brynhild's ending
• Anonymous, Volsunga Saga, Chapters XXXIII-XXXIX, Gudrun weds Atli, Atli seeks the gold, Gunnar and Hogni die, and Gudrun takes vengeance
• Anonymous; translated by Henry Adams Bellows, The Poetic Edda: Gripisspo, Stanzas 20–53: Sigurth presses for what remains; Gripir foretells the forgetting draught, wooing for Gunnar, Brynhild’s anger, and death.