Hjalli

Overview

Stanzas 23–24 place Hjalli’s heart on a platter, and Gunnar recognizes the deception by its trembling. The note calls him Atli’s cook and records a different treatment in a later version. This entry keeps only the death and test in this lay.

Relationships

• Atlihas Hjalli killed

  has Hjalli killed

• Gunnarrecognizes Hjalli’s heart

  recognizes Hjalli’s heart

Story appearances

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

  Atli’s cook; he is killed and his heart is carried to Gunnar as a deception.

Ancient sources

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

• Anonymous; translated by Henry Adams Bellows, The Poetic Edda: Atlakvitha en Grönlenzka, Opening prose and stanzas 1–46: invitation, warning, the brothers’ deaths, and Guthrun’s revenge.