Theudho
The Völsunga Saga
1. Varg í Veum
Hér hefur upp og segir
frá þeim manni er
Sigi er nefndur og kallaður
að héti son Óðins”
(Here begins the tale,
and tells of a man
who was named Sigi,
and called of men the son of Odin)
That day death was in the air
when the hunt came to an end
as a slave defies the master
Bredi fell under Sigi’s hands
Soon the body was uncovered
and Sigi was banished
Led away by the father of all
Victory always was on his side
With sword in hand he claimed an empire
And befathered a son named Rerir
Varg í veum - Feel their envy
Varg í veum - See, betrayal
Varg í veum - Vengance
Varg í veum - Claim the throne!
I live for vengance
and I will not rest
until I’ve wiped out their betrayal
with their vile blood
Varg í veum - Wargus est! (Be a wolf!)
Varg í veum - Son of Odin
Varg í veum - Wargus est!
Varg í veum - King and criminal
2. Völsung
Much wealth won in war
gat Rerir to himself,
and wedded a wife withal,
such as he deemed meet for him,
and long they lived together,
but had no child
to take the heritage after them;
and ill-content they both were with that,
and prayed the Gods with heart and soul
that they might get them a child.”
The goddess Frigga granted an heir
And sent Gna with an enchanted apple
in the guise of a crow to Rerir,
In due time, Völsung was born
“Years passed and his parents deceased
Yet Völsung grew into a strong man
A bold and exemplary leader he was
Many brave warriors
he gathered around him”
Under the imposing oak tree
In the middle of his hall
Völsung and his army drank
To countless battles to come
Ten sons were born to Völsung
One fair daughter, Signy, as well
Many suitors asked for her hand
As did Siggeir, king of the Goths.
3. The Blade of Odin
Siggeir hette en kung
Han herskade över Gautland
han var mäktig
och hade mycket folk
Han begav sig till kung Völsung
och friade till Signy
Kungen liksom hans söner
upptog det väl
men Signy själv var mycket ovillig”
(There was a king called Siggeir,
who ruled over Gothland,
a mighty king
and of many folk;
he went to meet Volsung, the king,
and prayed him
for Signy his daughter to wife;
and the king took his talk well,
and his sons withal,
but she was loth thereto.)
While the festivities were in progress
The entrance was suddenly darkened
By a peculiar one-eyed man
Who thrust a sword in Branstock
“So sweet his speaking sounded,
So wise his words did seem,
That moveless all men sat there,
As in a happy dream.
And none would cast him a question
Or follow on his ways
For they knew that the gift was Odin’s,
A sword for the world to praise”
Sigmund, tenth and youngest son
Triumphantly retrieved the sword
Refusing to hand over the blade
He awakened Siggeirs envy
“Siggeir invited Völsung clan
Only to cowardly ambush them
Sigmund relinquished his sword
Condemned to a cruel death …
4. Sinfjötli
Sigmund and Signy vowed vengeance
Therefore a pure Völsung was needed
Exchanging forms with a fair witch
She then sought out her brother’s hideout
Unknowingly, Sigmund spent the night
With a woman who was his sister
Nine months later, she gave birth to a son
Sinfjötli, the vessel of their revenge
“The young Sinfjötli was deemed worthy by his mother and father
One day Sigmund and Sinfjötli roamed through the vast woods
They found two enchanted wolf-skins, which they both tried out
Now in the guise of wolves,
they slew all in their way”
Einherjar … Wuotanaz
Einherjar … Wuotanaz
Einherjar … Wuotanaz
Einherjar … Wuotanaz
5. Sigurd Sigmundarson
Regin’s foster son
Master of the runes
Speaker of many tongues;
Sigurd Sigmundarson
In dire need of a horse
He headed for the woods
Where a long-bearded man
Spoke the wisest words
“Þessi hestur er kominn frá Sleipni
og skal hann vandlega upp fæða
því að hann verður hverjum hesti betri.“
(From Sleipnir's kin is this horse come,
and he must be nourished heedfully,
for it will be the best of all horses.)
“So Sigurd called the horse Grani,
the best of all the horses in the world;
nor was the man he met
other than Odin himself.”
Now the mythic horse was his
Descendant of Odin’s steed
Young of years, great of growth
No man had ever crossed his back
The valiant Sigurd travelled
To the hall of Regin
It is there that he learned
Of what lurked at Gnita-heath
6. Uttergälden
(Loke)
Vad är det för fisk
som i floden ränner
kan sig ej för fara frälsa?
Lös du ditt huvud
ur Hels våld
skaffa mig guldets glans
(Andvare)
Andvare heter jag
Oin hette min fader
i mången fors
jag har farit
En olyckig norna
i urtid bestämde
att jag skulle
i vattnet vada
(Loke)
Guld är dig nu givit
och gäldat är dig
mycket för mitt huvud
7. Gram
Sigurd made a pledge
To kill the dragon Fafnir
For this very purpose
Regin forges him a sword"
"Out of fragments of Sigmunds blade
Finally Gram was created
Strong enough to cut through an anvil
Destined to shed Fafnir’s blood
8. The Journey to Lyngvi
Driven by thirst for revenge
Sigurd and his men set sail
They encountered a storm raised by withcraft;
The work of the sons of Hunding
“Hier op de schepen zijn Sigurd en ik
de winden drijven ons voort in de dood
de steile brekers besteigeren de boorden
de zeehengsten zinken hoe heet de vrager?”
(On the sea-trees sit young Sigurd's men,
toward Hel bear us a heavy wind
over stem and stern the storm-waves fall
plunge the roller-horses: who is it asks?)
“Hnikar hétu mig,
þá er eg Hugin gladdi,
Völsungr ungi,
og vegið hafði.
Nú máttu kalla
karl af bjargi
Feng eða Fjölni,
far vil eg þiggja.”
(Hnikar I hight,
When I gladdened Huginn,
And went to battle,
Bright son of Volsung;
Now may ye call
The carl on the cliff top,
Feng or Fjolnir:
Fain would I with you.)
Lyngvi fell under Sigurd’s sword
A blood eagle carved on his back
So he died in great valour
Thus Sigmund was avenged
9. Fafnirs Blut
In der Stunde vor Sonnenaufgang
Legte Sigurd sich in eine Grübe
Das Schwert Gram neben sich
Kurz nach Morgengrauen
Stieß Sigurd das Schwert
In den Bauch des Ungeheuers fuhr!
Drachenblut!
Drachenblut!
Er schnitt dem Kadaver
das Herz aus dem Leib
und spießte es auf einen Ast
Er machte ein Feuer
um das Herz zu braten
Das Drachenherz besaß Wunderkräfte;
Sigurd könnte die Vögel verstehen
So vernahm er die grausame Wahrheit …
Drachenblut!
Drachenblut!
(In the hour before dawn
Sigurd hid in a trench
The Sword Gram aside him
Shortly after the morning came
Sigurd thrust his sword
in the stomach of the mostrosity!
Dragon Blood!
Dragon Blood!
He cut the heart
out of the corpse
and put it on a stake
He made a fire
to roast the heart
The dragon's heart possessed wonderous powers;
Sigurd could understand birds
So he learned the dreadful truth ...
Dragon Blood!
Dragon Blood!
10. Helreið Brynhildar
How many times have you
wiped blood of heroes from your hands?
You brought death in our ranks
Picked many comrades from our side
Daughter of Budli
Born in catastrophe
Destroyer of Gjuki’s sons
Breaker of the oath
In the land of Goths
You sent Gunnar down
You gave Agnar victory
And earned the wrath of Odin
Imprisoned in Skatalund
Surrounded by flames
Awaiting that hero
Bearer of Fafnir’s gold
11. Fall of the Niflungs
12. Gudrun's Revenge
And so the vengeance of Gudrun
was set in motion
Two brothers, clad in armour
Destined to kill!
War-raiment that no steel would bite
Blades nor spears would bring
forth their end
A secret shared by the god
of war and death
Assuring their place in
the Hall of the Slain
Jörmunrek’s limbs they did maim
‘til the Allfather appeared
Advising to use stones
To kill the brothers
War-raiment that no steel would bite
Blades nor spears would bring
forth their end
A secret shared by the god
of war and death
Assuring their place in
the Hall of the Slain
“Hlaðið ér, jarlar,
eikiköstinn,
látið þann und hilmi
hæstan verða;
megi brenna brjóst
bölvafullt eldr,
þrungit um hjarta
þiðni sorgir.”
(Now may all earls
be bettered in mind,
may the grief of all maidens
ever be minished,
for this tale of trouble
so told to its ending.
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