Völsunga saga
The saga covers topics including the quarrel between Sigi and Skaði, a huge family tree of great kings and powerful conquerors, the quest led by Sigmund and Sinfjǫtli to save princess Signý from the evil king Siggeir, and, most famously, Sigurd killing the serpent/dragon Fáfnir and obtaining the cursed ring Andvaranaut that Fáfnir guarded.
The origins of the material are considerably older, however, and it in part echoes real events in Central Europe during the Migration Period, chiefly the destruction of the Kingdom of the Burgundians by the Huns in the fifth century.
In the saga, Skaði owns a thrall named Breði whom Sigi takes on a hunting trip all day and evening.
In response, Odin and Frigg send one of their wish maidens to take the form of a crow and place a magical apple on Rerir's lap.
While awaiting the birth of his heir, Rerir goes on a campaign to pacify the land, but he catches sick and dies before returning.
Völsung and Hljod have ten sons and one daughter, the two eldest and strongest being the boy and girl twins Sigmund and Signý.
One day, Siggeir, the king of Gautland, comes to visit Völsung and ask for Signý's hand in marriage.
On the wedding day, as everyone is celebrating, a hooded man with one eye comes into the hall, draws a sword, and thrusts it into Barnstokkr.
Indeed, later in the saga it is made clear that such a man could be no one but the All-father, as the figure returns to set more formidable challenges, and the sword later demonstrates its divine powers.
But when Signý travels to Gautland, she finds out that Siggeir is plotting to overthrow Völsung and add Hunaland to his empire.
After a long, grim, and intense battle, the Völsungs are forced to concede defeat after the deaths of the king and one of his sons.
Siggeir agrees, thinking a slower death more suitable for them, so the brothers are tied up by their feet and hands and thrown into the woods to die.
On the day before he would die, Signý's scout returns to the forest and gives him honey, instructing Sigmund to put some in his mouth and smear it on his face.
She visits him and helps him dig an underground base, bringing him enough supplies to survive in secret while they plot revenge against Siggeir.
When Sinfjǫtli is ten, Signý puts him and her other sons through a painful test to see who is worthy of serving Sigmund.
Sinfjǫtli also meets a woman he wishes to marry, and to win her he fights and kills another man, who happens to be Borghild's brother.
Hjördís finds her wounded husband, who entrusts to her the shards of his sword, prophesying that they will be reforged someday for their yet unborn son.
With Grani, Reginn believes Sigurd capable of a heroic quest and decides to tell him the story of Fáfnir the dragon.
One day, Odin, Loki, and Hœnir were fishing and killed Ótr in his otter shape, then skinned and ate him.
Grípir tells him after some hesitation, and Sigurd returns to Reginn, saying he must avenge his father Sigmund before he can kill the dragon.
When Sigurd tests whether the heart is fully cooked and licks his finger, he suddenly understands the speech of birds.
Sigurd kills Reginn, eats some of the heart, takes as much treasure as he can carry, including the Helm of Terror and the Andvaranaut, and rides off on Grani.
Following this, Brynhild gives Sigurd several pieces of sound advice on how to navigate society and survive, and they agree to marry each other.
Meanwhile, a skilled sorceress named Grimhild is married to King Gjuki, and together they have three sons: Gunnar, Hǫgni, and Guthormr.
She is inside a hall surrounded by fire and has vowed an oath to marry whoever can ride through the flames, believing only Sigurd could be brave enough to do so.
Brynhild takes to her room and Sigurd comes to try to make amends by asking her to marry him, but she rejects his offer, wanting to die and bring doom upon everyone involved.
One recurring theme is the periodic appearance of Odin, the foremost among Norse deities, associated with "war, wisdom, ecstasy, and poetry".
[7] He also stabs Brynhild with a sleeping thorn and curses her never to win another battle as an act of revenge for killing Hjalmgunnar, a rival king to whom Odin had promised victory.
As compensation for Ótr's death, Loki coerced a dwarf named Andvari into repaying the debt with gold.
Among the more notable adaptations of this text are Richard Wagner's tetralogy of music dramas Der Ring des Nibelungen, Ernest Reyer's opera Sigurd, Henrik Ibsen's The Vikings at Helgeland, and William Morris's epic poem The Story of Sigurd the Volsung and the Fall of the Niblungs.
