The Völsunga Saga on Atli

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER XXXII. Of the Ending of Brynhild.

• attestation: Brynhild states that Atli led her apart and asked if she would have the man who rode Grani

  "then Atli led me apart privily, and asked me if I would not have him who rode Grani"

• attestation: Brynhild prophesies Atli will betray Gunnar and cast him into a worm-close, then Atli and his sons will be slain by Gudrun

  "Atli shall bewray thee, and cast thee into a worm-close, and thereafter shall Atli and his sons be slain, and Gudrun shall be their slayer"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER XXXIV. Atli bids the Giukings to him.

• attestation: Atli dreamed two sorb-tree saplings grew, were riven up by roots, reddened with blood, and he was bidden eat thereof

  "Moreover I dreamed that here waxed two sorb-tree (1) saplings, and fain I was that they should have no scathe of me; then these were riven up by the roots and reddened with blood, and borne to the bench, and I was bidden eat thereof."

• attestation: Atli dreamed two hawks flew from his hand hungry and unfed to hell, and their hearts were mingled with honey

  "yet again I dreamed that two hawks flew from my hand hungry and unfed, and fared to hell, and meseemed their hearts were mingled with honey, and that I ate thereof."

• attestation: Atli dreamed two fair whelps lay before him yelling and he ate their flesh against his will

  "then again I dreamed that two fair whelps lay before me yelling aloud, and that the flesh of them I ate, though my will went not with the eating."

• attestation: Atli dreamed he lay in a bath and folk took counsel to slay him

  "Yet again I dreamed," said he, "and methought I lay in a bath, and folk took counsel to slay me.""

• attestation: The life of Atli and Gudrun together was not fond

  "in nowise was their life together fond."

• attestation: Atli was described as a great king and mighty, wise, and lord of many men

  "Atli was a great king and mighty, wise, and a lord of many men"

• attestation: Atli coveted the plenteous gold that Sigurd had owned, now held by King Gunnar and his brethren

  "Atli to thinking of where may be gotten that plenteous gold which Sigurd had owned, but King Gunnar and his brethren were lords thereof now."

• attestation: King Atli woke from sleep and told Gudrun he dreamed she thrust him through with a sword

  "on a night King Atli woke from sleep and spake to Gudrun--

"Medreamed," said he, "that thou didst thrust me through with a sword.""

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER XXXVII. The Battle in the Burg of King Atli.

• attestation: Atli says he long intended to take the lives of the Giukings and be lord of the gold, and to avenge the beguiling of their best kinsman

  "Long ago I had it in my mind," said Atli, "to take the lives of you, and be lord of the gold, and reward you for that deed of shame, wherein ye beguiled the best of all your affinity; but now shall I revenge him."

• attestation: King Atli arrayed his host for battle with a wall between his forces and the brethren

  "King Atli arrayed his host for battle, and the ranks were so set forth that a certain wall there was betwixt them and the brethren."

• attestation: Atli demands the plenteous gold that Sigurd once owned and is now Gudrun's by right

  "Deliver unto me that plenteous gold which is mine of right; even the wealth which Sigurd once owned, and which is now Gudrun's of right."

• attestation: Atli reports that nineteen of his champions have been slain with only six left alive

  "nineteen of my champions are slain, and but left six alive."

• attestation: Atli says he was one of four brethren and is now left alone; he accuses the Giukings of slaying his sister

  "Four brethren were we, and now am I left alone"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER XXXVIII. Of the slaying of the Giukings.

• attestation: Atli commands Hogni's heart be cut from him as his bane

  "Cut the heart from out of him, and let that be his bane!"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER XXXIX. The End of Atli and his Kin and Folk.

• attestation: Atli says Gudrun deserves to be stoned to death and burned on a bale

  "most meet art thou to be burned on bale when thou hast first been smitten to death with stones"

• attestation: Atli mocked Gudrun saying she had lost her brethren and brought it about herself

  "Gudrun," saith he, "thus hast thou lost thy brethren, and thy very self hast brought it about."

• attestation: Atli calls Gudrun grim for murdering her own sons and giving him their flesh to eat

  "Grim art thou in that thou hast murdered thy sons, and given me their flesh to eat, and little space passes betwixt ill deed of thine and ill deed."

• attestation: Atli asks Gudrun to array his dead corpse in noble fashion and make a goodly grave; she agrees

  "do to me in seemly wise, and array my dead corpse in noble fashion."

• attestation: Atli reminds Gudrun he paid dower of thirty goodly knights and seemly maidens for her, and she was wedded to him by the rede of her kin

  "thou wert wedded to me by the rede of thy kin, and dower paid I for thee; yea, thirty goodly knights, and seemly maidens, and many men besides"

• attestation: Atli accuses Gudrun of letting his mother-in-law sit weeping and wanting to rule over the lands King Budli owned

  "thy mother-in-law full oft thou lettest sit a-weeping."

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > Part Of The Lay Of Sigrdrifa (1) > The Second Or Ancient Lay Of Gudrun.

• attestation: Atli woke Gudrun and she was evil of heart for her slain kin; the Norns woke her with cold riding and she had to interpret ill dreams

  "Atli woke me When meseemed I was Full evil of heart For my kin dead slain."

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > Part Of The Lay Of Sigrdrifa (1) > The Song Of Atli.

• attestation: Atli sent a crafty rider called Knefrud to Gunnar at Giuki's garth

  "In days long gone Sent Atli to Gunnar A crafty one riding, Knefrud men called him; To Giuki's garth came he, To the hall of Gunnar"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > Part Of The Lay Of Sigrdrifa (1) > Hogni Said:

• attestation: Atli was unaware and weary with drink, with no weapon and no heeding of Gudrun

  "Atli unaware Was a-weary with drink; No weapon had he, No heeding of Gudrun"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > Part Of The Lay Of Sigrdrifa (1) > Endnotes:

• attestation: Atli's mother took the form of the only adder not lulled to sleep by Gunnar's harp-playing and slew him in the worm-close

  "Atli's mother took the form of the only adder that was not lulled to sleep by Gunnar's harp-playing, and who slew him."