The Völsunga Saga on Gunnar

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER XXVI. Sigurd comes to the Giukings and is wedded to Gudrun.

• attestation: Gunnar offers Sigurd dominion and their sister freely and unprayed for

  "All things that may be will we do for thee, so thou abidest here long; both dominion shalt thou have, and our sister freely and unprayed for, whom another man would not get for all his prayers."

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER XXX. Of the Slaying of Sigurd Fafnir's-bane.

• attestation: Gunnar felt his honour demanded action after Brynhild's accusations

  "Gunnar grew heavy of mood"

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

• attestation: Gunnar embraced Brynhild and besought her to live, but she thrust all away saying none should prevent her dying

  "Then rose up Gunnar, and laid his arms about her neck, and besought her to live and have wealth from him"

• attestation: Brynhild prophesies Gunnar will desire Oddrun but Atli will forbid it; they will meet secretly and she will love him greatly

  "Thou shalt be fain to get Oddrun, but that shall Atli forbid thee; but privily shall ye meet, and much shall she love thee"

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

• relationship: The wife of Gunnar was Glaumvor, described as a great-hearted wife

  "the wife of Gunnar was Glaumvor, a great-hearted wife."

• attestation: Gunnar, being drunk and tempted by the offer of dominion, gave his word to go despite Hogni's reluctance

  "Gunnar was drunk, and that great dominion was held out to him, nor might he work against the fate shapen for him; so he gave his word to go"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER XXXVI. Of the Journey of the Giukings to King Atli.

• attestation: Gunnar calls for Fjornir to serve wine from great tuns, saying this may be their last feast, and if they die the old wolf shall come by the gold

  "Arise, and give us to drink goodly wine from great tuns, because mayhappen this shall be very last of all our feasts; for belike if we die the old wolf shall come by the gold"

• attestation: The Giukings rowed so hard that half the keel slipped from the ship and thole and gunwale broke

  "so hard and fast, that well-nigh the half of the keel slipped away from the ship, and so hard they laid on to the oars that thole and gunwale brake."

• attestation: When they came aland they rode through the murk wild-wood and beheld King Atli's army with huge uproar and weapons

  "they rode awhile on their noble steeds through the murk wild-wood.

And now they behold the king's army, and huge uproar, and the clatter of weapons they hear from thence"

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

• attestation: Gunnar refuses to give up the gold, saying Atli must face men of might in battle

  "Never gettest thou that wealth; and men of might must thou meet here, or ever we lay by life if thou wilt deal with us in battle"

• attestation: Gunnar and Hogni went right through Atli's folk and all the mead ran red with blood; the battle endured until midday

  "Gunnar and Hogni went right through the folk of Atli, and so tells the tale that all the mead ran red with blood"

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

• attestation: The Giukings fell on so hard that Atli gave back into the hall; all the folk of the brethren fell and they two alone stood

  "the Giukings fell on so hard that King Atli gave back into the hall, and within doors was the fight, and fierce beyond all fights.

That battle was the death of many a man, but such was the ending thereof, that there fell all the folk of those brethren, and they twain alone stood up on their feet"

• attestation: Gunnar was overwhelmed by the host of men and cast into fetters

  "they fell on Gunnar the king, and because of the host of men that set on him was hand laid on him, and he was cast into fetters"

• attestation: Gunnar demands to see the bloody heart of Hogni before he will speak of the gold

  "Nay, first will I behold the bloody heart of Hogni, my brother."

• attestation: They cut the heart from Hjalli and bore it to Gunnar, who recognized it as the faint heart of Hjalli, not Hogni's

  "The faint heart of Hjalli may ye here behold, little like the proud heart of Hogni, for as much as it trembleth now, more by the half it trembled whenas it lay in the breast of him."

• attestation: Gunnar recognized Hogni's mighty heart, unlike Hjalli's faint heart, and declared only he knows where the gold is

  "The mighty heart of Hogni, little like the faint heart of Hjalli, for little as it trembleth now, less it trembled whenas in his breast it lay!"

• attestation: Gunnar declares the Rhine river shall rule over the gold rather than the Huns bearing it

  "the Rhine river shall rule over the gold, rather than that the Huns shall bear it on the hands of them."

• attestation: Gunnar was cast into a worm-close with many worms and his hands bound fast

  "Gunnar was cast into a worm-close, and many worms abode him there, and his hands were fast bound"

• attestation: One great adder crept to Gunnar and thrust its sting into him until it smote his heart, and so he died

  "save one adder only, great and evil of aspect, that crept unto him and thrust its sting into him until it smote his heart; and in such wise with great hardihood he ended his life days."

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

• attestation: Gunnar says Sigurd has sworn many oaths to him and sworn them lying, betraying him when he should have been most trusty

  "To me has Sigurd Sworn many oaths, Sworn many oaths, And sworn them lying, And he bewrayed me When it behoved him Of all folk to his troth To be the most trusty."

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

• attestation: Gunnar and Hogni were fain to lay down gold to atone for all wrongs done to Gudrun

  "Fain was Gunnar Gold to lay down All wrongs to atone for, And Hogni in likewise"

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

• attestation: No sons, kin, wise men, or mighty ones whetted Gunnar to go; yet Gunnar spoke as a king should from great heart and high in the mead-hall

  "No sons whetted Gunnar, Nor none of his kin, Nor learned men nor wise men, Nor such as were mighty. Then spake Gunnar E'en as a king should speak, Glorious in mead-hall From great heart and high"

• attestation: Gunnar calls for Fiornir to pass gold-cups down the benches for what may be the last feast, saying wolves shall rule over the wealth of the Niblungs if the kings fail to return

  "Rise up now, Fiornir, Forth down the benches Let the gold-cups of great ones Pass in hands of my good-men!"

• attestation: The Giukings rode with gold-shining helms through Myrkwood the dark, their dogs howled and their geese screamed, and Gudrun greeted them at the garth of the Hunnish folk warning them of guile

  "For the wolves shall rule O'er the weal"

• attestation: Gunnar recognizes Hogni's hardy heart, which quaked far less on the dish than in his breast

  "Here have I the heart Of Hogni the hardy, Little like to the heart Of Hjalli the trembler. Howso little it quaketh Laid here on the dish, Yet far less it quaked In the breast of him laid."

• attestation: Gunnar tells Atli he may be as far from men's eyes as from the treasure, for only Gunnar knows where the gold lies since Hogni lives no more

  "So far mayst thou bide From men's eyen, O Atli, As from that treas"

• attestation: Gunnar played his harp with his toes in the worm-close, and the ringing strings shook the hall so that all within heard

  "The hard acorn of thought From the high king they took, Laid it bleeding on trencher And bare it Gunnar."