The Völsunga Saga on Siggeir

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER III. Of the Sword that Sigmund, Volsung's son, drew from the

• attestation: King Siggeir of Gothland sought and received Signy's hand from King Volsung, though she was reluctant

  "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"

• attestation: Siggeir offered to buy the sword at three times its weight in gold, but Sigmund refused

  "Siggeir would fain buy it of him at thrice its weight of gold, but Sigmund said--

"Thou mightest have taken the sword no less than I from there whereas it stood, if it had been thy lot to bear it; but now, since it has first of all fallen into my hand, never shalt thou have it, though thou biddest therefor all the gold thou hast.""

• attestation: Siggeir was angered by Sigmund's refusal and secretly began plotting revenge

  "King Siggeir grew wroth at these words, and deemed Sigmund had answered him scornfully, but whereas was a wary man and a double-dealing, he made as if he heeded this matter in nowise, yet that same evening he thought how he might reward it"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER IV. How King Siggeir wedded Signy, and bade King Volsung and his

• attestation: Siggeir departed hastily the morning after his wedding, claiming concern about wind and sea

  "King Siggeir that he will not bide, lest the wind should wax, or the sea grow impassable"

• attestation: Before leaving, Siggeir invited Volsung and all his sons to visit Gothland in three months

  "he bade King Volsung, his father-in-law, come see him in Gothland, and all his sons with him, whenas three months should be overpast"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER V. Of the Slaying of King Volsung.

• attestation: Siggeir placed Volsung's ten sons in stocks in the wild-wood, where a monstrous she-wolf devoured one each night

  "a mighty beam was brought and set on the feet of those ten brethren in a certain place of the wild-wood, and there they sit day-long until night; but at midnight, as they sat in the stocks, there came on them a she-wolf from out the wood"

• attestation: Some accounts claim the she-wolf was actually Siggeir's mother transformed through witchcraft

  "some men say that this same she-wolf was the mother of King Siggeir, who had turned herself into this likeness by troll's lore and witchcraft."

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER VI. Of how Signy sent the Children of her and Siggeir to

• attestation: Siggeir had two sons with Signy, and she sent the eldest to Sigmund at age ten for testing

  "Siggeir had two sons by his wife, whereof it is told that when the eldest was ten winters old, Signy sends him to Sigmund"

The Story Of The Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) > CHAPTER VIII. The Death of King Siggeir and of Signy.

• attestation: Siggeir intended the separated barrow to be worse because the brothers could hear but not reach each other

  "for the worse for them he deemed it, that they might hear each the other's speech, and yet that neither might pass one to the other."