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Brot af Sigurtharkvithu

Five are the sons  for ruling the folk,
And greedy of fight,  that he hath fathered."

10. Then Brynhild laughed—  and the building echoed—
Only once,  with all her heart;
"Long shall ye joy  in lands and men,
Now ye have slain  the hero noble."

11. Then Guthrun spake,  the daughter of Gjuki:
"Much thou speakest  in evil speech;
Accursed be Gunnar,  Sigurth's killer,
Vengeance shall come  for his cruel heart."

12.[1] Early came evening,  and ale was drunk,
And among them long  and loud they talked;
They slumbered all  when their beds they sought,
But Gunnar alone  was long awake.

13.[2] His feet were tossing,  he talked to himself,
And the slayer of hosts  began to heed
What the twain from the tree  had told him then,
The raven and eagle,  as home they rode.


    35 and note. Five sons: according to the Volsungasaga Sigurth had only one son, named Sigmund, who was killed at Brynhild's behest. Sigurtharkvitha en skamma and Guthrunarkvitha II likewise mention only one son. The daughter of Sigurth and Guthrun, Svanhild, marries Jormunrek (Ermanarich).

  1. The manuscript marks line 4 as the beginning of a new stanza, and a few editions combine it with stanza 13.
  2. Slayer of hosts: warrior (Gunnar). Raven and eagle: cf. note on stanza 5.

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