Brynhild

Family: Budlungs · Role: Valkyrie · First appears: Chapter XIX · Of the Slaying of Regin, Son of Hreidmar

In Chapter XX, Brynhild tells Sigurd that she slew Helm Gunnar for Agnar, against Odin’s promise of victory to Helm Gunnar. Odin punished her with a sleep-thorn and decreed she would be given in marriage; she vowed never to wed a man who knew fear. She gives Sigurd a drink of love and teaches him runes, and in Chapter XXI they plight their troth. In Chapter XXIV, they swear an oath anew and exchange a gold ring. Brynhild is Budli’s daughter, Atli’s sister, and the foster-daughter of Heimir, whose wife is Brynhild’s sister Bekkhild; unlike Bekkhild, Brynhild fares to war in helm and byrny.

In Chapter XXV, Brynhild foretells to Gudrun that Grimhild’s hurtful mead will bring strife, that Gudrun will wed Sigurd and then Atli, and that her brothers will die. In Chapter XXVI, Grimhild’s drink makes Sigurd forget Brynhild, and Gunnar agrees to woo her. In Chapter XXVII, Sigurd rides through Brynhild’s fire in Gunnar’s likeness, and she takes him for Gunnar; he lies in one bed with her for three nights, with Gram between them, and they exchange rings. Brynhild tells Heimir that Sigurd was her first troth-plight and well-beloved, and says their daughter Aslaug shall be nourished there. Gunnar is wedded to Brynhild at the feast, though she believes Sigurd was the man who won her.

In Chapter XXVIII, Gudrun reveals that Sigurd rode the fire, lay by Brynhild’s side, and took her ring. Brynhild recognizes it and says that she and Sigurd had sworn an oath together. In Chapter XXIX, Brynhild falls sick, tells Gunnar that Sigurd alone accomplished the trials, and tries to slay Gunnar before Hogni lays her in fetters. She refuses Sigurd’s offer to wed her and put away Gudrun. In Chapter XXX, she says Gunnar must not share her bed until Sigurd is slain, and laughs when she hears Gudrun mourning him. In Chapter XXXII, Brynhild stabs herself and is burned beside Sigurd. The Short Lay of Sigurd tells again of her marriage to Gunnar, her demand that he kill Sigurd, and her death; The Hell-Ride of Brynhild tells of her journey in her chariot to Hell and of Odin enclosing her in a shield-wall and setting her to sleep.