Hamdir

Also known as: Hamder · First appears: Elder Edda · Gudrun's Incitement

In Gudrun’s Incitement, Hamdir is one of the three sons of Gudrun and Jonakr, alongside Sorli and Erp, and a brother of Svanhild. After Jormunrek has Svanhild trampled to death, Gudrun urges her sons to avenge their sister and brings them armor. On their way, Hamdir and Sorli kill Erp after rejecting his offer of help.

In the Lay of Hamdir, Hamdir and Sorli attack Jormunrek’s hall, where many Goths are killed. Hamdir falls at the back of the house; the Poetical Diction also tells that Jormunrek ordered his men to stone Hamdir and Sorli to death, and they fell as the last descendants of Gjuke.

Relationship record

Life events

• Gudrun and Jonakr had three sons: Sorli, Erp, and Hamdir.(Elder Edda · Gudrun's Incitement)
  • With: Jonakr Sorli Erp
  • “Their sons were Sorli, Erp, and Hamdir.”
• Gudrun incited her sons to avenge Svanhild and brought them armor.(Elder Edda · Gudrun's Incitement)
  • With: Gudrun Sorli Erp
  • “Laughing Gudrun to the storehouse turned, the kings' crested helms from the coffers drew, their ample corslets, and to her sons them bore.”
• Gudrun's sons loaded their horses and set out.(Elder Edda · Gudrun's Incitement)
  • With: Sorli Erp
  • “The young heroes loaded their horses' shoulders.”
• Gudrun instigates her young sons Hamdir and Sorli to avenge Svanhild.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Hamdir)
  • With: Gudrun Sorli
  • “when Gudrun, Giuki's daughter, her young sons instigated Svanhild to avenge.”
• Hamdir and Sorli kill their brother Erp after dismissing his offer of aid.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Hamdir)
  • With: Sorli Erp
  • “From the sheath they drew the iron blade, the falchion's edges, for Hel's delight. They their strength diminished by a third part, they their young kinsman caused to earth to sink.”
• Hamdir and Sorli attack Jormunrek's hall, killing many Goths.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Hamdir)
  • With: Sorli Jormunrek
  • “Tumult was in the mansion, the beer-cups flew in shivers, men lay in blood from the Goths' breasts flowing.”
• Hamdir falls dead at the back of the house.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Hamdir)
  • “but Hamdir sank at the house's back.”
• Gudrun urged her sons to avenge Swanhild and equipped them for the journey.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 3)
  • With: Gudrun Sorli Erp
  • “When Gudrun heard of this, she begged her sons to avenge Swanhild. While they were busking themselves for the journey, she brought them byrnies and helmets, so strong that iron could not scathe them.”
• Sorle and Hamder killed Erp on their journey to avenge Swanhild.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 3)
  • With: Sorli Erp
  • “So they killed Erp, for she loved him the most.”
• Sorle and Hamder cut off Jormunrek’s hands and feet while he slept.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 3)
  • With: Sorli Jormunrek
  • “When they came to Jormunrek, the king, in the night, while he was sleeping, they cut off both his hands and his feet.”
• Jormunrek ordered his men to stone Sorle and Hamder to death.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 3)
  • With: Sorli
  • “Then Jormunrek cried to them that they should stone them to death. This was done, Sorle and Hamder fell, and thus perished the last descendants of Gjuke.”

Elder Edda · Gudrun's Incitement

• parent: Gudrun “Their sons were Sorli, Erp, and Hamdir.”
• parent: Jonakr “Their sons were Sorli, Erp, and Hamdir.”
• siblings with Sorli “Their sons were Sorli, Erp, and Hamdir.”
• siblings with Erp “Their sons were Sorli, Erp, and Hamdir.”

Elder Edda · The Lay of Hamdir

• siblings with Svanhild “She was your sister, her name Svanhild, she whom Jormunrek with horses trod to death, white and black, on the public way, with grey and way-wont Gothic steeds.”
• siblings with Sorli “Jormunrek! thou didst desire our coming, brothers of one mother, into thy burgh: now seest thou thy feet, seest thy hands Jormunrek! cast into the glowing fire.”
• parent: Jonakr “On the men hurl stones, since spears bite not, nor edge of sword, nor point, the sons of Jonakr.”
• siblings with Erp “Off would the head now be, had but Erp lived, our brother bold in fight, whom on the way we slew, that warrior brave--me the Disir instigated--that man sacred to us, whom we resolved to slay.”
• parent: Gudrun “I with my mother will not speeches exchange: though words to each of you to me seem wanting.”

Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 3

• parent: Jonakr “They had three children, whose names were Sorle, Hamder and Erp.”
• parent: Gudrun “They had three children, whose names were Sorle, Hamder and Erp.”
• enemies with Jormunrek “This was done, Sorle and Hamder fell, and thus perished the last descendants of Gjuke.”
• siblings with Erp “When the raven-blue brothers of Erp”

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Extracted from the original text of The Eddas. Made with Rho MD.