Jormunrek

Role: king; husband of Svanhild · First appears: Elder Edda · The Lay of Hyndla

In the Lay of Hyndla, Jormunrek is named as Sigurd’s son-in-law. In Gudrun’s Incitement, Svanhild is given in marriage to him, and Randver is identified as his son. In the Younger Edda’s Poetical Diction, Jormunrek sends Randver to ask for Svanhild’s hand, and she is delivered to him.

After Bikki tells Jormunrek that Randver and Svanhild planned to marry, the king has his son hanged and has Svanhild trampled beneath horses’ feet. In the Lay of Hamdir, Gudrun recounts Svanhild’s death to her sons, Hamdir and Sorli, who attack Jormunrek’s hall. The Poetical Diction says that, while Jormunrek sleeps, Hamdir and Sorli cut off his hands and feet; it also says that they and the king’s men fall in the attack.

Relationship record

Life events

• Jormunrek was Sigurd’s son-in-law.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Hyndla)
  • With: Sigurd
  • “all descended from Jormunrek, son-in-law of Sigurd.”
• Svanhild was given in marriage to Jormunrek.(Elder Edda · Gudrun's Incitement)
  • With: Svanhild
  • “She was given in marriage to Jormunrek the Powerful.”
• Bikki urged Randver to take Svanhild, exposed this to Jormunrek, and the king had Randver hanged and Svanhild trampled.(Elder Edda · Gudrun's Incitement)
  • With: Bikki Randver Svanhild
  • “Bikki told that to the king, who caused Randver to be hanged, and Svanhild trodden under horses' feet.”
• Gudrun tells her sons that Jormunrek had Svanhild trampled to death by horses.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Hamdir)
  • With: Gudrun 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.”
• Hamdir and Sorli attack Jormunrek's hall, killing many Goths.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Hamdir)
  • With: Hamdir Sorli
  • “Tumult was in the mansion, the beer-cups flew in shivers, men lay in blood from the Goths' breasts flowing.”
• Jormunrek sent Randver to ask for Swanhild’s hand, and she was delivered to him.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 3)
  • With: Svanhild
  • “He sent his son, Randver, to ask for her hand for him; and when he came to Jonaker, Swanhild was delivered to him, so that he might bring her to King Jormunrek.”
• Jormunrek had Randver hanged after Bikke told him Randver and Swanhild planned to marry.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 3)
  • With: Randver
  • “Soon afterward Bikke informed the king of it, and so King Jormunrek seized his son and had him brought to the gallows.”
• Jormunrek had Swanhild trampled to death beneath the horses’ feet.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 3)
  • With: Svanhild
  • “Then King Jormunrek riding out of the woods from the chase with his courtiers, while Queen Swanhild sat dressing her hair, had the courtiers ride onto her, and she was trampled to death beneath the feet of the horses.”
• 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 Hamdir
  • “When they came to Jormunrek, the king, in the night, while he was sleeping, they cut off both his hands and his feet.”

Elder Edda · The Lay of Hyndla

• elder kin: Sigurd “all descended from Jormunrek, son-in-law of Sigurd.”

Elder Edda · Gudrun's Incitement

• married with Svanhild “She was given in marriage to Jormunrek the Powerful.”
• child: Randver “With him lived Bikki, who counselled Randver, the king's son, to take her.”
• enemies with Svanhild “Bikki told that to the king, who caused Randver to be hanged, and Svanhild trodden under horses' feet.”
• enemies with Randver “Bikki told that to the king, who caused Randver to be hanged, and Svanhild trodden under horses' feet.”

Elder Edda · The Lay of Hamdir

• enemies 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.”

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

• child: Randver “He sent his son, Randver, to ask for her hand for him;”
• married with Svanhild “Then King Jormunrek riding out of the woods from the chase with his courtiers, while Queen Swanhild sat dressing her hair,”
• enemies with Randver “Soon afterward Bikke informed the king of it, and so King Jormunrek seized his son and had him brought to the gallows.”
• enemies with Svanhild “Then King Jormunrek riding out of the woods from the chase with his courtiers, while Queen Swanhild sat dressing her hair, had the courtiers ride onto her, and she was trampled to death beneath the feet of the horses.”
• enemies with Sorli “This was done, Sorle and Hamder fell, and thus perished the last descendants of Gjuke.”
• enemies with Hamdir “This was done, Sorle and Hamder fell, and thus perished the last descendants of Gjuke.”

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