d to bring about a reconciliation
between her and Gunnar. She was offered much treasure if she would marry
Atli, King of the Huns, and finally she consented. Atli became
covetous of Gunnar's wealth--for the latter had taken possession of the
Rhinegold--and invited him to his court. But Gudrun sent a message of
warning to her brother. The runes which composed this, however, were
so manipulated by Vingi, one of the messengers, that they read as a
harmless invitation instead of a warning, and this Gunnar and Hogni
determined to accept. They reached Atli's court in due season, and as
they arrived Vingi disclosed his true character, stating that he had
lured them into a snare. Hogni slew him, and as they rode to Atli's
dwelling the Hunnish king and his sons armed themselves for battle and
demanded Sigurd's treasure, which they declared belonged by right to
Gudrun. Gunnar refused to part with it, and a great combat began. Gudrun
armed herself and fought on the side of her brothers. A fierce battle
raged with great loss on both sides, until nearly all the Nibelungs were
slain, and Gunnar and Hogni, forced to yield to the power of numbers,
were captured and bound.

Gunnar was now asked if he would purchase his life with the treasure,
and he replied eventually that he would do so if he were given Hogni's
heart. To humour his request the Huns cut out the heart of a slave and
brought it to him; but Gunnar saw through the stratagem and recognized
the heart as that of a coward. They then cut out Hogni's heart, and
Gunnar, seeing that this was indeed the heart of a prince, was glad, for
now he alone knew where the treasure of the Rhinegold was hid, and he
vowed that Atli should never know of its whereabouts. In great wrath the
Hunnish monarch ordered Gunnar to be thrown into a pit of snakes. His
hands were bound, yet the hero from the Rhine played so exquisitely with
his toes on a harp which Gudrun had sent to him that he lulled to sleep
all the reptiles--with the exception of an adder, which stung him to the
heart so that he died.

Atli, spurning the bodies of the fallen, turned to Gudrun, saying that
she alone was to blame for what had happened. That evening she killed
her two sons, Erp and Eitil, and served their flesh at the banquet which
the King was giving for his warriors. When Atli asked for the boys to
be brought to him, he was told that he had drunk their blood in his wine
and had eaten their hearts.

That night, while h