! if
thou desirest to know, how Giuki's heirs made me both lovelorn and
perjured.

6. The bold-hearted king[81] caused the garbs of us eight sisters
under an oak to be borne. Twelve years old was I, if thou desirest to
know, when to the youthful king oaths I gave.

7. By all in Hlymdalir I was called Hild with the helm, by all who
knew me.

8. Then caused I next, in the Gothic realm, the old Hialmgunnar to
Hel to journey: I gave victory to the youthful brother of Oda, whereat
Odin became hostile to me.

9. He with shields encompassed me, red and white, in Skatalund;
their surfaces enclosed me; him he ordained my sleep to break, who in
no place could be made to fear.

10. He made around my hall, towards the south, towering burn the
destroyer of all wood: then bade that man only over it to ride, who me
the gold should bring, that under Fafnir lay.

11. On Grani rode the chief, the gold-disperser, to where my
foster-father ruled o'er the dwellings. He alone seemed there to all
superior, the Danish warrior, of the court.

12. We slept and were content in the same bed, as if he had my born
brother been; neither of us might on the other, for eight nights, lay
a hand.

13. Reproached me Gudrun, Giuki's daughter, that I had slept in
Sigurd's arms; then was I made aware of what I fain would not,--that
they had deceived me, when a mate I took.

14. To calamities all too lasting men and women, ever will be while
living born. We two shall now, Sigurd and I pass our life together.
Sink thou of giant-kind!"

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 81: By depriving them of the swan-plumage, for they were
Valkyriur like the wives of Volund and his brothers, Agnar reduced
them under his subjection.]

THE SLAUGHTER OF THE NIFLUNGS.

Gunnar and Hogni then took all the gold, Fafnir's heritage. Dissension
prevailed afterwards between the Giukungs and Atli. He charged them
with being the cause of Brynhild's death. By way of reconciliation, it
was agreed that they should give him Gudrun in marriage, to whom they
administered an oblivious potion, before she would consent to espouse
Atli. Atli had two sons, Erp and Eitil, but Svanhild was the daughter
of Sigurd and Gudrun. King Atli invited Gunnar and Hogni to his
residence, and sent to them Vingi, or Knefrod. Gudrun was aware of
treachery, and sent them word in runes not to come; and to Hogni, as a
token, she sent the ring Andvaranaut, in which she had tied some
wolf's hair. Gunnar had