The Saga of the Volsungs

by Unknown (anonymous Icelandic author)

Also known as: Völsunga saga

"A meditation on the cycle of fate, vengeance, and doomed heroism, showing how glory and destruction are bound together in the heroic code."
The Saga of the Volsungs cover
Type:Prose Saga (Legendary Saga)
Source:Medieval Iceland (drawing on older Germanic oral tradition)
Original Date:Oral Germanic heroic legends, 5th–8th centuries CE
Written Date:c. 1250–1270 CE (Iceland)
Length:1 books (~3 hours)

Summary

The Saga of the Volsungs is a legendary Icelandic saga that tells the story of the heroic Volsung clan. It traces the lineage from Sigi, a son of Odin, down to Sigurd the dragon-slayer. The saga includes Sigurd’s slaying of the dragon Fafnir, his winning of the cursed hoard of gold, his awakening of the Valkyrie Brynhild, and the tragic betrayals that follow. Interwoven are tales of shapeshifters, vengeance, doomed love, and dynastic feuds. The saga ends with the destruction of the Volsung line, foreshadowing the Ragnarök-like inevitability of doom that haunts Germanic legend. The story deeply influenced later works, including the Nibelungenlied and Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

Themes

Fate and doomHeroism and betrayalThe cursed treasureDragon-slayingLove and vengeanceDynastic rise and fall

Major Characters

Sigurd (dragon-slayer)Regin (the smith)Fafnir (the dragon)Brynhild (Valkyrie)GudrunGunnarHogniAtli (Attila the Hun, in saga form)Volsung (ancestor of the line)Sigi (son of Odin)

Notable Quotes

"Regin said, ‘Go now, and slay Fafnir, and then you shall be famous over all men.’"

"Sigurd stabbed the serpent under the left shoulder, and the sword went in up to the hilt. Then he drew it out again, and leaped back out of the serpent’s way."

"Thus is the curse fulfilled, and the gold brings death to all who possess it."

Notable Translations

Eiríkr Magnússon and William Morris(1870)

First English translation, highly Victorian style.

R. G. Finch(1965)

Standard scholarly translation with notes.

Kaaren Grimstad(1972)

Scholarly edition and commentary.

Jesse Byock(1990)

Modern Penguin Classics translation, accessible and faithful.