There was a king hight Giuki, who ruled a realm
south of the Rhine; three sons he had, thus named: Gunnar, Hogni, and
Guttorm, and Gudrun was the name of his daughter, the fairest of maidens;
and all these children were far before all other king's children in all
prowess, and in goodliness and growth withal; ever were his sons at the
wars and wrought many a deed of fame. But Giuki had wedded Grimhild the
Wise-wife.
Now Budli was the name of a king mightier than Giuki,
mighty though they both were: and Atli was the brother of Brynhild:
Atli was a fierce man and a grim, great and black to look on, yet noble
of mien withal, and the greatest of warriors. Grimhild was a fierce-heart
woman.
Now the days of the Giukings bloomed fair, and chiefly
because of those children, so far before the sons of men.
On a day Gudrun says to her mays that she may have no
joy of heart; then a certain woman asked her wherefore her joy was departed.
She answered, "Grief came to me in my dreams, therefore
is there sorrow in my heart, since thou must needs ask thereof."
"Tell it me, then, thy dream," said the woman, "for
dreams oft forecast but the weather."
Gudrun answers, "Nay, nay, no weather is this; I dreamed
that I had a fair hawk on my wrist, feathered with feathers of gold."
Says the woman, "Many have heard tell of thy beauty,
thy wisdom, and thy courtesy; some king's son abides thee, then."
Gudrun answers, "I dreamed that naught was so dear to
me as this hawk, and all my wealth had I cast aside rather than him."
The woman said, "Well, then, the man thou shalt have
will be of the goodliest, and well shalt thou love him."
Gudrun answered, "It grieves me that I know not who
he shall be; let us go seek Brynhild, for she belike will wot thereof."
So they arrayed them in gold and many a fair thing,
and she went with her damsels till they came to the hall of Brynhild,
and that hall was dight with gold, and stood on a high hill; and whenas
their goings were seen, it was told Brynhild, that a company of women
drove toward the burg in gilded waggons.
"That shall be Gudrun, Giuki's daughter," says she:
"I dreamed of her last night; let us go meet her! No fairer woman may
come to our house."
So they went abroad to meet them, and gave them good
greeting, and they went into the goodly hall together; fairly painted
it was within, and well adorned with silver vessel; cloths were spread
under the feet of them, and all folk served them, and in many wise they
sported.
But Gudrun was somewhat silent.
Then said Brynhild, "Ill to abash folk of their mirth;
prithee do not so; let us talk together for our disport of mighty kings
and their great deeds."
"Good talk," says Gudrun, "let us do even so; what kings
deemest thou to have been the first of all men?"
Brynhild says, "The sons of Haki, and Hagbard withal;
they brought to pass many a deed of fame in the warfare."
Gudrun answers, "Great men certes, and of noble fame!
Yet Sigar took their one sister, and burned the other, house and all;
and they may be called slow to revenge the deed; why didst thou not
name my brethren who are held to be the first of men as at this time?"
Brynhild says, "Men of good hope are they surely though
but little proven hitherto; but one I know far before them, Sigurd,
the son of Sigmund the king; a youngling was he in the days when he
slew the sons of Hunding, and revenged his father, and Eylimi, his mother's
father."
Said Gudrun, "By what token tellest thou that?"
Brynhild answered, "His mother went amid the dead and
found Sigmund the king sore wounded, and would bind up his hurts; but
he said he grew over old for war; and bade her lay this comfort to her
heart, that she should bear the most famed of sons; and wise was the
wise man's word therein: for after the death of King Sigmund, she went
to King Alf, and there was Sigurd nourished in great honour, and day
by day he wrought some deed of fame, and is the man most renowned of
all the wide world."
Gudrun says, "From love hast thou gained these tidings
of him; but for this cause came I here, to tell thee dreams of mine
which have brought me great grief."
Says Brynhild, "Let not such matters sadden thee: abide
with thy friends who wish thee blithesome, all of them!"
"This I dreamed," said Gudrun, "that we went, a many
of us in company, from the bower, and we saw an exceeding great hart,
that far excelled all other deer ever seen, and the hair of him was
golden; and this deer we were all fain to take, but I alone got him;
and he seemed to me better than all things else; but sithence thou,
Byrnhild, didst shoot and slay my deer even at my very knees, and such
grief was that to me that scarce might I bear it; and then afterwards
thou gavest me a wolf-cub, which besprinkled me with the blood of my
brethren."
Brynhild answers, "I will arede thy dream, even as things
shall come to pass hereafter; for Sigurd shall come to thee, even he
whom I have chosen for my well-beloved; and Grimhild shall give him
mead mingled with hurtful things, which shall cast us all into mighty
strife. Him shalt thou have, and him shalt thou quickly miss; and Atli
the king shalt thou wed; and thy brethren shalt thou lose, and slay
Atli withal in the end."
Dudrun answers, "Grief and woe to know that such things
shall be!"
And therewith she and hers get them gone home to King
Giuki.