The legend of Sigurd and Gudrún
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún ( English original title: The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún ) is a narrative poem by JRR Tolkien . The book was published worldwide on May 5, 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and HarperCollins .
Composed by Tolkien during the 1920s and 1930s, the ballad is inspired by the legend of Siegfried (Sigurd) and the fall of the Nibelungs from Nordic mythology . It is written in the form of alliance rhymes , which are based on the traditional lyric poetry of the Song Edda from the 13th century. The editor Christopher Tolkien has made numerous notes and comments on his father's work.
action
The new Wölsungenlied
Upphaf - entrance
After creation of the nine worlds by Asen the walls are Asgard by an army of giant and rollers siege. By swinging his hammer Mjölnir , the god Thor succeeds in driving these "enemies forever" back to Jötunheim . However, new calamities threaten.
A seer prophesies the apocalyptic battle of the Ragnarök and tells how Odin was once killed by the giant wolf Fenrir and Thor by the Midgard serpent . There is only one way to avert the fall of the Nine Worlds. If on the day of battle a mortal warrior, dragon slayer and descendant of Odin fights on the side of the gods, then the forces of evil will be defeated and the world will be reborn.
Thereupon Odin begets a number of heroes among the mortals and although many mighty warriors join him in Valhalla , the arrival of the "chosen one of the world" still remains to be seen.
Andwaris gold
After many ages Odin, Loki , and Hönir come to the cave of the dwarf Andwari . There they meet the son of the demon Hreidmar , Otr , and since they believe that he is merely an otter, Loki kills him with a stone, strips his hide and steals the salmon he had caught. Angry captivate Hreidmar and his sons Fafnir and Regin thereupon the three gods with unbreakable chains and require that you cover it Otrs fur with gold than wergild for his death.
In an effort to pay the wergeld, Loki seeks out the dwarf Andwari and blackmailed him for the pot of gold. Although Andwari tries to hide a gold ring, Loki takes it too. Andwari angrily vows that both the ring and the gold will be the death of all who possess it. Loki returns satisfied and hands over the gold to Hreidmar and his sons. Although Loki gleefully tells him about the curse, Hreidmar is unimpressed and brags about his new wealth.
Signý
On the coasts of the north, the sea king Rerir , a grandson of Odin, undertakes raids with Viking ships. His successor is his son Wölsung . This, preferred by Odin, was given a Valkyrie as his wife. During her husband's reign, she gives birth to twins Sigmund and Signý .
Years later Siggeir , King of the Gauts, sends an ambassador and demands Signý's hand as a price for peace between the two realms. Sigmund advises his father to consent to the marriage, arguing that the Goths would become valuable allies.
At the wedding reception, Odin enters the hall disguised as a bearded old man named Grimnir . He drives a sword into the trunk of the oak tree in the middle of the hall and tells all the men present to pull it out. After everyone else tried in vain, Sigmund was the last to succeed in pulling the blade out of the oak. King Siggeir, who now desires the sword, offers Sigmund a pot of gold for it. Unmoved, Sigmund announces that the sword is only intended for his hand and vows never to sell it.
Siggeir then declares war to King Wölsung, Sigmund's father, and Wölsung is slain after killing many Gothic warriors himself. Although Signý begs for the lives of her brothers, Siggeir has them tied to trees in the forest and leaves them to the wolves to eat. While his nine brothers are killed, Sigmund kills a she-wolf and flees into a haunted cave. There he commits incest with his sister, who had crept into the cave disguised as an elf woman . Nine months later she gives birth to a son Sinfjötli.
When Sinfjötli becomes a man, he visits his father in the cave and brings him Grimnir's sword. During the following years father and son roam the Gautenland, robbing and murdering. Eventually they sneak into the hall of the Siggeir, kill the guards and swear that no one should be spared within the walls. Although they ask Signý to come with them, she decides to die at the side of her husband Siggeir.
Sinfjötli's death
Loaded with booty from Siggeir's hall, Sigmund and Sinfjötli return by ship to the land of the Wölsungen . Together they rule for many years, kill seven kings and plunder many cities far and wide. Although he will regret it later, Sigmund takes a queen from among the prisoners of war.
This queen hates Sinfjötli, the man who killed her father, and wants to kill him in revenge. After two unsuccessful attempts to poison Sinfjötli, the queen succeeds in making Sinfjötli drink a jug of poisoned ole . Sinfjötli then dies to Sigmund's horror and is received by his grandfather, King Wölsung, in Valhalla. He notices that one is still waiting for the chosen one.
Sigurd's birth
Over time, Sigmund grows old after losing both sons and his traitorous queen. Eventually, however, he hears about the beautiful Princess Sigrlinn. Although seven young royal sons also ask for her hand, Sigrlinn marries King Sigmund, as she hopes through him to become the mother of a powerful hero.
Deeply enraged by this disgrace, the seven king sons invade Wölsungenland. Sigmund vows that they should be received with Grímnir's sword and kills many men in battle. However, he is caught in battle by a one-eyed warrior and the Grimnir's blade breaks on his spear. Sigmund sinks to the ground, seriously wounded.
Although Sigrlinn wants to heal him, Sigmund refuses and insists on being summoned to Valhalla by Odin. He predicts that her unborn child will be the dragon slayer and instructs her to take good care of the wreckage of Grimnir's gift. Sigmund dies and Sigrlinn is kidnapped as a slave. However, when the parentage of her child is later known, Sigrlinn is married to the king of the country. Little Sigurd is given to Regin as a foster son, the son of the demon Hreidmar.
Regin
Years later, the wergeld for Otr's death is in the care of Regin's brother Fafnir, who was turned into a dragon. Since he desires the treasure, Regin incites Sigurd to fight with Fafnir. Regin claims that his brother Fafnir killed her father Hreidmar at the time after he did not want to share the wergeld. He now wanted revenge for his father, Sigurd could keep the gold.
Regin tries twice to forge a suitable sword for Sigurd, but each time he breaks the blades with ease. Sigurd finally goes to his mother Sigrlinn and asks for the fragments of Grímnir's sword. Regin takes it and forges the sword Gramr from it . Sigurd then buys the horse Grani, a descendant of Odin's eight-legged mount Sleipnir , and sets out to kill Fafnir.
When the dragon returns to his cave from drinking, Sigurd hides in a hole in the ground and pierces the dragon's heart from below. Fafnir's black blood pours over Sigurd and hardens his skin into armor.
Although the dying Fafnir warns him of the curse of gold, Sigurd is unfazed and believes the dragon only wants to save his treasure. When Fafnir finally dies, Regin appears and demands a share of the gold, as he also contributed to Fafnir's death and finally forged the sword. Sigurd scoffs at his foster father's logic, but Regin pulls a knife, cuts out the dragon's heart and tells Sigurd to fry it. Regin then leaves the cave.
While Sigurd roasts the heart over a fire, he burns his fingers on the heart. He puts it in his mouth to cool and can suddenly understand the language of the birds. When he later sees Regin sneaking back to the cave with his sword drawn, Sigurd draws his own sword Gramr and kills his foster father. He loads the pot of gold onto his horse Grani and hears the birds singing of the Valkyrie Brynhild , of their quarrel with Odin and the circles of fire that surround the sleeping Brynhild.
Brynhild
After a long ride on Grani, Sigurd comes to the heights of the Hindarfell Mountains. Grani jumps over the fiery barrier that surrounds Brynhild, Sigurd cuts her armor with the sword Gramr and thereby awakens the sleeping Valkyrie.
Brynhild tells him how she was condemned by Odin to husband a mortal and swore to marry only the chosen dragon slayer from the prophecy of the seeress. Sigurd then reveals his descent from Odin and the killing of Fafnir. Brynhild is overjoyed and the two swear loyalty.
Brynhild, however, vows that she will only marry Sigurd if he has acquired her own kingdom. After warning her fiancé not to succumb to a witch's confusion and intrigue, Brynhild returns to Hindarfell and their ways part. Meanwhile, Sigurd rides to the court of the Niflungs in Worms .
Gudrun
One morning, Princess Gudrún reports of the Niflungs of her mother, the dishonest Queen Grimhild , of a nightmare: the Niflungs were hunting a stag with golden fur and strong antlers, which, however, escaped their reach. It was Gudrún who eventually caught him, only to be stabbed with a spear by a hateful woman. Her mother then gave Gudrún a wolf for comfort and bathed her in the blood of her brothers. Grimhild then explains to her daughter that bad dreams are often a good omen. While they are talking, Gudrún sees in the distance the figure of an armored warrior approaching their court and a little later Sigurd enters the court of the Niflunge.
In the evening Gudrún's brother Gunnar sings about the protracted war of the Niflung against King Atli of the Huns . As soon as he's finished, Sigurd takes a harp and in turn sings about Brynhild and the Pot of Gold. Impressed, Gunnar and his brother Högni invite Sigurd to stay with them as long as he likes.
Time goes by and Sigurd goes to war with the Niflungs , the fame of the Burgundian rulers is known far and wide. Sigurd, however, still thinks about his father's lost empire and returns there by ship. When he looks there at the ruins of his father's mead hall, Odin appears and tells him that Gramr is not meant to shine in the land of the Wolsung. Accordingly, Sigurd drives back to Worms.
At the feast of Sigurd's return, Grimhild instructs her sons to consolidate their alliance with Sigurd by marrying Gudrún to him. When Sigurd then tells that he will be leaving soon to get Brynhild, Grimhild gives him a love potion to drink. Shortly afterwards Gudrún enters the hall and Sigurd, enchanted by the potion, forgets his plans for Brynhild.
The betrayed Brynhild
Brynhild continues to wait for Sigurd to return and slays most suitors who dare to hold their hand. Finally Odin comes to her ridden, armed and armed like a king from ancient times. He prophesies that she will marry a mortal king before two winters have passed. As he leaves her, a fiery ring surrounds her hall and Brynhild thinks that only a man can really reach her now.
Meanwhile, an overjoyed Sigurd and Gudrún get married in Worms. In addition, Sigurd and his brother-in-law swear a blood oath in eternal brotherhood. Although he and Gudrún are happily married, a shadow remains in Sigurd's heart. Grimhild now learns about Brynhild and the Pot of Gold in the course of time. Convinced that such a queen will add to her son's fame, Grimhild advises King Gunnar that it is time for him to get married. Together Sigurd, Högni and Gunnar set off for Brynhilds Hallen.
When they get there, Gunnar fails to get past the ring of fire. With Sigurd's permission, Gunnar borrows his horse Grani, who does not accept any other rider. So Sigurd will help out his blood brother. Through a spell by Grimhild, Sigurd Gunnar takes shape and rides Grani through the fire. Surprised that another warrior has overcome the barrier, Brynhild demands to know whether “Gunnar” is the unconquerable hero she has vowed to marry. "Gunnar" reminds her that, now that her oath is fulfilled, she must take him as husband. That night, Brynhild and Sigurd sleep in a common bed with a bare sword between the two. At daybreak, Brynhild finally agrees to marry "Gunnar".
dispute
During the wedding feast for Brynhild and Gunnar, Brynhild sees Sigurd sitting next to Gudrún, and Grimhild's spell falls off him. Sigurd now remembers the solemn oath he had sworn to Brynhild and realizes that he can no longer fulfill it.
During a subsequent deer hunt, Brynhild and Gudrún bathe together in the Rhine and get into an argument over their respective husbands. Gudrún finally reveals that it was indeed Sigurd who last rode through the flames for Brynhild and shows Brynhild her own ring, which she received from Sigurd. Brynhild emerges from the water in shock and curses her fate.
She later calls Sigurd an oath breaker and wishes him and Gudrún an early death. Sigurd tells her of his enchantment and admits that the sight of Brynhild alone makes his stay in Gunnar's halls bearable. Brynhild is deeply moved, but declares that it is too late to avert the course of her evil curse, but Sigurd would at least find an honorable death.
When Gunnar later asks Sigurd for advice, he says that Brynhild can only be brought to her senses by her husband. Gunnar offers his wife a treasure of gold and silver so that she can spare Sigurd and Gudrún. Brynhild mocks him, saying that Sigurd has already betrayed Gunnar and broken the brotherhood oath by seducing her when Sigurd courted her in Gunnar's form. She will now leave him, Gunnar, until he has killed his brother-in-law. At a loss, Gunnar leaves Brynhild's room and after days finally turns to his brother Högni. He explains to him that Sigurd has broken his oath and that he must be killed. Högni is horrified and suspects that Brynhild lied out of jealousy. But Gunnar trusts her and loves Brynhild more than anyone else and throws in that with Sigurd's death they would both be again the sole masters in the kingdom of the Burgundians and could get Fafnir's treasure. Sadly, Högni agrees and the two instruct their half-brother Gotthorm to kill Sigurd, since he is not bound by oaths.
After an unsuccessful attempt to provoke Sigurd, Gotthorm finally sneaks into Sigurd's bedroom one morning and drives a sword through Sigurd's body. With his last strength, Sigurd draws his sword Gramr and slays the murderer. Gudrún awakes in horror and Sigurd instructs her not to cry for him, nor to hold her brothers responsible for his death. As he dies, he explains:
Brynhild is to blame,
who loved me the hardest,
did
the worst to me, deceived me the worst.
I brought neither
shame nor shame
to my brother-in-law;
I swore to him,
I kept them all!
- JRR Tolkien
In the face of her dead husband, Gudrún screams out loud in grief, but Brynhild laughs underhandedly when she hears the screams. When Gunnar calls her a "wild beast", Brynhild curses the Niflung for killing her blood brother. She now admits that her seduction by Sigurd was a lie and to Gunnar's further horror she now wants to leave him forever.
Gunnar and his courtiers try in vain to dissuade them from their plan, only Högni insists on his view that Brynhild is fundamentally angry and that it is better to let her go. After putting on gold armor, Brynhild throws herself into her own sword. As she dies, she asks that her corpse be burned at the stake along with Sigurd's corpse . Her wish is obeyed and both Sigurd and Brynhild are carried through the flames to Valhalla.
There Odin and the other Wolsung greet the dragon slayer they have been waiting for so long. On the day of Ragnarok, Brynhild Sigurd will prepare for war and he will defeat the giant wolf Fenrir and the Midgard serpent. Although most of the Aesi gods will die, the dark forces will be destroyed by Sigurd's hand. Then, under the rule of Baldur , the Nine Worlds will be recreated.
The new Gudrún song
While the flames of the pyre go out for Sigurd and Brynhild, the desperate Gudrún wanders helplessly through the woods. Although she loathes every moment of her life, she cannot choose to commit suicide.
Meanwhile, King Atli's empire of the Huns is growing in power. Although Atli conquered the Goths and captured many treasures, the treasure of Fafnir and Gudrun's beauty caught his interest. To get these two for himself, he sends his warriors westward. When this news reached the court in Worms, Gunnar Högni asks whether the Huns should be stopped by force or appeased with tributes. Högni thinks that one must now mourn Sigurd all the more, since Atli would never have dared to be so brazen during the dragon slayer's lifetime. Despite the danger, he advises Gunnar to go to battle against King Atli. Grimhild, meanwhile, has other plans and recommends buying Atli's friendship by marrying Gudrún. The Niflunge ultimately accept this advice.
Gudrún can be found in a hut in the forest, where she is weaving on a wall hanging that tells the story of the dragon slayer, the Wolsungen and the arrival of Sigurd at the Wormser Hof. Although she is offered a large sum of wergeld for the death of her husband, Gudrún refuses to forgive her brothers, she does not even take notice. Only Grimhild can elicit an answer from the widow. She advises her daughter not to mourn any longer, since Brynhild is dead and Gudrún is still beautiful. She tells of Atli's plans to marry and of the great respect that Gudrún would be accorded as Queen of the Huns. But Gudrún is unimpressed and speaks again of the dream she had before Sigurd's arrival that half of it has now come true. She doesn't think she'll ever be happy again and see no point in remarrying. Grimhild continues to try to persuade Gudrún to marry Atli, and when Gudrún in anger orders her to leave, Grimhild threatens to curse her in unbelievable torments if she disobeys. Intimidated, Gudrún now agrees to marry Atli.
At the wedding feast, Atli swears a series of oaths on his new relationship with the Niflungs and, moved by Gudrún's beauty and thoughts of the dragon treasure, he takes his new wife back to the Huns. As the years go by, Gudrún is still unfazed by the glorious deeds of the Huns and Atli's love. But his desire for the dragon's gold is still there. Finally, he sends his herald Vingi to invite the Niflung to a festival in the Huns. Thereupon Gunnar Högni asks for advice whether they are vassals of the Huns and are obliged to come. Högni is unsure what to do and says that Gudrún sent him a ring with a braid of wolf hair. He is therefore sure that a trap is waiting for them in the Huns. Gunnar, however, notes that Gudrún had sent a wooden staff with " runes of salvation" for him and invites the herald to a feast.
During the festival in Gunnar's hall, Grimhild inspects the rune staff. The original runes have been cut off from the wood, but the remains are still legible. The actual message from Gudrún was therefore a warning of danger. Gunnar then tells the Herald that he will not appear for the celebrations in the Hun country. He just laughs and says that since Grimhild apparently rules the kingdom of the Niflungs, Gunnar doesn't have to come. Atli was only interested in finding a strong protector for his sons through Gudrún, Erp and Eitill when he died. The King of the Huns is now getting old and hopes that Gunnar and Högni will one day rule in his name. Although Gunnar still suspects a trap, he now agrees to come. Högni says he will accompany his brother, but regrets that his mother's advice was ignored. Vingi, although he knows what Atli is planning for his brother-in-law, swears that if the runes are forged, he will be hanged and the ravens will eat his flesh.
After a long journey by boat and on horseback, the Niflungs reach the courtyard of the Atli and to their surprise they find the gate locked. Vingi now reveals the real reason for the invitation: gallows have been prepared for the Niflung and the ravens will eat their bodies. Although the lives of Heralds must not be touched, Högni announces that the deceitful Vigni has forfeited his life. On an oak tree within sight of the Huns, the Niflungs hang the Herald. The Huns pour out of Atli's hall full of hatred and rush to the Niflungs, but to Atli's astonishment, Gunnar and Högni manage to force their enemies back into the mead hall. Atli shows himself with cold hatred and calls the Niflung his vassals, who would now have to buy their lives with the dragon's treasure. But Gunnar vows that Atli would never get gold from him, if the King of the Huns wanted the life of the Niflunge, he would have to pay dearly for it with many dead noblemen and warriors. Atli now claims that the treasure is the wergeld for Sigurd's death, demanded by Gudrún, but Gunnar replies that Atli alone desires the treasure. The fight now goes on and the Niflungs cause a great bloodbath in the king's hall.
Gudrún follows all of this and realizes that her dream has now come true. In desperation, she curses the hour of her birth and orders her husband's Gothic vassals to protect her brothers from the Huns. These Goths have not forgotten their earlier wars against Atli and the Huns and have sided with the Niflunge. Högni fights through the ranks of the Huns, and even when his son Snaevar is killed in battle, he continues unaffected. When they finally find Gudrún, Gunnar and Högni announce that they are destined to marry Gudrún and then kill their husband. But Gudrún asks for mercy for Atli. Thereupon the Niflungs ridicule Atli that he was not worthy to die like a warrior and let him escape from his devastated hall. Atli, however, sets out that night to assemble his subordinates in the country.
When the Goths and Niflungs fall asleep at night, Högni notices a large fiery band moving towards the hall. With the remark that there are no dragons in the Hunnenland, Gunnar calls his men to the final fight and they manage to hold the mead hall until dawn. When, after five days, the hall is still occupied by the Niflungs and Goths, Atli laments his fate and sees that his power, his wealth, his vassals and his wife have now left him. But his advisor Beiti thinks there is still a way out. By listening to Beiti, Atli has the mead hall set on fire. Before the burning roof collapses over them, the Niflungs and Goths make a sortie out of the hall and are attacked by Atli's people. Although the fight only takes place with fists, many Hunnish necks and other bones are broken until the Nibelung rulers are seized.
The captured Gunnar and Högni are now brought to their sister Gudrún and Atli swears that he will avenge Sigurd by throwing the two into a snake pit. Gudrún then calls him an evil person and wishes him a shameful death. The two Nibelungs are also the uncles of his sons Erp and Eitill and should be spared. Atli explains that only the pot of gold that haunts him in his dreams will stop him from killing the Niflunge. Finally Gunnar agrees to hand over the gold to Atli, but only if his brother Högni is killed beforehand and his heart is brought to him. Gudrún is now beside himself and begs Atli not to kill her brother Högni, but Atli only wants the gold. But his advisors warn him to be careful. Because they fear the queen, they persuade Atli to kill the servant Hjalli instead . When his heart is handed over to Gunnar, he shows himself unimpressed. He heard Hjalli scream and his brother would never whine like that at death. So the Huns actually cut Högni's heart out of the body while he laughs at them. When Gunnar sees his brother's heart, he also laughs at the Huns. The gold, he says, was long lost, thrown into the Rhine after Sigurd's death. He curses Atli, calls him a gold-obsessed murderer. Angry and desperate, Atli orders that Gunnar be thrown naked into the snake pit.
Gudrún's heart now hardens towards her husband and she orders that a harp be brought to her brother in the pit. Gunnar strikes the harp until the strings break and sings of Odin, the sir and the impending fall of the Huns. The whole palace listens reverently and the snakes are sung in a deep sleep. in the end, however, an old snake bites Gunnar in the chest and he falls dead to the ground. Gudrún hears his death scream and finally devises a way to avenge her brothers.
The funeral celebrations for the Niflungs and the greatest Hun warriors are being prepared and a funeral festival is being held in the remains of Atlis Hall. Last of all, Gudrún appears there and hands her husband two drinking cups and drinks to his health himself. While Atli drinks, he expresses his grief over the loss of the gold but also his satisfaction that Gunnar is dead. Gudrún announced that in revenge for her brothers she had killed her two sons and that the cups from which they were drinking were made from the skulls of Erp and Eitill. Atli did not drink wine, but their blood mixed with honey, and the dogs ate the remains of the corpses. While the mourners loudly express their horror and anger, Atli turns pale and faints. The king, who is feeling terminally ill, is brought into his bedroom, but Gudrún, who wants to complete her vengeance, also comes in and stabs him in the chest with a knife. While Atli is cursing her and condemning her to death in the fire, Gudrún laughingly replies that his own death fire has already been lit. And in fact, shortly afterwards, the palace and the city surrounding it were destroyed by a conflagration.
After that, Gudrún wanders through the woods again without mind. Finally, tired of life, she throws herself into the sea, but the waves spurn her. ultimately she calls for Sigurd and reminds him of their wedding vows, imploring him to return to her. Again she throws herself into water and drowns after all.
Gold fades
and shine fades,
night settles
on noise and arguments
.
Lift up your hearts,
gentlemen and ladies, to
the song of
sorrow , which speaks of old.
- JRR Tolkien
Origin and background
According to Christopher Tolkien, it is no longer possible to determine the exact time of the compilation of The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún . Based on evidence and circumstantial evidence, he suspects it dates from the 1930s.
In a foreword to his father's work, Christopher Tolkien writes:
“He's rarely commented on them [the sources] as far as I knew, and I don't remember any conversation with him on the subject. Only at the very end of his life did he speak to me and tried in vain to find her. "
In a 1967 letter to WH Auden , JRR Tolkien thanks him for translating the Seer's song and says he would like to send him something in return:
“… If I can lay my hunds on it (I hope it isn't lost), a thing I did many years ago while trying to learn the art of writing alliterative poetry: an attempt to unify the lays about the Völsungs from the Elder Edda, written in the old eight-line fornyrðislag stanza. ”
"... if I can get hold of it (I hope it hasn't been lost), a thing I did many years ago when I wanted to learn the art of all-round poetry: an attempt to learn the songs about the vaults from the elder To unite Edda, written in the old eight-line Fornyrðislag stanza. "
The introduction to the book makes a sharp distinction between epic poetry and the Scaldic and Eddic poetry of Scandinavia, with Christopher Tolkien publishing a series of lectures by his father entitled The Elder Edda (orig. The Elder Edda ). “Although there was a courtly environment there at the time, epic poetry never developed in these countries [Scandinavia] . ... Poetry developed its own succinct, pithy, strophic, often dramatic form not into an epic , but into the astonishing and well-sounding, but form-loving embellishments of the skaldic poetry and the simpler forms of the song Edda. The stanzas in The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún use this simpler form, which, as can be read in the book, has an earlier origin but lasted longer. “But The opposition between 'Eddic' and 'Skaldic' verse is quite unreal as one of time …. They are related growths, branches on the same tree, essentially connected, even possibly sometimes by the same hunds. " Christopher Tolkien also mentions that the use of the term "Eddic" for this simple type of poetry is a later invention, even an anachronism that goes back to the Edda of Snorri Sturluson . The material of the legend was already known in Sturluson's time and his Edda, on the contrary, shows all the characteristics of courtly, artistic, Scaldic poetry. "If 'eddic' is used today as the opposite of 'skaldic', that is the direct reversal of the earlier meaning."
The book also contains extensive comments by Christopher Tolkien on the sources of JRR Tolkien's poetry as published therein and the way the author mixed or distinguished those sources. The same goes for the background to the Nibelungen saga and the history of this legend.
Audio book
The Scottish actor Brian Cox has produced an audio book version of The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún in English in collaboration with the publisher HarperCollins , the work was published in August 2009.
See also
literature
- JRR Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (Eds.): The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. Harper Collins Publishers, London 2009, ISBN 978-0-00-731723-3 .
- JRR Tolkien: The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún . Ed .: Christopher Tolkien. Hobbit press. Klett-Cotta, 2010, ISBN 978-3-608-93795-4 (English, original title: The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún . Translated by Hans Ulrich-Möhring). Bilingual, English-German edition.
- Humphrey Carpenter (Ed.): The Letters of JRR Tolkien . Houghton Mifflin, 1981 (British English).
Web links
- The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún FAQ on tolkienlibrary.com (English)
Remarks
- ^ Katie Allen: New Tolkien for HarperCollins . The Bookseller. June 1, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- ↑ Christopher Tolkien (ed.): The legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. P. 305.
- ↑ Christopher Tolkien (ed.): The legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. P. 493.
- ↑ a b Christopher Tolkien (ed.): The legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. P. 14.
- ^ Carpenter: Letter 295, March 29, 1967.
- ↑ Christopher Tolkien (ed.): The legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. P. 30.
- ↑ a b Christopher Tolkien (Ed.) :: The legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. Pp. 14, 28-32.
- ↑ Christopher Tolkien (Ed.) :: The legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. Chapter Explanations of the individual points of view, §1 The 'Prose Edda' of Snorri Sturluson.