The Story of the Volsungs - Anonymous - Classic Literature The Story of the Volsungs
“The Story of the Volsungs” was initially written in Icelandic or Old Norse, probably in the 13th century. It was passed down orally for centuries before that. A continental version of the tales is the well-known “Nibelungedhed” from Germany. Richard Wagener’s “Ring Cycles” are drawn from these tales.
The story of the Old Norse version of the Volsung family through many generations, and also of the Gjukungs, and Bundlungs. These families are fated to destroy one another. The saga is composed of cycles of heroic poems that were finally written down.
The book combines mythology, legend, and pure human drama. It focuses to a large extent on Sigurd or Sigmund to the Dragon Slayer. He had acquired knowledge and power from one of the god Odin’s Valkyries. Sigmund was betrayed by King Siggier of Sweden at the occasion of the marriage of his sister Signy to the king.
Odin had intervened with a trial, which Sigmund won, making Sigger angry and jealous. He had all of Sigmund’s brothers killed, using his mother, who could shape-shift into a wolf, to do it. Sigmund’s sister, Signy helps Sigmund, who is able to kill the wolf/mother and escape.
Sigmund escapes to the woods and issupported by Signy. Eventually, she brings her two sons by Siggier to Sigmund for him to kill them, completing the revenge of the Volsungs. While the story is fascinating, it does not really have the wealth of detail nor dialog that other Norse sagas do. Still and all, it is a short, easy and fun read.