Dráp Niflunga

Storyline

This is Henry Adams Bellows' translation of the section:

Notes

References

• The Slaying of The Niflungs Henry Adams Bellows' translation and commentary
• The Slaughter of the Niflungs Benjamin Thorpe's translation
• The Fall of the Niflungs Lee M. Hollander's translation
• Dráp Niflunga Sophus Bugge's edition of the manuscript text
• Dráp Niflunga Guðni Jónsson's edition with normalized spelling

References

1. According to the ''[[Völsunga saga]]'', it was Gudrun's mother [[Grimhild]] who gave her the drink, just like she gave Brynhildr a draught of forgetfulness to forget Sigurd.
2. Svanhild was [[Ermanaric]]'s queen and Bellows suggests that Svanhild was incorporated with this tradition in order to link the two legends.
3. ''[[Atlakviða]]'' calls the messenger ''Knéfröð'', whereas ''[[Atlamál]]'' says that there were two messengers but only mentions Vingi. Bellows suggests that the author of the prose section unsuccessfully has combined the two accounts.
4. Bellows suggests that this is another instance of the annotator combining two accounts: in ''Atlakviða'' Gudrun sends another ring (not Andvarinaut) with a wolf's hair, and in ''Atlamál'', she sends a message in runes, but the messenger falsifies the message and when Högni's wife Kostbera receives it, she is only able to suspect danger.
5. Oddrún, who is the sister of Atli and Brynhildr, is according to Bellows mainly known through the ''[[Oddrúnargrátr]]''. He suggests that she is a late addition to the Scandinavian version of the Nibelung tradition, because she only appears as Gunnar's lover.
6. Bellows states that very little is known about Glaumvar, although she figures frequently in ''Atlamál''.
7. According to Bellows, Bera, or Kostbera, is only known for being skilled in runes, and for having a brother named Orkning.
8. Bellows notes that Sólarr and Snævarr are mentioned as Högni's and Kostbera's sons in ''Atlamál'', and he suggests that Gjúki, who is named after his grand-father, is the annotator's addition.
9. Later Gudrun would kill her and Atli's sons Erpr and Eitil in revenge, and Bellows suggests that the part on her asking Erpr and Eitil to intervene on Gunnar and Hogni's behalf is an addition by the editor of the ''Poetic Edda'' in order to give Gudrun an additional reason for killing her own sons.
10. In ''Oddrúnargrátr'', it was Atli's mother who transformed herself into an adder in order to make her son's vengeance complete.