Helgi Hundingsbani

Helgi Hundingsbani was a hero in one chapter of the Volsunga Saga, which followed the same plots of two poems in the Poetic Edda - Helgakvida Hundingsbana I and Helgakvida Hundingsbana II. The death of Helgi appeared in the second Eddaic poem. Strangely, Snorri Sturluson ignored Helgi in his Prose Edda.

When Helgi was born, the Norns came.

At the age of fifteen, Helgi earned the name Hundingsbani because he killed Hunding, his rival, in one battle, and four of Hunding's sons (Alf, Eyolf, Herward and Hagbard) in another battle - hence he was known as the Bane of Hundings. It was their deaths which caused another son of Hunding, named Lyngi (Lyngvi), to wage war upon Sigmund, and later Sigurd.

Helgi Hundingsbani should not be confused with another Helgi who was son of Hiorvard; Helgi Hiorvardsson was a hero of another poem in the Poetic Edda - Helgakvida Hiorvardssonar.

Helgi was the son of Sigmund and Borghild, hence he was called Helgi Sigmundarson. He was the brother of Hamund. Like his half-brothers Sinfjotli and Sigurd, Helgi was one of the Volsungs (descendants of Volsung because Helgi was also a grandson of Volsung).

Helgi was born in Bralund or Braulund, the land of his mother. Bralund was near the Himinfell, a mountain where the water falls from. The Norns told Sigmund that Helgi would become the greatest king. Sigmund gave him Hringstead (possibly Ringsted, island of Zeeland).

Helgi's horse was named Vigblær. The captain of his ship was Leif.

Helgi also fought a war against a rival suitor of Sigrun by the name of Hodbrod, son of King Granmar, though in another part of the poem Granmar was Hodbrod's brother.

Sigrun was a Valkyrie and daughter of Hogni. Her father had actually intended to marry Sigrun off to Hodbrod, so he became Hodbrod's ally, and fell in battle with Hodbrod. It was Hogni's death which caused Sigrun's brother Dag to murder his brother-in-law in the forest.

Due to his heroism while he was alive, Odin awarded Helgi the highest honour of being ruler of Valhalla. Helgi would force Hunding to bathe the feet of the other slain warriors in Valhalla, and reduced his mortal enemy to nothing more than a slave who would feed pigs.

Despite being dead, Helgi led the Wild Hunt, a ghostly company of riders. Helgi appeared before his sorrowful wife at his burial mound. Sigrun spent the night with Helgi, and when he didn't appear to her again, Sigrun died of a broken heart.

Together with Sigrun, Helgi was reincarnated as Helgi Haddingia-damager, and Sigrun was reborn as Kara. Earlier in the 2nd Eddaic poem, we are informed that Helgi and Sigrun were reincarnations of Helgi Hiorvardsson and Svava.

See The Two Helgi to read the full legend of Helgi.