Brynhild (Brünhild)

A Valkyrie. Brynhild was the daughter of Budli. She was the sister of Atli and Bekkhild, and possibly of Oddrun. Brynhild was also the foster-daughter of Heimir. In an Eddaic poem, Helreid Brynhildar (Brynhild's Ride to Hell), it says that she was one among eight sisters; whether this referred only to Valkyries that served Odin or that she really had seven sisters, is not made clear (I'm assuming the former).

Brynhild (Brünhild or Brunhild) was the beautiful Valkyrie who was punished by Odin for disobedience. Brynhild had struck down Hjalmgunnar, the king Odin had promised victory. As punishment, Odin told the Valkyrie that she had to marry a mortal, but she made a vow to only marry a man without fear. In the high mountain of Hindarfell, sleeping within a circle of fire, Brynhild was to sleep until a hero with no fear rode through the flame.

Sigurd rode through the flame twice.

The first time he rode through, Sigurd had already killed the dragon Fafnir, and had taken the dragon's cursed treasure. Sigurd and Brynhild fell in love with one another. But Sigurd left her there, since he had many tasks he had to perform. Sigurd promised to return to her when he had completed his tasks. Brynhild agreed and said she would wait for him within the Ring of Fire. She promised she would marry no other but the man who would ride through the flame. Sigurd gave her his magic ring (Andvaranaut), so they were betrothed.

The second time Sigurd came to her, he was disguised as Gunnar, through the use of magic. The problem was that Gunnar was not brave enough to ride through the flame, so they had to switch faces (shape-shifting) and Sigurd rode in Gunnar's place.

Sigurd had forgotten his pledge to Brynhild, and was now betrothed to Gudrun, sister of Gunnar. Sigurd's amnesia was due to the magic potion of Grimhild, mother of Gunnar and Gudrun.

Brynhild was disappointed that it wasn't Sigurd who came for her. With no choice (because of her promise), she agreed to marry Gunnar. Sigurd exchanged the rings with Brynhild again, taking back the magic ring (Andvaranaut); Brynhild thought that Gunnar had taken her ring. Sigurd then brought her to Gunnar's court. Sigurd then resumed his own form. Gunnar and Brynhild were soon wedded, while Sigurd married Gunnar's sister, Gudrun.

Sigurd probably slept with her the first time they met, and bore a daughter named Aslaug. When Brynhild married Gunnar instead of Sigurd, Byrnhild left Aslaug with Heimir, a chieftain and husband of Bekkhild, Brynhild's sister. (In the Nibelungenlied, Brunhild (Brynhild) was a virgin before she married Gunther (Gunnar).)

Later, Brynhild argued with Gudrun about who had the bravest husband. Gudrun claimed that Brynhild had been duped by Sigurd and Gunnar, and that it was actually Sigurd who rode through the flame the second time, disguised as Gunnar. As proof, Gudrun produced the magic ring that Brynhild had unknowingly returned to Sigurd. When the truth was revealed, Brynhild sought revenge upon Sigurd.

Brynhild told Gunnar that Sigurd had broken his vow to him, and slept with her the night before she arrived in the palace. Angered at the betrayal, Gunnar sought Sigurd's death. Because of his vow of brotherhood to Sigurd, Gunnar and Hogni could not kill Sigurd without violating their oaths. His brother (Guttorm) mortally wounded Sigurd. At his death, Brynhild mocked Gudrun's grief and told her husband that she lied about Sigurd betraying him. Brynhild told Gunnar and Hogni that her brother would avenge her death upon them. Gunnar tried to prevent her from killing herself, but Hogni saw that it was inevitable.

At the funeral, Brynhild was overcome with grief and killed herself. Brynhild revealed to Gunnar that she had always loved Sigurd, and asked her husband to allow her body to be burned together with Sigurd on a single pyre. By her order, she had Sigmund, the three year old son of Sigurd and Gudrun, killed and burnt on the pyre with her and Sigurd.

Brynhild seemed to have the ability to interpret dreams as well as foretell the future. Brynhild told Gudrun (before Gudrun met Sigurd), that Sigurd would love her (Brynhild) but marry Gudrun. She also told Gudrun that Sigurd would die at her brothers' hands, and that she would marry Atli and that she would kill her children and Atli. She also saw that Svanhild would be trampled to death. During the funeral of Sigurd, Brynhild told her husband that he and Hogni would be killed by her brother (Atli).

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In German literature (Nibelungenlied), Brynhild was identified with Brunhild, the warrior queen of Isenstein (possibly in Iceland). The theme in which Siegfried (Sigurd) won Brunhild for Gunther (Gunnar) through deception, and how Kriemhild (Gudrun) disclosed the deception to Brunhild, which would ultimately lead to Siegfried's death – the Nibelungenlied was the same as that of the Volsunga Saga, but how and the way it reached its climax was different in many aspects. See Brunhild for more detail.

Being a daughter of Budli would make her a Budling. However, in a fragment of a poem of Sigurd (Poetic Edda), she was called a "lady of the Skioldungs". The Skioldungs were descendants of Skiold. Brynhild was connected to the Skioldungs because her father was one of the 18 sons of Halfdan the Old, or Ali in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda (see 2nd genealogy about Halfdan the Old). Nine of these sons of Halfdan founded dynasties in the northern kingdoms. Brynhild was related to Sigurd (on his mother's side) and to the children of Guiki (Gunnar, Hogni and Gudrun).