Asatru Folk Assembly - January 30, 2024


Guðrúnarkviða II Hin Forna, a reading


Episode Stats


Length

17 minutes

Words per minute

101.34833

Word count

1,814

Sentence count

84

Harmful content

Misogyny

2

sentences flagged

Hate speech

14

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.000 Guthrunarkvitha II in Forna, the second or old lay of Guthrun.
00:00:30.000 It has already been pointed out, introductory note to Guthrun Articula 1, that the tradition
00:00:37.460 of Guthrun's laments was known wherever the Sigurd's story existed, and that this lament
00:00:43.780 was probably one of the earliest parts of the legend to assume verse form.
00:00:48.960 Whether it reached the Norse as verse cannot, of course, be determined, but it is at least
00:00:55.720 possible that this was the case, and in any event, it is clear that by the 10th and 11th centuries
00:01:03.460 there were a number of Norse poems with Guthrun's laments as the central theme.
00:01:09.660 Two of these are included in the Edict collection, the second one being unquestionably much the older.
00:01:17.660 It is evidently the poem referred to by the annotator in the prose note following the Brot
00:01:23.280 as the old Guthrun lay,
00:01:26.880 and his character and state of preservation
00:01:29.760 have combined to lead most commentators
00:01:32.440 to date it as early as the first half of the 10th century,
00:01:37.200 whereas Guthrun Ark 501 belongs a hundred years later.
00:01:42.720 The poem has evidently been preserved in rather bad shape,
00:01:47.580 with a number of serious omissions and some interpolations,
00:01:51.440 But in just this form, it lay before the compilers of the Volsunga Saga, who paraphrased it faithfully and quoted five of its stanzas.
00:02:03.440 The interpolations are, on the whole, unimportant.
00:02:07.800 The omissions, while they obscure the sense of certain passages, do not destroy the essential continuity of the poem,
00:02:15.960 in which Guthrin reviews her sorrows from the death of Sigurd
00:02:20.200 through the slaying of her brothers to Atli's dreams
00:02:23.840 foretelling the death of their sons.
00:02:26.920 It is indeed the only Norse poem of the Sigurd cycle
00:02:30.760 anticipating the year 1000
00:02:33.080 which has come down to us in anything approaching complete form.
00:02:38.400 The Regensmal, Fafnismal, and Sigurdfummal
00:02:41.920 are all collections of fragments,
00:02:44.300 Only a short bit of the long Sigurdlae remains, and others, Grpispah, Guthronarkvitha I and III, Sigurdarkvitha in Skama, Helrath Brindhildar, Odrunagrater, Guthronarkovot, Hamthismal, and the two Atleleys are all generally dated from the 11th and even the 12th centuries.
00:03:11.700 An added reason for believing that Guthronokvitha II traces its origins to a lament which reached
00:03:21.120 the north from Germany in verse form is the absence of most characteristic Norse additions
00:03:27.760 to the narrative, except in minor details. Sigurð is slain in the forest, as German men say.
00:03:37.180 See Bröt, concluding prose.
00:03:39.200 The urging of Guthrin by her mother, second brothers, to become Atli's wife
00:03:45.680 The slaying of the Gjöckings, here only intimated, for at that point something seems to have been lost
00:03:53.520 And Guthrin's perspective of revenge on Atli
00:03:57.840 All belong directly to the German tradition
00:04:01.660 See introductory note to Grapispa
00:04:04.000 In the Codex Regius, the poem is entitled simply Guðrnarkvitha.
00:04:10.920 The numeral has been added in nearly all editions to distinguish this poem from the other two Guðrn lays.
00:04:17.820 And the phrase, the old, is borrowed from the annotator's comment in the prose note at the end of the Brot.
00:04:28.480 Guðrnarkvitha II, Inforna
00:04:31.100 King Theothraek was with Atri and had lost most of his men.
00:04:38.020 Theothraek and Guthrun lamented their griefs together.
00:04:42.280 She spoke to him, saying,
00:04:45.100 A maid of maids my mother bore me,
00:04:48.580 Bride to my bower, my brothers I loved,
00:04:51.800 Till Gyuki dowered me with gold,
00:04:55.600 Dowered with gold, and to Sigurth gave me.
00:04:58.760 So cigarettes rose o'er geeky suns, As the leek grows green above the grass,
00:05:07.520 O'er the stag o'er all the beasts doth stand, Or as glow-red gold above silver-grey.
00:05:16.580 Till my brothers let me no longer have The best of heroes my husband-to-be,
00:05:23.420 Sleep they could not or quarrel settle, Till Sigurth they at last had slain.
00:05:30.960 From the thing run Grani with thundering feet, But thence did Sigurth himself come nether,
00:05:38.800 Covered with sweat was the saddle-bearer, Won't the warriors wait to bear?
00:05:44.800 Weeping I sought with Grani to speak, With tear-wet cheeks for the tale I asked.
00:05:53.400 The hud of Grani was bowed to the grass, The steed knew well his master was slain.
00:06:01.460 Long I waited and pondered well, Erever the king for tidings to ask.
00:06:10.600 His head bowed Gunnar, but Hogni told, The nooseful sore of Sigurd's slain.
00:06:17.400 Here to death, at our hands he lies, Gothworm's slayer given to wolves.
00:06:26.540 On the southern road, thou shalt Sigurd see, Where hear thou canst the ravens cry. 0.91
00:06:34.720 The eagles cry as food they crave, And about thy husband wolves are howling. 0.86
00:06:41.520 Why dost thou, Hogni, such a horror? Let me hear all joyless left. Ravens ye let, thy 0.99
00:06:51.680 heart shall rend, In a land that never thou hast known.
00:06:59.280 Few the words of Hogni were, Bitter his heart from heavy sorrow.
00:07:06.440 Dear Guthrum, thy grief shall be, If the raven's soul my heart shall rend.
00:07:15.060 From whom he spake I turned me soon, In the woods to find what thy wolves had left.
00:07:22.540 Tears I had not nor wrung my bonds, Nor wailing went as other women,
00:07:29.440 When by cigarette slain I sat.
00:07:34.160 Ever so black had seemed the night, As when in sorrow, by cigarettes I set,
00:07:41.600 The Wolves.
00:07:47.320 Best of all me thought would be, If I my life could only lose,
00:07:54.320 Or like to birch wood burned my bee, From the mountain forth five days I fared,
00:08:01.900 Beholf's Hall, so high I saw.
00:08:06.800 Seven half years with Dora I stayed, Håkon's daughter in Denmark then.
00:08:14.080 With gold she broidered to me bring joy, Southern Halls and Danish swans.
00:08:21.780 On the tapestry wove we warriors' deeds, And the heroes' things on our handiwork.
00:08:30.240 flashing shields and fighters armed, sword throng, helm throng, the host of the king.
00:08:39.140 Sigmund's ship by the land was sailing, gold in the figurehead gave the beaks.
00:08:46.280 On board we wove the warriors faring, Sigar and Sigir south to Fjong.
00:08:54.320 Grimherd asked the Gothic queen whether willingly would I.
00:09:03.440 Her needlework cast she aside and called, her sons to ask with stern resolve, who amends
00:09:11.600 to their sister would make for her son, or the wife requite for her husband killed.
00:09:20.400 Steady was Gunnar, gold to give, Amends for my heart, and Hogni, too.
00:09:27.260 Then would she know who now would go, The horse to saddle, the wagon to harness,
00:09:33.800 The horse to ride, the hawk to fly, And shafts from bows of ewe to shoot.
00:09:41.520 Maldar, king of the Danes, was come, with Yarazleth, Aymoth, and Yarazcar.
00:09:50.520 In like princes came they all, the long-beardmen with mantles red.
00:09:57.720 Short with mailcoats, mightied their helms, swords at their belts, and browned their hair.
00:10:05.560 Speech to give me gifts was fain, Gifts to give and goodly speech.
00:10:12.480 Comforts though, for my sorrows great, To bring they tried, but I trusted them not.
00:10:20.380 A draught did Grimhild give me to drink, Bitter and cold I forgot my cares,
00:10:28.380 For mingled therein was magic earth, Ice-cold sea, and the blood of swine.
00:10:36.700 In the cup were runes of every kind, Written and reddened, I could not read them,
00:10:43.600 A heather-fish from the Hodding's land, A ear uncut, and the entrails of beasts.
00:10:51.900 Which evil was brewed within the bier, Blossoms of trees and acorns burned,
00:10:58.900 Dew of the hearths and holy entrails, The liver of swine all grief to allay.
00:11:08.500 Then I forgot when the draught they gave me, There in the hall my husband slain,
00:11:15.960 On their knees the kings all three did kneel, As she herself to speak began.
00:11:23.200 Guthra and gold, to thee I give The wealth that once thy fathers was,
00:11:31.920 The reigns to have in Hlothver's halls, And the hangings all that the monarch had.
00:11:41.140 Hanish woman, skilleted in weaving, Who gold make fair to give thee joy,
00:11:48.900 And the wealth of Boothli thine shall be, Gold-decked one as Otli's wife. 1.00
00:11:56.900 Gutherin spake, A Hanish now I will not have, 0.99
00:12:03.180 Nor wife of Brynhild's brother be, It beseems me not with Boothli's sons,
00:12:10.980 Happy to be, and heirs to bear. 0.60
00:12:15.540 Grimhild spake, Speak not on women,
00:12:19.960 To avenge thy sorrows, Though the blame at first with us hath been.
00:12:28.080 Happy shalt be, as if both shalt live, Sigurd and Sigmund, if sons thou bearest.
00:12:37.780 Guthrun spake, Grimhild I may not gladness find,
00:12:45.520 Nor hold forth hopes to heroes now, Since once the raven and ravening wolf,
00:12:54.240 Sigurd's heart's blood hungrily lapped.
00:12:58.880 Grimhild spake, Noblest of birth is the ruler now,
00:13:05.440 I have found of thee, and foremost of all, Him shalt thou have, while life thou hast,
00:13:14.060 Or husbandless be, if him thou wilt choose not, Guthrun spake. 0.97
00:13:22.860 Seek not so eagerly me to send, To be a bride of yon baneful race. 0.99
00:13:29.720 And Gunnar first his wrath shall fall, And the heart will be teared from Hogni's breast. 1.00
00:13:38.600 Weeping Grimhild heard the words, The fateful sore for her sons foretold,
00:13:45.640 And mighty woe for them should work.
00:13:49.600 Lanz I give thee, with all that live there,
00:13:55.000 Vingborg is thine, and Vobjorg too. Have them forever, but hear me, daughter.
00:14:04.840 So must I do as the kings besought, And against my will for my kinsmen wed.
00:14:12.520 Ne'er with my husband joy I had, And my sons by my brothers fate were saved not.
00:14:19.320 I could not rest till of life I had robbed, The warrior bold, the maker of battles. 0.94
00:14:30.560 Soon on horseback each hero was, And the foreign women in wagons faring, 0.95
00:14:37.600 A week through lawns so cold we went, And a second week the waves we smote, 0.98
00:14:45.040 And a third through lawns the water locked.
00:14:49.600 The warders now on the lofty walls, Open the gates and in we rode.
00:14:59.960 Otley woke me forever I seemed, Of bitterness full for my brother's death.
00:15:08.220 Otley spake,
00:15:11.620 Now from sleep the Norris have waked me, With visions of terror to thee will I tell
00:15:18.120 them, Bethought thou Guthrun, Gyrki's daughter, With poison-blade disperce my body.
00:15:27.840 Guthrun spake, Fire a dream of steel shall follow, 0.94
00:15:33.780 And willful pride one of women's wrath, A baneful sore I shall burn from thee,
00:15:41.580 Tend and heal thee, though hated thou am. 0.99
00:15:47.020 Oughty spake.
00:15:49.140 Of plants I dreamed in the garden drooping, That vain would I have for high to grow,
00:15:56.820 Plucked by the roots and red with blood, They brought them hither and bade me eat.
00:16:04.480 I dreamed my hawks from my hand had flown, Eager for food to an evil house,
00:16:11.580 I dreamed their hearts with honey I ate, Soaked in blood, and heavy my sorrow.
00:16:19.960 Hounds I dreamed from my hand are loosed, Loud in hunger and pain they howled.
00:16:27.760 Their flesh, methought, was eagerness food, And their bodies now I needs must eat.
00:16:35.620 Gutheran spake, Men shall soon of sacrifice speak,
00:16:41.900 And off the heads of beasts shall hew, Die they shall ere day is dawned,
00:16:49.300 A few nights hence, and the folk shall have them.
00:16:53.940 Otley spake.
00:16:58.260 On my bed I sank, nor slumber sought, wary with woe, for well I remember.
00:17:23.940 Thank you.