Guðrúnarkviða III, a reading
Episode Stats
Harmful content
Misogyny
1
sentences flagged
Hate speech
13
sentences flagged
Summary
Guthrun Arkvitha III, the third lay of Guthrun, the wife accused of faithlessness who proves her innocence by the test of boiling water, is a poem written in the early 11th century by a Norwegian poet.
Transcript
00:00:00.000
Guthrun Arkvitha III, the third lay of Guthrun.
00:00:25.240
The short Guthron Archivitia III, entitled in the manuscript simply Guthron Archivitia,
00:00:32.900
but so numbered in most editions to distinguish it from the first and second Guthron Lays,
00:00:41.960
It is neither quoted nor paraphrased in the Vilsunga Saga,
00:00:46.700
the compilers of which appear not to have known the story with which it deals.
00:00:51.260
The poem as we have it is evidently complete and free from serious interpolations.
00:00:58.220
It can safely be dated from the first half of the 11th century,
00:01:02.560
for the ordeal by boiling water, with which it is chiefly concerned,
00:01:07.180
was first introduced into Norway by St. Olaf, who died in 1030,
00:01:12.940
and the poem speaks of it in stanza 7, as still of foreign origin.
00:01:18.080
The material for the poem evidently came from North Germany, but there is little indication
00:01:25.760
that the poet was working on the basis of a narrative legend already fully formed.
00:01:30.700
The story of the wife accused of faithlessness, who proves her innocence by the test of boiling
00:01:36.980
water, had long been current in Germany, as elsewhere, and had attached itself to various
00:01:44.420
women of legendary fame, but not except in this poem, so far as we can judge, to Guthrun
00:01:51.280
Kremhild. The introduction of Theodhric, Theodhric, and Dietrich, Theodhric, is another introduction
00:02:01.700
of relative lateness, for the legends of Theodhric do not appear to have reached the north materially
00:02:13.080
On the anachronism of bringing Theodoric to Otley's court,
00:02:17.260
see Guternecvitha II, introductory prose, note,
00:02:22.440
in which the development of the Theodoric tradition
00:02:25.020
in its relation to that of Otley is briefly outlined.
00:02:38.940
with the names of Guthrum, Atli, Theothrek, and Herkja
00:02:43.700
incorporated for the sake of greater effectiveness.
00:02:47.680
Its story probably nowhere formed a part of the living tradition
00:02:54.840
but the poem has so little distinctively Norse coloring
00:02:58.380
that it may possibly have been based on a story
00:03:02.100
or even a poem which is composed of a herd in Germany
00:03:12.940
Herkia was the name of a serving-woman of Atli's.
00:03:21.180
She told Atli that she had seen Þothrek and Guthrin both together.
00:03:30.200
Then Guthrin said, What sorrow, Atli, Boothli's son!
00:03:38.300
I laughest thou never, it would better befit the warrior Thar to speak with men, and me
00:03:46.960
Otley spake, It troubles me, Guthrun, Gyuki's daughter, what Herkia here in the hall hath
00:03:54.640
told me, that thou in the bed with Sothrak liest, beneath the linen and lover's guise.
0.75
00:04:03.740
Gutheran spake, This shall I with oaths now swear,
0.99
00:04:08.360
Swear by the sacred stone so white, That naught was there with Throthra Mar's son,
0.90
00:04:18.960
Nor ever once did my arms embrace The hero brave, the leader of hosts.
00:04:24.600
In another manner our meeting was, What our sorrows we in secret told.
00:04:30.640
Thirty warriors to Arthrae came, Nor of all his men doth one remain.
0.54
00:04:36.960
Thou hast murdered my brothers, and mare-clad men,
0.76
00:04:44.180
Gunnar comes not, Hogni I greet not, No longer I see my brothers loved.
0.88
00:04:50.560
My sorrow would Hogni avenge with the sword, Now myself for my woes I shall payment win.
0.98
00:05:00.640
for be the boiling kettle can hollow seven hundred there were in the hall ere the queen her hand in the kettle thrust to the bottom she reached with hands so bright and forth she brought the flashing stones
00:05:17.640
BEHOLD, YE WARRIORS, WELL AM I CLEARED, OF SIN BY THE KETTLE'S SACRED BOILING.
00:05:27.020
THEN ATLI'S HEART IN HAPPINESS LAUGHED, WHEN GUTHRON'S HAND UNHURT HE SAW.
0.88
00:05:33.380
NOW HERKYA SHALL COME THE KETTLE TO TRY, SHE WHO GREEF FOR GUTHRON PLANNED.
00:05:45.620
How burned were the hands of Herkia then, In a bog so foul the maiden they flung,
0.97