In Guthrunarkvitha II (“The Second Poem of Guthrun”), Guthrun’s husband Attila has killed her brothers Gunnar and Hogni, but she has not yet avenged them (thus contradicting the story of her immediate vengeance told in Atlakvitha). Guthrun speaks with a king named Thjothrek, telling him about how her brothers killed Sigurth, and about the tragedies that have befallen her since, including the murder of her brothers by Attila. The poem is fairly straightforward, but the reader should keep in mind that Guthrun is recollecting events told in previous poems, often with slight differences and extra details. For example, Guthrun recalls that her brothers killed Sigurth out of jealousy (Brynhild is not mentioned, except as Attila’s sister), and that Guthrun then wandered away from home, spending three and a half years in the company of Thora, daughter of King Hakon of Denmark, before her brothers and mother found her again and gave her a magical potion to make her forget Sigurth and his murder.
King Thjothrek was with Attila and had lost nearly all his men. Thjothrek and Guthrun spoke of their sorrows to one another. This is what Guthrun told Thjothrek:
“MY MOTHER GAVE ME BIRTH in a royal home. I was beautiful, a famous woman. I loved my brothers well, till my father Gjuki adorned me with gold, wrapped me in gold, and gave me to Sigurth.
“And my Sigurth, compared to my brothers, was like a garlic stalk that towers above the grass, or like a tall stag that towers over other beasts, or like ember-hued gold next to tarnished silver.
“But my brothers hated that my husband was a far greater man than they were. They could not sleep, they could barely think, till they brought about the death of Sigurth.
“I heard weapons clash. Grani came home, but Sigurth was not riding him. All the horses ran with sweat; the murderers rode them hard.
“I wept, and I went to speak with Grani, to ask Sigurth’s horse for news. Grani wept, too, he sank to his knees, his head drooped in the grass; the horse knew his lord had fallen.
“I mulled it over so long, I doubted it so long, before I asked Gunnar about Sigurth.
“Gunnar’s head drooped, and Hogni told me of the wounds that caused Sigurth’s death: ‘Your husband, who killed Gotthorm, lies dead across the river, left as food for the wolves.
“‘Look for Sigurth on the road to the south— listen for calling ravens, screaming eagles, howling wolves, all enjoying a meal of your dead husband.’
“‘Oh Hogni, why do you want to tell me, a grieving widow, such horrors? I hope ravens will eat your own heart, far away, across lands no one knows of!’
“Then Hogni answered me, that hard-hearted man, he spoke with real sorrow: ‘It will only be another reason for you to weep, sister, when the ravens eat my own heart.’
“I left on my own, and went into the woods, to find what the wolves had left of Sigurth. I held back my tears— I didn’t wring my hands or cry out like other women, when I sat and starved next to my Sigurth.
“That night was hatefully dark when I sat alone, heartbroken, over Sigurth’s corpse; I would have thought the wolves merciful if they had torn me apart, or if I had been burned like a pile of birch twigs.
“I departed for the mountains, I wandered five days and nights till I came to the high-roofed hall of Half.
“I stayed with Thora, daughter of King Hakon, in Denmark for three and a half years. She tried to comfort me, she sewed scenes of southern halls and Danish swans for me in gold.
“The two of us sewed tapestries, we sewed pictures with great skill. We sewed warriors fighting, and red shields, and helmets and swords, and proud bands of soldiers.
“We sewed Sigmund’s ships departing from shore, we sewed golden helmets, tall ships, we showed in pictures how Sigar and Siggeir fought in the south, on the island of Fyn.
“Then Grimhild, my mother, queen of the Goths, learned what I was doing. She stopped her own sewing, she summoned her sons and she asked which of them would compensate me threefold for my son’s loss, who would repay me for my husband’s loss.
“Gunnar was willing to offer gold to put the matter to rest, and Hogni was, too. Then Grimhild told them that whoever was willing must saddle a horse, and fill a wagon, ride to me with his hawks, shoot arrows from his bow.
“Valdar the Dane went with them, and Jarizleif, Eymoth was the third, and Jarizkar. Those handsome Langobardic kings came in, they had red cloaks, tailored shirts of chainmail, they had pointed helmets, they had swords at their belts, and their hair was chestnut.
“Each of them wanted to give me treasures, to give me treasures, and speak pleasant words; they wanted to know if I would give my brothers peace and forgiveness— but I was still suspicious.
“Then Grimhild brought me a drinking-horn. The drink was eerily cold, and I drank it, and forgot everything. That drink had been enchanted with the earth’s might, with the cold sea and the blood of her sons.
“There were all sorts of runes in that horn, carved there and bloodied, I couldn’t read them. There was a long sea serpent carved on the horn, there was an ear of wheat, there were animal guts.
“Many evil things were mixed into that beer, the blood of all beasts, and burned acorns, and eagle’s blood, and intestines, and boiled pig’s liver, all because she wanted to make me forget.
“And I forgot it all, when I drank that poison beer. In that hall, I forgot my husband’s murder. And three kings came to speak to me, but my mother spoke up first, and said:
“‘Guthrun, my daughter, I give you gold, and all sorts of property, golden rings, the halls of Hlothver, and rich tapestries as inheritance from your father.
“‘And more: Handy Hunnish girls who’ll make golden tapestries to please you. And more: You alone will have the wealth of Buthli— you will be adorned with gold, and married to Attila.’
“I said, ‘I don’t want to marry this man, I don’t want Brynhild’s brother for my husband. It would not suit me to marry Attila, the son of Buthli, nor to bear his children.’
“Grimhild said, ‘Don’t blame Attila for your loss, we were the ones who did you wrong. When you have sons with Attila, you’ll feel as happy as if Sigmund and Sigurth both lived.’
“I said, ‘Mother, I cannot find joy in life, I have no wish to marry Attila, since the ravens and the wolves drank the blood from my Sigurth’s heart.’
“Grimhild said, ‘Attila is a noble-born man; he is the foremost of kings in every respect. You will marry him, and be his wife till old age— or you will be forever without a husband, if you refuse.’
“I said, ‘Do not plead the case of this hateful family to me, not so eagerly. Attila will cause Gunnar great harm; he will cut the heart of Hogni out. And then I will not rest till I have taken the life of my husband.’
“Grimhild wept when she responded, when she heard of the death of her sons, of the great wounds to her sons:
“‘I will give you still more lands and men— have Vinbjorg and Valbjorg, if you will take them! Take them for yours forever and enjoy them, daughter!’
“I said, ‘I will take this king for my husband, since my own nearest kin have forced this choice on me. This man does not take me by my own free will; the sons of my brothers’ killer will not be safe from me.’
“Soon each of the warriors mounted up on horseback, and I, the royal bride, was driven away in a wagon. We rode seven days through a cold land, and the next seven we sailed over the sea, and in the next seven days we walked on dry land.
“Then guardsmen in their high tower drew up the gates, and we rode into the town.
“Attila watched me closely; I must have seemed full of hate to him, thinking of what I had foreseen.
“Attila said, ‘The Norns have sent me a bad dream.’ He said that he wanted me to interpret his nightmare: ‘I thought I saw you, Guthrun, Gjuki’s daughter, stab me with a sword treacherously.’
“I said, ‘When you dream of iron, it’s an omen of fire, to dream of a woman’s wrath is an omen of pride and conceit. I’ll add wood to the fire to chase away the evil, I will gently doctor you, though I hate you.’
“Attila said, ‘I thought I saw branches burn, branches that I wanted to let grow in my garden; they were severed from their roots and reddened in blood, they were brought to my table, and offered to me for food.
“‘I thought that some hawks flew from my hand, they flew unhappily to a horrible final end. I thought I ate their hearts, chewed them up with honey— I was sorrowful, I was covered in blood.
“‘I thought that I let some dogs loose from my hands, and they both howled joylessly. I thought I saw their flesh die and rot, and I was forced to eat them.’
“I said, ‘This means that men will sacrifice, cut the heads from some white beasts. Those sacrificial victims will be kept a few nights, and before the dawn the men will eat them.’
“Attila said, ‘I lay in bed, but I could not sleep, my sleep was restless; I remember it clearly.’”