After the death of Brynhild there were made two bale-fires, the one for Sigurth, and that burned first, and on the other was Brynhild burned, and she was on a
wagon which was covered with a rich cloth. Thus it is told, that Brynhild went in the wagon on Hel-way, and passed by a house where dwelt a certain giantess.
The giantess spake:
1. "Thou shalt not further | forward fare,
My dwelling ribbed | with rocks across;
More seemly it were | at thy weaving to stay,
Than another's husband | here to follow.
2. "What wouldst thou have | from Valland here,
Fickle of heart, | in this my house?
Gold-goddess, now, | if thou wouldst know,
Heroes' blood | from thy hands hast washed."
Brynhild spake:
3. "Chide me not, woman | from rocky walls,
Though to battle once | I was wont to go;
Better than thou | I shall seem to be,
When men us two | shall truly know."
The giantess spake:
4. "Thou wast, Brynhild, | Buthli's daughter,
For the worst of evils | born in the world;
To death thou hast given | Gjuki's children,
And laid their lofty | house full low."
Brynhild spake:
5. "Truth from the wagon | here I tell thee,
Witless one, | if know thou wilt
How the heirs of Gjuki | gave me to be
joyless ever, | a breaker of oaths.
[Prose. The prose follows the last stanza of Sigurtharkvitha en skamma without break. Two bale-fires: this contradicts
the statement made in the concluding stanzas of Sigurtharkvitha en skamma, that Sigurth and Brynhild were burned on the
same pyre; there is no evidence that the annotator here had anything but his own mistaken imagination to go on.
2. Valland: this name ("Land of Slaughter") is used else where of mythical places; cf. Harbarthsljoth, 24, and prose
introduction to Völundarkvitha; it may here not be a proper name at all, Gold-goddess: poetic circumlocution for "woman."]
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Eftir dauða Brynhildar váru gör bál tvau, annat Sigurði, ok brann þat fyrr, enn Brynhildr var á öðru brennd,
ok var hon í reið þeiri, er guðvefjum var tjölduð. Svá er sagt, at Brynhildr ók með reiðinni á helveg ok fór
um tún, þar er gýgr nökkur bjó. Gýgrin kvað:
1. "Skaltu í gögnum ganga eigi
grjóti studda garða mína,
betr semði þér borða at rekja
heldr en vitja vers annarrar.
2. Hvat skaltu vitja af Vallandi,
hvarfúst höfuð, húsa minna?
Þú hefir, Vár gulls, ef þik vita lystir,
mild af höndum manns blóð þvegit."
Brynhildr kvað:
3. "Bregðu eigi mér, brúðr ór steini,
þótt ek værak í víkingu;
ek mun okkur æðri þykkja,
hvars menn eðli okkart kunna."
Gýgrin kvað:
4. "Þú vart, Brynhildr Buðla dóttir,
heilli verstu í heim borin;
þú hefir Gjúka of glatat börnum
ok búi þeira brugðit góðu."
Brynhildr kvað:
5. "Ek mun segja þér svinn ór reiðu
vitlaussi mjök, ef þik vita lystir,
hvé gerðu mik Gjúka arfar
ástalausa ok eiðrofa.
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