Agricultor

1. Sigi and Rerir
The saga begins with a man named Sigi, who, it is said, was a son of Odin. Sigi went hunting with a thrall named Bredi. When Bredi returned with a greater kill, Sigi grew angry and killed him, then buried the body in a snowdrift. Because he had attempted to hide the body, Bredi's act was decreed murder, and he was declared an outlaw [a person living outside the protection ofthe law].
Since that time every large snowdrift has been called a "Bredi's drift."
Following Sigi's condemnation as an outlaw, Odin guided him to a place where many warships lay and provided him with troops. Through his successful raids, Sigi became a powerful king, ruling over Hunland. [According to Snorri Sturluson, Sigi ruled over Frakkland (France).]
Sigi's wife bore him a son namedRerir, who with time became an even more powerful king.
Rerir took for himself a wife, but for a long time she bore him no children. They prayed fervently to the gods, asking for offspring. It is said that Frigg [Odin's wife] heard their prayers and conveyed the wish to Odin, who in turn gave one of his wish-maidens an apple, telling her to give it to Rerir.
The wish maiden assumed the shape of acrow, then dropped the apple onto King Rerir's lap. Sensing its purpose, he visited the queen and ate some of the apple.
2. The Birth of Volsung
Soon afterward the queen discovered that she was with child. King Rerir died a short time later. The queen's pregnancy continued for six years. Recognizing that she herself could not live much longer, she asked that the child be cut from her body. Thiswas done. The child, already well grown kissed his mother, and she died.
The son was named Volsung, and he became King of Hunland.
Volsung married Hljod, and together they had ten sons and one daughter. The eldest son was named Sigmund, and he had a twin sister named Signy.
It is said that King Volsung had an excellent palace built with a large tree growing from the main hall, its branchesstretching through the roof. The tree was named "Barnstock" [child-trunk].
3. The Sword in the Tree
A king named Siggeir ruled in Gautland [in Sweden], and he came to King Volsung to ask for the hand of Princess Signy. Although Signy opposed this match, her father promised her to King Siggeir.
It is told that one evening a stranger [probably Odin] came into the hall. He wore a hooded cape.He was very tall and had only one eye. He approached the tree Barnstock, then drew a sword and thrust it up to the hilt into the trunk, saying, "I give this sword to whoever can pull it from the tree."
With this he turned and walked away. No one knew who he was or where he went.
Many noble men were present there, and one after another they tried to pull the sword from the tree, all withoutsuccess, until Sigmund came forward. He easily pulled the sword from the trunk.
Everyone marveled at the sword's excellent quality, and Siggeir offered to give Sigmund three times the sword's weight in gold for the weapon.
Sigmund refused, saying, "You could have pulled the sword from the tree as easily as I did, if it were meant to be yours, but you were not able to do so."
These words greatlyangered Siggeir, and he resolved to gain revenge against his future brother-in-law.
4. Siggeir's Departure
The next day Siggeir announced his intention to return forthwith to his own country. Signy did not want to go with him, but her father insisted, claiming that there was insufficient cause to break the marriage contract already agreed to. Before leaving, Siggeir invited King Volsung, withall his sons, to visit him in Gautland, and a date for the reunion was set.
5. Volsung's Death
King Volsung and his sons journeyed to Gautland in three ships. Signy met them upon their arrival, and warned them that King Siggeir planned to ambush them. "Return at once to your own kingdom and come back with a large army," she implored her father.
He replied, "It will not be said of me that I...