Svanhildr

Svanhild was the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun in the Volsung Cycle. She married Ermanaric (Jörmunrekkr) the king of the Goths, but was accused of infidelity with the king's son, Randver. Because of this Ermanaric had her trampled to death under horses.

Her mother would make her half-brothers Hamdir and Sörli exact revenge on her death, a story which is retold in Hamðismál and Guðrúnarhvöt, Bragi Boddason's Ragnarsdrápa, in the Völsunga saga and in Gesta Danorum.

Historic basis

Jordanes wrote in 551 that the Gothic king Ermanaric was upset with the attack of a subordinate king and had his young wife Sunilda (i.e. Svanhild) torn apart by four horses, and as revenge Ermanaric was pierced with spears by her brothers Ammius (Hamdir) and Sarus (Sörli) and died from the wounds. The Chronicle of Quedlinburg (end of the 10th century) relates that the brothers Hemidus (Hamdir), Serila (Sörli) and Adaccar (Erp/Odoacer) had cut off the hands of Ermanarik.

Adaptations

Poul Anderson's Time Patrol story, "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth," recounts the story of a time traveler investigating the historical roots of the legends, and finding himself caught up in the original events.