Grimhild

[[File:]][1] In Norse mythology, Grimhild was a beautiful but evil woman. She was married to king [[Giuki]], kind of southern Rhine, Burgundy. She had three sons named; Gunnar, Hogni, Guttorm, and a daughter Gudrun. She is the sorceress who gave Sigurd a magic potion that makes him forget that he ever married his wifeBrünnehilde, so that he will marryGudrun, her daughter. But she didn't stop there. She wanted her son Gunnar to marry Brünnehilde, but she refused to marry him, and she would only marry the man who could cross the ring of flames she put up around herself. So Grimhild talks Sigurd into helping Gunnar marry Brünnehilde. Since Sigurd was the only one who could cross the flames him and Gunnar switched bodies, so Gunnar's body could cross the flames. Brünnehilde then married Gunnar, because she made a promise. When Brünnehilde learned that Sigurd had betrayed her with another woman (Gudrun), not knowing he had been bewitched into doing so by Grimhild, she was out to get revenge. She ended up killing Sigurd and herself by the end of the saga. But Grhimhild didn't stop there. Then she made Gudrun marry Atli, which is Brünnehilde's brother. Gudrun didn't want to marry him because she knew he would end up killing her brothers. This was the last that we hear of Grimhild is the Volsunga Saga.

The name was also given to another beautiful, evil sorceress woman who married king Áli of Alfheim (modern Bohuslän) in Illuga saga Gríðarfóstra. King Ali had a daughter before he married Grimhild, named Signy. Signy had a daughter with a king she had married but he died in battle, so she returned home to her father, with her daughter. She poisoned the king and then had ruled the kingdom in such an evil manner that it was laid waste. Grimhild then banned Signey and Hildr, her daughter, from the kingdom and put a curse on them, that they would have to live in a cave. Everyman that came would fall in love with Hildr, and then Signey would have to kill them, until one man isn't afraid. Sixteen men later, IIugi comes along and isn't afraid. Hildr had put a curse on Grimhild, that one side of her leg and freeze on the other. When Signey and Hildr's curse was broken, Grimhild fell into the fire and died. IIuga then married Hildr.


References

  1. ^ http://www.timelessmyths.com/norse/witches.html#Grimhild

Byock, Jesse L. The Saga of the Volsungs: the Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer. Berkeley, CA: University of California, 1990. Print.