Brynhild is another main character of the Völsung saga. She is a shieldmaiden, which means a female warrior in Germanic mythology.
Yet we twain together
Shall wear through the ages
Sigurd and I.
That's what her prophecy says, and we can say that it has been fulfilled.
But her story starts before Sigurd's arrival. As the Völsung saga says, Odin punished her because in the fight between two kings she and Odin had chosen different kings to support, and she had killed the king, supported by Odin, so he made her sleep until any man comes and awakens her.
The man who saved her, as we can guess, was Sigurd. He fell in love with Brynhild and swore to make her his bride. But unfortunately, it was never to happen. Being under enchantment, he forgot his beloved Brynhild and married another woman, Gudrun. Later Brynhild became a wife of Gudrun's brother, Gunnar, and Sigurd helped him in his matchmaking. For some time, both couples lived happily, but one day Brynhild learnt about the deception, practiced upon her: Sigurd exchanged shapes with Gunnar and claimed Brynhild's hand, and they stayed there three nights. Aftern Brynhild learnt it all, she decided to get back at Sigurd, did it, and then killed herself.
According to what we know about her life, we can say that Brynhild was strong and forceful. The story about her punishment is quite revealing here. Brynhild was punished by Odin and forced to marry, but instead of accepting her fate she changed the circumstances. Even though Odin and her father forced Brynhild to marry, she retained the freedom of choice in the matter. Odin allowed her to vow only to marry a fearless man, and King Budlu gave her the right to choose her husband. The fact that Brynhild could change Odin’s vow shows how much power she had over her own fate. Brynhild made her own standards for possible future husbands. Her standards were nearly impossible, she tried to ensure that she would never have to marry. Therefore, if she didn’t have to marry she could keep the warrior lifestyle she desired.
Brynhild was a passionate and impressive person. Sigurd thought that there wasn't a wiser woman than Brynhild in the entire world. She taught Sigurd "the lore of mighty matters".
She was quite knowledgeable in what the future would bring too. When Sigurd proposed to her, she prophesied:
"It is not fated that we should abide together; I am a shield-may, and wear helm on head even as the kings of war, and them full oft I help, neither is the battle become loathsome to me."
Sigurd answered, "What fruit shall be of our life, if we live not together: harder to bear this pain that lies hereunder, than the stroke of sharp sword."
Brynhild answers, "I shall gaze on the hosts of the war kings, but thou shalt wed Gudrun, the daughter of Giuki."
Brynhild was merciless than she learnt the truth about her matchmaking and marriage. "For this shalt thou pay, in that hast got Sigurd, - nowise can I see thee living in the bliss thereof, whereas thou hast him, and the wealth and the might of him."
She was grieving very hard because of her shame.
"…so whereas I made a vow unto my father, that him alone would I love who was the noblest man alive, and that this is none save Sigurd, lo, now have I broken my oath and brought it to naught, since he is none of mine, and for this cause shall I compass thy death; and a great reward of evil things have I wherewith to reward Grimhild;--never, I wot, has woman lived eviler or of lesser heart than she."
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"Heed it not! For never again seest thou me glad in thine hall, never drinking, never at the chess-play, never speaking the words of kindness, never over-laying the fair cloths with gold, never giving thee good counsel; - ah, my sorrow of heart that I might not get Sigurd to me!"
After Sigurd's murder, she killed herself as she wanted to be united with Sigurd, her beloved, in death.
"When the bale was all ablaze, thereunto was Brynhild borne out, when she had spoken with her bower-maidens, and bid them take the gold that she would give; and then died Brynhild, and was burned there by the side of Sigurd, and thus their life-days ended."
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