The Story of the Volsungs is an epic work by William Morris, numbering over 10,000 lines and notable for inspiring the high fantasy literature of J. R. R. Tolkien and other famous authors. In his lifetime, Morris was praised by contemporaries for this poem, inspired by the existing legends of Nibelungenlied and the Volsungs, dating to the Middle Ages. The warrior society these tales depict are thought to have a reasonable measure of grounding in the reality of Nordic life as it was during antiquity; a martial culture, where strength and iron playing their pivotal part. We are introduced to the legend with a wedding; King Volsung's daughter Signy marries Siggeir, king of the Goths. However the God Odin, disguised as an elderly man of benign appearance, enters the ceremony and drives a blade into a tree trunk. Inviting everyone in the room to draw their swords in response, it is to the shock of those attending the ceremony that only Sigmund, a young and otherwise undistinguished man, is able to do so.

The Story of the Volsungs is an epic work by William Morris, numbering over 10,000 lines and notable for inspiring the high fantasy literature of J. R. R. Tolkien and other famous authors. In his lifetime, Morris was praised by contemporaries for this poem, inspired by the existing legends of Nibelungenlied and the Volsungs, dating to the Middle Ages. The warrior society these tales depict are thought to have a reasonable measure of grounding in the reality of Nordic life as it was during antiquity; a martial culture, where strength and iron playing their pivotal part. We are introduced to the legend with a wedding; King Volsung's daughter Signy marries Siggeir, king of the Goths. However the God Odin, disguised as an elderly man of benign appearance, enters the ceremony and drives a blade into a tree trunk. Inviting everyone in the room to draw their swords in response, it is to the shock of those attending the ceremony that only Sigmund, a young and otherwise undistinguished man, is able to do so.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1864 Edition.

Uspak asks to live with Odd; Odd agrees because of Uspak's connections even though he is aware of the man's bad reputation. Things go well until Odd wants to take a trip to go trading. He has to talk Uspak into becoming his steward and priest, although Uspak actually wants to do those things. While Odd is away, Uspak woos a rich woman named Swala and moves to her lands after a falling-out with Odd over the priesthood after Odd comes home. Odd tries to bring Uspak to trial but makes a legal mistake and fails. Going home disappointed, Odd meets his father, who promises to take on the case if paid what Odd would have paid anybody else who could have fixed things. Ufeig gets the jury to agree to do what they want to do, condemn somebody as infamous as Uspak, and get paid into the bargain, in spite of the legal technicality. The bribe is suspected by Thorarin, father of Uspak's wife, and his friend Styrmir, and they form an alliance with six other men to take Odd to court and hopefully fine him of all his money.