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Poetic Edda

The Burgundians' king,  and fast they bound him.
20.[1] Hogni slew seven  with sword so keen,And an eighth he flung  in the fire hot;A hero should fight  with his foemen thus,As Hogni strove  in Gunnar's behalf.
21.[2] ....................................The leader they asked  if his life he fainWith gold would buy,  the king of the Goths.
  Gunnar spake:22.[3] "First the heart of Hogni  shall ye lay in my hands,

    may belong after stanza 20. Burgundians' king: the phrase may mean "Burgundians' men," i.e., they bound all the Burgundians who were left alive after the battle. This is the only place in the poems in which the name "Burgundian" appears; that the poet had no very clear conception of its meaning is indicated by the fact that in stanza 21 he calls Gunnar "king of the Goths."

  1. Apparently a Fornyrthislag stanza, though most editions have attempted to expand the lines into Malahattr. The exploits of Hogni (Hagene), with the names of many of his victims, are told in the Nibelungenlied. The fire: in the Nibelungenlied Kriemhild has the hall set on fire, and the Burgundians fight amid the flames. Line 4 is clearly defective, and some editors regard the name "Gunnar" as all that is left of the first two lines of stanza 21.
  2. Again apparently the remains of a Fornyrthislag stanza. Editors have attempted various combinations of the lines. Gold: presumably Sigurth's treasure.
  3. The manuscript does not indicate the speaker; perhaps a first line similar to line 1 of stanza 24 should appear here. Some editors, however, assume that a line is missing after line 3.

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