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Atlakvitha

The clashing of weapons,  and weeping of the Huns,Save for Guthrun only,  she wept not everFor her bear-fierce brothers,  or the boys so dear,So young and so unhappy,  whom with Atli she had.
42.[1] Gold did she scatter,  the swan-white one,And rings of red gold  to the followers gave she;The fate she let grow,  and the shining wealth go,Nor spared she the treasure  of the temple itself.
43.[2] Unwise then was Atli,  he had drunk to wildness,No weapon did he have,  and of Guthrun bewared not;Oft their play was better  when both in gladnessEach other embraced  among princes all.
44.[3] With her sword she gave blood  for the bed to drink,

    12 of the Guthrunarhvot. Weapons: the word literally means "good-weaving," and may refer to silken garments, but this hardly fits the noun here rendered "clashing." Wept not: cf. stanza 31 and note.

  1. ↑ Line 1 appears to be in Fornyrthislag. Guthrun distributes Atli's treasure among his followers apparently to prevent their wrath at the slaying of Erp and Eitil from turning against her; Atli, as stanza 43 shows, is too drunk to realize or prevent what she is doing.
  2. ↑ The second half of line 4 is apparently an error, but none of the editorial suggestions have improved it.
  3. ↑ Guthrun allows the dogs and the house-thralls, who had no part in Gunnar's death, to escape before she burns the dwell-

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