William Morris’s "The Story of Sigurd the Volsung" is an epic poem that retells one of the great legends of Norse mythology, drawing from the Volsunga Saga and the Nibelungenlied. Written in a powerful, archaic style and using a distinctive rhythmic meter, Morris’s work captures the grandeur and tragic fate of its heroes. The narrative begins with the cursed history of the Volsung lineage and follows the life of its greatest champion, Sigurd. It details his forging of the mighty sword Gram, his slaying of the dragon Fafnir, and his acquisition of the cursed hoard of the Nibelungs. The core of the story is the tragic love triangle between Sigurd, the valkyrie Brynhild, and Gudrun, sister of the Niflungs. Through a magical deception, Sigurd is tricked into winning Brynhild for another man, Gunnar, breaking his oath and Brynhild’s heart. This betrayal sets in motion an inexorable cycle of vengeance, jealousy, and murder that consumes the great houses of the Volsungs and the Niflungs. William Morris imbues the tale with a sense of heroic fatalism, where even the bravest and most virtuous of heroes cannot escape the doom woven by the Norns. The poem is a monumental achievement, celebrating the Northern ideals of courage, loyalty, and the stark acceptance of a predetermined fate, all rendered in Morris’s uniquely resonant and musical language.

Table of Contents:

• The Story of Sigurd the Volsung. Part 1

• The Story of Sigurd the Volsung. Part 2

• The Story of Sigurd the Volsung. Part 3