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Hunding kills Siegmund, by Arthur Rackham

Hunding was the name of three characters in Norse mythology:

1. A Swedish king in Gesta Danorum (book 2), who corresponds to Fjölnir in other sources.
2. A man who challenged the Danish king Frodo on a duel and died in Gesta Danorum.
3. The villainous Hunding, who was slain by Helgi Hundingsbane. He appears together with his sons as Sigmund's killer in the Völsunga saga and in the Poetic Edda. Although, he does not appear in the Nibelungenlied, Richard Wagner introduced him in his Die Walküre. He also appears as the third Hunding in Gesta Danorum (book 2) and who was the son of Syrik, the king of the Saxons. Hunding was killed in a duel by the Danish king Helgi (who corresponds to Halga in Beowulf). For this Helgi earned the cognomen Hundingsbane.

Helgakviða Hundingsbana I

In Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, Sigmund's son Helgi kills Hunding the king of Hundland, and earns the name Helgi Hundingsbane. Stanza 10:

Skamt lét vísi vígs at bíða; þá er fylkir var fimtán vetra, ok hann harðan lét Hunding veginn þann er lengi réð löndum ok þegnum.

Short time for war the chieftain waited, When fifteen winters old he was; Hunding he slew, the hardy wight Who long had ruled o'er lands and men.[1]

Hunding's sons kill Sigmund and his father-in-law, Eylimi. Sigurd then takes revenge.

Helgakviða Hundingsbana II

Helgakviða Hundingsbana II tells that Sigmund and Hunding were in a bloody feud. Helgi who would become Hundingsbane went to Hunding's home in disguise to spy. Only Heming, one of Hunding's sons were at home.

Helgi seems to have stayed at Hunding's place in the name of Hamal, the son of Hagal, but feeling secure he tells who he is. Hunding then sends men to Hagal to search for Helgi, and Helgi has to put on the clothes of a female servant and work in the mill. Hunding's men could not find Helgi. Later Helgi managed to kill Hunding and earned his name Hundingsbane. Eventually, he also killed Hunding's sons Alf, Eyolf, Hjorvarth and Hervarth.

When Helgi himself died, he went to Valhalla. He could do what he wanted with Hunding, and so he ordered Hunding to do the most humiliating chores, in stanza 40:

Þú skalt, Hundingr, hverjum manni fótlaug geta ok funa kynda, hunda binda, hesta gæta, gefa svínum soð áðr sofa gangir.

A "Thou shalt, Hunding, of every hero Wash the feet, and kindle the fire, Tie up dogs, and tend the horses, And feed the swine ere to sleep thou goest.[2]

Völsunga saga

Sigmund now returns home and rules as a mighty king. He marries Borghild, who later kills Sinfiotli with a poisoned drink, and is cast away by Sigmund. He then marries Hjordis. Lyngvi, the son of King Hunding, was also a suitor and now invades Sigmund's land. The latter hews down many of his enemies, until an old man with one eye, in hat and dark cloak, interposes his spear, against which Sigmund's sword breaks in two. Sigmund falls severely wounded.

In the night Hjordis seeks the scene of the combat and finds Sigmund still alive. He refuses to allow her to heal his wounds, saying that Odin no longer wills that he swing the sword. He tells Hjordis to preserve carefully the pieces of the broken sword; the son she bears in her womb shall yet swing the sword when welded anew, and win thereby a glorious name. At dawn Sigmund dies. Hjordis is borne off by Vikings and, after the birth of her son, she becomes the wife of the Danish prince Alf.

The son of Hjordis was called Sigurd. He grew up a boy of wondrous strength and beauty, with eyes that sparkled brightly, and lived at the court of King Hjalprek, the father of Alf. Regin, the dwarfish brother of Fafnir, was his tutor. Regin welds together the pieces of the broken sword Gram, so sharp and strong that with it Sigurd cleaves Regin's anvil in twain. With men and ships that he has received from King Hjalprek Sigurd goes against the sons of Hunding, whom he slays, thereby avenging the death of his father.

Norna-Gests þáttr

In Norna-Gests þáttr, it is told that Helgi killed Hunding. The latter's sons avenged their father's death by killing Sigmund and his father-in-law Eylimi. Then it is told in detail of the war between Sigurd and the sons of Hunding, where the latter fell.

Die Walküre

Wotan has intercourse with an earthly woman, who gives birth to the twins Siegmund and Sieglinde. The mother is killed and Sieglinde is taken away. Siegmund has to wander alone in the forest, and many years later he arrives at Hunding's house. Hunding had kidnapped Sieglinde, but the two twins don't recognize each other, although they feel a mutual attraction. Hunding then comes home, and promises Siegmund that he can stay during the night according to the laws of hospitality. However, when the morning comes, they will fight and let the weapons decide. Sieglinde gives Hunding a sleeping potion, and she tells Siegmund of a sword that Wotan has stuck into a tree trunk at Hunding's house. Only the strongest can pull it out. Many have tried but so far no one has succeeded. Siegmund then understands that they are brother and sister. He pulls it out of the tree and calls it Nothung.

Wotan commands his favourite daughter Brünnhilde that Siegmund shall die in the forthcoming fight. However, Brünnhilde senses Wotan's innermost desire and defies him. Siegmund adores Sieglinde and wants to stay with her as long as possible. But, he has to fight Hunding. During the battle, Wotan appears in person, Nothung is shattered and Siegmund dies. template:Odin