DREAMS FOREBODING DEATH. 



4(51 



me that I could scarcely bear it. Then thou gavest a wolfs 

 cub to me, which besprinkled me with the blood of my 

 brothers.' Brynhild answered : 'I will explain what will happen. 

 Sigurd, whom I chose for my husband, will come to you ; 

 Giimhild will give him a mixed mead which will cause heavy 

 trials for all of us ; thou wilt marry him and quickly lose him ; 

 thou wilt marry King Atli ; thou wilt lose thy brothers and 

 slay Atli.' Gudnin said : ' A sore sorrow is it to us to know 

 such things.' They went away home to King Gjiiki " (Vol- 

 suuga, c. 25). 



The following dream foreboded the death of Gisli, who fell 

 after one of the most memorable defences recorded : 



" Gisli laid himself down and tried to sleep, while they (Aud 

 and Gudrid) were awake ; and a sleep came over him. He 

 dreamt that two birds came to the house and fought by 

 stealth ; they were rather larger than cock ptarmigans, and 

 screamed rather loudly ; they were dyed all over in blood. 

 He awoke after this. And (his wife) asked if he had dreamt 

 anything : ' Thy sleep-journeys are not good now,' said she. 

 He sang a song (describing what he had dreamt) " (Gisli 

 Sursson's Saga, p. 95). 



When the brothers Gunnar and Hogni were invited on a 

 visit by King Atli, by whom they were afterwards slain, their 

 wives dreamt bad dreams. Kostbera, Hogni's wife, tells her 

 dream to her husband, and Glaumvor afterwards to hers, in 

 order to dissuade them from going. 



Kostbera. 



It seemed to me thy sheets 

 Burned in fire, 

 And that a high flame 

 Broke through rny house. 



Hogni. 



Here lie linen clothes, 

 For which you care little ; 

 They will soon burn 

 Where thou didst see sheets (burn- 

 ing). 



Kostbera. 



I thought a bear had come in here : 

 He broke the walls ; 



He shook his paws so that 



We were frightened ; 



He caught many of us in his mouth, 



So that we were helpless. 



There was no little 1 



Hard pushing. 



Hogni. 



It is a storm that will rise, 

 And soon become violent; 

 What thou thought'st to be a white 



bear 

 Will be a rainstorm from the east. 



Kostbera. 



T thought an eagle flew in here 

 Through the length of the house : 



1 There was no little hard pushing 

 meaning that there was a fight between 



the men and the bears jostling against 

 each other. 



