FOOTNOTES:
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Sæmundur fróði, Snorri Sturluson, Blackwell, Joseph Andrew, and Thorpe, Benjamin
THE DEATH OF ATLI.
(From a painting by S. Goldberg.)
Atli has been identified as Attila, called in history "the Scourge of God," a king of the Huns who twice defeated the Romans under Theodosius, and plundered the eternal city itself. He was guilty of many excesses and is reported to have died of a hemorrhage on the day following his marriage with Ildico (453). In the story of Seigfried and Brynhild, however, he is represented as having married Gudran, daughter of Grimhild and King Giuki, who it will be recalled by readers of the other volumes of this series, beguiled Siegfried by means of a magic potion, into marriage with her. Her feelings revolted against an alliance with Atli, but she accepted him for a husband in order thereby to obtain the power to gratify her vengeance against Hogni (Hagan), who had assassinated Siegfried.
Source notes
[99] The epithet aringreypr is applied both to benches and helmets (see Strophes 3 and 16). Its meaning is doubtful: it has been rendered iron-bound, brass-bound, hearth-encircling, curved like an eagle's beak, etc. Benches and helmets of ceremony are evidently intended, probably ornamented with brass-work or figures of eagles. But to whichever substantive applied, I take its meaning to be the same.
[100] The messengers of Atli.
[101] The Giukungs.
[102] Gudrun: she had sent, by Atli's messengers, a ring to her brothers, as a warning, in which a wolf's hair was entwined, together with a note in runes, which were falsified by Vingi.
[103] Atli's men.
[104] That is Gunnar himself.
[105] Spears.
[106] The horse.
[107] The original word is eyrskan, a word of doubtful signification.
[108] The serpent-pen.