| “ | And I said to him that I had made a vow in my turn, that I would never marry a man who knew the meaning of fear.
— Brynhildr, Sigrdrífumál
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Also known as Brunhild and Brunhilda, Brynhildr is a valkyrie that appears in Norse mythology and poetry. She features most notably in the The Völsunga Saga as the lover of the hero Sigurd and the eventual cause of his downfall.
Originally a human shieldmaiden, Brynhildr was taken by Odin to serve him as a valkyrie. As a child, Brynhildr had sworn an oath of loyalty to a king. This caused Brynhildr to intervene on the king's behalf in a battle that Odin desired to be won by the king's enemies. As punishment, Odin placed a curse on Brynhildr which caused her to sleep in a ring of fire until rescued by a hero brave enough to pass through the flames, whom she would then marry. Brynhildr was eventually discovered by Sigurd, a famous hero and dragonslayer. Sigurd braved the flames and awakened Brynhildr, but left her after promising to return and marry her.
Sigurd was later drugged by the wife of a king with a potion that caused him to forget about Brynhildr and marry her daughter, Gudrun. He was convinced to rescue Brynhildr while disguised as Gunnar, Gudrun's brother. Disappointed that Sigurd did not return for her, Brynhildr agreed to marry Gunnar. One day, while bathing with Brynhildr, Gudrun revealed the trickery behind her rescue. Feeling betrayed, Brynhildr confronted Sigurd. His memories returned and he offered to elope with Brynhildr, but she refused. Instead, she ordered Gunnar to have Sigurd murdered in his bed. Gunnar did as he was told. Full of regret and despair, Brynhildr killed herself on Sigurd's funeral pyre.
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