Atlamál

"Atlamál in grœnlenzku" ("The Greenlandic Lay of Atli") is one of the heroic poems of the "Poetic Edda". It relates the same basic story as "Atlakviða" at greater length and in a different style. The poem is believed to have been composed in Greenland, most likely in the 12th century.

Plot

Plotting to kill his brothers-in-law, Atli dispatches messengers to Gunnarr and Högni, the sons of Gjúki, with an invitation to his hall. [Stanza 2. All stanza numbers refer to Dronke's edition. See Dronke 1969:77-98.] Guðrún, daughter of Gjúki and Atli's wife, learns about the plot [Stanza 3.] and sends a runic message to her brothers but the runes are corrupted by one of the messengers, Vingi. [Stanza 4.] Nevertheless, Kostbera, Högni's wife, discerns from the runes that something is wrong and warns Högni. [Stanzas 9-12.] Högni dismisses her fears but she persists and describes dreadful dreams she has had, interpreting them as warnings. Högni remains unmoved and explains the dreams away. [Stanzas 14-19.] Glaumvör, Gunnarr's wife, has also had bad dreams which she describes to her husband, who also attempts to explain them away. [Stanzas 20-25.] Eventually Gunnarr admits that their lives may be short but tells Glaumvör that he cannot evade his doom. [Stanza 26.] The brothers set out to Atli with only three companions. [Stanzas 27-29.] The women follow the brothers to a fjord where their ways must part. Glaumvör reminds Vingi of the sanctity due to a guest and he swears that there is no deception. [Stanzas 29-31.] Kostbera and Högni say farewell to each other and the men row away. [Stanzas 33-35.]

As the brothers and their companions arrive at Atli's door, Vingi admits to his treachery and is promptly slain. [Stanzas 36-39.] Atli then attacks the five guests with a force of 30. The battle rages for hours and Guðrún joins it on the side of her brothers, throwing away her jewelry. [Stanzas 40-50.] Finally the children of Gjúki are overpowered, having slain 18 of Atli's warriors. [Stanza 50-51.] Atli trades accusations with his wife [Stanzas 52-55.] and orders the execution of Gunnarr and Högni. [Stanza 56.] Following a comical episode with Hjalli, Atli's cook, [Stanzas 58-61.] Atli has the brothers executed. Högni dies laughing while Gunnarr dies playing a harp with his toes. [Stanzas 62-64.]

Atli discusses matters with Guðrún. She tells him that things will go badly for him unless he kills her too. He tries to console her by promising precious gifts and she pretends to relent, asking Atli for a great ale-feastto commemorate her brothers. [Stanzas 65-73.] Guðrún then kills their two sons and has the unsuspecting Atli use their heads as drinking vessels and eat their roasted hearts. [Stanzas 74-81.] Later Guðrún kills Atli with the aid of Hniflungr, son of Högni. The final part of the poem consists of exchanges between Guðrún and Atli. Guðrún recalls her glorious past when she went harrying with Sigurðr and her brothers. Atli recalls his marriage proposal to Guðrún and how she was never content in their marriage, despite all their riches. [Stanzas 85-99.] In the end he asks Guðrún to give him an honorable burial and she agrees. [Stanzas 100-101.] She then attempts suicide and fails. [Stanza 102.] The poem ends on a note that any man who begets such offspring as Gjúki is fortunate. [Stanza 103.]

Date and provenance

Both "Atlamál" and "Atlakviða" are referred to as "Greenlandic" poems in the Codex Regius. Most scholars believe "Atlakviða" to be older than the Norse colony in Greenland and reject a Greenlandic origin for that poem. [Dronke 1969:45.] Atlamál, on the other hand, is believed to be of an age consistent with composition in Greenland. Moreover, some aspects of the poem itself are suggestive of Greenland. In particular one of Kostbera's ominous dreams has a realistic description of a polar bear. The grim tone of the poem is also consistent with what is known of the Greenland settlement. The relatively mean conditions of the chieftains in the poem—the Niflungar, for example, have only 10 retainers—have also been taken as strengthening the case for an origin in Greenlandic culture. [Dronke 1969:107-10.]

Notes

References

* Dronke, Ursula (Ed. & trans.) (1969). "The Poetic Edda", vol. I, "Heroic Poems". Oxford: Clarendon. ISBN 0-19-811497-4.
* Hollander, Lee M. (trans.) (1962). "The Poetic Edda". Austin: University of Texas. ISBN 0-292-76499-5.
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe35.htm Atlamol en grönlenzku] Translation and commentary by Henry A. Bellows
* [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/poetic2/038_01.php The Groenland Lay of Atli] Translation by Benjamin Thorpe
* [http://etext.old.no/Bugge/atlamal.html Atlamál hin grœnlenzku] Sophus Bugge's edition of the manuscript text
* [http://www.heimskringla.no/original/edda/atlamal.php Atlamál in grænlenzku] Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling