VIII. _Starkath had committed a foul murder._ For this story see Saxo Grammaticus, _Dan. Hist._, p. 314 ff. Saxo says that the rule of King Ali or Ole was so hateful to the Zealanders that twelve of their generals resolved to put him to death, bribing Starkath to join them. Although a personal friend of Ole, Starkath agreed to do so, and murdered him in his bath. He afterwards repented bitterly, "and to atone for his crime slew some of those who had inspired him to it." _Travels._ I have followed the reading _fera_, 'travels,' adopted by Wilken, not _frÊnda_, as in the _Fornaldar Sˆgur_, ed. by ¡smundarson. The latter would read: "The King wanted him to tell him much more about the history of his relatives." IX. _Germans say_, etc. For the German story of the murder of Sigurth see the _Nibelungenlied_, str. 985 ff. _Guthr˙narrÊtha._ This is no doubt the poem commonly called _Gur˙narkvia hin forna_, the opening of which narrates how Sigurth's horse came home riderless. _Brynhild and the ogress chanted_, etc. The following lay is found in the _Edda Poems_ under the title of _Helrei Brynhildar_ ('The Hell-ride of Brynhild'). _From the Land of the Romans_, lit. 'From Valland'--the 'land of the Valar,' i.e. the Celts or Romans. Here the reference is doubtless to the Roman territories on the west bank of the Rhine. In the _Nibelungenlied_, Gunther (i.e. Gunnar) is represented as reigning at Worms. Cf. p. 232 below. _Assigned me a home_, etc. In the _Codex Regius_ of the _Edda Poems_ this passage runs as follows: "The courageous king had my swan-form and those of my eight sisters carried beneath an oak." _Hjalmgunnar._ See _Sigrdrifum·l_, the prose following str. 4. "She (i.e. Sigrdrifa) said that two kings were fighting. One was called Hjalmgunnar. He was old at that time, but a very great warrior, and Othin had promised him victory; but the other was called Agnar, the brother of Autha, whom no being would protect. Sigrdrifa (who was a valkyrie) slew Hjalmgunnar in battle, but Othin pierced her with a sleep-producing thorn in punishment for this," etc. _Fafnir_ was the serpent who guarded the gold hoard on GnÌtahei till Sigurth slew him and carried off the treasure. _All too long_, etc. In the _Codex Regius_ of the _Edda Poems_ this passage runs as follows: "For far too long a time (? for ever) will women and men be born into the world to overwhelming sorrow."