to the castle. The sleeping maiden awakes when he cuts the armor
from her with his sword, for it was as tight as if grown fast to
the flesh. She hails her deliverer with great joy, for she had
vowed never to marry a man who knew fear. At Sigurd's request
she teaches him many wise precepts, and finally pledges her troth
to him. He then departs, after promising to be faithful to her
and to remember her teachings.

On his journeyings Sigurd soon arrives at the court of "Giuki"
(the Norse form of the German "Gibicho", "Gibich"), a king whose
court lay on the lower Rhine. Giuki has three sons, "Gunnar",
"Hogni", and "Guthorm", and a daughter "Gudrun", endowed with
great beauty. The queen bears the name of Grimhild, and is
versed in magic, but possessed of an evil heart. (4) Sigurd is
received with great honor, for his coming had been announced to
Gudrun in dreams, which had in part been interpreted to her by
Brynhild. The mother, knowing of Sigurd's relations to the
latter, gives him a potion which produces forgetfulness, so that
he no longer remembers his betrothed, and accepts the hand of
Gudrun, which the king offers him at the queen's request. The
marriage is celebrated with great pomp, and Sigurd remains
permanently attached to Giuki's court, performing with the others
many deeds of valor.

Meanwhile Grimhild urges her son Gunnar to sue for the hand of
Brynhild. Taking with him Sigurd and a few others, Gunnar visits
first Brynhild's father "Budli", and then her brother-in-law
"Heimir", from both of whom he learns that she is free to choose
whom she will, but that she will marry no one who has not ridden
through the wall of flame. With this answer they proceed to