hero
Grípir
Sigurðr's maternal uncle, the wisest and most far-seeing of men, who foretells the whole of Sigurðr's life in Grípisspá and hesitates before revealing its end.
Grípir is known from one poem, Grípisspá, and exists to foretell. The prose makes him Eylimi's son and brother of Hjördís, so he is Sigurðr's uncle on his mother's side, a king and "of all men the wisest and most forward-seeing" Grípisspá, prose 1. The young Sigurðr rides to his hall and asks what his life will be Grípisspá 6.
Grípir answers step by step: vengeance on Hunding's sons, Fáfnir and Reginn killed, the gold loaded on Grani, the sleeping maiden Grípisspá 9-17. Then he stops. He says he can see no further, and Sigurðr guesses that the rest is too grim to tell Grípisspá 19-22. Pressed, Grípir goes on. He tells of the oaths sworn with Brynhildr and forgotten, Grímhildr's wiles, the exchange of shapes with Gunnarr, the three nights by Brynhildr's side, and Sigurðr's death at the hands of Guðrún's brothers Grípisspá 31-51. Throughout he insists that Sigurðr will not act basely and that his name will live Grípisspá 23 Grípisspá 53.
The poem's main interest today is as a map of the story. It tells in order events that the other poems tell in fragments, some of them in the lost part of the manuscript. It also keeps the sleeping valkyrie and Brynhildr apart, which other sources do not.
In the sources
Quoted from the hosted translations; each line is checked against the text when the site is built. Select a reference to read it in context.
Gripir was the name of Eylimi's son, the brother of Hjordis; he ruled over lands and was of all men the wisest and most forward-seeing.
Thou knowest well that I will not lie,— A day there is when thy death is doomed.
With baseness never thy life is burdened, Hero noble, hold that sure
Where the sources disagree or fall silent
- Grípisspá is generally regarded by scholars as a late poem that summarises the Sigurðr story from other poems.
