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On the question of their passage to the North there are wide differences of opinion. Most scholars agree that there was an earlier and a later passage, the first taking Hild, Ermanric, and the Volsung story; the second, about the twelfth or thirteenth century, the Volsungs again, with perhaps Dietrich and Attila. But there is much disagreement as to the date of the first transmission.
Heimskringla, a thirteenth century history of the royal races of Scandinavia, traces the descent of the Norse kings from her. This Ermanric story, which belongs to legendary history rather than myth, is in reality quite independent of the Volsung or Nibelung cycle.
The historic Ermanric was conquered by the Huns in 374; the sixth century historian Jornandes is the earliest authority for the tradition that he was murdered by Sarus and Ammius in revenge for their sister's death by wild horses. Saxo also tells the story, with greater similarity of names.
It seems hardly necessary to assume, with many scholars, the existence of two heroes of the name Ermanric, an historic and a mythical one. A simpler explanation is that a legendary story became connected with the name of a real personage. The slaying of Erp introduces a common folk-tale incident, familiar in stories like the Golden Bird, told by both Asbjörnsen and Grimm. Helgi.
Ermanric. For examples of legend becoming attached to historical names, see Tylor's Primitive Culture. The Helgi Lays. The Helgi Lays stand before the Volsung set in the MS.; I treat them later for the sake of greater clearness. Helgi and Kara. Hromundar Saga Gripssonar, in which this story is given, is worthless as literature, and has not been recently edited.
In the latter case, the story is pure myth; in the former it is legend, or a mixture of history and legend, as in the Ermanric and Dietrich tales, which have less interest for the mythologist. The curse-bringing treasure, one of the most fruitful Germanic motives, probably has its origin in the custom of burying a dead man's possessions with him.
This accounts for the shortening of the episode and the omission of the intermediate steps: the robbing of the dwarf, the curse, and the dragon-slaying. Ermanric. The two poems of Gudrun's Lament and Hamthismal, in the Edda attached to the Volsung cycle, belong correctly to that of the Gothic hero Ermanric.
As divided in most editions the poems connected with the Volsung cycle, including the two on Ermanric, are fifteen in number: Gripisspa. Reginsmal, Fafnismal, Sigrdrifumal, a continued narrative compiled from different sources. Sigurd Fragment, on the death of Sigurd. First Gudrun Lay, on Gudrun's mourning, late. Brynhild's Hellride, a continuation of the preceding.
Oddrun's Lament, in which Gunnar's death is caused by an intrigue with Atli's sister Oddrun, marks the disintegration of the Volsung legend. Gudrun's Lament and Hamthismal belong to the Ermanric cycle. Volsung Paraphrases. Nibelungenlied. Signy and Siggeir.
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