Svanhild (Swanhild)

Svanhild or Swanhild was the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun. Svanhild was the sister of Sigmund Sigurdarson, as well as half-sister of Aslaug, the daughter of Sigurd and Brynhild. After Sigurd's death, Gudrun took her daughter to Denmark, where she was brought up in the court of Alf, Sigurd's stepfather.

Svanhild was so beautiful that the aged king, Jormunrek, wooed her. Gudrun agreed to her marriage to the king. However, she was in love with Randver, Jormunrek's son. Jormunrek's advisor Bikki betrayed them by revealing their secret to Jormunrek. Jormunrek killed his own son while Svanhild was trampled to death by horses. At first, the horses were unwilling to harm Svanhild, because she had inherited her father's eyes – a very penetrating gaze.

Gudrun asked her three sons to King Jonakr - Hamdir, Sorli, and Erp - to avenge their half-sister's death. During their journey, his brothers accidentally killed Erp. Hamdir and Sorli managed to maim Jormunrek, but the king's men killed the brothers.

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Historically or in Germanic legend, Svanhild was identified with Sunilda, wife of chieftain of the Rosomoni. When the failed to aid the Goths against the Huns, Ermanaric (Jormunrek) captured Sunilda and had her torn to pieces by wild horses. Her brothers, Sarus and Ammius, tried to avenge her death by killing Ermanaric. They only managed to wound Ermanaric.