Who Is King Volsung (Völsung)?
The king who gave the Volsungs their name
King Volsung is the ruler of Hunaland and the founding figure of the Volsung family, which gives the Saga of the Volsungs its name. He descends from Sigi, said to be a son of Odin, so his line carries the blood of a god.
His father, King Rerir, and his mother, the queen, could not have children and prayed to the gods. A messenger in the form of a crow brought them an apple, and after the queen ate it she became pregnant. Yet the child was slow to come, and Volsung was born only after six years. As king, he built his hall around the great tree Barnstokkr and had ten sons and one daughter.
When his daughter Signy begs him to call off her marriage, he refuses, saying it would be shameful to break a promise once given. His devotion to his word and his honor becomes a major turning point in the story.
