Myth Final Assignment- Brittney Henley

Brynhild and Sigurd Mighty Odin banished the beautiful Valkyrie Brynhild to the earth for defying him by helping her half-brother Siegmund. There he condemned her to lie defenseless on a mountaintop. After some time, Odin's wrath softened so he cast a charmed sleep over Brynhild and encircled her with a protective fire. He decreed that the Valkyrie Brynhild could only be saved from this fate by a brave mortal hero. And then came the brave mortal hero... Sigurd climbed the mountain to find the beautiful maiden sleeping in a ring of fire. Struck by her beauty, he moved forth mysteriously protected from the flames and crossed the circle of fire to claim the fallen Valkyrie. Sigurd broke the charmed sleep and he and Brynhild immediately fell deeply in love with each other. The call of adventure came for Sigurd and before he left he gave Brynhild his treasured gold ring, Andvarinaut. But this ring carried a curse - a curse that would bring tragedy to the unsuspecting lovers. While away on his journey Sigurd met Grimhild, the Queen of the Niebelungs, who was also a powerful sorceress. She gave Sigurd some magic mead to drink causing him to lose his memory and from this he forgot his love for Brynhild and married Grimhild's daughter, Gudrun. He then helped Gunner win Brynhild in marriage. Upon learning of Sigurd's betrayal, Brynhild sought vengeance on him so she encouraged Gunner, who coveted Sigurd's treasure, to kill Sigurd. Sigurd recovered his memory and was soon overcome with grief and guilt for what he had done to his beloved Brynhild. But before he could go to her he was slain by Gunner. And when Brynhild learned of his death she killed herself in grief and despair and was laid to rest beside her hero Sigurd. Character SketchMajor: Brynhild- Fallen Valkyrie (warrior woman who collects dead, brave heroes and brings them to Valhalla), Odin cast her out of Valhalla and onto a mountain because she helped her half-brother, was saved by Sigurd (who she promptly fell in love with), was given the golden ring Andvarinaut, which was actually cursed (they didnt know that) by Sigurd, and through encouragement of Sigurds (he was bewitched) she became Gunners wife. Minor: Odin- Rules Valhalla, commands the Valkyries, collects the dead heroes (those who die in battle) and allows them to live in his realm, allows the fallen to fight with him and the Valkyries in Ragnarok, Minor: Gudrun- Is Grimhilds daughter; she is the princess of the Niebelungs, and she marries the bewitched Sigurd. I will be making my story on her.

Blame My Youth
If, you were on my mind all night and day, blame it on my youth If I forgot to eat, and sleep and pray, blame it on my youth If I cried a little bit, when first I learned the truth Don't blame it on my heart, blame it on my youth" -"Blame if on my Youth", Jamie Cullum A hum passes by her strawberry lips; she is trying to occupy herself for the moment. Her hands paint nervous spirals into the wayward locks of her tawny hair; she is trying to forget. Her leaf-green eyes turn down absent-mindedly, flicking from left to right and back again. Something is on her mind. She never trained for such a moment; no one ever taught her how to handle such a wave of emotion. If only she knew how. Gudrun, princess of the Niebelungs, has long since left behind the days of braiding daisies and chasing kittens. She is cold, questioning, alone. The princess can still hear for a moment her chambermaids taunting, friendly voice. She still remembers the many countless sessions of girl-talk that had transpired and passed as if in a dream. That was her old life. The new Gudrun wasn't a flower or a warrior or even a normal girl. She was simply a shell. She knows that it is mostly her fault; allowing herself to fall in love with Sigurd had led her down this winding path of unrequited love. However, she'd never expected this emptiness Why does she still love him, still believe in him? Wasn't he just a memory, much like all that she once was? The old Gudrun was just another nameless person walking the streets of Niebelung, idly singing the songs of love as if they would never end. That Gudrun was trapped within a time that none of them could ever return to. The remaining shell of the princess is prone to wander and gaze at little things. She notes the sun's careless dance over the ground, but she does not delight in it. Nothing matters anymore. She still curses herself for falling in love, even when all hope of being reunited with Sigurd is spent. She curses herself for recalling his rare smiles, his terse appreciation of her, his reluctant teamwork. And she curses herself for not understanding that it's all gone.

Gudrun can never blame Sigurd for any of this, or even Brynhild. She'll never understand why the things that happened did, but some things are best left unquestioned. Now she puts her hair behind one ear with her lonely, heavy hand. She sighs to herself in sadness, a deluge of tears forming behind emerald irises. Gudrun lets herself fall to her knees in the firm dust of the roads that she once danced over. The, once proud, princess knows that it is over but she still has many questions: "Why did I fall in love?" "Why did he have to die?" "Why do I still feel this way?" "Is this my life..?" The silence replies to her inquiries as the Princess Gudrun stands to her feet and wonders how she can rebuild her existence. End. Authors Note: Err, that was a lot of angst. Not my usual cup of tea, but I thought Id give it a try. Hope you like.