Gudrun Cannot Weep

When did Gudrun's tears begin to flow?

In *The Lay of Gudrun 1*, Gudrun sits beside the dead Sigurd. Her heart feels ready to burst with grief, yet no tears come. She does not clap her hands as the other women do. Nor does she cry out in sorrow.

The women try to comfort Gudrun. Each tells her of the worst sorrow she has ever known. One after another, they speak of losing husbands and family. But even as she listens, Gudrun cannot weep.

Then Gullrond removes the cloth covering the body. She lays Sigurd's head in Gudrun's lap and urges her to look at her husband. She also tells her to press her lips to his, just as she did when he was alive.

Gudrun looks at her husband's face. His hair is stained with blood, and there is a sword wound in his chest. She falls forward onto a pillow. Her hair comes loose, and tears flow like drops of rain. In the yard, her goose cries out.

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