Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

Treacherous killing of sleeping hero followed by dying retaliation

treacherous_killing_of_sleeping_hero_followed_by_dying_retaliation

A motif of the Divine Warrior and Sacred Combat family, within the sub-family Wounded, Fallen, and Avenged. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

1 occurrences

1 traditions


norse

  • Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas CHAPTER XXIII: THE GIANTS / CHAPTER XXIV: THE DWARFS / CHAPTER XXV: THE ELVES / CHAPTER XXVI: THE SIGURD SAGA; lines 10444-10568 confidence: high

    Guttorm enters Sigurd's chamber by night, flees twice when Sigurd's eyes are fixed on him, then spears the sleeping Sigurd through the back; Sigurd throws his sword and cuts Guttorm in two before dying.

    Guttorm kills Sigurd while he sleeps, but the mortally wounded Sigurd kills the fleeing murderer with a thrown sword.

    read in the book