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Brynhild (Brynhildr) is the most famous and tragic of the valkyries. Odin put her to sleep inside a wall of fire, the hero Sigurd woke her, and when she learned how she had been deceived she had him killed and died beside him.
Who is Brynhild?
Brynhild is the most famous of the valkyries, and the most tragic. In the Poetic Edda a valkyrie called Sigrdrífa, 'driver to victory', gave victory in battle to the king Odin wanted to lose. For that Odin struck her with a sleep-thorn and decreed that she would fight no more, but marry. She slept on the mountain Hindarfell inside a wall of fire, until Sigurd rode through the flames, cut open her mail and woke her; in the poem Sigrdrífumál she teaches him the runes. The Völsunga saga makes her Brynhild, and tells what followed. So Sigrdrífa and Brynhild are one woman with two names. Sigrdrífa, 'driver to victory', may be more a title than a name; the Völsunga saga and Snorri both call her Brynhild. Given a drink of forgetfulness, Sigurd married Gudrun, and in the shape of Gudrun's brother Gunnar he rode the fire a second time to win Brynhild as Gunnar's bride. When she learned how she had been deceived, she had Sigurd killed, and then took her own life to lie beside him on his pyre. The poem Helreið Brynhildar follows her on her last ride, to Hel.
She was one of the valkyries; Sigurd's sword was Gram.
Questions
Is Brynhild the same as Sigrdrifa?
Yes. Sigrdrifa, "driver to victory", may be a title; the Völsunga saga and Snorri call her Brynhild.
Why was Brynhild put to sleep?
She gave victory to a king Odin wanted to lose.