“Heimir was king of Hlymdalir. His spouse was Bekkhildr, sister of renowned shieldmaiden Brynhildr. Aslaug, daughter of Sigurd (also known as Nibelungenlied‘s Sigfried) and Brynhildr, was his foster-daughter. After Brynhildr’s and Sigurd’s deaths, fearing for the child’s life, as the Burgundians wanted to kill her, Heimir started to wander the Scandinavian lands disguised as a miserable minstrel, keeping the little girl hidden inside a large harp he used as his instrument. As he arrived in the village of Spangereid, in Norway, he found shelter for the night in the house of a couple, Áki and Grima. Áki suspected the harp contained precious items so he told Grima about it; the woman persuaded her husband to kill Heimir in his sleep to rob him of his treasure. As the couple completed their evil deed, they found Aslaug concealed in the harp instead of the precious loot they were hoping to obtain. They decided to keep Aslaug with them and raise her as their own daughter, naming her Kráka (Crow) and lying about her noble origins.”
