ULRIKKE – J.L.

Borges

1) Explain the connection between Sigmund and Brunilda and the story we are
reading.
The story tells about Javier (Sigurd) and Ulrike (Brunhild) who meet each other at a
hotel. At some point of the story, she is unable to call him by his real name—Javier
Otárola, so she calls him Sigurd instead. Javier in turn calls Ulrike: Brunhild. This is
strongly related to William Morris’s Saga of Volsungs, where Sigurd is the hero that was
able to ride through flames to get to his love, Brunhild.
Further into the Saga, and after passing through the flames, Sigurd is beguiled into
marrying Queen Gudrun. The Queen’s brother, Gunnar, becomes enamoured of
Brunhild but lacks courage to pass through the flames. Then, Sigurd changes forms
with Gunnar, so that he can marry Brunhild. Gunnar is accepted as the man she will
marry with. They then shared the same bed, but he kept his sword [Gram] between
them in order not to touch her. His explanation was that in that wise must he need wed
his wife, or else get his bane.
In contrast with Borges’ story, the real Brunhild and Sigurd do not have physical
contact, for he lied to her.

2) Explain the context and the time of the story.

The short story is about a meeting between Ulrike, a Norwegian woman, and a
Colombian teacher, Javier Otálora (who tells the story), in York. In this meeting, the
couple falls in love each other and takes possession of the names of the heroes of the
legendary saga contained in the epigraph: Brunhild and Sigurd, respectively.

3) Whose sword is being mentioned in the epitaph? Which symbolism has it got?
Eventually, the connection with Borges’ story is displayed when the author says: 'There
was no sword between us', for he meant that there was nothing between them, and
they have touched. The sword Gram, signifying the obstacle to the unification of Sigurd
and Brunhild is removed in Borges’ story, and in that way, Javier and Ulrike make love.
4) How is Borges depicting love?
Ulrike is one of the tales in which Borges links the physical aspects of love to some
emotional feeling. In fact, the consummation of the relationship between Javier and
Ulrike constitutes a rare moment of unalloyed sentiment. When Javier comes together
with Ulrike, he feels complete in a dimension beyond time.
5) Is the story real or just imagination?
‘Ulrike’ is a short dreamlike story of the narrator, Javier Otárola.