The Norse Volsungasaga states that Rerir, great-grandfather of Sigrd the dragon killer, was a "king of Hunland." These references in Norse heroic legend to the Huns are among the very few that depict Huns in a favorable light. Rerir expands the saga to provide the story of a Norse orphan raised in a Hun clan, and describes life on the grasslands of eastern Europe at a time when nomadic tribes made their first contacts with Rome, even as Norse moved into the southern coasts of the Baltic Sea. An understanding of both Norse and Hun life is critical to appreciating the Volsungasaga legends that are a cornerstone of Nordic literature and English fantasy.