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WAYLAND SMITH.
A DISSERTATION ON A TRADITION
OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
FROM THE FRENCH OF
G. B. DEPPING AND FRANCISQUE MICHEL.
WITH ADDITIONS
BY S. W. SINGER.
AND THE AMPLIFIED LEGEND BY
OEHLENSCHLAGER.
LONDON:
WILLIAM PICKERING.
1847.
TO
MRS. KINNEAR,
WHOSE TRANSLATION FROM OEHLENSCHLAGER
FURNISHES THE MOST ATTRACTIVE PORTION,
THE FOLLOWING PAGES
ARE GRATEFULLY DEDICATED BY HER
AFFECTIONATE FRIEND
S. W. SINGER.
PREFACE.
THE use which Sir Walter Scott made of
this legend in his romance of Kenilworth,
has given it universal celebrity, but, inde-
pendent of this claim to our attention, it may
be considered as one of the most interesting
of the old Sagas of the North. The rifacci-
mento of it by Adam Oehlenschlager was first
written by him in Danish about the year
1800, and he afterwards re- wrote it in Ger-
man, from which language the following
version has been made.
The dissertation appended to it will show
how gradually it has been built up, and
how skilfully from its fragmentary state the
Danish poet has constructed a poetical tale
breathing the wild spirit of his native land.
A dissertation on a popular tale may at
first glance appear to be a trifling thing.
Nevertheless, when this tale is of remote
origin ; when it has amused the people of the
PREFACE.
South and of the North, and given occupa-
tion to poets, to writers of romance, and to
mythologers of various ages ; when it has
passed from one language and from one
country to another, it is no longer an object
to be despised. That which has exercised
the imagination of poets of various nations,
must always merit some attention from pos-
terity.
The tale of Wayland Smith has also the
advantage of explaining one of the most
ancient Sagas contained in the Edda, that
Bible of the North. It is under these con-
siderations that indulgence is craved for the
following dissertation. We shall see in it
how a fable of classic antiquity has been
dressed up in a strange form by the Scan-
dinavians, and afterwards circulated in this
form through a great part of Europe.
The subject has been deemed sufficiently
interesting to engage the attention of some
distinguished northern scholars : the brothers
Grimm in Germany,* and the Editors of the
* Ueber die Eustehung der altdeutschen Poesie, und
ihr Verhaltniss zu der Nordischen. In the 4th Vol. p.
254 of the Studien by Daub and Creuzer, 6 Vols. 8vo.
PREFACE.
Edda at Copenhagen,* have collected the
traces of the traditions respecting Wayland
scattered among various people. M. Dep-
ping had given a slight essay to the world as
early as the year 1822,t and having after-
wards extended his researches he joined with
M. Francisque Michel, who with his accus-
tomed unremitting industry, had collected all
that could be found bearing on the subject
in the old French romances, and the result
was the production in 1833 of the Disserta-
tion of which the following translation is a
slight modification with some additions.
It was thought advisable to give the pas-
sages from the Edda and from the various
romances in the original languages in the
1805-11. Irmenslrasse und Irmenstevle. Vienna. 1815.
Die Deutsche Heldensage von VV. Grimm. Gottingen.
1829. 8vo.
* Edda Samundar. Copenhag. 1787 1818. 4to.
Index kominum propriorum, art Vcelund. p. ii. p. 894.
f In the New Monthly Magazine, vol. iv. p. 527,
and Vol. V. of Me"moires de la Soc. Roy. des Anti-
quaires de France. Paris. 1823. p. 217. The title of
the Dissertation was: "VELAND LE FORGERON, Dis-
sertation sur une Tradition du Moyen Age, avec les
Textes Islandais, Anglo-Saxons, &c. par G. B. Depping
et Francisque Michel." 8vo. Paris. 1833.
PREFACE.
notes, that those who take interest in such
inquiries might be enabled to see how the
same fiction had been alluded to by poets in
four or five languages which are no longer
spoken at least as they were of old.
It is probable that Spain, Italy, and the
East above all, had analogous traditions, but
they have eluded the researches of the pre-
sent writers : some future inquirer may trace
them, and then they may be added to those
here given, and thereby complete as much as
possible the history of this singular descend-
ant of Dsedalus and of Tubal Cain.
The name of this renowned Smith is very
variously given : in Islandic it is V&lund,
and Vaulundr ; in old high German Wiolant,
Wielant ; in Anglo-Saxon W eland ; in old
English Weland and Velond ; and in our
more recent language WAYLAND, probably
from popular tradition. In old French Ga-
lans and Galant, and in Latin of the middle
ages, Guielandus. It will be seen that
Wayland's father was named Wade or Wate,
of whom an old English romance must have
once existed, as it is referred to by Chaucer,
in his Troilus and Cressida, III. 615,
PREFACE.
" He songe, she plaide, he told a tale of WADE,"
and it is mentioned, among other Romances,
in Richard Cceur de Lion, and in Sir Bevis.*
From the attention which has been excited
to folk-lore by articles which have of late from
time to time appeared in the Athenaeum, there
is some reason to hope that the Dissertation
of Messrs. Depping and Michel will find
favour with those who take interest in such
subjects, to whom it is now made more ac-
cessible than, from the small number of
copies printed of the French original, it has
hitherto been.
It should be mentioned that some slight
O
omissions have been made in the notes to
Sect. V. on French traditions, but some
additional illustrations have been added in
other parts which it is trusted will not be
deemed either slight or unimportant; and
the translations of the Anglo-Saxon and
Islandic Texts are, it is believed, rendered
much more exact.
See Warton's History of Poetry, I. 124. Ed. 1840.
There is an Essay on this fabulous person by M. Fran-
cisque Michel, but the Editor has not been fortunate
enough to meet with it.
PREFACE.
An Essay on the Valkyrie of Northern
Mythology by Dr. L. Frauer* of Tubingen,
has recently appeared, in which every thing
that bears upon that subject has been brought
together with diligence, and copiously illus-
trated. It is a capital monograph of an in-
teresting part of Northern Mythology, and
still further tends to show its connection with
the Mythologies of Greece and Rome. The
Editor cannot but regret that it was not
available to him at an earlier period.
Mickleham, S. W. S.
Feb. 18, 1847.
* Die Walkyrien der Skandinavisch germanischen
Gutter und Heldensage, aus den Nordischen quellen
dargestellt von Dr. Ludwig Frauer. 8vo. Weimar.
1846.
WAYLAND SMITH.
A DISSERTATION ON A TRADITION
OF THE MIDDLE AGES :
WITH THE ISLANDIC, ANGLO-SAXON, ENGLISH,
GERMAN, AND ROMANS-FRENCH TEXTS
RELATING TO IT.
BY
G. B. DEPPING AND FRANCISQUE MICHEL.
*
WAYLAND SMITH.
SECTION I.
SCANDINAVIAN TRADITIONS.
IT is in the Icelandic Sagas that Wayland Smith
figures as the subject of long romantic fictions, and
the story is at the same time one of the most
antient which that poetic literature affords. 1 At-
tempts have been made to connect the fiction with
an historic epoch, the reign of King Nidung,
who appears to have flourished in Sweden in the
sixth century of our era, 2 and who is mentioned as
the protector of the Smith.
1 Norraenir menn liafa samanasett nockurn part scegunar
enn sumt qvredscap. That er first fra Sigurdi atseigia Faf-
nisbana, Vcelsungum oc Niflungum oc Velint Smid oc hans
brodur Egli ocfra Nidungi kongi. Oc tho at nockut breg-
di.st at (|v;rdi inn maunaheiti eda atburda, ilia er ei undar-
ligt svomargar soegur sem tliessir hasasagt, enn tho ris bun
naer af einum efn. Wilkina Saga, pref.
The men of the North have compiled some Sagas or Tra-
ditions with chants. They are first those of Sigurd Faf-
nersbane, of the Volsungas, of the Smith Velint, and of his
brother Kgil, and of the King Nidung, &c.
* The historian Suhm, who, in his History of Denmark,
b
VI WAYLAND SMITH.
Nevertheless this connection imparts nothing-
historic to the story of Wayland ; and if on the one .
part they have antiently sought to attach Wayland
to history, on the other they have also connected
this personage with the Scandinavian mythology,
by giving him one of the Valkyries or daughters of
Destiny, for wife, and a hajf'ru, or water sprite,
for his grandmother. We therefore quit history,
and concern ourselves only with the romance.
This romance has from time to time received
many embellishments and additions.
The most antient fiction is that of the Vcelundar-
quida, 3 a chant, or ballad, which the Edda con-
tains 4 : it is probably formed of fragments of
antient romances which have been connected
together by transitions in prose. Under this an-
tique form the romance bears an unpolished cha-
racter, and the language has the rudeness and sim-
plicity of primitive times. These strophes, which
were graved in the memory long before they were
committed to writing, become obscure from the
brevity of expression and the conciseness of recital.
treats the fable and the tradition with rather too much re-
spect, believes that there is a historic foundation for the
Saga of Wayland Smith. Nidung, king of Nerika, in Swe-
den, according to him, made war upon Weland, prince of
Gothland and Scania, for having dishonoured his daughter :
he surprised him in his territory, and made him prisoner.
* Edda Stemundr hinnsfrdda. Part II. Havnise. 1818,
4to. p. 3, et seq.
4 See the entire chant in the Appendix.
WAYLAND SMITH. Vll
Fortunately the prolix romance in prose of pos-
terior times is there to supply the excessive brevity
of the chant of the Edda with an explanation and
commentary.
This old poetry on Wayland Smith is a curious
object of study for the literary enquirer. It was
in this taste that the Normans, who came to settle
in France must have composed and sung.
In the Wilkina Saga, a composition less antient
by five or six centuries, the romance of Wayland
has assumed a more polished form, the antique
rudeness is a little effaced ; some episodes have
been added, they have sought to embellish the old
romance.
The Wilkina-Saga begins to bear the impress
of the spirit of chivalry ; it contains, indeed, the
recital of the mighty exploits of IJidric of Berne,
or rather Theodoric of Verona, and his champions.
This romance is of German origin, and we shall
have again to speak of it in the chapter in which
we treat of German traditions. Nevertheless, as
it appears to have been only embroidered on a sub-
ject originally of Scandinavian origin, we shall add
this version to the preceding, in order to show at
one glance the modifications which the old tradition
had undergone in the course of centuries.
First let us analyse the chant of the Edda. A
* See the notes to the edition of the Edda cited above,
alo the vocabularies that are appended to it ; and compare
the observations of Grimm, in the Hermes. Leipzig. 1820.
8vo. Vol. T., p. 119.
Vlll WAYLAND SMITH.
The obscurity of this composition has in a great
measure disappeared, thanks to the learned com-
mentary which accompanies the last edition of the
poetical collection of the antient Scandinavians.
There was a king in Sweden named Niduth ; he
had two sons, and a daughter named Baudvilde.
At the same time existed three brothers, sons of an
Alf-king, c that is to say, of supernatural race. They
were named Slagfid, Egill, and Voelund. Pursu-
ing the chase, and skating, they arrived in the
Valley of Ulfdal, or the Valley of Bears, and con-
structed themselves a habitation on the borders
of a lake.
There, one morning, they found three Valky-
6 By the word A Iff, the ancient Scandinavians designated
the Finns, and it is by Finn that the editors of the Edda
have here translated the word ; but the first of these people
attributed to the Alfes the powers of magic, and Alfe also
signifies a supernatural being, a sprite. It is in this last
sense that William Grimm here takes the word (See Die
deutsche Heldensage, p. 388). The Elfs that figure so ex-
tensively in the popular tales of Ireland, are the same as the
Alfes of Iceland. There were Alfes of day, and Alfes of
night. Win. Grimm presumes that Wayland was an Alfe
of day or of light, since he speaks of his white complexion,
and the Valkyrie he takes to wife is called the Brilliant
[All white]. They attribute to the Alfes and the Finns
an extraordinary skill in the fabrication of metals. What
appears to prove that they regarded Wayland as a super-
natural being, is, that he ends by flying away, and that
they give him for father a giant, and for grandmother a wo-
man of the sea, or water-sprite.
WAYLAND SMITH. IX
ries, 7 who, having put off their swan robes, were
spinning flax: it was Alvite, [ Allwite], or all-know-
ing ; Svanhvite, or white as a swan ; both of them
daughters of King Loedver ; and Alrune, daughter
of Kiar, King of Valland. The brothers carried
them to their dwelling, and were united to them ;
Slagfid took Swanwhite, Egill Alrune, and Voelund
took Allwite.
After having lived with their husbands seven
winters, the Valkyries flew away to visit the battles;
two of the brothers, Egill and Slagfid, took their
7 The Valkyries, in the Scandinavian mythology, hare
almost the same attributes as the jiarcain the mythology of
Greece. They also spin the thread of destiny, and besides,
they assist at combats, by which, among a barbarous people,
destinies are regulated. Although three are generally
admitted, it appears, nevertheless, that others were also
supposed to exist; and it is singular that daughters of
earth might be Valkyries. We have here an example.
Their fathers are named, who, a thing sufficiently odd, have
frankisti names; one is called Loedver, i. e., Louis, and the
other Kiare, probably Charles, of whom they make a king of
Valland, a term under which was solely understood the
country of the Walloons, France and Italy. See Depping
Hist. (!> Expeditions maritime des ftormands. Paris, 18'Jo.
8vo. torn ii. p. 388.
The Valkyries appeared in the day in the form of swans;
they could put off this form, which, according to the rude
notions of the Scandinavians, was but a robe with which
they covered themselves, and then they appeared in the
human form. It is, therefore, here said, they liad near them
their swan robes. One of them was named Su-ait-hvite, or
white as a swan.
X WAYLAND SMITH.
skates and went in search of their wives ; but
Voelund remained in his dwelling in the expecta-
tion of his wife's return, and applied himself to
goldsmith's work.
The king Niduth, having heard mention of the
beautiful works in gold that he fabricated, was
desirous of possessing himself of them. He one
night surreptitiously visits the dwelling of Voelund,
accompanied by his warriors ; they find there seven
hundred rings strung on a strip of bark, and carry
off one in the absence of the owner. At length
he returns from the chase, lights a fire, and pre-
pares for his repast some of the flesh of a bear he
had killed, lays himself down on another bear's
skin, and counts leisurely over his rings ; he per-
ceives with affright that one is missing. Neverthe-
less he falls asleep : during his slumber, the ma-
rauders bind him ; Niduth presents himself when
Vcelund awakes, and carries him off to his dwell-
ing after having seized upon the beautiful sword
that the Smith had forged for himself. He gives
the ring which he had purloined to his daughter.
The queen, seeing the captive, does not like his
look, is afraid of him, and orders him to be ham-
strung, and retained as a prisoner. In consequence,
Voelund, after being thus maimed, is shut up in a
small island, and forced to fabricate all sorts of
jewels for the king.
Vcelund seeks an opportunity to revenge him-
self. Notwithstanding, he does not cease to work
WAYLAND SMITH. XI
for his master. The two sons of Niduth some-
times come to see him, and ask for the keys of the
coffer in which he has deposited his jewels. There
they see the superb collars of gold of his work-
manship. The king having interdicted every one
from having access to the artisan, Voelund desires
the two princes not to reveal to any one that they
have been in his workshop, and he promises to
give them some of his beautiful works if they will
come to him again clandestinely on the morrow.
They take care not to fail. When they arrive,
Voelund cuts off their heads, and buries their bodies
in a swamp before his dwelling. He fashions their
skulls into cups, mounts them in silver, and sends
them to the king. Their eye-balls he enchases in
the same precious metal, as breast ornaments, and
sends them to the queen ; turns their teeth into
the form of pearls, and makes a necklace of them,
which he sends to their sister Baudvilde. She had
broken the ring which the king had carried off
from Voelund, and which the goldsmith had in-
tended for his wife, and she now sends a mes-
senger to the artisan requesting him to repair the
jewel unknown to her father. Voelund insists upon
her bringing it herself under pretext of the king's
injunction that he should work for no one but him-
self. She comes; Voelund gives her a soporific
potion, and afterwards ravishes her. Then tri-
umphing that he had achieved his revenge, he
thinks of escaping. In fact, he flies, leaving Baud-
Xll WAYLAND SMITH.
vilde in tears on account of his departure, and in
dread of her father's anger. Voelund seats him-
self upon the fence which encloses the king's habi-
tation. The queen incites the king to speak to
him. Niduth deplores the loss of his sons, and
repents having followed the counsels of the queen
in maiming Voelund, who addresses himself to the
king, and makes him swear that he will not punish
his daughter for being pregnant. He reveals to
him how he will find in his workshop the forge-
bellows stained with the blood of his sons, and
coldly recounts to him that their skulls, fashioned
into vases, ornament the royal table.
Niduth is in desperation at what he hears ; and
desolate at not being able to reach the author of
these misdeeds. Voelund flies away laughing,
leaving the king plunged in grief. Having called
his daughter, Niduth receives confirmation of the
truth of that which the terrible smith had revealed
to him. Baudvilde, in tears, confesses her shame,
and it is by her lamentations that the chant of the
Edda closes.
In this chant no mention is made of the son of
Baudvilde by Voelund, nor of the sword Mimung,
which his father forged for him, as we shall pre-
sently see. Nevertheless, the Edda of Snorro
makes mention of this word which the old skalds
had used to designate a sword, and which proves
that the rest of the romance was current in the
most antient times in the north.
WAYLAND SMITH. Xlll
Now let us see the tradition as it has been re-
counted in the thirteenth century, in the Wilkina-
Saga, that is to say, in the Saga, or recital con-
cerning King Wilkin, of \\inkinaland, in Sweden. 8
This king having met in a forest, on the sea coast, a
beautiful female, who was an haftru, or woman of
the sea, a species of marine beings who on land
take the female form, had commerce with her, and
the fruit of this union was a giant son who was
called Wade. His father gave him twelve estates
in Seeland. Wade, in his turn, had a son, called
Voelund or Vaulundr. When this child was nine
years of age his father conducted him to a famous
and skilful smith of Hunaland, named Mimer, that
he might learn to forge, temper, and fashion in-
struments of iron.
After having left him three winters in Huna-
' The Wilkina-Saga, appears to have been composed in
the fifteenth century in Norway; P. E. Miiller* (the late
Bishop of Seeland) believed it to be more antient by a
century, while others attributed it to tlie thirteenth. It is
founded on, and perhaps even translated from, some Ger-
man traditions as well oral as written ; otherwise it is a sort
of compilation not exempt from contradiction!). The Wil-
kina-Saga, of which there exists an antient Swedish ver-
sion, that affords variations sufficiently remarkable, was pub-
lished by Peringskiold, at S'ockholm, in 1715, ibl. with a
translation in Latin and in Swedish.
* Saga Bibliothek med Amiuvrkninger og inledende
Afbandlinger. Kiobenh. 1817-<JO. 3 vols.in 15{rno. T.2.311.
XIV WAYLAND SMITH.
land, the giant Wade repaired with him to a moun-
tain called Kallova, the interior of which was
inhabited by two dwarfs, who were accounted to
know how to forge iron better than the other
dwarfs, and than ordinary men. They manufac-
tured swords, helmets, and cuirasses ; they knew
also how to work in gold and silver, and made all
sorts of jewellery.
When he had arrived at the mountain inhabited
by the dwarfs, Wade agreed with them that they
should teach his son Voelund, in twelve months,
the arts they knew, for which they should receive
a mark of gold as a recompense.
Voelund soon learned all that the dwarfs showed
him ; and when his father reappeared, at the end
of twelvemonths, to take him away, the dwarfs
offered, in their turn, a mark of gold, and pro-
mised to teach his son as much again as he knew
already, if he would leave him with them for
another twelvemonth. Wade consented ; but the
dwarfs, afterwards repent having purchased so
dearly the services of Voelund, and add a condition,
that if, on a day fixed, Wade did not take away
his son, they should be at liberty to kill him.
The giant again complied ; nevertheless, before he
departed, he took his son aside, buried before him
a sword, at the foot of the mountain, and said to
him : " If I do not come on the day agreed upon,
sooner than suffer yourself to be killed by the
dwarfs, take this sword, and destroy your own life,
WAYLAND SMITH. XT
in order that my friends may be able to say that I
had a son in the world, and not a daughter."
Vcelund promised to do so. Afterward he
re-entered the mountain, and became so skilful in
the art of forging metals, that he excited the jea-
lousy of the dwarfs. At the approach of the
stipulated term, Wade, the giant, began his jour-
ney, in order not to fail of the day agreed on. He
reached the mountain three days before the expi-
ration of the term ; it was still closed, and the
giant was so much fatigued with his journey that
he fell asleep.
During his sleep a violent storm arose, and
there was a fall of earth under which Wade was
buried. The term being expired, the dwarfs came
out of the mountain, and did not see Wade the
giant. His son Voelund, after having sought him
in vain, ran to withdraw the sword buried by
his father, hid it beneath his garments, and fol-
lowed the dwarfs into their cavern. There he cut
their throats, possessed himself of their tools,
loaded a horse with as much gold as he could
carry, and retook the way to Denmark.
On his route he arrived at a river named
Visara, or Viser-aa. He stopped upon the banks,
felled a tree, hollowed it, and deposited his, trea-
sures and his provisions in it, and contrived also
a place for himself so closed that the water could
not penetrate. Having entered it, he let it float
toward the sea.
XVI WAYLAND SMITH.
One day, the king of Jutland, named Nidung,
was fishing with all his court, when the fishermen
drew up in their nets a large trunk of a tree, sin-
gularly hewed. To ascertain what it contained, they
were about to cut it to pieces, but all at once a
voice issuing from it, commanded the workmen to
cease. At this voice all who were assisting took
flight, believing that a sorcerer was' hidden in the
tree.
Voelund came out of it, he told the king that
he was not a magician, and that, if he would
spare his life and his treasures, he would render
him great services ; the king promised he would.
Voelund hid his treasures under ground, and en-
tered the service of Nidung. His office was to
take care of three knives that were laid before the
king at table.
One day, going to the sea shore to cleanse these
knives, Voelund by accident let one fall, which dis-
appeared in the abyss of waters. Fearing to lose
the good graces of the king, his master, he went
into the workshop of the king's smith, who was
absent, and made a knife perfectly similar to the
one he had lost.
When the king used it for the first time, at
dinner, this knife cut not only the bread but the
wood of the table. Astonished at the extraordinary
qualities of this blade, the king desired to know
who had forged it. Vcelund, pressed by his ques-
tions, confessed all that had occurred.
WAYLAND SMITH. XV11
The king's smith was extremely jealous of Voe-
lund ; he pretended to be able to make quite as
good work as this stranger, and was desirous of a
trial of skill on the following conditions : " Manu-
facture (said he to Voelund) a sword, the best that
you can, and I will make a helmet and a cuirass.
If it should happen that your sword cuts through
iny armour, my head shall be yours ; but if my
armour resist, you shall have forfeited your life ;
in twelvemonths we will make the proof of our
works."
Voelund accepted the proposition ; two men of
the court were sureties for the smith ; the king
offered to be the surety for Voelund. From that
day the smith shut himself up in his workshop
with his assistants, to manufacture the armour.
On his part, Voelund, continuing to serve the king,
suffered six months to elapse without setting him-
self to the work ; the king asked him the reason ;
Vcelund confessed that he had not found his tools
where he had buried them ; and that he suspected
a man who had seen him hide them, but of whose
name he was ignorant, to have stolen them. The
king offered to give orders for all the men in his
kingdom to assemble publicly, in order that Voe-
lund might recognise the offender.
The Thing, or public assembly, took place,
nevertheless Voelund could not recognise the thief.
The king was angry with him, believing that he
had told him a lie. Voelund then made a human
XV111 WAYLAND SMITH.
figure perfectly similar to the man he suspected to
have stolen his tools, painted it of the natural
colour, clothed it, and placed it in the great hall of
the palace. At the sight of this figure the king
exclaimed: "Eh, what! is it you, Reigin, have
you returned from your embassy, and have not
come to speak with me ? "
Voelund, who had followed the king, said to
him : " Sire, you have named the guilty person."
As soon as Reigin returned, the king forced
him to restore to Voelund his tools and his trea-
sures ; yet he let four months more pass. At last,
pressed by the king, he manufactured, in seven
days, a sword which the king much admired. They
went with this weapon to the banks of a river.
Voelund caused a piece of wood a foot thick to
float down with the current, and held his sword
before it ; the wood, pushed by the current against
the edge of this weapon, was cut in two. On his
return liome the artisan broke his sword in pieces,
and in three days manufactured another, with
which he went, accompanied by the king, to the
river's edge. He tried it in the same manner
against a piece of wood two feet in thickness. The
wood was cut in two. Voelund again broke this
blade, as not sufficiently good, and in three hours
made a third, encrusted with gold, which he tried
as before, but this time the piece of wood was three
feet square. The king was charmed with this
sword, and declared that he would never have any
other.
WAYLAND SMITH. XII
The day having arrived when Amilias, the
king's smith, and Vcelund, were to prove their
arms, the former habited himself in the armour he
had constructed, and made his appearance. All
who met him were in admiration* and confessed
that it was impossible to see better workmanship.
The armour was entirely new, and lined with iron ;
the helmet was exquisitely polished, and very thick.
Amilias was flattered with the praise bestowed,
and proud of possessing such beautiful armour.
When he came to the destined place, he seated
himself on a seat which had been prepared for the
occasion. The king and his suite having arrived,
as well as Vcelund, Amilias told him that he was
ready to undergo the trial. Vcelund then went
to the forge to get his sword, and, on returning,
approached the seat where Amilias was placed,
touched the helmet with the edge of the blade,
and asked his rival if he felt his sword. " Strike
with all your force, and you will see whether you
can pierce my armour," replied Amilias.
Vcelund rested the edge on the helmet and cut
it; afterwards, approaching the cranium, he asked if
Amilias felt it. The answer was, that it seemed
as if water was poured upon his head. Then
Voelund, pressing the blade, requested that he
would hold himself in readiness ; but, before Ami-
lias could pay attention to what he said, the blade
passed through his body, and the two halves of
Amilias fell from the scat. The crowd exclaimed
that the fall of Amilias was a proof that a man
XX WAYLAND SMITH.
may be near his end at the moment that he dis-
plays the most pride and confidence.
" Now give me the sword, Voelund," said the
king, " I will carry it away and take care of it."
" My liege," Replied Vrelund, " I will first clean
the blade well, and then place it in your hands."
The king having consented, Vcelund returned to
the forge, and hid the sword under the bellows ;
and then took another to place in the king's hands,
who imagined it was the same that Voelund had
used in this marvellous exploit. He believed him-
self the possessor of a precious weapon which had
not its fellow in the world.
Sometime afterward he entered into a campaign
with thirty thousand knights, against an enemy
who had made an inroad into his kingdom ; but, on
the eve of the battle, Nidung recollected that he
had not brought with him a little stone which
prevented its possessor from perishing in combat
when he bore it about him.
He offered his daughter, and the half of his
kingdom to any one who would bring it to him on
the morrow. None of the knights would under-
take a journey which required many days. The
king then addressed himself to Voelund, who took
the fleetest horse he could find, departed, and ar-
rived the next morning with the stone, according
to his promise. But, at the moment when he was
about to enter the royal tent, he met the king's
bailiff, with an escort of six knights, who offered
WATfLAND SMITH. XXI
him a quantity of gold and silver in exchange for the
stone, and, on his refusal the bailiff sought to take
it from him by force. Voelund killed him with a
stroke of his sword Mimung. The king was very
glad to receive the magic stone ; nevertheless the
death of his bailiff angered him so that he refused
to keep his promise to Voelund, and ordered him
out of his presence.
The smith withdrew, disappeared, and thought
of nothing but how to revenge himself. He
dressed himself like a cook, and obtained an en-
gagement in the kitchen of king Nidung, and threw
a charm over the eatables destined for the prin-
cess. At the king's table there was a knife which
gave a sound when impure viands were cut with
it. Voelund secretly removed this knife and sub-
stituted another of a similar form. The princess
and the king discovered that Voelund had been
playing one of his tricks ; he was sought for, and
was found. To punish him the king caused his
ham-strings and the nerves of his feet to be cut ;
and from that time Voelund was unable to walk, as
long as he lived. By this means the king pre-
vented him from escaping from his kingdom, and
would have forced him to work for him alone.
Voelund told the king, that if he would restore
him to his favour he would manufacture for him
whatever he required. The king consented, had
a forge built for him, and placed him in it, and
Voelund made for him all sorts of precious things.
XX11 WAYLAND SMITH.
In the meanwhile, Egil, Voelund's brother, came
to the king's court ; he was the most skilful archer
of his time. The king commanded Egil to shoot
at, and pierce with an arrow, an apple placed on
the head of Egil's own child. He took two arrows
struck the apple with one of them, and said that
with the other he would have pierced the king if
he had had the misfortune to kill his child.
Some time afterward it happened that the king's
daughter broke a precious ring ; she sent to Voe-
land requesting him to repair it without the know-
ledge of her father. Voelund replied that he could
not do any work without the king's permission.
He insisted that she should come herself. The
princess repaired to the forge, and when she had
entered, Voelund fastened the door, and violated
her person. In the course of time she gave birth
to a son.
A short time after this two sons of the king
addressed themselves to Voelund in order that he
might make them some arrows. He repeated to
them that he could work for no one but the king,
but he induced them to come again to him, walk-
ing backwards, which they did. When they had
entered, he again fastened the door of the forge,
killed the two princes, and buried their bodies.
When, on the morrow, enquiry was made whether
the two princes had not been at his dwelling, he
answered, that they had come, but that they had
gone away to hunt in the forest, and he shewed
WAYLAND SMITH. XX111
the print of their footsteps in the snow. He then
took their skulls, made drinking cups of them,
fashioned their bones into salt-cellars and other
vases, mounting them artistically in gold and silver,
and gave the whole to the king, who, not having
any suspicion, was proud of such beautiful orna-
ments for his table at his feasts.
Voelund, the smith, had thus revenged himself
of the despite with which he had been treated ; he
had deprived the king of his sons, he had caused
him to drink out of their sculls, and, besides, the
daughter of Nidung was pregnant by him.
He could not doubt that the king would put him
to death if he became acquainted with these facts.
He requested his brother, therefore, to furnish
him with feathers of all sizes. Egil went into the
woods, killed all sorts of birds, and brought the
feathers to Voelund. With them Voelund made
himself wings resembling those of a great bird of
prey. The brothers met together in the forge,
Voelund gave the wings to Egil, and requested
him to take them with him to the mountain, to
attach them to himself, and to try to fly. Egil
enquired how he must proceed to raise himself in
the air, and to re-descend to the earth when he
desired to do so. Voelund replied, that he must
spread the wings, and direct himself against the
wind, and that then he would fly like the swiftest
bird. When Egil essayed to do so, he fell, and
narrowly escaped breaking his neck ; he returned
XXIV WAYLAND SMITH.
to his brother, and when he was asked whether the
wings were good, he answered : " If it was as easy
to descend with your wings as to fly with them, I
should have passed into another country, and you
would have never seen them again."
Voelund said he would correct this defect ; he
then requested Egil to tell the king's daughter to
come to him, which his brother accordingly did.
When she came to the forge they conversed to-
gether a long time. Voelund communicated to
her the resolution he had taken, he predicted that
she would give birth to a son ; he exhorted her to
bring him up with care, and when he was old
enough to bear arms, to tell him to go in quest of
the arms which his father had prepared for him.
Before they separated, they mutually promised
each other upon oath not to have any other hus-
band or wife. It is related that Voelund then
ascended to the roof of his house, took the wings,
prepared himself, and at last ascended into the air.
He said to his brother : " If you are called upon
to shoot at me, you will aim at this bladder which
I have filled with the blood of the sons of King
Nidung, and which I have fastened under my left
arm. When flying away he confessed to his bro-
ther that he had misdirected him in the mode of
managing the wings, because he was suspicious of
him.
Voelund flew up on the highest tower, and cried
out with all his might for the king to come and
WAYLAND SMITH. XXV
speak with him. On hearing his voice the king
came out, and said, " Voelund, have you become a
bird? What is your project?" "My lord," re-
plied the smith, "I am at present bird and man at
once ; I depart, and you will never see me again
in your life. Nevertheless, before I go, I will re-
veal to you some secrets. You cut my ham-strings
to prevent me from going, and I revenged myself
upon your daughter, who is with child by me.
You would have deprived me of the use of my feet,
and, in my turn, I have deprived you of your sons,
whose throats I cut with my own hand ; but you
will find their bones in the vases garnished with
gold and silver with which I have ornamented your
table." Having said these words Voelund disap-
peared in the air. Then the king said to Egil :
"Take your bow, and shoot at him, the villain
must not escape alive ; if you miss him your head
shall pay the forfeit." Egil took his bow, shot,
and the arrow struck Voelund under the left arm,
so that the blood descended upon the earth. " It
is good," said the king, " Voelund cannot go far."
Nevertheless he flew into Seeland, descended in a
wood, where he constructed himself a dwelling.
XXVI WAYLAND SMITH.
SECTION II.
CONTINUATION OF THE PRECEDING.
STORY OF MIMER.
THE adventures of Weland, and of the princess
Vidga in Islandic, Virgar in the ballads of the
Faroe isles, and Wittich in German, are recounted
at length in the romance of Dietrich, or Theodoric,
of Berne. 1 Wittich became one of the heroes of
the court of Dietrich, and appears with the sword
Miminc, or Mimung, forged by his father, likewise
with a beautiful helmet on which is figured a ser-
pent. He has for armorial bearings a hammer
and pincers, emblematic of his father's occupation.
By the aid of his sword he does many acts of
prowess, and when, pursued by King Dietrich, he
cannot escape, he plunges into the sea. According
to the Swedish version in the Wilkina-Saga, his
grandmother, the hqffru, then appears to him, and
conducts him safe and sound into Seeland, where
he flourishes for a long time.
As we shall here only occupy ourselves about
Weland, we shall omit what is related about his son,
which was probably of later invention, in order to
1 It is the same Saga as the Wilkina-Saga. A Danish
version has recently appeared.
WAYLAND SMITH. XXV11
connect the old smith of the north to a romance of
chivalry of the middle ages.
If we compare the Voelundr-quida with the
Wilkina-Saga, laying aside the form, which is con-
cise and poetic in the one, prosaic and narrative in
the other, we see that the primitive story was not
faithfully followed in the subsequent ages. The
old chants connected Weland to the mythology by
giving him for wife one of the Valkyrie, the
daughters of destiny or of war. They feign that
it was a Swedish king who carried off the smith,
and that it was by order of the queen that Weland
is maimed and imprisoned in an island. They
rudely sketch, and in few words, the artisan's ven-
geance. It is the same with his departure. Per-
haps the lost chants dwelt more largely on these
details.
The Wilkina-Saga abandons the link which
unites Weland to the mythic beings. It attributes
to him great skill, and a tincture of magic, but
without making him an elf, or supernatural being,
and it is by mechanic expedients that it explains
his flight into the air and his escape. It gives him
a giant for his father, and does not mention his
marriage. It relates his sojourn with the dwarfs
of the mountain, of which the chants make no
mention. It makes him come voluntarily, and in
a singular manner to King Nidung, who is no
longer a king of Nerika in Sweden, but a king of
Jutland.
XXV1H WAYLAND SMITH.
What it relates of the contest between Weland
and the king's armourer, of his combat with the
king's cup-bearer or bailiff, is wanting in the Edda ;
it assigns a different motive for his mutilation by
order of the king; brings in Egil, Weland's brother,
and enlarges upon the means Weland took for his
escape. While the Voelundr-quida does not men-
tion these any more than the adventures of his
son.
The memory of this mysterious armourer lives
also in the popular songs of the Danes in the
Middle Ages, 2 but as the ballad makers have only
drawn from the sources we have indicated, it is
useless to analyse them.
In the popular songs of the Swedes there re-
mains also some traces of the adventures of
Weland. 3 They sing of Vallavan, king of Mer-
cia, who, to possess a female that he loved, gave
her a soporific potion, like as Velund gives one to
Baudvilde in the Edda. He afterwards carries
her off in his ship, and lives with her in another
2 ... Verland heder ban Fader min,
En Smed var ban saa skjoen
Bodild hedte min Moder
En Kongedatter ven.
(Udvalgte danske Viser fra Middelalderen, &c., af Abra-
bamson Nycrup og Rahbek). 5 vols. 12mo. Kiobenh.
1812-21. p. 28. Vol. 1.
3 Svenska folkvisor : utgivne af Geijer och Afzelius.
Stockholm, 1814-16, 3 vols. 8vo. T. ii. p. 174-175.
WAYLAND SMITH. XXIX
country. In Iceland, the name of Weland is at-
tached to works of superior skill, 4 a labyrinth is
called a Weland-house.
The Swedes and the Danes dispute for the
smith. The former show a rock-cavern called
Verlehall, in the island of a lake in the district of
Kumevald, as having been his workshop, 5 and they
point out as his tomb some huge stones near Sise-
beck in Scania, 6 the district of Vaetland has in its
public seal a hammer and pincers, and they pretend
to have derived these insignia from the famous
smith. 7
On the other hand, the village of Veller-by, in
the Ballivate of Aarhus in Jutland, lays claim to
the possession of his tomb. 8
The Sagas make mention of Mimer as having
been the master of Weland. The swords of his
fabrication are equally celebrated in the romances
of the middle ages. They relate also some of his
adventures. His brother, whom the Sagas call
4 .... Yoelundi apud Islandos nomen etiam nunc pro
magno artifice sumitur : quando dicimus : Hann er Voelundr
a jarn-o-gull oc silfr, &c., ferri, auri, et argenti elaborandi
insignia artifex." Note of the Editors of the Edda of
Scemund, part ii. p. 14. note 30.
* Geijer, Swea Rikes HaJ'der. Upaal, 1825. BTO. Tom.
i. p. 118.
' Bring, Monumenta Scan. 1598, pp. 56, 302.
7 Ibid.
8 Erich Pontoppidan, Dan ike Atlai, fortsat af Hans de
Hofinan. Kiobenh. 1763-74. 7 Yols. 4to. Tom. iv. p. 857.
XXX WAYLAND SMITH.
Reigin, (a name which we have already seen in
the romance of Weland,) being addicted to magic,
is changed into a serpent, and infests the forest.
Sigurd, a pupil of Mimer, is sent by the malicious
smith into the woods, to be destroyed by the mon-
ster, but contrives to kill the serpent ; he rubs his
skin with the blood of the reptile, and it is changed
into a kind of horny substance, which causes him
to be called the horned Sigfrid. On his return to
the forge he kills Mimer, who thought to appease
him by giving him a superb suit of armour, with a
helmet and shield, and a sword of excellent temper ;
the other smiths take to flight.
It is to be remarked that this Mimer is likewise
represented as a skilful smith and armourer, but
full of cunning and malevolence. It is a character
modelled on that of Weland.
SECTION III.
ANGLO-SAXON AND ENGLISH TRADITIONS.
IN England the antient poetry and the local tra-
ditions make it manifest that the wonders of We-
land's art were known, admired and celebrated,
and that the dwelling of the skilful artisan had
even been transported to English soil.
An Anglo-Saxon poem of which fragments only
WAYLAND SMITH.
XXXI
exist, retraced, as it appears, the adventures of
Weland, very much as they are told in the Edda.
The fragments which remain, paint the grief of
Beadohilde or Baudvilde, daughter of King Nith-
had (the Niduth of the Edda) 1 , on account of her
1 Weland him be wurman
wraces cunnade,
anhydig eorl
earfortha dreag
haefde him to gesiththe
sorge and longatb,
winter cealde, wrsece
wean oft onfond,
siththan bine Nitbhad on
nede legde
swoncre seono-bende
Onsyllan mon.
Thass ofereode
tbisses swa ma?g.
Beadohilde
ne wses hvre brotbra death
on sefan swa sir
swa byre sylfre thing
that heo gearolice
ongieten liasfde
thact heo eacen wa-s
aefre ne meahte
thriste gethencan,
liu ymb tliJi-t sceolde,
Tlr.rs ofereode
times swa roxg.
Weland himself the worm
of exile proved,
tbejirm-soul'd chief
hardships endur'd,
had for his company
sorrow and weariness,
winter-cold exile,
affliction often suffer d
when that on him Nithad
constraint had laid;
with a tough sinew-band
tb' unhappy man.
That be surmounted
to may I this.
To Beadohilde
her brothers' death was not
in mind so painful
as her own mischance,
when she for certain
had discover'd
that she was pregnant :
never could she
confidently think
how as to that it could be.
That she surmounted
so man I tlix.
Codei Eioniensii, p. 6/7.
Mr. Thorpe observes: In this, probably the older story,
it is said that Nithbad merely bound Weland with a thong,
XXX11 WAYLAND SMITH.
own condition and the state to which her father
had reduced the unfortunate Weland.
It is to be regretted that we have not the entire
poem, it would probably have afforded interesting
pictures of some of the incidents which are only
indicated in the Edda.
In another Anglo-Saxon poem, that which has
been named Beowulf, which is supposed to be of
the seventh or eighth century, a hero leaves to
Higelak one of his companions, his best suit of
armour, the work of Weland. 2
King Alfred in translating into Anglo-Saxon
the Consolations of Philosophy of Boetius, thus
paraphrases a passage in which the author alludes
to the bones of the celebrated Roman consul Fa-
bricius : " Where are now the bones of the wise
Weland, the goldsmith who was formerly most
famous ? " 3
while the Edda, magnifying the evil, informs us that he
severed the tendons of his knees. This, as tales are wont to
gain by transmission, speaks strongly in favour of the greater
antiquity of the Saxon over the Norsk version of the Weland
mishap. Ibid p. 526.
8 On-send Higelace Send back to Higelac,
(gif mec hild nime) if' the war should take me,
beadu-scruda betst the best of war-shrouds
thaet mine bre6st wereth, that guards my breast,
hraegla shiest, the most excellent vesture,
thaet is H radian laf that is the legacy of Hrttdla,
VVelandes ge-weorc. the work of Weland.
Beowulf, VI. v. 898, &c.
WAYLAND SMITH. XXJUll
In a Latin poem by Geoffrey of Monmouth,
who lived in the twelfth century, Rhydderic, King
of Cumberland, among other objects to amuse and
calm the wandering mind of Merlin, causes to be
brought precious stones and cups sculptured by
Weland 4 (Guieland).
3 ... Ubi nunc sunt ossa Fabricii jacent ? Boetii de
Consolat. Philos. L. ii. metr. vii. v. 15.
The passage is thus paraphrased by King Alfred :
Hwaer sint nu thzes wisan Where are now the wise
Welandes ban, Weland' s bones?
thaes goldsmithes the goldsmith
the wses geo mrerost. that u-as formerly most famous.
The passage was first pointed out by Mr. Conybeare.
Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon poetry, 1826, p. 236. See
Rawlinson's edition of Alfred's Boetius, 1698, 8vo. p. 162,
col. 1; and Mr. Fox's edition of the Metres of K. Alfred's
A. S. version of Boetius, 1835, 8vo. p. 40.
4 ... AfFerique jubet vestes, volucresque canesque,
Quadrupedesque citos, aurum geramasque micantes,
Pocula quae sculpsit Guielandus in urbe Sigeni.*
It is the king of Cumberland, Rhydderic, who causes these
vases and other objects to be brought to quiet the distraught
mind of Merlin, in a Latin poem by Geoffrey of Monmouth,
Vita Merlini, first mentioned by Ellis' Specimens of Early
Romances. 1811. Vol. i. p. 87. The poem has since been
printed under the care of Mr. Black, for the Roxburgh
Club.
The allusion is here thought to be to the town of Siegen
in Germany, celebrated for its iron-works.
XXXIV WAYLAND SMITH.
In an English metrical romance of the fourteenth
century, Itimnild gives to Horn a sword named
Bitterfer, the king of swords, and she tells him
Weland wrought it, and better sword never bare
knight. 5
* Than sche lete forth hring
A swerde hongand by a ring,
To Horn sche it bitaught :
It is the make of Miming,
Of all swerdes it is king,
And Weland it wrought.
Bitterfer the swerd hight,
Better swerd bar never knight.
Horn, to th6 ich it thought ;
Is nought a knight in Inglond
Sch al sitten a dint of thine homl,
Forsake thou it nought.
Horn childe and maiden Rimnild. Poem of the fourteenth
century, printed by Ritson. Antient Engleish Metrical
Romancees, Lond. 1802. Vol. iii. p. 295.
Since the publication of this Dissertation in 1833, the
Romance of Torrent of Portugal has been printed by Mr.
Halliwell from a MS. in the Chetham Library at Man-
chester; in which the following notice of our smith, and
his skill as a forger of swords, occurs.
The Kyng of Pervense seyd, " So mot I the
Thys seson yeftles schalle thow not be,
Have here my ryng of gold ;
My sword that so wylle ys wrowyt,
A better than yt know I nowght
Within Crystyn mold."
" Yt ys ase glemyrryng ase the glase,
Thorow Velond wroght it wase,
Better ys non to hold.
WAYLAND SMITH. XXXV
Such was the renown acquired by the works of
Weland, and especially the arms he made. We
shall now see the famous artisan under another
guise.
In a vale in Berkshire, at the foot of White
Horse Hill, 6 and in the midst of a heap of rude
stones fixed in the earth, according to tradition,
formerly dwelt a person called Wayland Smith ;
no one ever saw him, but when his services were
required to shoe a horse, it sufficed to leave the
horse among the stones, and to place on one of
the stones a piece of money. When a reasonable
time had elapsed the horse was found to be shod
and the piece of money gone. The reader need
not be reminded of the use Sir Walter Scott has
made of the tradition in the Wayland Smith of his
Kenilworth.
The rude stones which were scattered over the
I have syne sum tyme in load ;
Lake thaw hold yt with fulle hond,
Whoso had yt of myn hond,
I fawght therfor 1 told."
Tho wase Torrent blythe and glad,
The good swerd ther he had,
The name wase Adolake.
Torrent of Portugal, a Metrical Romance.
London. 1843. 8vo. p. 19.
Wise's Letter to Dr. Mead on some Antiquities in
Berkshire the White Horse, &c., 4to. 1738. Further
Observations on the White Horse in Berkshire, &c. 4to.
1742.
XXXVI WAYLAND SMITH.
Vale of White Horse, had been erected by the
hand of man. They were such Druidic monu-
ments as were found in many places of Great
Britain and France, and which disappear gradu-
ally as agriculture advances. Documents are
wanting which might inform us how the Scandina-
vian legend of Weland came to be attached to this
locality.
SECTION IV.
GERMAN TRADITIONS.
IT appears that the Germans knew and sung the
adventures of Weland at a very early period. He
was called by them Wieland, and must have been
the subject of a poem, which is unfortunately lost.
No mention is made of him in the great Epopea of
the Nibelungen, but his son Wittich * is spoken of;
and that the romance of the Nibelungen was known
in the north, is apparent, because Weland, in the
chant of the Edda makes allusion to the treasures
of the mountains of the Rhine, 2 and, according to
1 Do gedabte si vil tiure an Nidunges tot :
Den het erschlagen Wittege ; davon so het si iamers not.
Der Nibelungen Lied, heransgegeben von Fr. H. von der
Hagen. Bresl. 1820. verse 6811-12.
9 See the Voelundr-quida in the notes to Sect. I.
WAYLAND SMITH. XXXVll
the great German epic the treasure of the Nibe-
lungen was sunk in that river.
It is in the romance of Dietrich of Bern that we
find the adventures of Wieland, there the story is
the same as in the Scandinavian Sagas. Wieland
is represented as the son of the giant Wade, who
himself owes his birth to a sea-sprite named Wa-
chitt. Wieland learns the art of a smith from
Mimer, a skilful workman, and afterwards of the
dwarfs, who perfect him in all that relates to the
operations of the forge, of armoury, and goldsmiths'
work. Wieland goes to King Nidung ; where he
finds another skilful smith, Amilias ; with whom he
contends, and kills him with his sword Mimung.
To punish him for having deprived him of so skil-
ful a workman, King Nidung causes Wieland to be
maimed.
Wieland revenges himself by killing the two sons
of the king, and by deflowering his daughter. Sub-
sequently he escapes, or rather he takes flight,
having made himself wings of feathers.
Of the secret union of Wieland and the king's
daughter Wittich is the fruit, who, being arrived
at the age of adolescence, solicits his father for a
suit of knightly armour. Wieland forges one for
him, and being possessed of this armour Wittich
repairs to the court of Dietrich of Bern, [Theo-
doric of Verona,] where he signalizes himself by
his exploits. This is the mode in which the Scan-
d
XXXV111 WAYLAND SMITH.
dinavian tradition agrees with the Germanic ro-
mance of Dietrich of Bern. 3
In another German poem Wieland is represented
as a duke who has been driven from his country
by giants, and is obliged to become a smith, at lirst
in the service of King Elberich; afterwards he
retreats to the Caucasian mountains ; at last he
repairs to King Hertwich or Hertnitt, and enter-
tains a secret commerce with the daughter of this
king, by whom he has two sons, both of them
named Wittich. 4
William Grimm thinks that these details have
been borrowed from the poem which is lost, in
which the adventures of the celebrated smith were
sung.
The pretended King Elberich is no other than
the dwarf Alfrick, who, according to the Wilkina-
Saga, fabricated under ground the dazzling sword
3 See the poem of Dieteric vtm Bern, Nuremburg, 1661.
8vo. and Von der Hagen, Heldenbuch. Vol. i.
4 Wittich eyn Held. Wittich owe syn Bruoder. Wie-
lant was der zweyer Wittich vatter ; Ein hertzog ward
vertriben von zweyen Riszen die gewunnen jm syn land
ab. Do kam er zuo armuot. Und darnach kam er tzuo
Kiinig Elberich, und ward syn gesell. Uud war auch ein
Schmid indem Berg zuo Gloggen-sachszen (Causab). Dar-
nacb kam er zuo Kiinig Hertwich (Hertnitt) und by des
tochter machet er zwen sune.
Fragment in the Supplement to the Heldenbuch, printed
in 1509.
WAYLAND SMITH. XXXIX
of Ekkesahs, furnished with a pommel of gold, as
transparent as glass.
The poem on Frederic of Suabia celebrates
Wieland as an amorous adventurer. He had long
sought his beloved Angelburga, of whom he was
enamoured without having seen her. Chance at
length leads him to the spot where he is to find the
object of his desires. He perceives three doves
which alight near a spring, on touching the earth
they are metamorphosed into maidens. They un-
dress themselves, and plunge into the water ; Wie-
land, furnished with a root which renders invisible
the person who bears it about him, approaches to
the banks of the spring, and carries off their clothes.
The maidens, not being able to re-dress them-
selves, utter loud cries of terror. Wieland ceases
to be invisible, and promises to return them their
clothes if one of them will accept him for a hus-
band ; a sense of shame obliges them to accept this
condition ; they leave the choice to W T ieland, who
gives the preference to Angelburga : it was the
beauty he had so long sought. 5
* German poem of the fourteenth century, on Frederick
of Suabia, published by (inner in his miscellany, entitled
Bragur. Lieps. 1800. 8vo. Vol. vi. p. 204.
Dr. K. H. Hermes, in Von der Hagen's Jahrbuch fiir
Deutsche Sprache und Alterthumskunde, lid. vii. 1846, p.
95, has also given an Account of the Metrical Romance
of Friedrich von Scbwaben, in which is interwoven an imi-
tation of some of the adventures of Wieland with the three
X WAYLAND SMITH.
This tradition is, as we see, an alteration of that
of the Edda, where Wieland and his two brothers
surprise three maidens in swan-robes, and who are
spinning on the borders of a lake in the solitary
Wulfdale.
The arms of Wieland were celebrated in Ger-
many as well as in the North. In the poem of
Dietrich of Bern, one of the heroes makes an eu-
logy on a helmet fabricated by Wieland ; a king
had sent it from beyond the seas ; it was a master-
piece of art ; it was hard as the diamond; no wea-
pon was able to pierce it ; it was as resplendent as
gold ; it was fastened by a clasp of the same metal.
Twelve master-smiths had worked at this helmet
during an entire year. 6
Valkyrie. The hero, Friedrich, assuming the name of the
cunning Smith of the ]S"orth, when sent to assist the Prin-
cess Osaun von Pravant against her formidable enemy
Arnolt der Wutzich of Norway, upon being asked his name,
be answers:
Ich bin genant Wieland
Und hab manich land erkannt
Und rait ainer abentiir nach,
Der ist mir vil gach.
6 Er (Ecke) sprach belt wiltu micb bestan
Den helm un den ich auf ban
Den wirck Willant mit sitten
In sant ein Konick her uber mer
Erfacbt ein Konick reich mit der wer
Guldein ist er an mitten
Nun loss dir von dein helm sagn
Ob dich darnach belange
WAYLAND SMITH. x
The poem on Biterolf first vaunts the sword
which this hero bore, and which was named
Schritt; it was a weapon without defect and with-
out an equal ; it had been fashioned by a skilful
smith called Mimer the old, who dwelt at Azzaria,
twenty miles from Toledo. This workman had no
rival but Hertrich in Gascony, and afterwards
Wieland, who had made the excellent sword as
well as the helmet borne by his son, the hero
Witega, the Wittich of the preceding traditions.
The two first named artisans manufactured after-
wards twelve swords ; Wieland made a thirteenth
Er ist so maisterlich beslagn
Guldein sint jm seia spange
Dar jn verwurckt ein wurmes schal
Wie vil man swert drauf sclilechte
Da von gewint er dach kein mat.
Er ist als ein adamant
lo wurck ein Krycb mil seyner bant
Alaysterlich als er wolte
Er ist alle missetat
Ein Krith in vinb fangen hot
Das er laucht jn dein golde
Das ich dir sag vnd das ist er (lege war)
Er ist gar schon on mossen
Zwelff mayster wol ein gautzes jar
Do ob deni belm sassen,
Ir Ion der was so wol getlian
Vonn keyner bande woffen
VVirst nit wunt kuner mun.
Dietrich von Bern, cited by Grimm. Die Deutttcbe Hel-
densage, p. 226.
xlii
WAYLAND SMITH.
named Mimunc. To bear one of these swords it
was necessary to be a prince, or the son of a
prince. 7 The poet says he had read all this in a
7 Er (Biterolf) hset eiu swert, daz was guot, Daz im den
sin und den muot
Vil dicke tiuret sere, sin lop und ouch sin re,
Des half daz wafen alle zit, er kam nie en deheinen strir,
Ez gestuont im also, daz sin der recke waere fr6.
Schrit was daz swert genant, diu maere tuon ich in bekant.
An einem huoche hurt ich sagen, der swerte wurden driu
geslagen
Von einem smittmeister guot, det beide sin undo muot
Dar an wande sere, daz man in den landen mere
So staetes niht enfunde ; wan er den listen wol kunde
Baz dan anders ieman da. Er saz in Azzaria,
Von Tolet zweinzec mile. Er haet ouch e der wile
Der swerte mere geslagen. Sinen namen wil ich iu sagen :
Er hiez Mime der alte. Sin kunst vil manigen valte,
Der lenger waere wol genesen und des t6des muoste wesen
Von der swerte krefte. Zuo siner meisterschefte
Ich uieman kan gelichen in alien fursten richen
An einen, den ich iu nenne, daz man in dar )>i erkenne :
Der was Hertrich genant unde saz in Wasconilant.
Durchir sinne craft s6 haeten sie geselleschaft
An werke und an alien dingen ; si mohten wol volhringen
Swaz in ze tuone geschach. Swie vil man starker listejach
Wielande, der da worhte ein swert, daz unervorhte
Witege der helt truoc, und einen helm guot genuoc
DerdS, Limme was genant ; ouch worht er allez daz gewant
Duz zuo dem swerte wol gezam ; Witege truoc ez ane scham
Der eren ingesinde. Er haet ez sinem kinde
Geworht so er beste mohte; dan noch im niht dohte
Daz er an disem maere s6 wol gelobt waere
Als Mime und Hertrich. Ir kunst was vil ungelich
Die xede bescheid ich iu : der swerte waren zwelfiu,
WAYLAND SMITH. xlHi
book. This book was probably of very antient
date. 8
The following legend will show tbat a similar
tradition to that which was current in Berkshire is
still prevalent in Lower Saxony, from which we
may conclude that it was imported and localised
by our Saxon ancestors.
THE SMITH OF THE HILL.
Two miles from Osnabriich is situate a mountain
which formerly must have had rich mines of gold
and silver. The inhabitants of the environs relate
many wonders respecting an extensive cavern which
exists there. On the rough side of the mountain,
where the forest-way through the vale passes to
the village of Hagen, dwelt for many years a smith
who- was not like other men in his time, but not-
withstanding furnished the best smiths-work. He
Diu sluogen diese zwene man, als ich in kunt ban getn ;
Daz drlzehend sluoc VVielaut, dez was Mtminc genaot.
Daz buoch hreren wir sagen, diu swert torste niemant
tragen,
Er waer fiirst oder fursten kint.
Biterolf. cited by Grimm. Die Deutsche Heldensage,
p. 146.
' Grimm, D II. S. p. 148, remarks that the tale of Bi-
terolf about the three armourers somewhat resembles the
old romance of Fierahras, where three armourers are also
mentioned who fabricated wonderful swords. See the ex-
tract from that romance in Sect. v.
xv WAYLAND SMITH.
was a faithful husband, a careful father to his
children and his household, kind to strangers, and
never turned away a poor wanderer from his door.
One Sunday it happened as the smith's wife was
returning through the village from church she was
struck dead by lightning. Thereupon the smith
cried out in desperation, and murmured against
God himself, would receive no consolation, nor
even see his children any more.
About a year after he fell into a deadly sickness,
and, at his last hour, there came to him a strange
man of venerable appearance with a long white
beard, who carried him off into the cavernous cleft
of the old mountain, that, as a punishment of his
crime, and for the purification of his soul, he might
there wander and be a metal-king, until the mine
should cease to be productive ; moreover he was to
rest by day, and labour at night, in his wonted art,
for the benefit of his earthly brethren.
In the cool mine his benevolent good disposition
returned. He knew full well that gold and silver
are not necessary to happiness, therefore he labo-
riously drew even from the most slender veins the
useful iron ore, from which at first he forged house-
hold and agricultural implements. Latterly he
confined his labours to the shoeing of horses only.
In front of the cavern was a stake fixed in the
ground, to which the country people tied horses
they wished to have shod, but it was also necessary
for them not to neglect to lay the usual fee for the
WAYLAND SMITH. xv
labour on a large stone which was to be found on
the spot. The Jfiller, for so they called the smith,
would never be seen by any one, nor would he be
disturbed in his cavern.
Once upon a time a venturesome fellow, out of
covetousness, undertook to enter the cavern. He
collected an armful of green twigs, lighted his
miner's-lamp, and stepped forward under the high
dark roof of the cavern. There it was difficult for
him to choose his way, for passages turned to the
right and to the left. By good luck he chose the
way to the right. His stock of green twigs, with
which he purposed to strew the way to enable him
to return, was soon exhausted, and he would not
return to fetch more.
At last he came to a lofty iron door at the
end of the passage ; this, however, gave him but
little trouble : two vigorous strokes with his axe
and the door flew wide open, but the blast of air
blew out his miner's lamp. " Do but come in ! "
cried a shrill screeching voice, whose sound went
to his soul ; half stupefied he stepped forward.
From the vaulted roof and the side walls was re-
flected a wondrous light, on the massy pillars and
sides of the cavern hovered about strange convul-
sive images like shadows ; the Metal-king in the
midst of deformed spirits of the mine ; his servants,
ranged on both sides, sat on long beams of massive
silver amidst splendidly shining heaps of gold ;
they might perhaps have been carousing.
xlvi
WAYLAND SMITH.
" Now come in, friend ! " once again screamed
out the voice ; " take your place at my side."
There was a vacant seat there, but as the fellow
seemed not to like it at all, the voice shouted :
" Wherefore then so afraid ? take courage, no
harm shall happen to thee ; as thou earnest so will
we send thee back. Yet we will give thee good
advice by the way; provided thou attendest to
it thou mayest yet save something, where otherwise
all would be lost. Step on this table." Pale as
death, tremblingly the fellow stepped up.
" Discontent about the decline of thy fortunes
has misled thee, that thou hast taken extravagant
courses, neglected thy labour, and seekest after
forbidden treasure. Change thy headstrong dis-
position, so mayest thou transmute stones into
gold ; abandon thy pride, so mayest thou have
plenty of gold and silver in thy chests and cup-
boards. Thou wouldst gather unbounded treasure
at once, without labour, think how hazardous that
is, and how often it miscarries. Dig thy field
and garden thoroughly, manure thy meadow and
pasture land, so will't thou create for thyself a true
gold and silver mine."
When the Metal-king had finished speaking,
there arose a croak like that of ravens, and a hiss-
ing and hooting like screech-owls, and a storm
blast rushed against the man and drove him for-
cibly and irresistibly through the obscure damp pas-
sage out of the cave. The fellow, when he once again
WAYLAND SMITH. xlvii
luckily found himself at liberty, vowed that he
would act according to the advice of the old Hiller,
but never again visit his cavernous retreat.
Some say, that at last the Hiller's wayward hu-
mour returned, that he was no more obliging and
serviceable to the country folk, but that he often
hurled from on high red-hot ploughshares, and
therewith kept the peasants in anxiety and terror
without cause, wherefore they conjectured that
there would soon be an end to him and to the
silver-mine.
Sagen Marchen und Legenden Niedersachens
gesammelt von Herrmann Harrys. Celle.
1840. 12mo. p. 59, erste Lieferung.
SECTION V.
FRENCH TRADITIONS.
IN France the artistic reputation of Wieland has
been proverbial, like that of Solomon. 1 In the poem
of Gautier a la main forte, composed in the sixth
century by Gerald, as it appears, a monk of Fleury,
1 ... As estries s'apuia del oevre Suleman.
Horn, di Fierahras. M S. de la Bibl. Roy. suppl. Fran-
jaU. No. 180, fol. 233, col. 2, v. 33.
1 .M mi In net' trovat un lit
])ont li pc<;un e li limun
Furent ul overe Salemun
WAYLAND SMITH.
or by Ekhard IV., monk of St. Gall, it is said of
Walter de Vaskastein, that if in a combat his
Taillies a or et a trifoire
De cifres et de blanc ivoire.
Lai de Gugemer, v. 172. Poesie de Murie de France,
T. i. p. 62.
Puis si 1'ont enterre" les I'autel Saint Simon
En. j. sarcu de marbre fait par devision,
La lame en fu taillie de 1'uevre Salemon.
Sor 1'or dos le sostienent. iiij. petit gaignon.
Roman du Chevalier au Cygne, MS. de la Bib. Roy.
suppl. Fran^ais. No. 540. s. fol. 37. vo. col. 2. v.4.
Quant Godefrois li ber fu entr6s el donjon
Qui estoit paintures de 1'uevres Salemon.
Id. ibid. fol. 49, vo. col. 2. v. 22.
Li dus ot. j. capel qui n'ert pas de colon ;
Entor avoit. j. cercle de 1'uevre Salemon.
Id. ibid. fol. 56, verso col. i. v. 28.
Et saisist le destrier, s'est montes en 1'arcou
De fin or tresjet6 de 1'uevre Salemon.
Id. ibid. fol. 139, vo. col. 2. v. 39.
Et li rice aulmaine sist desor. j. tolon
Qui toz ert de 6n or de 1'uevre Salemon.
Id. ibid. fol. 177, vo. col. 1. v. 3.
Apres eels s'adouba dans Robers li Prison ;
Cil ert sires de Flandres et del regne environ ;
II 1393 unes cauces plus cleres que laiton
Puis vesti en son dos. j. auberc fremellon,
Et 1393. j. vert elme de 1'uevre Salemon.
Id. ibid. fol. 182, recto col. 1, r. 25.
This tradition is originally from the East. See the Bib-
liotheque Orientale of d'Herbelot. v. SOUMAN, and les Monu-
ments Arabes Persans et Turcz du Cabinet de M. le Due de
Blacas, &c. par Reinaud. Paris, 1828. 8vo. T. i. p. 162
et seq.
WAYLAND SMITH. xix
cuirass, made by Wieland, had not defended him,
the lance of Randolf would have penetrated his
entrails. 2
In a chronicle of the Counts of Angoulesme
written in the twelfth century by the monk Aldhe-
mar, of Chabannes, it is related that the Count
William received the name of Taillefer, for that
in a battle against the Normans, he had, to finish
it, engaged in single combat against their king,
and that at one single stroke he cut in two his
body and cuirass, with his sword Durissima, made
by the smith Wulander?
Ordinarily he is designated by the name of
Gal/and.
John, a monk of Marraoutier, in a description
J . . . Ecce repentino Randolf atlileta cavallo
Prevertens reliquos hunc importunus adivit;
Et nisi duratis Wielandia fabrica giris
Obstaret, spisso penetraverit ilia ligno.
MS. Bibl. Roy. No. 8488 A. Colb. 6388, fol. 23 TO. v. 19.
It is of the twelfth century, bears the name of Gerald, and
finishes with this inscription in characters of the same date :
Explicit liber Tifridi episcopi crassi de civitate nulla. The
poem which it contains has been published at Leipsic hy
F. C. J. Fischer, under the title : De primn expeditiotie
Attilif regis Hunnorum in Cultius ac de rebus gestis Wultharii
Aq uitanorum principis airmen epicum. Saec. VI. &c. in Ito.
1780. The passage cited will he found at p. 53. v. 958.
3 U ill-hints quoque Sector ferri (qui hoc cognomen indep-
tus est, quod commisso prcelio cum Nnrtmaiinis, et neutra
parte cedente, poslera die pacti causa cum roge eorum
1 WAYLAND SMITH.
of the fetes given at Rouen by Geoffroi le Bel,
or Geoffrey Plantagenet, Duke of Normandy, and
count of Anjou and of Maine, when he was
knighted in 1126, speaks of the magnificent habits
of this prince, of his gennet of Spain, of his hel-
met, of his shield, of his ashen-lance pointed with
iron of Poitiers, &c. ; and then continues, " They
brought him a sword, taken from the royal trea-
sury, and long since renowned. Galannus, the
most skilful of armourers, had employed much care
and labour in making it." 4 There is no doubt that
the Galannus who had made the sword of Geoffrey
Plantagenet, is identical with the Walander whose
master-piece was possessed by William Taillefer.
Storim singulari conflictu deluctans, ense curto nomine Du-
rissimo, quern Walander faber cuserat, per media pectoris
secuit simul cum thorace una percussione), &c.
Chronicon Ademaris Chabannensis monachi sancti Eparchi
Engolismensis a principle monarchic FrancitE ad annum
CIOXXIX. ap. Labbe, Nova Bibliotheca manuscript.
tibrorumtomussecundus,&ic. Paris, 1657. fol. p. 167. 1. .3.
4 Andegavensi vero adductus est miri decoris equus His-
paniensis, qui tant-.v, ut aitnit, velocitatis erat, ut multas aves
in volando eo tardiores essent. Induitur lorica incompara-
bili, quae maculis duplicibus intexta, nullius lance* vel ja-
culi cujuslibet ictibus transforabilis haberetur. Calceatus
est calceis ferreis et maculis itidem duplicibus compactis ;
calcaribus aureis pedes ejus adstricto sunt. Clypeus leun-
culos aureos imaginarios babens collo ejus suspenditur ;
imposita est capiti ejus cassis multo lapide pretioso relu-
cens, quae tales temperaturae erat ; ut nullius ensis acuminc
incidi vel falsificari valeret. Allata est ei hasta fraxinea
WAYLAND SMITH. H
If we now pass from history to fiction, we shall
everywhere find traces of the reputation of Wieland
in the romances of chivalry compiled in France
during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Ac-
cording to the romance of Raoul de Cambrai and
his nephew Bernier, Louis IV. surnamed d'Outre-
mer, girded Raoul with a magnificent sword which
had been forged in a dark cavern by Galans? In
the romance of Ogier le Danois, by Raymbert of
ferrum pictavense practendens. Ad ultimum allatus est ei
ensis de thesauro regio ab antique ibidem signatus, in quo
fabricando i'abrorum superlativus G ahum us multa opera et
studio desudavit.
Joannis monachi Mujoris - Monasterii Historic Gaufredi
duds Normannwum et comitis Andegavorum, Turonorum
et Canomaniwrum libii duo. In the llecueil des Hitlo-
riens des Guutes et de la France. T. xii. p. 511. c.
Warton cites Hoveden, f. 444. ii. sect. 50, for the facts
contained in this extract, and has been followed by Cony-
beare and the Editors of Edda, but M. Fr. Michel says he
has sought for it in Hoveden in vain. M. Thierry in his
histoire de la conquete de I'Angleterre par Its Narmands,
1830, T. ii. p. 391, has used the text of the monk of Mar-
moutier ; but has strangely said that Galand was the most
celebrated workman of the time of Henry I.
* ... Li rois Ii caint 1'espee fort et dure ;
D'or fu Ii pons et toute la hendure,
Et fn forgie en uue combe oscure.
(Jalans la list, qui toute i mist sa cure.
tors Durendal, qui fu Ii esliture,
De toutes autres fu eslite la pure
Anne ; en ce mont contre Ii rien ne dure.
MS. de la Bib. Roy. No. 8201, fol. 6, vo. T. 19.
Hi WAVLAND SMITH.
Paris, Sadoyne hangs at his side a sword from the
forge of Galant ; Brehus, of the country of the
valley Secrois, King of the Saisnes, and admiral
of the Persians, girt a sword obtained from the
treasury of Pharaoh, and made in the isle of Mas-
con, by Galans : and a little after the same hero
reappears again on the scene with a sword that
Galans made in the isle of Persois : " Never,"
says the trouvere, " prince nor king had a better.
One of its sides was red and violet, and the other
whiter than snow. The blade was rich, you will
never see a better, &c." 6
6 Sadoines s'arme bel et cortoisement ;
II vest 1'aubert, lace 1' elme ensement,
II cbaint 1' espee de la forge Galant.
MS. de la Bib. Roy. fonds de la Valliere, No. 78. fo. 187,
vo. col. 2. v. 19.
Puis cbainst lespe au senestre giron;
Ele fu prise en tresor Pharaon.
Galans la fist en I'ille de Mascon.
Centre I'achier n'a nulle arme foison.
Id. ibid. fol. 256, vo. col. 1. v. 7.
Puis chain! 1' espe a son flanc senestrois,
Galans le fist en 1'iHe de Persois;
Onkes millor n'ot ne princes ne rois.
Inde et verrnel. j. des costelx avoit
Et 1'autre blanc asseix plus ke n'est nois.
Rice est li brans, ja millor ne verrois,
Corte fu boine, mais ele en vult les iij.
Esperimentee fu ja par maintes fois
De Sarra/ins ki tienent putes lois.
. M. Crestiens en a ocis li rois.
Id. ibid. fol. 268, vo. col. 2. v. 22.
WAYLAND SMITH. Hii
In the romance of Fierabras d'Alixandre, it is
related that this Saracen possessed three swords,
Plorance, Bautisme, and Garbain. On this oc-
casion the author adds, " I will tell you the truth
about those who forged them. They were three
brothers all born of the same father. They were
called Galans, Muni/icans, Hanisars. The first
made Plorance and Garbain, and took twelve
years to refine them. Munificans made Duren-
dal? Musagine, and Courtain, with which Ogier
the Dane had given many a stroke ; finally Galans
made Floberge, 9 Hauteclere, 9 and Joyeuse,
which Charlemagne long time held in great es-
teem. 10
7 The sword of Charlemagne, and afterwards of his
nephew Roland.
8 Floberge or Froberge, a sword which belonged to Duke
fiegon (Roman de Garin le Loherain, Paris, 1833. T. i.
p. 263. c. ziz. v. 12), afterwards to the Paynim king An-
thenor, and then to Maugis d' Aigremont, who won it from
the infidel, used it himself, and gave it at length to his
cousin Henaud de Montauban. fioiardo and Ariosto call
it Framberga ; the French have made it Ftamberge.
9 The sword of Oliver, son of Renier of Genoa, and bro-
ther of the beautiful Aude, whose charms were so cele-
brated in the middle ages. Oliver was at the same time
grandson to Guerin de Monglave, and nephew to Hernauk
de Beaulande, Miles de Pouille, and Gerard de Vienne.
10 Fierabras d' Alixandre fu molt de grant florti ;
II a fainte 1'espee au senestre coste,
Puit a pendu Uautisme a 1'arcliou noiele,
e
llV WAYLAND SMITH.
In the first branch of the romance of the Knight
of the Swan, we read that Lothaire armed his five
sons with five swords from the forge of Galant.
" Two of them," says the author, " belonged for-
merly to King Octavian into whose kingdom they
had been brought by the Trojans in old times.
When Miles espoused the beautiful Florence she
gave them to him, for she had seen him combat
valiantly against Garsile. Miles kept one, and
gave the other to one of his favorites. They were
afterwards stolen by Walter the Truant, who fled
and took refuge with the father of King Lothaire,
to whom he made a present of these swords. The
Et d'autre part Garbain au puing d'or esmere.
De ceus qui le forgierent vous dirai verite ;
Car il furent. iij. frere, tout d'un pere engerr6 :
Galans en fu li uns, ce diet l'auctorit,
Munificans fu 1'autres, sans point de fausete ;
Hanisars fu li tiers, ce dit on par verte ;
Et Plorance et Garbain dont li branc sont tempre.
Xjj. ans i mist anchois que fuisent esmer6.
Et Munificans fist Durendal au puing cler,
Musaguine et Courtain, ki sont de grant bonte,
Dont Ogier li Danois en a maint coup done.
Et Galans fist Floberge a 1'acier atempr6,
Hauteclere et Joiouse, ou molt ot dignet6.
Cele tint Karlemaine longuement en certe.
Ensi furent li frere de lor sens esprouve.
MS. de la Bib. Roy. Suppl. Fran9ais. No. 180, fol. 4, vo.
col. i. v. 27. The verses of this passage in which Galant
is mentioned are wanting in the Proveiip ale version of
Fierabras published by Bekker. Berlin, 1829. 4to,
WAYLAND SMITH. lv
king looked at them, found them much to his taste,
and gave a fief to Walter, made him rich and natu-
ralised him \Jui fit manant~\. Lothaire had the
three other swords in his treasury. During his
journey to the holy sepulchre he had conquered a
king in Africa, who took ransom of the pilgrims ;
he cut off his head, and brought back the sword of
the Saracen, as also a sparkling helmet. Afterward
he overcame the Emir of Caucasus, whose sword
and hauberk of mail he took. The last sword was
found in the river Jordan. All attempts to furbish
it were vain, it could never be made white. The
king gave these five swords to his children, and
girded them on their left side. 11
Further on, in the second branch, we read this
passage: "The Emperor (Othes or Otho) was at
" II a donne. v. brans de la forge Galant ;
Li doi furent jadis le roi Octeviant.
I.i les orent pirrit aportes Troiant
Quant Miles epousa Florence le vaillant,
Si le dona Florence, qui bien le vie aidant,
Kt contre Garsile fierement combatant ;
Kt Miles dona 1'autre a. j. sien connisfant
Puis furent-il emble par Gautier le Truant,
Et cil en est fuis de la fort pai'sant,
S'en est venus au pere le roi Lotaire errant,
A celui le donna et il en fist present:
Li roi les esgarda, bien les u talent,
S'a Gautier done fief et fait rice manant.
Les autres trois avoit en son tresor gisant.
II ot conquis. j. roi en Aufrique la grant,
Quant ala outre mer le sepucre querant,
v WAYLAND SMITH.
the window, turned toward the east, and surrounded
by a crowd of distinguished knights, when he per-
ceived up the river a white bird swimming. It
had a chain round its neck, and drew after it a
boat. Beside this they saw in the vessel a knight
reclining near his shield and trenchant sword.
There was also near him a beautiful spear of in-
estimable value. I do not know whether it was of
the forge of Galant, but certes no living man ever
saw a richer brand. 12
Finally we read in the same romance, afterward :
" Then Espaullars of resolute countenance rode.
Que tr6u demandoit as pe~lerins errant.
II li coupa la teste, oncques n'en ot garant ;
Et I'esp6e aporta et. j. elme luisant
llluec apres conquist Caucase 1'ainirant,
Dont Pesp6e aporta et 1'auberc jaserant.
Et 1'autre espe fu trov6e el flum Jordant ;
Ainc ne pot estre blance, taut 1'alast forbisant.
(Vs. v. cspt't-s a li rois cascun enfant
Cainte au senestre les, u ben seent li brant.
MS. de la Bib. Roy. Supplem. Franfais, No. 540, fol. 18,
ro. col. 2. v. 13.
12 L'emperere ert as astres devers soleil levant,
Environ lui estoient maint cbevalier vaillant :
Yirent amont le Kin un blanc oise] noant,
El col une ca'ine et un batel traiant;
Et virent en Ja nef. j. chevalier gisant,
Dales lui son escu et s'esp6e tren9ant,
Et un molt bel espiel qui molt par ert vaillant.
Jo ne sal se il fu de la forge Galant ;
Mais ains nus horn de car ne vit si rice brant.
Id. ibid. fol. 21, vo. col. 2. v. 21.
WAYLAND SMITH. IvU
He was well armed with hauberk, entresagne,
shield, lance, and Sardinian helmet, with a sword
which was made in Britanny. The smith who
forged it in a cavern, was named Dionises, and
was the brother of the skilful Galant. He refined
it thirty times in order that it might not break,
and he tempered it thirty-three times. He strongly
enjoined that no one should gird it on unless he
had been a victor, and that he was going to war.
A Breton merchant named Maudras, sold it for a
hundred marcs of gold, twenty pieces of cloth of
Frise, and two Spanish gennets. The Emperor
Caesar possessed it a long time. He conquered
with it England, Anjou, Germany, France, Nor-
mandy, Saxony, Aquitain, Apulia, Hungary, Pro-
vence, &c. Now it belongs to Espaullart, in
whose hands it is fatal to a great number of men. w
13 Or cevalce Espaullars a la ciere grifaigne.
II fu molt bien armes d'auberc et d'entresagne,
Et d'escu et de lance et d'elme de Sartaigne ;
S'ot une espee f ainte qui fu faite un Bretagne.
Li fevres qui le fist en la terre soutaigne
Ot a non Dionises, 1'escrUure 1'ensaigne ;
Si fu freres Galant, qui tant par sot d'ovraigne.
T rente fois 1'esmera por 9011 qu'ele ne fraigne,
Et tempra. xziij. Bien desfent c'on n'el caigne
Qui ne soil conqurans et que guerre n'empntigne.
Maudras, tins marceans qui fu ns de Bretagne,
Le vendi. c. mars d'or tot par droite bargagne
Et. zx. pailes de Frise et. ij. cevals d' Espagne.
Cesars li empereres 1'ot maint jor en demagne,
Engleteire en conquist, Angou et Alemagne,
hiii WAYLAND SMITH.
In the romance of Godfrey of Bouillon, which
is the sequel to the Knight of the Swan, we find
this passage : " Afterward they girded on Godfrey
the sword which gave death to Agolant. The
mounting was good, but the blade was of much
greater value. On it were to be read characters
which signified in the Roman tongue that it was
made by the skilful Galant. Durendal was its
sister, and belonged to Count Roland. Godfrey,
the hardy, combatting afterwards at the siege of
Antioch, struck such strokes with it, that many men
were sufferers." 14
Further on the troubadour, in speaking of the
son of an Emir, says : " The sword they girt on
him Israhels forged, afterwards Galans made it,
who spent a year in tempering it, and who called it
Recuite because they both fashioned it. When he
Et France et Normendie, Saisone et Aquitaigne
Et Puille et Hungerie, Provence et Moriaigne.
Or en est cil saisis qui maint home en mehagne ;
Par sa grant cruelt sovent en sane le baigne.
Id. ibid. fo. 33. vo. col. i. v. 18.
14 Puis li cainsent 1' espe'e dont mors fu AgoJans;
Bone iert d'adoube'ure, mais mius valoit li brans.
Letres i ot escrites qui dient en romans
Que Galans le forga, qui par fu si vaillans
Durendals fu sa suer, cele ot li quens Rollans
Puis en fe"ri tel coup li hardi combatans
El siege d' Antbioce, dont mains horn fu dolans.
MS. de la Bib. Roy. Suppl. Franfais, No. 540. fol. 49,
ro. col. 2. 1. penult.
WAYLAND SMITH. l
had refined it, he essayed it on his forging-stake,
and cut it down at once from top to bottom. This
sword was in the possession of Alexander, who con-
quered the world, afterwards of Ptolemy, and then
of Judas Maccabeus. It passed since through so
many hands that it came to Vespasian, the avenger
of our Lord, who offered it at the holy sepulchre,
where God rose again. It belonged afterwards to
Cornumarant, and to his son Corbada. Him to
whom he gave it betrayed Jesusalem, and since he
left it not a single day in the city." 14
And further on still the king of Nubia says to
the Soldan : " I pray Mahomet and your God
Tervagant, that they may this year secure you
from greater losses. For all these Christians are
very valiant, and when they are armed with mailed
hauberks and naked swords from the forge of
Gafant, which more readily cut iron than knives
14 Li brans que on lui fainst Israliels le forja,
Puis le fist Galans que. j. an le tempra ;
For 9011 qu'il doi le fisent Recuite 1'apela.
Quail il I'ot esmortV, en son tronc 1'asaia.
En fresci qu'en la terre le fendi et coupa.
Celi ot Aliiandres qui le mont conquesta,
Et puis I'ot Tolom6s, puis Macabeus Juda;
Tant ala li espee que de 93 et de la.
Que Vaspnsianua, qui dame-Deu venja,
Al &']. ucre 1'ofri u Dez rescuscita ;
Puis I'ot Cornumarans et ses fils Corbada ;
Jherusalem tra'f eel qui il le dona.
Ainc puis dedens le vile. j. jor ne le laisfa.
Id. ibid. fol. 81, vo. col. ii. v. 18.
x WAYLAND SMITH.
cut leather, a single one of them would not fly
before thirty of our turks." 1G
Lastly, after having described the arms of the
Soldan, the romancer adds : " He afterwards put
on a cuirass which Antequites made, who was
during twenty-five years adored as a God. To him
belonged Israels, and the skilful Galans. It was
there they learnt the art of forging, in which they
excelled." The cuirass of which we speak was
very rich ; each face of it was enamelled with de-
licate arabesques of fine gold and silver, and all
the superior part was resplendent. 17
16 Mais or prie Mabon et ton Deu Tervagant
Ke de ta gregneur perte te desfende en cest an,
Car molt par sont preudome tot icil crestian
Car quant il sont arme des hauliers jaseran
Et ont esp6es nues de le forge Galan
(Plus soeuf trence fer que coutels cordouan)
Pour. JTXX. de nos Turs n'en fuiroit uns avant.
/(/. iliiil. fol. 115. ro. col. i. v. 1.
17 Or tost dist 1'amirals, mes armes m'aporte"s
Et si home respondent : " Si com vous commandes."
Ses armes li aporte Corsans et Salatres.
Devant le maistre tref fu un tapis jet6s
Et desors le tapi uns pailes colored.
La s'asist 1'amirals, qui est de grans fiertes.
Ses cauces li CH:K;;I le roi Matusales
D'un clavain ploieis, onques horn ne vit iis:
Les bendes en sont d'or, si le fist Salatr6s,
Uns molt sages Juus qui des ars fu par6s
A claus d'argent estoit cascuns clavains soldcs.
Ses esperons li cauce I'amital Josues ;
WAYLAND SMITH. JXl
In the romance of Huon of Bordeaux, a Sara-
cen, when Huon asks for arms, brings him a rusty
sword that had been long laid in a chest. Huon
takes it, and drawing it out of the sheath, sees that
it bears an inscription thus expressed : " Galans
forged this sword." The romancer adds, " This
armourer in his time forged three, namely, that
which the pagan gave to Huon ; Durendal, which
afterward belonged to Roland, and Courtain." 18
Ja beste c'on en poigne n'ara ses flans enfles.
Puis vesti une broigne que fist Antequit6s,
Qui fu. xxv. ans comme Dex aors.
A lui fu Israels et Galans li senes ;
La aprisent le forge dont cascuns fu pares.
Molt ert rice la broigne, cascuns pans fu safres
De fin or et d'argent menu recerceles,
Et tos li cors deseure tos a listes bendes.
Ibidem, fol. 187. vo. col. 2. v. 8.
Matbusalem, and the Jews are mentioned in the Ro-
mances of Godefroi de Bouillon aud Gerard de Vienue, as
celebrated for their skilful workmanship. And the repu-
tation of Salatrie appears to have been proverbial for beau-
tiful goldsmiths' work, he is mentioned several times in this
romance.
" Et lendemain que il fuit ajorner
L'amiralz ait fait le bane crier
Que tout so voisent fervestir et arraer.
De toute part se courent adouber,
Veste haubert, lesse helme gemelz ;
Au chevalz moment, corrant et abrivez
Et quant voit Hue, ne sceit de quoy armer,
Dou cuer dou vantre commence a soupirer
Moult vollantiers allest avec chappler
Ixii WAYLAND SMITH.
In the romance of Garin de Monglave, this
worthy going to combat against the felon Hughes
PAuvergnat, is armed by Mabillette daughter of
the Count de Limoges, who girds him with such a
sword, as the romance says, " that on the whole
Se il eust chevalz pour sus monter.
L'amiralz voit, si 1'an ait appellez :
" Amiralz sire, dit Hue, antandez
Et car me faites unez armez prestez
Et ung chevalz sor quoy puisse monter ;
En la bataille avec vous m'an irez,
Si saverez comment sai behorder."
Ditz 1'amiralz: " Tu ai'e moult bien parler."
Adont le fait bonnez arme donner.
Un saix qu' avoit Huon gaiber,
A son escrin est maintenant allez,
Si an trait ung brant d'aicier lettrez ;
Vint a Huon et se li ait donuer :
" Vaissalz, dit il, cestui me porterez ;
Je 1'ai maint jour en mon escrin garder."
Hue le prant, dou fuer 1'ait geter,
De 1'une part se trait les ung pillier.
Se dit la lectre qui fuit en brant lettrez ;
Elle fuit suer Durandau au poing cler.
Gallant la fist, ung an mist a souder;
Xx. fois la fist en fin aicier coller
' Per fois, dist Hue, boin don m'avez donner." &c.
Livrede Huelin de Bourdialx et du roy Abron. MS. de la
Bib. Roy. fonds de Sorbonne, No. 450, fo. xj. xx. et x.
ro. col. i. dernier vers.
This passage is also found as we have translated it in the
transposition from rhyme to prose made in the fifteenth
century, incontestably after a better original. It runs thus:
Droit a ceste heure comme de Huon devisoient avoit la ung
WAYLAND SMITH. Ixiii
earth, great as it is, a better could not be found,
unless it is Durendal, that Charlemagne won from
Brubant. These two swords were made in the
forge of Galant"* 9
Further on the same romance, speaking still of
Garin, thus expresses itself: " Afterward, he un-
sheathed the blade, which was a good one, and on
which was engraved the name of Jesus Christ. It
was made and forged by the good smith Galans,
payen lequel oyant que le roj Yvoirin avoit ordonn6 qu'il
fust arine il s'en partit, si se alia eu en sa maison et print
une grant esp6e moult esrouillee laquelle il avoit grant
temps garde en son coffre, si 1'apporta a I luon, et luy dist :
" Vassal, je voy que pas n'avez espe ne baston dont
ayder vous puyssiez, et pour ce vous donne ceste esp6e qui
moult long-temps ay gardee en mon coffre." Le payen le
donna a Huon en le cuidant truffer, pour ce que advis luy
estoit que I'espe estoVt de petite valeur. Huon prinst
I'espee, si la tira hors du fourreau et veil que dessus estoit
escript lettres en franfoys qui disoit : " Ceste espee forgea
Galans, lequel en son temps en forgea troys." Et celle
que le payen avoit donn6 a Huon fut 1'une des troys, dont
1'une fut Durandal.qui depuis fut a Rolant, 1'autre fut Cour-
tain."
Let Prouestes et Faicts merveilleux du noble Huon de Bor-
deauli per de France, due de Guyenne, &c. Paris,
1516, in fol. f. xlv. vo. col. ii. 1. 5.
The relation is not found in another version of the romance
" Hullin de Bordeaux " in couplets, preserved in the same
library, fonde de Cang6, No. 28. reg. 7535-6.
18 Chainte Ii a I'esp6e dont je vos di itant
Que il n'ot mellor tant com la tere est grant
Ixiv WAYLAND SMITH.
the best that ever existed. It was so strong and
well finished that it was more splendent than re-
fined silver." 20
Finally, in the romance of Doolin de Mayence,
we read that the hero going to combat against
Charlemagne, " had his shield on his neck, and his
lance in the rest of his saddle, armed with a large
iron head which had been made in the forge of
Gallant, from whence also issued Durendal, the
sword of Charlemagne ; and when it was made, it
was tried and cut through four thick pieces of steel
at one stroke." 21
Nevertheless at the first encounter this lance
Fors Durendal le Karle qu'il conquist a Brubant.
Ces. jj. furent faites en la forge Galant.
MS. de la Bib. Roy. fonds de la Valliere. No. 178, olim
2729, fol. 36. vo. col. ii. 1. penult.
30 Puis a trait le nu branc, qui bons fu et letrez :
Des haus nons de Jhesus i ot escris assez.
Le bon fevres Galans, li mieldrez qui fu nez,
Cil le fist et forja, saciez de veritez.
Taut fu fors li bons brans et tant fu afilez
Que plus luist et resplent que argens esmerez.
Id. ibid. fol. 88, vo. col. ii. v. 16.
We believe that the passages of this romance relating to
Wieland are not in the prose translation made in the fif-
teenth century, printed three times in B. L. at the com-
mencement of the sixteenth century.
31 Et alors Doolin yssit de Paris moult bien arnit! 1 sur
ung bon cheval coursier d'Espaigne qui couroic plus par
roc-biers et montaignes qui ne faisoit ung autre en plain
champ ; et avoit son escu au col et sa lance au poing de
WAYLAND SMITH. Ixv
broke, as well as that of Charlemagne. " Then,"
says the author, "the emperor drew his sword
Durendal, which he had won by force from the
Emir Braymont, and Doolin put his hand to his
sword which was named Merveilleuse, and which
had been made in the forge of Galant. Truly a
fairy put the last edge upon it ; but Galant did
not make it ; it was one of his apprentices. When
the sword of Doolin was forged and moulded, and
that Galanfs mother had said her prayers over it,
she made the sign of the cross and enchanted it
like a fairy as she was. Afterward, she placed
it edge downward on a tripod, and left it there ; in
the morning when she returned she found the
trenchant blade under it having cut the tripod
through and through. Seeing this, she said : ' By
my faith I will have thee named Merveilleuse for
thou cuttest wonderfully, and no substance in the
world can resist thee, unless God, to whom all
things are possible, should protect it.'" 22
pommier a un large fer qui avoit est6 fait en la forge
de Gallant, ou avoit est forg Durandal I'espe'e de Charles ,
et quant elle fut faicte elle fut essaye et couppa quatre
pieces d'acier moult grosses a ung coup.
La Flevr de Battailtes de Doolin de Maience. Paris 1501 ,
in fol. f. x.tviii. vo. 1. 21.
" Et quant les deux barons eurent rompu leurs lance?,
Charlemaigne lira son espee Durandal qu'il avoit conquise
sur Braymont 1'admiral ; car c'estoit la meilleure qu'on eust
sceu trouver. Et quant Doolin vit 1'espte tine, il mist la
main a la sienne qui avoit nom Merveilleuse, laquelle avoit
Ixvi WAYLAND SMITH.
We may just advert to the circumstance, without
attaching much importance to it, that the word
Gallandus ^ in low Latin, and galende, garlande,
cstee faicte en la forge de Galant : et 1'afila une ft-e sans
mentir ; mais Galant ne le fit pas, car ce fut ung sien
aprentis. Et ores maintenant en convient a parler.
Quant l'espe"e a Doolin fut forg6e et esmoulue et que Ja
mere a Galant eut dit ses oraisons dessus elle, la seigna et
conjura comme celle qui estoit ouvriere de faer ; apres elle
la mist dessus ung grant trepier, le trenchant par dessoubz,
et jmis la laissa la. t quant vint au matin, elle trouva
dessus le trenchant qui avoit coupp6 tout oultre le trepier,
et quant elle la vit, elle dist : "Par ma foy ! je vueil que
tu ayez nom Merveilleuse . car ce sera grant merveille
comment tu trencheras, et riens n'aura duree contre toy
se Dieu ne le deffent, qui a povoir sur toutes choses.
Id. ibid. f. xxix. 1. 13. ro.
This passage, and that which precedes, is wanting in two
MS. copies of the metrical Doon de Mayence, one of the
fourteenth, the other of the fifteenth century. M. Michel
therefore thinks that the prose romance has been copied
from some earlier original, as it is highly improbable that
these details were invented in the fifteenth century. It
should be remarked that the traditions relating to Wieland
are only found in those romances of the Round Table whose
heroes are Franks.
23 See the Glossary of Da Cange and Charpentier v. Gal-
landus. He cites two passages, one taken from the History
of the Bishops of Auxerre, and the other from the Roman
de la Rose. The first is as follows :
Petrus de Villanis septuagesiraus tertius, natione Gallus,
patria Normannus, ex gratia' sedis apostolica? per prefati
domini Joannis de Blangy renuntiationem, promotus ad-
sedem episcopalem, extitit vir nobilis facundus et strenuus,
WAYLAND SMITH. Ixvii
galandi, 24 in the Romance language, bear the sense
of munitus, instructs*.
We here finish this chapter, by remarking that
though the French romance writers of the middle
ages recall at every opportunity the name and skill
of Wieland, they no where make allusion to his ad-
ventures as they are preserved in the literature in
the North. They speak of him only as a famous fa-
bricator of swords and lances. Only we see by the
last passage, that in France also he was considered
of supernatural origin, since they give him a fairy
for mother.
loca fortalitiorum de Regennis et Villa-Catuli reparavit, et
in forma debita fortalitiorum posuit et munivit machinis
Gallandis et fossatis.
HUtoria Episcoporum autisiiodorensium apud Labbe. Tom.
i. p. 511.
As for the second it is to be found in Meon's edition of
the Roman de la Rose, T. i. p. xxxvi. v. 860. But the
word gatlendte is transformed into gaUmni-e.
54 See the Glossaire Francois of D. Charpentier, and the
Glossaire de la Langue Romane, by Roquefort, under the
words Galander, Galandi, Calender, and Gartander.
WAYLAND SMITH.
SECTION VI.
GREEK ORIGIN OF THESE TRADITIONS.
IT may have been seen from the preceding chap-
ters that in the middle ages the popular belief
in a skilful artisan was spread over a great part
of Europe, but especially in the North. They re-
presented this individual as having excelled in all
that then constituted art, that is to say, the me-
chanic as well as the fine arts. Thus he was a
skilful goldsmith, armourer, smith, statuary, en-
graver, founder. This skill was accompanied with
a little magic, and a great deal of malevolence.
These ideas are also to be found among the peo-
ple of antiquity, especially the Greeks. 'H<f>atirroi:
or Vulcan, 1 had been from the remotest times the
1 In the Islands of Lipari, Hephaestus had his chief resi-
dence and workshop. Whoever wished to have smiths'
work performed by him procured iron only, and bringing it
to a certain spot, and placing it there, together with the
money for the Jabour ; the next morning the desired work
was found to be completed. This we learn from the fol-
lowing remarkable passage of the Scholiast on Apollonius
Rhodius, pointed out by F. Wolf in the Altdeutschen Blat-
tern, I. 47. And its striking correspondence with the Eng-
lish legend of the Vale of Whitehorse will be at once seen.
'Ev ry Aiirdpg. ical SrpoyywXp (rS>v AioXov St yjjerwv
WAYLAND SMITH. xx
type of skilful workmen-artists, as we see from the
Iliad. He forged metals, he fashioned the most
precious works, he constructed arms and armour ;
he was a deity ; mythology relates his cunning
tricks. Moreover he was lame, maimed like We-
land.
But antiquity presents us with a more striking
analogy with the North, in the fables which relate
to Daedalus, and we do not hesitate to believe
that it is the history of this Greek artist, altered
and disfigured, adapted to the manners and creeds
of the people of the North of Europe, which has
given rise to the romance of Weland.
At first the word Daedalus was, among the
Greeks, like that of Weland among the Scandina-
vians a generic name. AaicaXXw signified to work
artistically, as Voelundr signified a Smith in Is-
landic. Daedalus was, like Weland, preeminently
the artist and the workman. This word was a
proper name only because they attributed to this
mythologic being all the perfections of the art. For
this reason also we believe that the Islandic word
avrai) SoKtl t"H0atoroc EictTpifitW Si a Kai irvpbq j3p6fiov
aKouiffSai Kai ?ixv ff<podpov. To Si iraXatdv tXtytro, rbv
ftov\6fifi'ov qpybv aidrjpov tiri<t>iofiv Kai tni rffv avpiov
aaai, ara/3nX6>ra piaSbv. Tavra 07)<ri Ilw^tdc iv y^f
7rfpo?y, Xtywv eai rf)v SaXaaaav tKti Jttv. Schol. Apol-
IOD. lih'iil. iv. 761.
The very similar legend current in Osnaburgb, has been
already given at p. xliii ante.
f
1XX WAYLAND SMITH.
Voelund, a smith is erroneously regarded as de-
rived from Weland ; it is the contrary that should
be stated. The word Voelund existed before the
history of the famous smith Weland had been in-
vejited; just as the word %uilu\\w existed before
the personification Daedalus had been admitted into
the mythology of the Greeks. 2
They attributed to Daedalus all the works of
antient art; in Italy and in Greece they boasted
of possessing them ; they attributed to him the
works of artists who were perhaps separated by
centuries, 3 and of which the epoch was unknown.
The Greeks carry back the history of Daedalus
to very high antiquity, they throw this personage
back to the thirteenth century before our sera,
making him cotemporary with Theseus and Minos.
We will not here enter into the entire history of
this mythologic being ; we will not speak of the
Daedalian festivals which, according to Pausanias, 4
were celebrated every seven years in Bceotia. We
8 See the Dissertation on Daedalus in the work of Dr.
Sickler : Die Hieroglyphen in dem Mythus des Aesculapius.
Meinigen, 1819. 4to. The object of the author is to prove
that the Greeks received from the people of Semitic race,
i. e. the Phoenicians, the art of working in metals.
3 See Heyne, Antiquior artium inter Gr&cos historia, c.
in the fifth volume of his Opuscula academica collecla, Got-
ting. 1802. 8vo. p. 341.
4 Uavffaviov rr;c EXXa'&) irtmrf/rjfft^. Boeot. 1. ix.
c. 3.
WAYLAND SMITH.
shall only recite those traits which bear immedi-
ately on our subject, and which have been pre-
served to us by Diodorus Siculus and Pausa-
nias. 5
Daedalus, guilty of the murder of Talus his sis-
ter's son, who promised to be his rival in skill, and
condemned to death for the crime, flies from
Greece, and takes refuge in the Isle of Crete,
where he enters into the service of Minos, as We-
land does into that of King Nidung. Minos has a
daughter like the Scandinavian king. The Greek
artist, like the Scandinavian, incurs the vengeance
of the king he serves. Daedalus, by favouring the
extraordinary amorous propensity of Pasiphae, for
whom he constructed an artificial bull, and after-
wards the labyrinth to serve for a dwelling for the
Minotaur, the fruit of her monstrous amour. We-
land, as we have seen, by violating the princess
and having a son by her.
Daedalus and W eland employ the same means
to escape the vengeance of the king their master,
whom they had offended. They make themselves
wings and raise themselves in the air to fly away.
Icarus accompanies his father Daedalus ; but he
guides himself ill, and falls into the sea. Egil the
brother of Weland, not being able to manage the
wings, likewise falls. Both the mechanicians tra-
* Atowpov row 2iXi<i rov Bt/3Xio0i7icijc !orcpic/jc ra
<T<a*6fuva, lib. iv. c. 76, 77, 78, 79.
WAYLAND SMITH.
verse the seas. Daedalus descends in Sicily,
Weland in Jutland.
The Greek origin of the romance of Weland
cannot therefore be mistaken. How did the Greek
fable become known to the Scandinavians ? This
it would be very interesting to ascertain ; but we
must not flatter ourselves with the hope of ever
resolving the problem. A fable as antient as that
of Daedalus, had all the time requisite for its slow
propagation from people to people, until it reached
the Boreal regions. Perhaps it had passed through
the mouths of numerous nations before it reached
the Scandinavians. It would necessarily receive
modifications in its course by popular tradition,
and lose by little and little the local colouring of
the country where it had its birth. The scene
where the action passed, the names of the per-
sonages, the details of the romance must change,
finally the history must become altogether Scan-
dinavian.
That which establishes one more analogy be-
tween Greece and Scandinavia, is that in the same
way that Scandinavia admitted of other skilful
artists such as Mimer, the Greeks had also local
traditions about artists who had excelled almost
equally with Daedalus ; such were Smiles in the
Island of ^Egina, the Telchines in the Isle of
Rhodes, who were accounted to have perfectioned
the casting of metals, and who were regarded as
magicians. Probably if we possessed the tradi-
WAYLAND SMITH. Ixxitt
tions relating to them we should also find some
features analogous to the romances of Weland and
Daedalus.
Otherwise, that which constitutes a character-
istic difference between the Greek and Scandina-
vian traditions on the subject of the superlative
artist, is, that the Greeks attributed to their's par-
ticularly plastic works, and above all images of the
gods, while the Scandinavians attributed to their
workmen principally weapons of a superior temper.
It is that the Greeks were a religious people and
alive to the beauty of mythologic representations.
The Scandinavians, on the contrary, valued no-
thing but good swords, with which they conquered
that which the rude climate of the north denied to
them. They were not in haste to make gods, and
they would not perhaps have much rewarded the
artist who had produced representations of Odin
and Freya ; but they regarded as a great man him
who fabricated weapons of superior quality ; and
were tempted to attribute to the artizan who fur-
nished a sword without defect a supernatural origin.
The tradition of subterranean smiths was dif-
fused in Italy. The popular belief placed the Cy-
clops in the caverns of mount ^Etna. There was
this difference between the south and the north of
Europe, that the Italian people figured to them-
selves these smiths of the caverns as men of gi-
gantic stature, while in the north they supposed
them to be dwarfs.
Ixxiv WAYLAND SMITH.
If we actually compare the imitation and the
original in its poetic relation, we see that the Scan-
dinavians have made of their Weland a mixture of
Vulcan and Daedalus. He has the malice of the
lame God, and the adventures of the constructor
of the labyrinth. Perhaps as the son of Jupiter
precipitated to the earth, and received by the Sin-
tians, renowned for their works in metal, he might
signify Fire placed at the service of human in-
dustry, if we could attribute to the antient people
of the North ideas as subtle as were those of the
Greeks. 6
The Scandinavians have neglected the absurd
6 Juno, irritated on account of Jupiter Laving himself
alone brought into the world Minerva, also gives birth to a
son; but he is weak and lame; it is not a powerful and
intellectual principle ; it is but Fire at the service of human
industry. It is to indicate this, that it is said that Jupiter
precipitated him to the earth, and that the Sintians, a peo-
ple celebrated for their works in metal, received him among
them. Thus, in this tradition, Minerva and Vulcan are
types of the last development and a deterioration of the
divinity. They are the statuaries of the human race, and
preside over the activity of the artist and the artisan. Sol-
ger, Mythologisches Ideen, in the 2nd. vol. p. 691 of his
works. Leipsic, 1826.
The partisans of the symbolic system of mythology see in
'H^aiOToc. precipitated from heaven, the symbol of elemen-
tary fire descending upon the earth. Homer attributes to
Hephaestus a common but good soul. It is a god entirely
occupied by bis art and his material interests. See on the
Greek Mythology, Hermes, oder krit Jahrbuch der Litera-
tur, Leipzig, 1827. vol. xxvii. p. 257.
WAYLAND SMITH. IxXV
fable of the Bull, but they have preserved, in a
great measure, the other adventures. They have
given to Weland a vindictive spirit, which Daedalus
has not. Weland is the lover of the princess ;
Daedalus, the father of a family, is only the confi-
dant of the queen. The Greeks, in their fable,
have only had in view to make his skill apparent,
in the midst of the recital of the amours of a
queen. The Scandinavians have availed them-
selves of this foundation to make equally evident
the genius of their mechanician ; but they have
mixed up with it the tragedy of the amours of
Medea. Their romance has the sombre and po-
etic tincture which so much pleased the inhabit-
ants of northern climes.
The German traditions about Weland place his
smithy sometimes in the Caucasus, of which the
name is singularly metamorphosed in some of the
German poems, where this chain of mountains is
Gloggenachsen. Is it by a caprice of the poets
that the word Caucasus has been chosen to signify
the workshop of Weland, or may it not rather be
that the Caucasus was celebrated for its iron-
works, and especially for the armour wrought by
the people of those mountains? The coats of
mail, the helmets, the swords of the Georgians and
other people of Caucasus are celebrated. There
is in these mountains an isolated community, con-
sisting of about 1200 families, who excel in the
fabrication of arms ; they are called Couvetchis.
WAYLAND SMITH.
They defend their territory against intruding
strangers, and only sell the products of their ma-
nufacture at a village situate at the extremity of
their valley.
What proves that their skill in the fabrication of
arms is of long standing, is that they offered the
arms of their workshops to Timour when he tra-
versed the Caucasus in 1396. 7 It is possible that
the celebrity of these armourers had penetrated in
the middle ages even into Europe, and that it gave
rise to tales which may have been confounded
with those the Scandinavians made concerning
Weland.
That which seems to prove that there has been
a connection between the East and the West on
the subject of these traditions of skilful smiths and
their process in preparing iron for sword-blades, is
that they preserve on the banks of the Euphrates
the same traits that the poets on the banks of the
Rhine recounted in the middle ages. According
to these, Weland filed iron, mixed the filings with
flour and milk, gave this mixture to fowls to eat,
and after they had voided the particles of iron he
forged them anew and thus fabricated the marvel-
lous blades which were regarded as masterpieces. 8
7 Massoudi Bacoui, Rubruquis, Reineggs, have spoken
of this tribe. See also D'Ohsson; Des Peuples du Cuucate.
Paris, 1828. 8vo. pp. 22, and 175.
8 Vou der Hagen, Nordische Helden-romane. Breslau,
1814-15. 4 vols. 8vo.
WAYLAND SMITH. Ixxvii
In Asia they likewise say that the good manu-
facturers of Bagdad mix iron reduced to small
fragments with the paste made of meal, with which
they feed geese, and that after having passed
through the bodies of these birds, the iron is taken
and undergoes a smelting process, and that from
the proceeds the superb damascus blades are made.
The tale is insignificant, but the analogy between
the traditions of two countries, at two distant
periods, is worthy of remark. 9
9 H. F. von Diez, Deukicurdigkeiten von Asien in Kunsten
und Wissenschaften. Berlin and Halle, 1811 15. 2 vols.
8vo. Tom. 2. p. 471. In the same volume we have the
history of a Cyclop OYgour, which has some resemblance
to the romance of Wade and Weland.
In the extremely curious Bedoueen romance of ANTAR.
which, in many respects strongly resembles the Sagas of
the North, the same wonders are related of Antar's sword,
which was named Dhami, on account of its sharpness, and
was forged from a thunderbolt. Some of its achievements
are remarkably similar to those of Wieland's sword. Antar
in his conflict with Geidac " struck him on the head with
Dhami. He cleft his vizor and wadding, and his sword
played away between the eyes, passing through his shoul-
ders down to the back of his horse, even to the ground, and
be and his horse made four pieces ; and, to the strictest
observer, it would appear that he had divided him with
scales." v. i. p. 159. Soon after, again, in his combat with
Oosak: "he aimed a blow at his head, but Oosak received
it on his shield. The sword of Antar came down upon it
and shivered it in two, and split his vizor in twain, and it
penetrated even to his thighs, down to the back of the
horse; and the rider and the horse fell in four parts." p.
IxXViii WAYLAND SMITH.
Lastly, to exhaust all the analogies, it should be
known that in Ceylon the artisans are designated
by the name of Velendes almost in the same man-
ner as in Iceland. 10 But it may be that the Cey-
lonese word has nothing in common but a resem-
blance of sound to the Scandinavian.
163. But the sword of Zalim, in Antar, is no less wonder
ful: "It was called Zoolhyyat (endued with life), for when
it was unsheathed it was impossible for any one to fix his
eyes on it, on account of the extraordinary effect and ima-
ginary sensations it produced. It was said that it had been
the sword of the great Jobaa, son of King Himyar who was
formerly monarch of the universe : and when it fell upon a
rock it would cleave it in two ; and did it encounter steel it
shattered it ; and when it moved, it glittered and sparkled,
and over its sides there crept the wavy forms of biting
snakes." Vol. iii. p. 49.
The high esteem in which well-tempered arms were held
in these rude ages, made a skilful armourer or smith be
held to be little less than a god, or at least a daemon or ma-
gician. The heroes of romance, and the romantic heroes of
history, have most of them a magic sword with a name.
10 On the religion and manners of the people of Ceylon, by
M. Joinville. Asiatic Researches, Calcutta. 1801. 4to.
Vol. vii. p. 432.
An interesting account of the Kubitchis of the Caucasus
was given by M. J. Klaproth in his Geographisch-His-
torische Beschreibung des Ost lichen Kaukasus. Weimar, 1814.
They call themselves Frarki, i. e. Europeans, and are
known in the east under the name of Serkjeran or Gold-
smiths, for they work skilfully in the precious metals, as
well as in the fabrication of Anns and Armour.
ADDITIONAL NOTE TO SECTION I.
THE SCANDINAVIAN TRADITION FROM THE
EDDA, IN ICELANDIC AND ENGLISH.
VOLUNDAR QuiDA.
Formdli.
NIDUTHR het Konungr i Svitbiod. Han atti twa sono ok
eina dottor. lion et Baudvildr. Brajdor III. synir Finna
Konungs. Het einn Slagfidr. Annarr Egill. Thridi Voe-
lumlr. Their skriddo ok veiddo dyr. TLeir quomo i Ulf-
dali ok gerdo aer thar bus. Thar er vatn er heitir Ulfsiar.
Snemma of morgin fundo their a vazstroendo Konor III.
ok spunno lln. Thar voro hia theim alptar-hamir theirra.
That voro Valkyrior. Thar voro tvaer dcetor Laudvess Ko-
nungs. Hladguthr SvauLvit ok Hervrrr Alvitr. En
thridia var Aulrun Kiars-dottir af Vallandi. Their hcefdo
tluiT heim till skala med ser. Feck Egill Aulrunar, en
Slagfidr Svanhvitrar, en Vcelundr Alvitrar. Thau biuggo
vii. vetur, tba flugo thsi-r at vitia viga ok quomo eigi aptr.
Tha skreid Egill at leita Aulrunar. En Slagfidr leitadi
Svanhvftrar. En Yoelundr sat i Ulfdaulom. Han var
hagastr mathr sva at menn viti i fornoin Saugom. Niduthr
Kon6ngr let han haundom taka sva sem her umqredit.
Niduth was king in Sweden ; he had two sons, and one
daughter who was named Baudvilde. There were three
brothers sons of a King of Finland. One was called Slag-
fid, the other Egill, aud the third Vcclund. They skated in
chase of deer (i. e. wild beasts). They came to Ulfdale,
Ixxx
APPENDIX.
(i. e. valley of bears), and there took up their abode. There
is a water [there] called the bear's lake. One morning
they found on its borders three females spinning flax.
There was lying near them their swan-robes. They were
Valkyries. Two were daughters of King Laudvess, i. e.
Hladguth-Swanwhite, and Hervcer-Allwite. The third was
Alrune, daughter of Kiar of Wai-land. They took them
home to their dwelling. Egill took Alrune, Slagfid Swan-
white, and Voelund Allwite. They lived together seven
winters, then they (the Valkyries) flew away to visit the
battles, and came not again. Then Egill skated to seek
Alrune, and Slagfid to seek Swanwhite : but Vffilund re-
mained in Ulfdale. He was a skilful workman, as we know
from antient traditions. King Niduth caused him to be
seized, as it is here sung:
Her hefr quidona.
I.
Meyiar flugo sunnan
Myrkvid igoegnom
Alvftor finga
CErloeg drygia
Thaer a saBvar-strcend
Settuz at livila/
Dr6sir sudraenar
Dyrt 1m spunno
II.
Ein nam theirra
Egill at veria
Faugor maer ffra
Fathmi Iios6m.
CEnnor var Svanhvit
Svanfiathra dr6
En en thridia
Theira systir
Vardi hvftan
Hals Vffilundar.
Here begins the song.
The maidens flew from the south
By the murky forest
Allwite the young
To settle destinies.
There on the borders of the lake
They reposed awhile,
These southern maidens,
And spun Jine flax.
One of them took
Egil, the young.
The maiden fair embraced
The hero white-armed.
The other was Swanwhite
Bearing swans' s feathers.
The third
Their sister
Embraced white-
neck'd V&lund.
APPENDIX.
Ixxxi
Sato sitlian
VII. vetr at that.
En inn atta
Allan thratho.
En inn nionda
Nauthr um skildi
Meyiar fystoz
A myrqvan vith
Alvitr unga
CErlcEg drygia.
IV.
Kom thar af veidi
V6-threygr skyti
Slagfidr ok Egill
Sali fundo auda
Gengo fit ok inn
Ok um saz
Austr skreid Egill
At Aulruno.
En sudr Slagfidr
At Svanvito.
v.
En einn Voelundr
Sat i Ulfdaulom.
Han sli'i gull rautt
Vid gim fastann
Lukti ban alia
Lind-bauga vel.
> v.i In-ill ban
Sinnar liosar
Qvanar, ef hon
Koma gerdi.
VI.
That pyrr Niduthr
Niara drottinn
They remained after
Seven winters
Dwelling there eight
In all affection ;
But in the ninth,
Necessitated by duty,
The maidens desired
To go to the murky forest
All wile the young,
To settle destinies.
Coming from the chase
The waysweury shooters,
Slagfid and Egill,
Found the dwelling empty.
They went out and in
And looked around,
Egill skated east
After Alrune,
But Slagjid to the south
After Swanwhite.
But Voclund alone
Remained in Ulfdale.
He forged red gold
With jewels hard.
Securing them all
On a withy band, rings many.
Thus he awaited
His bright
Bride, if she
Made return home.
When Niduth understood
(Lord of (he Kiarians),
Ixxxii
APPENDIX.
At einn Voelundr
Sat i Ulfdaulom.
N6ttom furo seggfr
Negldar voro brynior.
Skildr bliko theirra
Vitb enn skartba muna.
VII.
Stigo or saudlom
At salar gafli.
Gengo inn thathan
Endlangan sal.
Sa their a bast
Bauga dregna
VII. hundruth allra.
Er sa seggr atti
VIII.
Ok their af t6ko
Ok their a-leto
Fyr einn utan
Er their af leto
Kom thar af veidi
Ve-threygr skyti
Voelundr lidandi
Um langan veg.
That Vcclund alone
Dwelt in Ulfdale,
He led his men by night,
In nailed armour,*
Their shields glanced
With the moon-light.
They alightedfrom their saddles
At the gable of the house
From thence they went in
Throughout the dwelling
Saw there on the withy band
Heaps of rings
Full seven hundred
Belonging to the smith.
They took them
And then replaced them
Except one
Which they took away.
There came from the chase
The way-weary archer.
Vodund, journey ing
By the long way.
* " In nailed armour." Thorlacius gives another signifi-
cation to brynior negldar, which he would have to signify
the same as the low Latin nigellatus, and the old French
noiele i. e. niellated or ornamented with niello, a sort of
enamelled work much practised by goldsmiths in the mid-
dle ages, and which is mentioned in the extract from the
Romance of Fierabras given in note 10, sect. v. For an
explanation of the term we must refer to the Glossary of
Ducange in v. Niellatus, or to M. Duchesne's Essai sur les
Nielles gravures Florentines du XV me Siecle. Paris, 1826.
8vo.
APPENDIX.
Ixxxiii
IX.
Geek at bruni
He began to roast
Bero-hold steikja
A steak of bears-flesh
A'r brann hrisi
Soon the faggots burn
Allthur fura
Burst intojiame,
Vidr enn vin-thurri
By a current of air,
Fyrir Vcelundi.
Before Vtelund.
X.
Sat a ber-fialli
Seated on a bear-skin
Bauga taldi
He counted his rings,
Alfa 116 thi
The man of the race of Alf,
Eins saknadi.
One was missing.
Hugdi ban at hefdi
He thought (she) had it,
H laud vis dottir
Hlaudvis daughter,
Alvitr unga
The young Allwite,
Veri boo aptr komin.
And that the had returned.
XI.
Sat ban sva lengi
He sat there until
At ban sofnadi
He fell asleep
Ok ban vaknathi
But he awakened
Vilia-lauss.
Comfortless.
Vissi ser a haundom
He saw that on his hands
Haufgar naudir
He hud bands,
En a fotom
And his feet
Fioetor urn spenntan.
Shackles confined.
XII.
Hverir ro joefrar
" Who are the men
Their a Icegdo
That have laid
Besti hyi sima
On a good man bonds,
Ok mik bundo.
And bound me?"
Kallath nu Nidutbr
Kiduth now exclaimed,
Niara Drottion
(Lord of the Niarians)
Hvar gnztu Vtulundr
" Where gotteit thou, Vtelund
Yisi Alfa
A If King,
Vara aura
Our gold
I Ulfdaulom.
In UlJdaU?
Ixxxiv
APPENDIX.
XIII.
Gull var tbar eigi
A grana leido
Fiarri hugda ek vart land
Fioellom K inar.
Man ek at ver meirri
Mseti attorn
Er ver beil hiu
Henna v6rom.
XIV.
Hladguthor ok Hervcer
Borin var Hlaudve
Kunn var Aulrun
Kiars dottir.
Honn inn urn geek
Endlangan sal.
St6d a g61fi
Stillti rredilo
Era sa nu hyrr
Er or hold ferr.
" This gold was not
In Gran's* road.
I believe my land was far
From the mountains of the
Rhine.
I remember that there was much
Treasure possessed
When all our people
Were at our Home."
Hladguth and Hervoer
Were daughters of Hlaudve,
A Irune was of kin
Kiar's daughter.
She went in ["'
And ranged through the dwell-
She stood on the threshold
And rained her voice.
" He is not joyful [rest!"
Who now comes out of the fo-
Niduth Kon6ngr gaf dottor sinni Baudvildi gullring than er
han t6k af bastino at Vcelundar en han sialfr bar sverthit er
Voelundr atti. En drottning quath.
King Niduth gave to his daughter Baudvilde the gold ring
that he had took from the bast at Vaelunds, and he himself bare
the sword that Vaelund had. The queen said:
xv.
Tenn honom teygiaz
Er honom er thaet sverth
Ok ban Baudvildar
Baug um theckir
Amon ero augo
" He gnusheth his teeth
When the sword
'And the ring of Baudiilde
He recognises.
Angry are his eyes
* Gran was the horse upon which Sigurd fled, after hav-
ing killed Fabner and taken his treasures.
APPENDIX. 1XXXV
Ormi theim enom frana Fiery as a serpent's.
Snitbit er bann Cut nf him (then)
Sina magni The sinews of strength
Ok setith harm sithan And then place him
I Saevar-Staud. In Sa~tar-Staud."
Sva var goert at skornar voro sinar i Knes-fotom ok settr i
b61m einn er thar var fur landi er het Sasvar-staud. Thar
smithadi ban Konongi all/ kyns gsersimar. Engi mathr
thordi at fara til bans nerna konongr einn. Voclnndr quatb :
Thus was done ; the sinews at his knee's foot were cut, and
he was placed in an island which was not far from the shore, it
was called Scevar-Staud. There he forged for the king all
kinds of jewels. No one dared to go to him except the king
alone. Vaelund said :
XVI.
Scinu Nitliathi " That sword shines
Sverth a liuda In Niduth's belt
Tbat er ec hvesta Which I sharpened
Sem ec bagaz kvnua As skilfully as I could,
Oc ec bertbac And I hardened it
Sem mr hcegst tb6lti ; As well as I could devise ;
Sa er mer frann mekir That bright blade is from me
Ji fiarra borinn. Carried off for ever.
Secca ec tbann Voelundi / see it then no more.
Til smitbio borinn. In Vaclund's smithy.
XVII.
N6 berr Baudvildr '' Now bears Baudvilde
Brudar minnar My bride's
LSithca ec tbess bot Ruddy rings,
Bauga rautbii. Never may I help it."
XVHI.
Sat hann.ne bann svaf avail He sat but slept not,
Oc hann s!6 liamri But he struck with hammer.
Vel gortbi bann beldr Full soon he meditated
llvatt Nitbatbi. Revenge against Nidulh.
Drifo Gngir tveir Two young onei came
g
Ixxxvi
APPENDIX.
A dyr at sfa
Synir IS'ithathir
I Saevar-Staud.
XIX.
Komo their til kiato
Kravftho lucla
Opinn var ill 6th
Er their i sa.
Fiocld var thar menia
Er theimm maugom syndiz
At veri gull rautt
Oc gersimar.
XX.
Komith einir tveir
Komith annars dags
Yccr la;t ek that gull
Urn gefit vertha.
Segit a meyiom
Ne sal-thiothom
Manni aungom
At ith mic fyndit.
XXI.
Snemma kallathi
Seggr aniian,
Br6thir a br6thr
Gongom baug sia.
Komo til kisto
Krauftho lucla
Opinn var illuth
Er their i lito.
XXII.
Sneith af haufut
Huna theirra
To the door to tee
(The sons of Niduth)
In Saver-Staud.
They approached the chest
And craved the keys,
Open was the ill-omen'd one
And they saw therein
There were many necklaces,
As it appeared to them
That were of red gold
Andjewels.
" Come you two alone,
Come to-morrow,
I will contrive that gold
Shall be given you.
Say nothing to the maidens,
Nor to the servants,
To no one
Tliat you have been to me."
Early in the morning calleth
One to the other,
Brother to brother,
" Let us go see the jewels."
They came to the chest
Craved the key
Open stood the ill-omen'd
And they looked therein.
He cut off the heads*
Of them both
* Grimm says that the lid of the chest was shut down
upon the youths, and they were thus caught as in a trap.
APPENDIX.
Ixxxvii
Oc undir fen fioeturs
Faetr um lagtbi.
Knn thaer scalar
Er und scaurom vo"ro
Sveip hann utan silfri
Seldi Nidathi.
XXIII.
nn or augom
Jarcna-steina
Sendi hann kunnigri
Kono Nithathar.
nn or taunnom
Tveggia theirra
Slo hann briostklinglor
Sendi Baudvildi.
XXIV.
Tha nam Baudvildr
Baugi at hrosa
Bar hann Voelundi
Er brotit bafthi
Tboriga ec at segia
And in the bottom of the fen-
Laid their limbs,
But their skulls
Which were under their hair,
He set in silver
And gave them to Niduth.
But of their eyes
[He made] jewels
And sent them to the queen,
The wife of Niduth.
But of the teeth
Of them both
He made breast ornaments
Which he sent to Baudvilde.
Then Baudvilde took
Pride in her ring
She took it to Vaelund,
Having broken it.
Saying " I dare trust it
He refers to the tale of the Muchandelbaum in the Kinder
und Haus M'drchen, No. 47. According to Gregory of
Tours, ix. 34, a similar tragedy was acted in France.
Fredegund lived with her daughter Regund in a state of
enmity, and at last she says to her, " Well, take your
father's treasure : " et ingressa in regestum reseravit archam
monilibus ornamentisque pretiosis refertam ; de qua cum
diutissime res diversas extrahens filiae adstanti porrigeret,
ait ad earn : " jam enim lassata sum, immite tu, inquit, ma-
num et ejice quod inveneris." ('unique ilia immisso bra-
cbio res de arcba abstraberet, adprehenso mater opertorio
arcbae super cervicem ejus inlisit. Though still she was
saved. Lieder der Alien Edda durch die Bruder Grimm,
Berlin, 1815. Th. i. i. 14.
Ixxxviii
APPENDIX.
Nema ther einom.
[Voelundr quath.]
XXV.
EC bceti sva
Brest a gvlli
At fethr thinom
Fegri thiccir
Oc M6thr thinni
Miclo betri
Oc sialfri ther
At sama h6fi.
XXVI.
Bar hann liana bi6ri
Thviat liana betr kunni
Sva at hon i sessi
Um sofnathi.
Nu hefi ec hefnt
Harma minna
Allra nema einna
Ivith grannra.
XXVII.
Vel ec quath Voelundr
Vertha ec a fitiom
Theim er mic Nithathar
Namo reccar
Hlsandi Voelundr
H6fz at lopti
Gratandi Baudvildr
Geek orr eyio
Thregthi faur frithils
Oc fauthur reithi.
XXVIII.
Uti stendr kunnig
Quan Nithathar
To no one but thee."
[Vozlund said :]
" I will repair so
The fracture of the gold
That thy father
Shall think it fairer,
And thy mother
Much better,
And thyself
Quite as good (as before)."
He brought her a drink,
(For he was all-knowing"),
So that as she sat
She fell asleep.
" Now have I revenged
My injuries
All except one
The wickedest,
" Well for me," quoth Vcdund,
'' Had 1 my feet-sinews
Of which Niduth's
Men deprived me."
Laughing Vcelund
Raised himself in the air.
Baudvilde weeping
Went from theisland,
Troubled at her paramour's de-
parture
And her father's anger.
The Queen stood without,
Niduth's wife,
APPENDIX.
Ixxxix
Ok hon inn um-geck.
Kndlangan sal
(En ban a sal garth
Settiz at hvilaz.)
XXIX.
Vakir thu Nithvthr
Niara drottinn.
Vaki ek avalt
Villa ek lauss sofna
k minniz sizt
Mina svno dautba.
XXX.
Kell mik i haufuth
Kauld ero mer ratb thin
Yilnomc ek tbess nu
At ek vitb Voelund deema.
Seg tbu m6r tbat Voelundr
Visi Alfa
Af beilom bvat varth
1 1 (mom minam ?
XXXI.
Eitha skalltu mer atbr
Alia viuua
At skips-bordi
Ok at skialdar rccnd
At mars bocgi
Ok at nuekis egg
At tbu queliat
Quan Vcclundr
Ne briidi minni
At bana vertbir ;
Thott ver quail aegim
Tha er ther kunnitb
Etbr jotb eigim
Innan ballar.
But she went in
Throughout the hall,
(But he (Vxlund) on the en-
closure of the palace
Sat himself to rest.)
" Wak'st thou Niduth,
Niara's lord 1"
" 1 wake ever
Joyless alone I rest
When I think
That my sons are dead.
" Fevered is my brain,
Cold (evil) to me thy counsels.
Now I desire this
That I may speak with Voelund,
Tell me this, Vcelund,
Chief of the Alf$,
What has become of
My healthful sons?"
" First thou shalt swear to me
All to observe
By ship's board
And by shield's round,
By horse's bridle
And the sword's edge,
That thou wilt not kill
Vtelund's wife,
Nor my bride
Bring to death.
Although I have a wife
That thou knowest,
Or have a child
Within thy halls."
xc
APPENDIX.
XXXII.
Gack thd til smithio
Theirrar er thu goerthir
Thar fithr thu belgi
Blothi stockna
Sneith ek af haufuth
Huna thinna
Ok undir fen fioetvrs
Faetr um-lagdac.
XXXIII.
En truer skalar
Er vod skaurom v6ro
Sveip ek utan silfri
Seldac Nithathi.
En or augom
Jarcna-steina
Senda ek kunnigri
Quan Nithathar.
XXXIV.
En 6r toennom
Tveggia theirra
S16 ek briostklinglor
Senda ek Baudvildi.
N6 gengr Baudvildr
Barni aukin
Enga dottir
Yckor beggia.
XXXV.
Maeltira thd that mal
Er mik meirr tregi.
Ne ek tliik vilia Voelundr
Verr um nita.
Era sva mathr har
At thik af hesti taki
Ne sva aufiugr
At thik nedan ski6ti
" Go thou to the smithy
Which thou built
There thou shaltjind the bellows
Sprinkled with blood.
I cut off the heads
Of thy sons
And under the foot of the fen
Laid their limbs.
" But their skulls
Which were under their hair
I set in silver,
And sent them to Niduth;
But of their eyes
[I made] jewels
And sent them to the Queen,
The wife of Niduth.
" But of the teeth
Of them both
I made breast ornaments,
And sent them to Baudvilde.
Now goes Baudvilde
Teeming with child
The only daughter
Of you both!"
" Never sparest thou words
That distressed' me more J
Nor wished I thee Vcelund
To punish more severely.
No man is so tall [take thee
[Even] on horse that he may
Nor so strong [beneath
That he may shoot thee from
APPENDIX.
XC1
Tba er thfi skollir
Vith sky uppi.
There where thou scalest
Up to the sky.
Hlaeiandi Vuelundr
Hofz at lopti
En 6katr Nithuthr
Sat tha eptir.
XXXVII.
Uprfstu Thakradr !
Tbraell minn in bezti.
Bith tbu Baudvildi
Meyna brahvito
Ganga fagr-varith
Vith fautbur raetha.
XXXVIII.
r tbat salt Baudvildor
r saugdo nier
Satuth ith Vcelandr
Saman i holmi ?
XXXIX.
Satt er that Nithathr !
Er sagdi ther.
Sato vith Voeluudr
Saman i holmi
Eina augur-stund
JE.V& skyldi.
Ek v;i-tr honom
Viona kunnac.
Ek vtetr honom
\ iuna mattac.
Laughing, Vaelund
Raised himself in the air,
But Niduth [unhappy]
Remained thereafter.
" Uprise thou, Thakrudr,
My best servant,
Say thou to Baudvilde
My white-brow' 'd maid,
Go thou, fair-bedecked,
To speak with thy father.
" Is it true, Baudvilde,
What they tell me
Sattest thou with Vaelund,
Together in the island 1 "
" It is true, Niduth !
What they told thee,
I sat with Vtzlund
Together in the island.
Ah! that moment of anguish
Should never have been.
I could not against him
Know how to strive;
I against him
Had not power to resist."
CONTENTS
OF THE DISSERTATION.
SECTION I.
Page.
SCANDINAVIAN Traditions .... v
SECTION II.
Continuation. History of the Smith Mimer . xxvi
SECTION III.
Anglo-Saxon and English Traditions . . xxx
SECTION IV.
German Traditions xxxvi
SECTION V.
French Traditions xlvii
SECTION VI.
Greek Origin of these Traditions . . . Ixviii
APPENDIX.
The Voelundar Quida or Chant from the Edda
in Icelandic and English . . . Ixxxi
VAULUNDURS SAGA.
A LEGEND OF
WAYLAND SMITH.
FROM THE GERMAN OF
OEHLENSCHLAGER.
BY
ELIZABETH KINNEAR.
VAULUNDUR.
LEGEND OF WAYLAND SMITH.
THE country of Finmark is situated far to the
north ; the climate is excessively cold, for it is
only in summer that the sun appears above the
horizon ; the dawn of morning and the hues of
evening follow each other in quick succession ;
not, as in the south, skirting the warm day with
a fringe of gold, but with a weak and mournful
glimmer scarcely sufficient to prevent the entire
extinction of life.
In these deserts vegetation languishes ; a few
thin fir-trees rise like petrifactions round the
bare mountains which are covered for the greater
part of the year with ice and snow; even the
inhabitants of these regions appear small and
shrivelled, and the reindeer is almost the only
animal that enlivens the melancholy face of
nature. The sun is quite invisible during six
B
2 WAYLAND SMITH.
months of the year, and occasional streaks of
light are then seen in the north like the veins
of metal that intersect the rocks below; for
whatever may be wanting on the surface of the
country is fully compensated by the riches con-
tained in the depths of the mountains. It seems
too as if external nature intended to point out
the treasures hidden in her bosom by the close
similitude her stony trees and the metallic
streaks of her meteors bear to them.
The men of this country are of unusual frame ;
their countenances are unpleasing, but their
limbs are strong and well knit ; they are gene-
rally intelligent and ingenious; so that, like
their mountains, they possess internally more
than their exterior promises ; their thoughts and
labours are exclusively employed in bringing
to light those riches that the reserve of nature
seeks to conceal from the inhabitants of more
southern countries ; they are good miners and
excellent smiths, and living constantly in un-
usual and undisturbed communication with the
depths of mysterious Nature, she reveals to
their minds wonders unknown to others. They
have the gift of prophecy, and possess more
than ordinary wisdom.
Slagfidur, Eigil, and Vaulundur, were bro-
thers, of Finland extraction : their father was a
king, but his name has been lost in the lapse of
WAYLAND SMITH. 3
ages, and is not extant in the old tradition.
These brothers were wise, clever, and strong;
and as it usually happens that men placed
above want thrive better than others, so they
grew tall and handsome, and had nothing in
common with other Finlanders, but prudence,
sense, unusual knowledge of their mountains,
and skill in finding, melting, and refining ore.
It happened once that while the brothers were
seeking for iron in the mountains they found
a mine of gold. Rejoiced at this discovery
they began to work the metal, and found one
lump of gold distinguished from the rest by
its lustre and beauty: within it were set three
jewels of different colours; one red, one green,
and one blue; the whole forming a mysterious
character. They took it home and showed it
to their mother, who was a prophetess, and a
lady of extraordinary wisdom. No sooner had
she obtained a sight of it than, beholding it
with attention, she began to weep so bitterly
that for a long while her words were inaudible.
At last she came to herself, and her sons in-
quired anxiously what this character meant,
and if it threatened misfortune to herself or to
her family. " Ah ! my dear sons," exclaimed
the mother, " much happiness awaits you."
Her sons pressed round her, and inquired why
she wept and lamented if nothing evil, but
rather good fortune, was promised them. " My
4 WAYLAND SMITH.
dear children," said she, " forgive my sorrow
and my tears; I am indeed grieved to part
with you, when I hoped that death alone should
ever separate us." She then, without waiting for
an answer, sang the following words : " Green
is grass ; blue is the sky ; red are roses ; golden
is the maiden. The Nornes 1 beckon you to
where the blue sky arches beautifully over
green meadows, where lovely maidens with
golden hair will encircle you in their snowy
arms." Slagfidur, Eigil, and Vaulundur, heard
these words with pleasure, for they had fre-
quently asked each other how they should get
wives to their liking in a country where the
women were so ugly and mean in their appear-
ance. They longed to see the lovely women of
the south, of whom their mother, a Swedish
princess, loved to speak to them. They had
often thought of journeying thither, but the
urgent entreaties of their parents had hitherto
kept them at home. It was high time that this
lucky prophecy should intervene, for it was a
melancholy sight to see them wandering at
night over the sriowy mountains, their hair
crisped with frost, and their cheeks wet with
bright tears that threw back the reflection of
the pale meteors. When the queen had with
much wisdom revealed the fortune that awaited
1 The figures refer to a few Notes at the end of this
legend.
WAYLAND SMITH. 5
her sons, and both parents saw that it was de-
creed by the Nornes, who sit under the fields of
Igdrasil, in Asgard, and decide the destiny of
mortals, they submitted with patience, though
the mother shed many bitter tears.
The brothers arrayed themselves in light coats
of mail, girded on their swords, and placed on
their heads helmets forged from the lump of
gold that they had found. They had divided
the three jewels between them, and had placed
them in their helmets in an artful and ingenious
manner, which at once gave them an unusual
appearance, and set off their natural grace.
Slagfidur had chosen the green, Eigil the blue,
and Vaulundur the red jewel. They yoked
their swift reindeers to their sledges and set
off. It was wonderful to behold the three fiery
youths, in their bright armour, as they skim-
med along the surface of the snow, while the
wind, as if in envy, showered white hoar frost
on the feathers of their helmets as they brushed
rapidly past the trees.
They travelled late in the night, till the stars
looked out curious to see whither the wanderers
meant to direct their course. As they crossed
the plain and came to the mountain where they
had been accustomed to dig for ore, they saw
by the clear moonlight a number of little men
coming out of the mountain in swarms, and
6 WAYLAND SMITH.
running over the snow to meet them. Their
step was so light that it scarcely left an impres-
sion on the snow: they wore gray doublets,
sitting close to their forms, and scarlet caps.
Their eyes were red ; their tongues black, and
in constant motion. They were elves, and,
drawing near the sledge, they formed them-
selves into a circle, began to dance, and sang
the following words :
"Slagfidur! Eigil! Vaulundur too! will you
leave us? sons of a king ! children of the moun-
tains ! Is not the emerald better than grass ? Is
not the carbuncle better than roses? Is not the
sapphire better than air? And yet will you
leave the mountains of Finland ?"
At this moment Eigil struck his reindeer : it
ran off, and in its flight threw down one of the
elves. The others arrested its course, and sang
again : " The Finlander's world, the Financier's
bliss, lies under the earth. Seek not without
what we offer within. Despise not the elves,
small and dark though they be. We show you
the way to iron and gold, to variegated jewels.
The best is within ; seek it not without. The
Finlander's world, the Finlander's bliss, is un-
der the earth."
Slagfidur struck his reindeer ; it ran off, and
threw down another of the elves ; the rest stop-
ped its course, and sang again : " Because Slag-
WAYLAND SMITH. 7
fidur struck his reindeer, because Eigil struck
his reindeer, our hatred shall follow you. A
time of weal, a time of woe, a time of grief, a
time of death. Because Vaulundur coldly for-
sook us : a time of weal, a time of woe, a time
of grief, a time of joy ; he struck not the rein-
deer. Farewell, Finlanders sons of a king !"
After this, they were seen in the clear moon-
light running towards the mountain over the
white plain. Their voices sounded strangely,
like a faint night breeze sighing through a
thicket covered with snow ; and their step was
like the faded leaf, that detaches itself from the
tree and sports in the air.
The three brothers were much astonished at
these magical appearances, yet they had more
confidence in the lump of gold, and in their
mother's prophecy, than in the dark sayings
of the elves. They continued to travel swiftly
towards the south: their mother had provided
them food for their journey ; when they were
fatigued they slept in their sledges and covered
themselves with reindeer skins.
Travelling in this manner for some days they
came to a place in Sweden called Wolf's-dale,
on account of the number of wolves that in-
fest it. They built themselves a house on the
banks of a lake, in which there was plenty of
fish ; and as long as winter lasted they lived on
8 WAYLAND SMITH.
that, and on the bears and wolves they hunted,
of whose skins they made clothes and cover-
lets. As spring advanced they were almost
alarmed to see the sun so high in the heavens ;
but when they perceived beautiful little flowers
spring from the earth, they thought on the
fulfilment of the prophecy with a delight which
was increased by their remarking, that the sky
had become as clear and blue as the jewel in
the lump of gold.
Having been accustomed from childhood to
work in the mountains, they could not with-
stand the force of habit, and went one day to
the rock that surrounded the Wolf's dale to dig,
and to search for ore. Their experience soon
enabled them to discover some veins ; they pur-
sued their work joyfully and diligently, for it
was not so cold here as in Finland ; but neither
were the veins of metal so rich. As they came
down into the valley, laden with their well-
earned spoils, a most wonderful spectacle awaited
them. They perceived three maidens sitting on
the grass by the side of the clear stream spin-
ning flax; their mantles of swan's down were
laid beside them ; their hair, which was finer
and more yellow than the flax they spun, was
bound with a silken fillet, and floated in waves
of gold over their snowy shoulders. Their
figures were light and flexible; and they had
WAYLAND SMITH. 9
large blue eyes, with which they threw many
friendly glances at the three brothers. At this
sight Slagfidur, Eigil, and Vaulundur, became
suddenly enamoured. On drawing near, they
perceived, much to their astonishment, that the
three maidens were attired in green, blue, and
red, while the meadow on which they reposed
was enamelled with yellow flowers, so that the
whole scene bore a close resemblance to the
wedge of gold, only it was larger and far more
beautiful. No longer doubting that their mo-
ther's prophecy was on the eve of its fulfilment,
they drew near to relate their adventure to the
maidens, and to endeavour to win their love;
but as they approached and encountered their
bright eyes, still fixed on them, they were so
dazzled by their surpassing beauty that they
could not utter a word. Then the maidens
sang thus : " Noble princes ! Slagfidur, Eigil,
and Vaulundur, hail valiant heroes ! Svanwhide,
Alruna, and Alvilda, are sent by the Nornes as
messengers of joy and pleasure to the princes
of Finland." When the brothers heard these
words they embraced the maidens, and con-
ducted them into their dwelling, where they
were soon after united. Slagfidur married Svan-
whide ; Eigil, Alruna; and Vaulundur, Alvilda.
They lived for a long time in undisturbed
peace and contentment; but after nine years
had passed, it chanced one day, that the three
10 WAYLAND SMITH.
wives appeared before their husbands with pale
and downcast countenances. " Dear Lords,"
said they, " much as we love to be with you, we
can remain here no longer. We are Valkyrii 2 ,
and are destined for nine years to follow com-
batants into fields of battle, and then for other
nine years we may again be happy in the arms
of our husbands; we dare not oppose the fate
which is ordained for us by the powers above ;
we must acquiesce in it with patience, and we
advise you to follow our example if you would be
happy. In nine years we will return, and then
you shall find us ready, as becomes good wives,
to submit to your will in all things." The three
brothers were confounded, and struck with sor-
row at these words. " In nine years," said they,
" our best days will be past ; we shall find little
happiness in our connexion with you, nor will
you find much in ours. " We never grow old,"
replied the Valkyrii, " and men like you, do not
soon lose their youth ; and that grief may not
oppress you, or time hang heavily on your hands
in our absence, we leave you these three keys>
with which you may obtain entrance into the
mountains, and extract precious metals. Thus
you will never be without ore for smelting, and
you may become rich, eminent, and worthy of
renown." Having said these words, they laid
2 See note.
WAYLAND SMITH. 1 1
down the keys, embraced their husbands, and
disappeared.
The three brothers were much grieved at their
departure. The Wolf's dale appeared from this
time dark and desolate, and they went out only
xv hen it became necessary to seek for food. They
would often sit down in the dusk of the evening
without speaking a word, and would gaze at
each other till midnight reminded them to retire
to their couches, where they could not sleep, but
lay musing on the happy life they had passed
with their beloved wives. At last Slagfidur and
Eigil determined to set off, and travel through
the world in search of their wives. Vaulun-
dur, the youngest brother, sought to dissuade
them, by many sensible and prudent reasons.
" What good will it do you," said he, " to wan-
der about the world? In what earthly country
will it avail to look for those, who most probably
take their invisible way through the air? You
will only wander about, and starve, and never
enjoy the happiness of embracing those you
love, which you may hope to do by waiting
here with patience to the end of the nine years."
The two brothers scarcely listened to these
words, so completely had love obtained posses-
sion of their minds. Having furnished their
wallets with food, and filled their drinking horns
with old mead, they took leave of their brother.
12 WAYLAND SMITH.
Vaulundur was much moved, and the tears ran
plentifully down his cheeks, for he greatly feared
that he should never see them again. In vain
he entreated them to have patience for a little
while. " We cannot," said they, " repress our
passion, it gives us no rest night or day." They
begged him to look to their house, and to dis-
pose of their property as he should see fit till
their return.
When Vaulundur saw that all his endeavours
to move their purpose failed, he wished them a
happy journey, and requested them, if they
should meet his dear Alvilda, to entreat her to
return home to him, for he desired to see her
with all his heart, although his wishes could not
mislead him into disobeying her injunctions; he
then accompanied them to the further side of
the forest, where they threw themselves into his
arms. Then Slagfidur, the eldest brother, said,
" Although I hope, and indeed confidently ex-
pect, to see you again, my dear brother, yet will
I leave a token here, and will pray to the gods
to grant it the power of announcing to you,
whether I be alive or dead ;" he then placed his
foot heavily on the ground, and said : " So long
as this footmark shall remain plain and unin-
jured, shall I be in no danger ; if it be filled with
water, I shall have perished in the sea, if with
blood, I shall have fallen in battle, but if you
WAYLAND SMITH. 13
find it filled up with earth, I shall have died by
disease and shall lie under the ground." Eigil
was much pleased with what his brother had
done, and left the impression of his foot likewise,
at a short distance from the other. They then
took their departure, having first cut from the
trees, staves for their pilgrimage.
Vaulundur remained gazing at them as far
as his eye could reach. When they disappeared
behind the hill, he returned home with slow
steps and lost in thought. In the mean time
the brothers pursued their way ; towards even-
ing, they reached the entrance of a thicket, and
seated themselves on the banks of a stream that
wound through an extensive plain. They spread
out their food, and drank to each other from the
golden drinking horns. It was in the middle of
summer ; the evening was cool and mild ; the
trees which arched over their heads formed a
pleasant and refreshing shade, and the birds
that sported among the branches, sang songs of
joy. The brothers disencumbered themselves of
their jewelled helmets, and placed them on the
ground. It seemed to Slagfidur, as though the
emerald had never shone with so much splendor
as at this moment. Its rays mingled with the
bright green of the fresh grass and of the young
leaves, till it appeared impossible to decide,
which of the two borrowed lustre from the other.
14 WAYLAND SMITH.
Eigil's helmet lay close to the stream, and the
blue jewel united in the same mysterious man-
ner with the colour of the waters, and with the
clear sky that arched over them. When they
had finished their meal, they placed their drink-
ing horns upright in a molehill that was close
by them, and abandoned themselves to the mirth
and pleasure, with which the mead, and the
beautiful evening had inspired them. In the
meantime it grew dark ; the moon appeared on
the horizon immediately before them, and its
rays played with the light that streamed from
the golden horns. As they sat thus amicably,
Eigil suddenly grew thoughtful, and when Slag-
fidur inquired what troubled him, he replied :
" It seems to me, as if yon moon were looking
like a bloodthirsty executioner, and were laugh-
ing me to scorn." Slagfidur entreated him to
dismiss such thoughts, but Eigil exclaimed :
" Where is the blue jewel of my helmet ?" " It
is still there," said Slagfidur, " but the gloom
of night, and the shade of the trees, have
extinguished its hue." " Not its hue, only,"
said Eigil, thoughtfully, " but the hue of the
earth and of the sky ! And so has it fared
with the jewel in your helmet; its green lustre
has disappeared with the colour of the grass,
and of the trees ; but yonder moon is the red
jewel of Vaulundur, which has conquered and
WAYLAND SMITH. 15
will survive us both." Slagfidur scarcely knew
what answer to make. " I have bright hopes,"
said he, " that bloom as green as the jewel in
my helmet, by night too, as well as by day."
" Ah," replied Eigil, " I have no hope, and am
urged by anxious desire to wander through the
world seeking for happiness. For this, I have
undertaken my journey ; for this I gaze whole
hours on the blue expanse of heaven; for this
cause the garment of Alruna was blue; and de-
sire, sickly, mysterious, and consuming desire
is my Valkyrii." Slagfidur shook his head, and
handed him the horn filled with mead, which
Eigil took readily, and as he drank, his former
cheerfulness returned. Slagfidur drank too, and
both becoming somewhat elated, they forgot all
obstacles, and resolved not to rest till they had
found their wives. " If I lose my Svanwhide,"
exclaimed Slagfidur, " I am undone for ever ;
she swims through the air like a beautiful swan,
her bosom swelling with bashful pride. She is
the loveliest woman the sun ever looked on, or
that man ever loved." "Thou liest," said EigiL
hastily ; " I know one lovelier still, and her name
is Alruna; not so fondly does Odin love his
Frygga, as Eigil adores her." " I scorn to lie,"
said Slagfidur, " and may shame and misfortune
light on him who slanders me !" " And Eigil !"
exclaims the other ; " trembles no more than a
16 WAYLAND SMITH.
fast-rooted tree, and gives you the lie to your
face !" Having exchanged these words, the two
brothers drew their swords and fell to blows.
Slagfidur at last struck Eigil's helmet violently ;
the jewel split into a thousand pieces, and im-
mediately Eigil's senses failed him, and he fell
backward into the river; at the same moment,
the moon lost her red colour and took a livid
hue. Slagfidur stood silent and motionless,
leaning on his sword, and gazing on the river
into which the body of his brother had fallen.
Suddenly, he heard a rustling noise in the forest
behind him, and a weak and hoarse voice sang
these words : " A time of weal, a time of woe, a
time of tears, a time of death." He recollected
the black elves, and turned hastily towards the
forest, but nothing was to be seen. Slagfidur
was much moved. He had now come to him-
self and was reflecting, how lately his brother
had sat by his side in health and vigour, what
words had passed between them, and how, by
pushing him into the river, he had been the
cause of his death. " Truly," said he, " Eigil
spoke aright of that mysterious, uncertain, un-
founded desire, that knows not what it wishes,
that can rest neither by day or night, but is just
like water, always liable to motion and change.
And both are blue, and the jewel in Eigil's hel-
met was blue, and now he lies under the blue
WAYLAND SMITH, 17
waves. Most certainly there is a deeply myste-
rious affinity between all things in nature, and
why should man, his faculties, his mind, his
fate, be alone excepted ? It was the impetuosity
of Eigil's temper that made him throw down
the black elf; he induced me to follow his ex-
ample, and it is indeed unfortunate to make
enemies of them. Alas!" said he, after a mo-
ment's reflection, " I have slain my brother,
my wife has forsaken me, and I wander deso-
late and unhappy in a foreign land. Shall
I return to Vaulundur? or rather, shall I not
throw myself into this fatal river, and end all
my miseries at once? No! the Nornes have
not doomed me to misfortune, the earth is
green, and may be depended on with more
security than air and water. I yet hope to find
my wife, and will not yield to despair." As he
pronounced these words he raised his eyes to
heaven. The night was perfectly dark ; one
star alone shone with unwonted lustre, and ap-
peared to approach the earth ; Slagfidur leant on
his sword, and watched with astonishment this
unusual appearance. The star continued to
advance, and began to lose its circular form; as
its outline became more defined, a human figure
appeared gradually to develope itself, and Slag-
fidur saw that it was his beloved Svamvhide,
floating in almost transparent brightness, encir-
c
18 WAYLAND SMITH.
cled by a halo of green. He stretched forth his
arms, but his joy was too intense for words.
The apparition beckoned, and Slagfidur felt in-
spired with courage and hope. The light trans-
parent form beckoned again, and began to play
softly on a flute. He now no longer doubted
that he should recover his beloved, and throw-
ing his coat of mail and his sword on the ground
that they might not impede his progress, he be-
gan to climb the mountain. When he had reached
midway, he felt as though some invisible hand
were drawing him back towards the valley. He
turned, and imagined that he saw the spirit of
his mother standing before him, and heard her
say these words "My son, enjoy the life that
Odin has bestowed on you in tranquil content-
ment ; strive not against his will, against the
Nornes or the wise Mirnir 3 . Shall the magic
sounds of fancy seduce you? the evil is but sha-
dowy, yet has it power to destroy you." As
Slagfidur paused to reflect on these words, the
green meteor danced in the air, and beckoned
him again. He could restrain himself no longer,
but followed, gazing intently on the floating
form. Sometimes he had to swim over moun-
tain streams, sometimes to climb over huge
masses of rock, and sometimes to leap over im-
mense chasms which looked like the jaws of dra-
gons yawning to devour him. He remarked too
WAYLAND SMITH. 19
that as he mounted, the figure lost its brilliancy,
and the features became distorted. He grew anxi-
ous, and would willingly have retraced his steps,
but it was now too late. An irresistible power
still drove him onwards, and at last, as he had
attained the summit of the mountain, he per-
ceived, by the dawning light, that his conductor
was a black elf. He scrambled over the high-
est point of the rock. Far beneath him, lay a
green plain, which extended to the verge of the
horizon. The grass, sparkling with the dew of
morning, seemed to invite him ; he felt a sud-
den and irresistible desire to plunge into its
verdant bosom. The elf turned round quickly,
and exclaimed "A time of death." Immedi-
ately Slagfidur precipitated himself from the
summit of the rock into the green abyss below,
and was dashed to pieces.
Vaulundur rose early on the following morn-
ing, and looked at the three keys that the Val-
kyrii had given to him, and to his brothers. One
was of iron, another of copper, and the third of
gold. He took the first that came to hand,
which happened to be the copper one, and,
prompted by curiosity, betook himself to the
mountain. Having walked for some time along
the bank of the river, he came suddenly on a
part of the mountain that presented the appear-
ance of a bare shelving wall. This seeming a
20 WAYLAND SMITH.
convenient place, he drew forth his key, and
placed it against the rock ; hardly had he done
so, when the mountain flew apart, and displayed
to his astonished gaze a green grotto. Jewels
of various size, and of the same kind with that
which adorned Slagfidur's helmet, were set in
the rock, on which the beautiful copper ore
threw a brilliant lustre : green crystals like ici-
cles were suspended from the vault above, and
formed in some parts of the cave noble pillars ;
overhead, where the rock had burst open, the
shrubs were interlaced so closely, that the sky
was scarcely visible. Vaulundur took away
with him a piece of ore as large as he could
carry ; scarcely had he left the cavern when the
aperture closed with a rapidity and noiseless-
ness which excited his admiration ; he could not
discover where the entrance had been, and would
have taken the whole for an illusion or a dream,
had not the heavy burden on his shoulders,
convinced him of its reality. He went home,
smelted and refined the ore from the dross that
hung about it, and made a huge copper helmet,
in which he set three of the largest emeralds.
This work occupied him some days; when it
was finished, he took the iron key, went to the
mountain, and set it against a steep part of the
rock. It flew open as it had done before, but
his eves were enchanted with a very different
WAYLAND SMITH. 2 1
spectacle. The walls were of iron ore, which
shone with a bright blue lustre, like steel that
has been submitted to the influence of fire. In
this flux of steel, were many blue jewels similar
to that which Eigil wore in his helmet. A stream
which flowed through the cavern, borrowed its
hue from the clear azure of the sky that cano-
pied the cleft above ; on the edge of which grew
a profusion of violets and germanders. Vaulun-
dur was delighted at this spectacle ; after having
feasted his eyes on it for a long time, he took up
a large piece of iron, in which were set the most
splendid jewels, and placing it on his shoulders,
he left the cavern, and immediately the rock
closed. From the iron ore, Vaulundur forged
a sword, and ornamented the scabbard with blue
jewels ; this sword was so elastic that he could
wind it round his body, and so sharp, that it
would cut through a solid rock as though it had
been clay. When he had finished it, he took
the golden key, went to the mountain and pro-
ceeded as has been described before. But all
that he had seen in his two first visits, was as
nothing in comparison to the magnificent spec-
tacle that met his gaze now. The mountain did
not, as before, open perpendicularly, but formed
a vaulted archway, at the end of which he could
descry land and sea. The entrance to this arch-
way was strewn with young roses, and the sides
22 WAYLAND SMITH.
sparkled with gold. Rubies were scattered over
the partitions, and between them grew coral,
and crystals of light and lively hue. But the
greatest marvel, was to see the vines winding
about the crevices in the rocks, and bearing in-
numerable bunches of grapes, which vied with
the rubies of the mountain in size and colour.
To complete this lovely scene, the morning sun
rose from the sea beyond, and bathed every
object in his glowing light. Vaulundur took up
a large piece of gold, but it was long before he
could persuade himself to leave the mountain,
for he felt as if he could never grow weary of
looking at this beautiful cavern, and of plucking
the fruit. At last he went forth, and the moun-
tain closed behind him. He now forged a beau-
tiful -breastplate and ornamented it with red
jewels. This occupied his whole attention for
some time, but having at length finished it, he
bethought him of his brothers, and recollected the
mark they had left at the entrance of the forest ;
he repaired thither, but when he reached the
spot where Eigil had left the print of his foot-
steps, he found the whole place covered with
water, which gave back the reflection of the blue
sky. The opposite place where Slagfidur had
impressed his foot, was not only covered with
earth, but the fresh green grass had already
begun to spring up. A bird had perched on the
WAYLAND SMITH. 23
branch of a birch tree that grew close to this
spot, and whenever a light breeze sprang up,
and rippled the water or the grass, it raised its
voice, and uttered an unwonted and mournful
song. From these signs Vaulundur knew that
both his brothers had perished miserably; he
returned to his hut with a heavy heart, musing
on the warning he had given them. The tears
streamed down his face, and he could not taste
food the whole clay, so great was his sorrow and
anguish. Some time afterwards he went back
to the mountain and brought home more gold ;
at last he arranged a regular working place, and
determined to employ himself in constant labour
till the nine years should elapse. He forged all
kinds of costly ornaments and armour, and be-
came celebrated through the whole country for
his skill and wealth. When he grew tired of
other work, he made a number of gold rings, and
strung them on a strip of bark, which he spread
on the ground ; whenever he finished one of
these rings and placed it with the rest, he
thought of his lost Alvilda, and how these rings
would set off her taper fingers and round white
arms, were she now with him. The number
of these gold rings amounted at last to seven
hundred.
About this time King Nidudr reigned in Swe-
den, he was a little meagre man, with a pale
24 WAYLAND SMITH.
countenance and sunken eyes, and was known
all over that country for his malevolent and ava-
ricious disposition. Nothing annoyed him more
than to hear that any of his neighbours had dis-
tinguished themselves ; he had slain three noble
Skalds with his own hand, for telling him that
he wrote bad poetry, for though he was utterly
devoid of manly courage, and possessed no one
good quality, he was so effeminate and vain,
that he was extremely desirous of passing for
an eminent and wise person, while he was in
fact weak in mind and body. This king had no
sooner heard of Vaulundur's wealth and trea-
sure, than he secretly determined to make him-
self master of all his possessions ; yet he was so
great a coward, that the mere thought of carry-
ing his plans into execution made him turn pale
with terror. When his first alarm had somewhat
subsided, he called together his principal cour-
tiers, and said : " I hear that there is a man in
my kingdom, Vaulundur by name, who is re-
nowned everywhere for his great possessions in
gold and silver, and for his skill in forging wea-
pons and making costly ornaments : I know that
when he first came hither, he was but a poor
miner; he must therefore have obtained his
wealth, either by sorcery and magic, the usual
art of these Philanders, or else by robbery and
violence. It is my command then, that the.
WAYLAND SMITH. 25
ablest of my yeomen and men at arms should
buckle on their iron breastplates, and ride \vith
me in the dead of night to Vaulundur's dwell-
ing, that we may obtain possession of his goods
and seize on his person." " Oh, King Nidudr,"
said one of the courtiers, " it is very natural that
you should desire to seize this robber, but it
seems strange that you should propose to take
a whole troop of soldiers against one man. If
he possesses no supernatural strength, surely
one of your men at arms would be able to over-
power him, but if, through magic art, he has
acquired the force of a giant, we shall be able
to do nothing with him, however numerous we
may be." King Nidudr did not know what an-
swer to make, so he flew into a violent passion,
seized his sword with both hands, raised it high
in the air, and let it fall on the head of his ad-
viser. But the king's arm being weak, and the
courtier's skull remarkably thick, the blow pro-
duced no effect; the king perceiving that this
method of proceeding was useless, snatched up
a spear and ran it through the body of his im-
prudent counsellor, who instantly fell down
dead. He then summoned his men at arms,
told them what lie had resolved to do, and
pointed to the body of their murdered comrade,
as a hint what they might expect by opposing
las will. This made a considerable impression
26 WAYLAND SMITH.
on their minds, the more so as the greater part
of them were as cowardly as their sovereign, so
they promised to stand by him to the last drop
of their blood.
When the sun was down, they arrayed them-
selves in armour, mounted their horses, and
each having a naked spear in his hand, they
proceeded at a slow pace to Vaulundur's dwell-
ing. King Nidudr was very uneasy the whole
way, for the moon rose in unclouded splen-
dour, and his heart throbbed with fear, lest her
rays, falling on the bright spears, should lead
to the discovery of his party. In this manner
they reached Vaulundur's dwelling ; which
stood open, and they stole quietly into the
house : it was perfectly untenanted and de-
serted. As no one was to be seen, and the
king's eyes were already dazzled by the sight
of so much gold, he commanded one of his
people to take up the strip of bark on which
the seven hundred rings were strung. He
looked at it with extreme delight, put the finest
of the rings on his finger, and desired his
followers to replace the band, and to conceal
themselves in the apartment till Vaulundur's
return. They had not waited long, when they
heard a man's step advancing through the court
with a firm tread. " I hear Vaulundur coming,"
exclaimed the king; " those steps announce
WAYLAND SMITH. 27
strength and lofty stature. Beware that none
of you run into danger. I hereby entreat and
command you on your allegiance, and on peril
of your lives, not to stir from your places till I
give the signal." Vaulundur now appeared at
the door carrying a bear on his shoulders, and
in his hand a spear, from which the blood
still ran. He had been hunting all day, and
returned home at midnight, hungry and tired,
to take his evening meal. He had found no
game; for having penetrated into the thick-
est part of the forest, he had begun to think
of his beloved Alvilda, and of his brothers.
Tired and exhausted, he seated himself on
a mass of rock, and, leaning his cheek on his
hand, was indulging in a profound reverie,
when a bear coming out of the forest, and ad-
vancing suddenly towards him, awakened him
to a sense of his danger. He had killed the
animal, and was now coming home heavily
laden and out of spirits. He proceeded to skin
the bear, and having heaped coals on the hearth,
and laid dry brushwood on the top of them, a
great flame soon blazed up. He then took a
golden horn filled with bear's blood, and sprin-
kled some of it on the fire, as an offering to
Odin and Thor. Having performed this duty,
he took from his helmet a garland of birch
intertwined with red pine berries, and dedicated
28 WAYLAND SMITH.
it to Freya: he next cut some slices from the
bear, stuck them on the end of his spear, and
held them before the fire till they were fit to
eat: when all was ready he poured out a cup
of mead, and drank to the memory of his bro-
thers, as was his constant custom. Having
finished his meal, he took the bear's skin and
stretched it on pegs of wood that it might be
dried by the wind. Vaulundur then turned to
the strip of bark and began to count the rings :
he was astonished to find that one, the finest of
the whole, had disappeared; he lived far up
among the mountains, and he thought that even
if robbers had found entrance into his dwelling
they would have taken away all the rings.
Perhaps, thought he, my dear wife, my Alvilda,
is returned, and announces her arrival by this
token, fearing lest sudden joy might kill me.
His mind fully occupied with this idea, he laid
himself down on his couch, and resolved to
await the event; but all continuing quiet, he
stretched out his limbs and slept peacefully,
first exclaiming, " Till Freya shall send the
harbinger of joy, her handmaiden Hnos*, to
my assistance, I confide myself to thy power,
gentle Siofn." When King Nidudr perceived
that Vaulundur was quite asleep he crept forth
with his men and commanded them to fetter
him with heavy chains, to prevent his moving
WAYLAND SMITH. 29
when he should awake. Vaulundur started,
and was amazed to see so many men surround
him and treat him in this manner. Thinking
they must be robbers, he exclaimed, " If ye
come to rob me of my costly treasures, take
them away freely, and release me, I promise to
make no resistance, which would indeed avail
me little against such odds." " Ah," replied
the king, " Loke 6 gave soft words and fair pro-
mises in Jothenheim, but he outwitted the Jutes
at last. I am neither the robber or murderer for
whom you so boldly take me, but thy sovereign
lord King Nidudr." " Great king," said Vau-
lundur, " you do my poor dwelling much honour,
but why confine me in chains and fetters like a
malefactor ?" " I know thee well, Vaulundur,"
said Nidudr; " thou earnest poor enough from
Finland hither, and now thou ownest better
jewels and drinking cups than Nidudr in his
princely halls. How cometh this to pass?"
" If I be lawfully charged with robbery," re-
plied Vaulundur, " you will do well to lead me
bound to your dungeons ; but if not, why do
you thus misuse me?" " But," said Nidudr,
" wealth does not come of its own accord ; and
if thine was not acquired by robbery, thou
must be a vile magician, on whose proceedings
it behoves me to keep a watchful eye." " If I
were a magician," said Vaulundur, " it would
30 VTAYLAND SMITH.
be easy for me to burst asunder these fetters. I
know not that I have designedly robbed any
one; but if it be proved against me, I will
restore it to him tenfold. As to what concerns
the favour of the gods, and their especial gifts,
no man does well to grudge these to another,
since they can neither be imparted, nor can
they be taken by force from their possessor. It
is, therefore my earnest prayer, oh king, that
you will release me, and I will ransom my
liberty at whatever price you may be pleased
to set upon it." But Nidudr, turning to his
followers, said, " Take him away, and let me
hear no more of his crafty and wicked words."
The guards then led away Vaulunclur, and he,
perceiving how little resistance would avail him,
acquiesced in his fate. They took away too all
the gold and jewels, which Nidudr was impa-
tient to display to the queen ; at the same time
he gave orders that Vaulundur should be thrown
into a dungeon which was full fifteen fathoms
under ground.
The queen was dazzled by the sight of such
immense wealth, and by the splendour of the
sparkling jewels ; the king presented many
ornaments to her, and gave the ring that he had
first taken from the band of bark to his daughter
Baudvilde. He himself was delighted to pos-
sess Vaulundur's sword, the hilt of which, like
WAYLAND SMITH. 31
Asathor's battle axe, Miolner hammered 7 ; it was
set with sapphires, as before described.
As the queen was sitting one day in her own
apartment, and playing on the harp, the king
inquired of her, what would, in her opinion, be
the best manner to dispose of Vaulundur, since
he did not think it advisable to put him to death,
but rather to make use of his skill in forging
costly ornaments. The queen sang these words,
while she continued to play on her harp : " His
heart will swell high, when he sees his good
sword, and recognises his ring on Baudvilde.
Do thou cut asunder the sinews of his strength,
and afterwards keep him prisoner on Savarsted."
The king thought this advice very reasonable.
Savarsted was a little island situated in a bay
not far from the shore, on which had stood for
many ages an old red tower, overgrown with
moss and lichen. To this tower Vaulundur was
led by the king's guards, after they had cut the
sinews of his ancles, in pursuance of the queen's
advice. Here they gave him his tools, and
placed by his side the chests of gold that they
had found in his- hut. In this situation he was
forced to work from morning to night, and to
make costly drinking cups, helmets, and other
valuables for the king. Except the king, no
one dared to visit him, for Nidudr was afraid,
that, if he should send any other person there,
32 WAYLAND SMITH.
they might purloin some of the treasures. Here
Vaulundur remained a whole year, and laboured
indefatig-ably, for it was only by constant occu-
pation that he could forget the vexation and
anguish that inwardly oppressed him. King
Nidudr had commanded him to forge, by a
certain day, a whole suit of armour of pure
gold. He sat one day working at the shield,
on which he had represented various deeds of
the gods. Here Odin, seated in the summit of
Hlidskialf 8 , looked over the whole universe;
here Frygga 9 , with her Dysen, appeared in
Valhalla among the heroes, who were seated
on branches of oak, and were drinking out of
immense horns ; in another part of the shield
he had, with much art, represented Thor fishing
in the sea, and in what manner he terrified the
giant Ymer, while he was drawing up on his
hook the great serpent lormungarder 10 ; but
when, wishing to represent Freya seated be-
tween the lovers in Folkvangar, he gave to her
countenance the features and expression of his
beloved Alvilda, tears streamed from his eyes,
and he could no longer continue his labour, but
O
was obliged to throw aside his chisel. When
he had somewhat recovered, he exclaimed aloud,
" Oh my lovely, my ever beloved wife, if we
meet no more on earth, may I at least hope to
embrace you after death in the halls of Freya
WAYLAND SMITH. 33
in Folkvangur. Where dwellest thou now, my
Valkyria? If thou couldest behold me in my
present pitiable condition, wouldst thou love
me still? Alas! that were impossible; since,
from being a powerful and well favoured hero,
I am become but a maimed and miserable slave.
I sit here, blackened with coal and dust, my
eyes reddened by smoke, my arms exhausted by
labour, chained to a stone, with mutilated feet.
My brothers have perished miserably, and I
must look on, while the infamous Nidudr dis-
plays my treasures, and makes a harvest of my
labour. Nothing has yet preserved my life but
the hope of being, some day, revenged on my
enemies ; but this hope will soon die away, and
then shall I put an end to my miserable exist-
ence." As he uttered these words, he seized a
sword, which he had lately forged, and turned
its point towards his broad and rugged bosom.
At the same moment he heard a bird singing
sweetly before the iron bars of his window. The
evening was clear and calm, and the golden
rays of the setting sun threw their parting light
across the opening in the massy walls of the
prison. Vaulundur wished to look once more
on nature before his death. He rose, and mount-
ing the stone to which he was chained, succeeded
in reaching the window, which commanded a
free view. The sea bathed the walls of the
34 WAYLAND SMITH.
tower; on a point of land at a short distance,
stood the hut of a peasant, who was sitting
before the door with his wife and children. The
sun was setting in the sea immediately opposite,
and the cold waves were sporting and warming
themselves in his glowing beams, while the bird
continued to pour forth his song before the
window of the tower.
Vaulundur was deeply moved. It was the
charm of this soft and lovely scenery that had
allured him from his cold and gloomy Finland,
and had thus been the cause of his own and his
brothers' ruin. He remained at the window,
pensive and silent, his head leaning on his arm,
and his eyes wandering over the wide expanse
of sea, while many sad thoughts rose on his
mind. When he awakened from his reverie, it
seemed to him as if his soul had made a long
and wonderful journey, of which the greater
part was already forgotten. He looked again
on the sea ; the waves had lost their crimson
glow, and were now silvered by the moon, which
rode high in the heavens. In the distance,
where the waves were brightest, he perceived
something moving. It approached nearer and
nearer, and, as it drew close to him, he saw that
it was a young Nixie 11 . Her form, to the
girdle, resembled that of a young and beautiful
female ; her long black hair was braided with
WAYLAND SMITH. 35
seaweed, and her snowy bosom rivalled the
foam of the sea. She held in her hand a lyre,
on which she played. It sent forth mysterious
sounds, which blended with the murmurs of the
waves, with the moonlight, and with the song of
the bird. Vaulundur stood motionless. As she
drew near to the window she stopped short,
raised her voice, and sang these words :
THE man whom the Nornes
From childhood have loved,
What ills can await him,
What sorrows can move ?
Does the jewel of red
Not strengthen his might ?
Can oppression or grief
Dim that heavenly light?
The colours are lovely
When kindly they show,
And dear is the soft green
To mortals below.
How joyful the gods,
When light, chasing the dew,
Leaves the clear vault of heav'n
Unclouded and blue.
But when storms lower round
All its brightness is flown ;
Too soon the fresh green
Of fair summer is gone ;
The air and the water
Are lovely and bright,
36 WAYLAND SMITH.
Yet, like painted cheeks,
Shine with borrowed light.
But heavenly fire never fades ;
Still its self-existing might,
Its bright influence pervades,
All that gives or feels delight.
In rays from above
Makes all nature glow,
Or sleeps in the earth's
Precious gems below.
Before cruel fate
All happiness flies ;
Led by Hope and Desire
It approaches and dies ;
As the cold wind that freezes
The blossoming year,
When the stern god of ice
In dark clouds draweth near.
He whom Odin has chosen
Oppression to dare,
The favoured of Heaven,
His honour is rare.
The Nornes have sung
That his bliss is secure,
If his heart do not fail,
If his courage endure.
It still sleeps in the storm,
That life-giving ray,
Then weep not, repine not,
Grief passes away.
WAYLAND SMITH. 37
Trust Love, who, returning,
Thy foes shall destroy,
Burst asunder thy fetters,
And crown thee -with joy.
When the Nixie had finished her song, she
looked up to Vaulundur's window with a
friendly smile, and swam away like a swan over
the wide expanse of ocean, still holding her lyre.
When she had gone a little distance, she dived
under the waves, and at the same moment the
bird flew away from the window, and the moon
hid herself behind a cloud. Vaulundur laid him-
self down to rest; his courage was strengthened
and his heart lighter since he had heard the song
of the fairy of the sea.
Some days afterwards, King Nidudr came to
the prison, and found amongst other things, the
three keys. He pressed for an explanation of
their use, and when Vaulundur would not com-
ply with his desire, he became so angry, that,
seizing hold of an axe, he threatened to put him
to death, unless he told him all he knew about
them immediately. Vaulundur was obliged to
have recourse to a full confession, and revealed
their wonderful and rare properties. The king
was overjoyed, and took the keys with him with
the purpose of making an early trial of the truth
of all he had heard. He made immediate pre-
parations for a journey to the mountains, and
38 WAYLAND SMITH.
in a few days was on his way thither. When
he arrived at the place that Vaulundur had
described, he divided his followers into three
parties, and sent two of them to a place at some
distance ; he determined to enter the mountain
himself with the third, provided he found that
the copper key had really the promised effect.
For this purpose he gave it to one of the most
faithful and courageous of his followers, and
desired him to set it against the perpendicular
face of the mountain. On obeying this com-
mand, they saw, much to their surprise, the
mountain split open from the top to the bottom.
King Nidudr desired his followers to enter but
here a miserable fate awaited them. For the
ground, which to appearance was covered with
green plants, was in fact nothing but a bottom-
less marsh, in which several of the men sank
immediately, and first of all, he who had the
charge of the key. Amongst those who were
not buried in the marsh were some who perished
yet more miserably; for there was a number of
green serpents which hung like crystals from
the vault, and dropped poison on the soldiers
below, which penetrating their coats of mail,
entered their bodies and caused immediate
death. The king and some of his followers had
a narrow escape of their lives, and indeed only
preserved them by keeping in the background.
WAYLAND SMITH. 39
As soon as the remnant of the party had left the
mountain, it closed suddenly.
King Nidudr was so exhausted with fear at
this unlooked-for event, that his followers were
obliged to carry him to a mossy bank and lay
him under a great tree, where at last he recovered
his senses. No sooner had he come to himself,
than he exclaimed : " It is well that neither of
the other parties have been present, or know any
thing of this .mischance ; for although for all the
gold in the world, I would not put my own
royal life in danger from these magical tricks,
yet I have a great desire to know what would
happen if one were to make use of the other two
keys ; my good friend, Storbiorn," continued he,
" do you take these two keys, and give one to
the leader of each of those troops, and tell them
that my desire is, that they should proceed as I
have begun, but manage so that the one party
may not see what may happen to the other."
" Only give the keys to me, my lord king," said
Storbiorn, " and I shall know how to manage for
the best. Let these magicians carry their joke
ever so far, I am not afraid of them, and I will
be present myself." This speech pleased Nidudr
vastly. So Storbiorn went and delivered the
king's commands to the other two bands, where-
upon one of them remained behind, while the
other went with Storbiorn to the mountain. As
40 WAYLAND SMITH.
soon as they arrived, the key was given to one
of the troop, and he was commanded to place it
against the rock ; it burst asunder, and Storbiorn
commanded that the men should enter. Scarcely
had one half of the troop gone into the cavern,
when a mountain stream, furious and foaming
like a blue frothing serpent, poured itself on
them, and drowned the greater part of them.
Storbiorn commanded the few that had escaped,
to go to the king, to tell him all that had hap-
pened, and to remain with him. He himself went
in the meantime to the third troop, and accom-
panied them as far as the rock, where he gave the
third key to one of the men, and desired him to
go on boldly, he himself continuing to keep quite
behind. When the rock had opened, he com-
manded the men to enter. They obeyed, and
found nothing alarming; on the contrary, the
sides of the cavern were strewn thickly with
gold and precious stones. When Storbiorn had
convinced himself that there was no danger, and
a great deal of gold, he forgot all his former fear,
and entered the cavern with the others. Sud-
denly a red flame, accompanied with a terrific
noise and crackling, broke forth in serpentine
floods, with clouds of smoke that suffocated and
destroyed them all, excepting one servant, who
had not ventured in, and who now made the
best of his way back to the king, and related all
WAYLAND SMITH. 41
that had happened. When King Nidudr heard
this, he ordered his horse to be brought out
immediately, gathered together the remnant of
his troop, and returned to his palace with all
speed.
In the meantime Vaulundur was labouring
quietly and incessantly in his prison at Savar-
sted. The king had commanded him to forge a
suit of armour of pure gold, and he had been
employed on it day and night. He had made
besides, a coat of mail, a helmet, a shield, and
armour for the thighs ; all of them superior to
any thing that had been seen before. The king
had invited many mighty men of note to meet
him at his palace on his return from the moun-
tain, intending to surprise them with a sight of
the booty that he expected to bring home with
him. It was for this occasion that Vaulundur
had prepared the golden armour. When the
king arrived at his palace, he was met by his
queen and Bandvilde, who told him that the
hall was already crowded with guests, and in-
quired very particularly how matters had gone,
and whether he had obtained much booty ; at
the same time they informed him that the golden
armour was finished and lay in the armoury,
where he might put it on before he should
appear among his guests. The king was very
sparing of words, and merely told them that all
42 WAYLAND SMITH.
had gone well, and if they would go in he would
shortly follow, and tell them all that had hap-
pened. So the queen went into the hall with
her daughter, and poured out to the guests ; but
the king repaired to the armoury, arrayed him-
self in the coat of mail, and put on his head the
helmet, which was so heavy that lie could
scarcely endure the weight. He took the good
sword that Vaulundur had forged, the scabbard
of which was set with sapphires, and entering
the hall where his guests were assembled, he
seated himself on his throne. The Jarles and
other heroes were indeed astonished at the
splendour of his appearance, on his first entry,
they almost fancied that they beheld the god
Thor of Trudvanger. They were soon unde-
ceived, when they had a nearer view of his
thin and pale countenance, which had indeed
nothing in common with that of the brave god
of war, unless it were the helmet that enriched
it. In the mean time, they admired not only
this splendid attire, but the jewels worn by the
queen and her daughter; they became the lat-
ter particularly, for she was very beautiful,
although, like her mother, of a haughty and
cruel temper. When they had partaken of a
magnificent repast, and the horns of mead had
been passed merrily round, they became quite
at ease, and begged the. king to show them the
WAYLAND SMITH. 43
author of this costly and skilful workmanship.
Nidudr was warmed with mead, and having
lost some of his usual suspicious prudence, was
very anxious to wreak his vengeance on Vau-
lundur, to whom he attributed the failure of his
enterprise, and the loss of his people. He en-
trusted the key of the tower to a jarl, named
Eyvind, and sent two others with him. He
commanded them to bring forth Vaulundur, and
added, as a warning, that if on his next visit to
the tower, he should find a single grain of gold
missing, it should cost them all their lives.
The king's followers got into a boat and rowed
over to Savarsted; on the way, one of them
being intoxicated, fell into the water; the others
(that they might lose no time) left him there,
and came in all haste to the prison, where they
found Vaulundur hard at work. They bound
his hands, put him into the boat, and rowed
over to the palace. As soon as they arrived,
they led him, blackened with coal and dust, and
set him before the guests. Then Eyvind, the
jarl, advanced to the king, and said, "We have
done as you have desired, Sir King, and must
now hasten back to find Gullorm, who fell into
the sea, and whom, rather than keep you wait-
ing, we have left lying there." " Let him re-
main where he is," said Nidudr, " he will never
drown if lie be not drowned long ere this for
44 WAYLAXD SMITH.
you, in reward of your truth and fidelity, take
these gifts ;" and he presented to each of them
a gold chain.
The guests were much surprised to see the
person who had made all these costly treasures,
a miserable cripple. But Nidudr said to them,
" This dwarf was once a stately hero, strong and
handsome, but I have bowed down his stubborn
neck." The queen and her daughter added
fresh taunts, and said ; " The maidens of Fin-
land will scarcely fancy a lover who cannot
stand upright; and how will you appear in bat-
tle, Vaulundur, with your broken ankle-bones."
Vaulundur endured all these taunts unmoved,
till one of the king's sons took up a bone from
the table, and threw it at his head. At length,
losing all patience, Vaulundur seized the bone,
and attacking Nidudr, beat him about the head
till the clasps that fastened his helmet gave way,
and the helmet itself fell off. The guests all
exclaimed, that this courage in a cripple was
praiseworthy, and entreated the king to let him
go back to his prison without further molesta-
tion. But the king started, exclaiming, " He
has done mischief enough, it is time now that
he meet his punishment." Thereupon he related
his journey to the mountain, all the sorcery he
had witnessed there, and the fate of his fol-
lowers. When the guests heard all this they
WAYLAND SMITH. 45
pronounced it perfectly reasonable to punish so
infamous and wicked a magician. " I could
easily deprive him of life," said Nidudr, " but
that would be but a small chastisement; for, to
so wretched a cripple, death would be a welcome
guest. I have still some gold left, I will let him
live to use that up. But that he may never have
it in his power to say, that he brought shame and
reproach to me, and escaped unpunished, let my
servants take him hence and put out one of his
eyes; let him henceforth contrive to work with
one eye." All that Vaulundur could say in
proof of his innocence was unavailing; and
Baudvilde, the king's daughter, was so much
enraged against him, that she offered to carry
the sentence into execution herself; she had
practised the art of healing, and understood how
to bind up wounds. Vaulundur was led into
another room and bound so fast that he could
not move his head, while Baudvilde came for-
ward with a polished iron, and prepared to
effect her cruel purpose. When Vaulundur
saw her advance towards him, and perceived
her intention, he could keep silence no longer,
and exclaimed, " I have been wretched indeed
since I fell into the hands of King Nidudr; nor
can I hope that my fate will change, since a
greater tyrant is not to be found in the universe.
Nature, in giving him that odious and cruel
46 WAYLAND SMITH.
countenance, stamped him a villain. But thou,
oh maiden, provoke not Freya, who has lent
you charms equal to her own, by undertaking
an office fit only for the most hideous witch of
Niflheim. Thy soft and white hand is better
fitted to clasp a rose, or some other beauteous
flower, than to whet that murderous steel, which
threatens to deprive me of sig-ht. Be moved by
my entreaties, for in entreating you, I do no
dishonour to myself; do not make me suffer
beyond what I already endure; I swear by all
the gods that I am innocent of your father's
disappointment." These words, which would
have moved a raging bear, much more the
heart of a woman, had no effect on the cruel
princess. She drew near, like a poisonous snake
about to inflict a mortal- wound. She com-
manded one of her servants to cover the one
eye with his hand (for she could not endure
Vaulundur's keen and threatening gaze) while
she put out the other, which she received in a
small gold cup, and carried it to the king,
having first bound up the wound and placed on
it a decoction of healing herbs. From this mo-
ment Vaulundur remained lost in thought, and
perfectly motionless ; and presently afterwards
the servants conducted him back to Savarsted.
There he remained, neglectful of himself and
unfit for labour, deprived of one eye, and his
WAYLAND SMITH. 47
face disfigured by a ghastly wound. Sighing
deeply, he exclaimed ; " Now am I indeed ten
times more miserable than before, more and
more enfeebled, my wrath, which increases daily,
is becoming powerless as the resentment of a
woman. The song that the Nixie sang to me,
in which she described the three colours, invigo-
rated my dejected soul with faint hopes, but
Nidudr's wickedness and his daughter's cruelty
have quite extinguished them ; my only desire
now is, that a speedy death may enable me to
reach Valhalla, or that at least I may find the
refuge of a rescued bondsman with Thor in
Trudvanger 12 . But grant me vengeance first,
ye omniscient maidens, Urthr, Werthandi, and
Skuld ; grant me to be revenged of Nidudr and
his whole race."
One night as Vaulundur sat lost in melancholy,
he saw from his window two red lights far off at
sea. They kept moving continually, and drew
near to his tower. Ah! thought he, this is ano-
ther illusive vision coming to induce me by its
incomprehensible mysterious songs, to preserve
my life only that I may endure the greater
misery. While he entertained this idea, he
heard the key of his prison-door turn, and the
voices of two men talking together in the outer
apartment. He recognised the king's two sons,
Gram and Skule, and heard Skule say to his
brother : " Let us first demand from him the key
48 WAYLAND SMITH.
of the chest of gold, and when we have taken
from it what we want, let us put him to death,
lest he betray us to our father." When Vaulun-
dur heard these words, he seized a large sword
that lay by his side, and concealed it behind
the place where he sat. The princes entered
the prison, and Gram went up to Vaulundur,
and said : " Our father, Nidudr, is gone a jour-
ney far into the country; his avarice prevents
his giving us, his lawful sons, our due portion of
his wealth, and we have sailed here in secret, to
take possession of part of these treasures ; give
us the key, and swear not to betray us, or we
will put thee to death." " My dear lords," replied
Vaulundur, "my misery and constant toil may
have weakened my mind as well as my body,
but misfortune has not yet made me foolish
enough to refuse a request so reasonable as
yours besides that, it would not be to my inter-
est to do so : I give you the key, and, in the
name of the gods above, I take the oath you
require that I will never betray you." He
then gave them the key, and desired them to
open the chest that stood close by him, as they
would find enough there to satisfy all their
wishes.
The brothers took the key and opened the
chest, which was half full of gold : they were so
delighted by its splendour that, in order to
obtain a nearer view of it, they stooped down
WAYLAND SMITH. 49
and leaned over the edge of the chest. Vaulun-
dur no sooner perceived this, than he seized the
sword, raised it, and, with a sudden blow, cut
off both their heads, which fell into the chest,
while the bodies fell back, streaming with blood.
" And now," said Vaulundur, as he closed the
chest, " now, you may feast your eyes at leisure."
He then dug a deep pit in his dungeon, and
buried the two bodies there. He had heard the
princes say, that their father had gone on a
distant journey, and would be absent for some
time. And now, thought he, although this
serpent race of Niflheim have deprived me of
strength and dignity, have reduced me to the
condition of a miserable slave, and have com-
bined to heap insults on me, yet I have it still
in my power to wreak a deadly revenge on
them ; a revenge that will not stop here, but
will, I trust, be the first proof that the Nornes
have listened to my prayers for retribution.
Having determined what to do, he reopened
the chest, took out the heads, and separating
the skulls, dried them in the sun, and formed
them into a pair of splendid drinking cups, set
in gold. He then contrived to harden the eyes,
which he set after the manner of precious stones,
and ornamented two armlets with them. He
filed the teeth till they became round like pearls,
and made them into a necklace. When the
E
50 WAYLAND SMITH.
king returned from his journey, he paid a visit
to the prison, and Vaulundur produced these
two drinking cups, and said that they were made
of a pair of rare shells, which had been thrown
up by the sea, and that he had contrived to
reach them with a pair of pincers. The armlets
he presented to the queen, and the necklace to
Baudvilde. They were all delighted, and be-
lieved themselves to be possessed of rare trea-
sures.
After Gram and Skule had been absent for
some time, some ferrymen brought their boat,
which they had found driving about on the
open sea ; their father supposed that they must
have been drowned in making some little excur-
sion : he prepared to keep their funeral feast,
and invited all his principal subjects to a mag-
nificent banquet. On this occasion the two
drinking cups were filled with mead, and the
queen and Baudvilde adorned themselves with
the armlets and necklace; besides this, Baud-
vilde wore the beautiful ring that her father had
long since taken from the strip of bark. The
guests began by admiring the magnificence
displayed by the king, his queen, and their
daughter, and ended by drinking deeply, and
prolonged their festivity far into the night. About
midnight, just as the cock crew, their mirth was
suddenly interrupted. As the king was lifting
WAYLAND SMITH. 51
one of the cups to his lips, he was seized with
an extraordinary pain in the head. The queen,
too, who was never tired of gazing at her splen-
did armlet, felt a violent pain in her eyes
for by the flickering light, the supposed jewels
emitted such extraordinary and ghastly hues,
that she could endure them no longer ; and
Baudvilde, who was sitting beside her mother,
attired in the necklace, was overpowered by a
violent toothache. The guests were obliged to
take leave of their royal hosts, who repaired to
rest immediately, but experienced no diminution
of their agony till daybreak. In the morning, no
trace of their illness remained, and they fancied
it might have been occasioned by their late
watching.
Baudvilde was in great dejection during the
whole day ; in retiring to rest on the pre-
ceding evening, she had forgotten to take off
the armlet, and in her agony during the night,
she had struck her arm against the wall, and
had broken some of the ornaments on the ring.
It was richly chased and very valuable, and
she was afraid to mention the accident to her
violent and cruel father; still less durst she
speak of it to her mother. Towards evening,
she was walking in the grove that bordered the
shore, from which she had a view of Vaulundur's
tower. Ah, thought she, if I had not done this
52 WAYLAND SMITH.
slave so much wrong, he might now be of use
to me ; at length, Baudvilde's masculine and
intrepid spirit prevailed, and she resolved as
soon as it should be dark, to loose the boat, take
a pair of oars, and row over to the tower. I will
oblige him to mend the ornament, thought she,
and if he refuse I can easily be revenged on such
a forlorn cripple. When it became dark, and
there was no longer any danger of her being
watched or interrupted, the bold maiden got
into a boat, which was fastened to a stake on the
shore, and began to row towards the tower;
when she had gone about halfway, an old mer-
man with a long beard, lifted his head above the
waves, and while he held back the boat with
one hand, sang these words " The sea is false,
but falser still the heart of the captive he will
not improve your ornament, but rather destroy
a more precious jewel." Instead of listen-
ing to this friendly caution, Baudvilde struck
the merman a blow with her oar, exclaiming,
"Down, sea-beard," for neither she nor her pa-
rents believed in the gods, nor in the signs that
they send as warnings to mankind. At length
she arrived at Vaulundur's tower, to which she
obtained entrance by means of a false key. No
sooner did Vaulundur perceive her than he
formed a design that promised him full revenge ;
he received her courteously, begged her to be
WAYLAND SMITH. 53
seated, and undertook to mend the ornament as
quickly as possible, but told her, that, in order
to forward his labour, it would be necessary for
her to work the bellows. " How comes it that
these bellows are sprinkled with blood?" inquired
Baudvilde. " That," replied Vaulundur, " is
the blood of two young sea-dogs, who tormented
me for a long time, but whom I succeeded at
last in catching, when they least expected it.
He then begged her to work the bellows well,
and as she grew tired and thirsty, he gave her a
liquid in which some soporific herbs had been
mixed; she drank it, sat down on a bench to
rest, and soon went to sleep. Vaulundur seized
hold of her, bound her hands, threw her into the
boat, and committed her to the mercy of the
wild waves. He then shut the door, took a large
flat piece of gold, engraved on it a recital of all
that he had done, and placed it where it must
necessarily meet the eye of the king. Having
finished this, he exclaimed aloud, " Now is my
hour come;" he seized his spear, and setting it
against the wall, was in the act of throwing
himself on it, when suddenly he heard from
afar, a low and sweet song, accompanied by the
tones of a lute.
It was full daylight, and the clear expanse
of heaven was blue and cloudless, yet towards
the east he perceived a large star, the brightr
54 WAYLAND SMITH.
ness of whose rays was not diminished by the
splendour of the sun. He was surprised to
see a many-coloured rainbow that appeared
at the same time in the clear sky. It sprang
from the east, close to the glittering- star,
and sank in the sea immediately opposite his
prison. His admiration increased every mo-
ment, for the flowers that adorned the island,
and that had but lately begun to shoot forth
their spring blossoms, unfolded themselves visi-
bly at the approach of the star, while the per-
fume of the young roses that grew on the shore,
was wafted towards the distant tower. Vaulun-
dur now perceived that what he had taken for a
star was the golden chariot of Freya, on which
sat the mighty Asynien herself in all her splen-
dour, and by her side two maidens, whom as yet
Vaulundur could not recognise. A flowing gar-
ment of blue adorned the white shoulders of
Freya, and fluttering far behind was lost in the
blue sky. The maiden who sat on her left hand
was attired in fresh green with garlands of leaves,
but she who sat on the right hand of the goddess
wore a garment of red. Vaulundur's heart beat
high ; the three goddesses in their golden cha-
riot bore a yet closer resemblance to the lump
of gold which he and his brothers had found in
Finland, than did the three maidens in the
flower enamelled field. A troop of white fairies,
WAYLAND SMITH. 55
airy as light, fluttered round the chariot; some
touched their lutes, while others sung, or cooled
the air as they waved their broad and swanlike
wings. Two large wild cats, resembling pan-
thers in size and beauty, were yoked to the cha-
riot ; as it approached the surface of the sea, an
old man and woman of majestic appearance,
surrounded by many beautiful sea-nymphs, rose
from the waves below ; this was the sea-god
Agir, and his wife Rana, and the young mer-
maidens were their daughters. Rana had laid
aside the net in which she usually receives the
corpses of the drowned, and had changed her
wonted dark and gloomy mien, she now wore a
look of softness. The young and gentle mer-
maidens wore their long hair braided with sea-
weed, and flowing down to their slender waists;
they conducted a young whale on which Freya,
descending lightly from her rainbow, seated her-
self. The fairies now ceased to flutter around
her, but the mermaidens continued to swim near
her, and many of them touched their harps and
sang to them. Their voices sounded like the
soft waves of spring that ripple to the shore,
seeking many an outlet among the smooth peb-
bles, and murmuring amid the budding sea.
weed. In this manner Freya approached the
open door of the prison, surrounded by her
lovely attendants as they drew near, Vaulun-
56 WAYLAND SMITH.
dur recognised in her who wore the red garment,
his beloved Alvilda. He could not speak, but
stood silent with outstretched arms, while tears
flowed abundantly down his pale cheeks. When
the chariot was immediately in front of the tower
the whale stopped, and Freya descended, holding
Alvilda by the hand. " Vaulundur," said she,
" thine affliction is past ; the injury and insults
thou hast endured have been revenged by thine
own arm, but the happiness that shall hence-
forth be thy portion, Freya herself brings thee.
A sea-nymph has already foretold thee this for-
tune; thou mayest remember her song of the
colours of love, of hope, and of smiling summer ;
this summer shall now bloom for thee, and thy
red and sparkling jewel shall shine forth, and
blend with the other colours, without which
thy life would be but dead and joyless. Behold
thine Alvilda Odin in the halls of Hlidskialf,
has, at my request, granted her to thee for thy
whole life, and when thou diest, her loving arms
shall bear thee to Walaskialf, where thou shall
forge suits of armour and drinking horns for the
gods."
Then Freya beckoned to the maiden who was
attired in green. In one hand she carried a
root, and in the other a sharp knife ; she drew
near to Vaulundur, cut some pieces of the root,
and laid them on the sinews of his feet and upon
WAYLAND SMITH. 57
the socket of his eye, and having plucked some
leaves from her garland and placed them over
the whole, she breathed on them. Immediately
Vaulundur exclaimed " Now I feel that the
gracious Eyr 15 has laid his healing hand on me."
Then was he carried by the fairies across the
waves to a bower of fresh leaves in the forest ;
Vaulundur slept soundly, but towards midnight
he had a wonderful dream. It seemed to him
that he lay in the arms of his Alvilda while
Slagfidur and Eigil stood gazing at him with
folded arms, and countenances pale and melan-
choly. Vaulundur perceived that his happiness
gave them pleasure, for when they saw him they
smiled. Slagfidur stood nearest to him, and,
bending over his couch, continued to beckon as
though he had somewhat to impart to him.
Eigil was further away ; he had seated himself
on a stone immediately without the hut, and
spoke incessantly, but his accents were so low,
confused, and hurried, that Vaulundur could
not distinguish a word. When he awaked he
found himself indeed in Alvilda's arms, but on
lifting up his eyes, he perceived a green bough
of the arbour waving in the very place where he
fancied he had seen his brother Slagfidur lean-
ing over him. Eigil still continued to pronounce
words fanciful, low, and hurried, and Vaulun-
dur, turning towards the opening of the hut,
58 WAYLAND SMITH.
perceived a little brook that ran murmuring close
at hand, and that had represented his brother to
his sleeping fancy. These circumstances moved
Vaulundur deeply, for he had felt the warmest
affection for his brothers, and had ardently
desired that they might enjoy happiness equal
to his own. Alvilda now awoke and said, "Truly,
my dear husband, you must feel refreshed by
this slumber, and be again in possession of all
your former strength. Go then to Nidudr's
court, he still sleeps, and knows nothing of what
has happened. Put on this mantle over your
armour, and you will be taken for a servant of
the king's."
Vaulundur consented to the plan that his
wife proposed ; he buckled on his armour,
wrapped himself in the mantle, and went to
the king's apartment unmolested, the guards
supposing him to be a retainer about the court.
Vaulundur entered the king's apartment and
advanced towards the couch where Nidudr slept,
and trembled during sleep. " Awake ! King
Nidudr," exclaimed Vaulundur. " Who dares
to disturb my kingly slumber?" cried Nidudr,
starting up. " Be not angry," said Vaulundur ;
" since yesterday an extraordinary event has
occurred, which must be made known to you.
Had you slain Vaulundur long ago this misfor-
tune would never have happened." " Name
WAYLAND SMITH. 59
not that man," said Nidudr. " In spite of his
wretched state, I have reason to fear him.
Ever since he sent me those costly drinking
cups I have been tormented with a burning
fever that will not leave me. My heart is icy
cold, and my teeth chatter incessantly." " The
muscle shells that formed those cups/' said Vau-
lundur, " were worthless, compared with the
pearls they once contained ; they were the skulls
of thy two sons, sir king, their bodies you will
find concealed in Vaulundur's tower. For thy
daughter, she is tossing on the wild waves of
the sea, if indeed she be not already drowned."
He then threw aside his mantle, told the trem-
bling king all that he had done, and drawing
his sword, exclaimed in a voice of thunder,
" And now am I come myself, avaricious wretch,
to give thee thy deathblow." Thus saying, he
advanced to pierce him with the sword, but
Nidudr had already expired through fear and
was already gone to Hela 16 , where he is now
receiving the punishment due to his crimes.
Baudvilde on coming to herself in the boat, pre-
cipitated herself into the sea, and the queen
swallowed poison.
After all these events, Vaulundur repaired
to Leire, to King Hroar, and became a far-
famed smith. He died at a good old age, and
is buried under a hill where his house is said
60 WAYLAND SMITH.
to have formerly stood. There is yet to be
seen on the hill an erection of granite of a
quadrangular form; on the side toward the
north is hewn the figure of a man, whose legs
are bound by a chain ; he is occupied in forging
a sword. There was a sacrifice held here for
many years, and Vaulundur was often honoured
as a god, for it was believed that his wife Alvilda
had carried his soul in her arms to Valhalla, as
Freya had promised. All smiths invoke the
name of Vaulundur before they commence any
undertaking of unusual difficulty. The sword
that Vaulundur forged and ornamented with
sapphires, and which had the property of always
longing for battle, and keeping itself bright in
readiness for it, was preserved till within a few
centuries in the royal armoury, but it has long
since disappeared.
Thus ends Vaulundur's
NOTES.
1. THE Nornes (Nornen), the northern fates; their
names, Urthr, Skulld, and Werthandi. See "Mone's
Geschichte des Heidenthums in Nordlichen Europa,"
Th. i. p. 353, and Vulpius Mythologie der Deutschen
und Nordischen Volker, Leipzig, 1826.
2. " Valkyrii, female divinities, servants of Odin.
Their name signifies Chusers of the Slain. They were
mounted on swift horses, with drawn swords in their
hands ; and in the throng of battle selected such as were
destined to slaughter, and conducted them to Valhalla,
the hall of Odin, or paradise of the brave ; where they
attended the banquet and served the departed heroes
with horns of mead and ale." Grey's Note to the Fatal
Sisters. See also Mone, before cited, p. 362, and Vul-
pius, p. 336.
3. Mimir possessed (says the Edda Fab. 14.) the
62 NOTES.
fountain of wisdom and understanding, flowing from the
root of the tree Ygdrasil.
4. Hnos, a daughter of Freya, so supereminently
charming, that all that was beautiful and pleasing was
designated by her name.
5. Siofn, Sioeffna, or Sione, one of the two inferior
deities of Love. She awakened the first sweet sensa-
tion in the hearts of youths and maidens.
6. One of the evil deities of the northern mythology.
Oehlenslager has written a poem entitled " Thor's reise
til Jothentheim."
7. Miolner, the wonderful hammer of Thor, before
which the Jutes and sorcerers trembled ; it was forged
by Sindri the dwarf himself, when he made the ring
Draupner, and the boar with golden bristles. The mar-
vellous power of this hammer was such that, guided by
the hand of Thor, it destroyed every thing it struck;
when thrown from the hand, it unerringly hit the object
at which it was aimed and then returned back again..
When desired, it became so small as to be carried in
the pocket; it had only far too short a handle. This
defect arose from the circumstance that when it was
forging, the bellows-blower being stung by a gadfly let
the bellows go before that part of the hammer was com-
pleted.
NOTES. 63
8. Hlldskialf, the throne of Odin, in his palace
Walaskialf, sitting on which he oversaw the whole
world.
9. Frygga, a daughter of the Jute Fiorgwim, and
consort of Odin.
10. lonnungarder, the serpent of Middle Earth,
generated by Loke and the Juten wife Angerbode : it lay
and lurked in the great ocean until the deluge ; it then
uprose, the shores were overflown, and the ship Nagelfar
was unmoored. This serpent spouted out poison, pes-
tiferous to sea and air. It was finally overcome and
killed by Thor.
1 1 . Nixie, a water-nymph. See Ihre and Wachter,
in their Glossaries, and Mr. Boucher's Glossary in v.
Auld-nick. In the old English Dictionary, entitled
Promptuarium Parvulorum, printed by Pynson in 1499,
we find the word Nykir, translated by the Latin Syrene,
and in a MS. copy of the same work, reference is made
to Mermadyn.
12. Trudvangcr, Thor's dwelling place in Asgaard.
13. The Asynii, or Asunii, were the female deities
of the northern mythology, of whom Freya was the
chief.
14. Agir, or Aegcr, is the Neptune of the northern
mythology.
64 NOTES.
15. Eyr, or Eira, one of the lesser gods of the
northern nations. The physician of the gods, and god
of the healing art.
16. Hela, or Hel, was the daughter of Loke by
Angurbode, the place where she dwelt and administered
retributive punishment to the wicked, was called Hel-
heim, or Helved in Niflheim.
FINIS.
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