the edda (second part)

8/12/2019 The Edda (Second Part)

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4e are confronted by *roble)s entirely different in character fro)

those 4hich ha!e to be considered in conne#ion 4ith the )ythical

te#ts. Those are in the )ain the *roduct of one, the Northern,

branch of the 6er)anic race, as 4e ha!e seen 0No. %( of this series3,

and the chief /uestion to be deter)ined is 4hether they re*resent,

ho4e!er altered in for), a )ythology co))on to all the 6er)ans, andas such necessarily early8 or 4hether they are in substance, as 4ell

as in for), a s*ecific creation of the "candina!ians, and therefore

late and secondary. The heroic *oe)s of the Edda, on the contrary,

4ith the e#ce*tion of the Helgi cycle, ha!e !ery close analogues in

the literatures of the other great branches of the 6er)anic race,

and these 4e are able to co)*are 4ith the Northern !ersions.

The Edda contains *oe)s belonging to the follo4ing heroic cycles2

01a13 1Weland the ")ith1.::Anglo:"a#on literature has se!eral

references to this cycle, 4hich )ust ha!e been a !ery *o*ular one8and there is also a late 9ontinental 6er)an !ersion *reser!ed in

an Icelandic translation. But the *oe) in the Edda is the oldest

connected for) of the story.

01b13 1"igurd and the Nibelungs1.::Again the oldest reference is in

Anglo:"a#on. There are t4o 4ell:no4n 9ontinental 6er)an !ersions

in the 1Nibelungen $ied1 and the late Icelandic 1Thidres "aga1,

but the Edda, on the 4hole, has *reser!ed an earlier for) of the

legend. With it is loosely connected

01c13 1The Er)anric 9ycle1.::The oldest references to this are in $atin

and Anglo:"a#on. The 9ontinental 6er)an !ersion in the 1Thidres "aga1

is late, and, lie that in the Edda, conta)inated 4ith the "igurd

story, 4ith 4hich it had originally nothing to do.

01d13 1Helgi1.::This cycle, at least in its *resent for), is *eculiar

to the "candina!ian North.

All the abo!e:na)ed *oe)s are contained in 9ode# +egius of the Elder

Edda. Fro) other sources 4e )ay add other *oe)s 4hich are Eddic, not

"aldic, in style, in 4hich other heroic cycles are re*resented. Thegreat )a;ority of the *oe)s deal 4ith the fa!ourite story of the


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*ieces of *rose. There are t4o )oti!es in the story2 the "4an:)aids,

and the


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on the Anglo:"a#on car!ed 4hale:bone bo# no4n as the Frans 9aset,

dated by Professor Na*ier at about @'' A.. The ad!entures of the

third brother, "lagfinn, ha!e not sur!i!ed. The Anglo:"a#on gi!es

Thou

shalt ne!er be bla)ed though thou didst betray the royal )aid.... No

better )an shall co)e on earth beneath the sun than thou, "igurd.> 7n

the other hand, the *oet gi!es no indication that Brynhild and theslee*ing


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all *oe)s in this for), 16ri*iss*a1 is a late co)*osition e)bodying

earlier tradition.

The other *oe)s are )ostly e*isodical, though arranged so as to for)

a continued narrati!e. 16ri*iss*a1 is follo4ed by a co)*ilation fro)

t4o or )ore *oe)s in different )etres, generally di!ided into three*arts in the editions2 1+egins)al1 gi!es the early history of the

treasure and the dragon, and "igurds battle 4ith Hundings sons8

1Fafnis)al1, the slaying of the dragon and the ad!ice of the taling

birds8 1"igrdrifu)al1, the a4aening of the


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of artistic faults, a *riceless treasure:house for the real features

of the legend.

There are t4o )ain ele)ents in the I illed )y children, because I thought the) too 4ea to a!enge our

father8 "inf;oetli has a 4arriors )ight because he is both sons son

and daughters son to =ing

Though no *oe) sur!i!es on this sub;ect, the story is certainly

*ri)iti!e8 its sa!age character !ouches for its anti/uity. 1


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)entioned abo!e, the ob;ect of 4hich, as a *art of the cycle, see)s

to be to re)o!e "inf;oetli and lea!e the field clear for "igurd. It

*reser!es a touch 4hich )ay be original in "inf;oetlis burial, 4hich

rese)bles that of "cyld in 1Beo4ulf12 his father lays hi) in a boat

steered by an old )an, 4hich i))ediately disa**ears.

"ig)und and "inf;oetli are al4ays close co)rades, >need:co)*anions>

as the Anglo:"a#on calls the). They are indi!isible and for) one

story. "igurd, on the other hand, is only born after his father

"ig)unds death. 1 And fro) the *oe)s too, "igurds fatherless childhood is

only to be inferred fro) an isolated reference, 4here gi!ing hi)selfa false na)e he says to Fafni2 >I ca)e a )otherless child8 I ha!e no

father lie the sons of )en.> "ig)und, dying, left the frag)ents of

the s4ord to be gi!en to his unborn son, and "igurds fosterfather

+egin forged the) ane4 for the future dragon:slayer. But "igurds

first deed 4as to a!enge on Hundings race the death of his father

and his )others father. 1


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de)anded as 4ergild enough gold to fill the otters sin, and $oi

obtained it by catching the d4arf And!ari, 4ho li!ed in a 4aterfall

in the for) of a fish, and allo4ing hi) to ranso) his head by gi!ing

u* his 4ealth. 7ne ring the d4arf tried to ee* bac, but in !ain8

and thereu*on he laid a curse u*on it2 that the ring 4ith the rest

of the gold should be the death of 4hoe!er should get *ossession ofit. In gi!ing the gold to Hreid)ar, 7din also tried to ee* bac the

ring, but had to gi!e it u* to co!er the last hair. Then Fafni, one of

the t4o re)aining sons, illed his father, first !icti) of the curse,

for the sae of the gold. He carried it a4ay and lay guarding it in

the sha*e of a snae. But +egin the s)ith did not gi!e u* his ho*es of

*ossessing the hoard2 he ado*ted as his foster:son "igurd the My gold shall be the death of t4o

brothers, and cause strife a)ong eight ings8 no one shall re;oice in

the *ossession of )y treasure.> Ne#t co)es a short dialogue bet4een

$oi and Hreid)ar, in 4hich the for)er 4arns his host of the ris he

runs in taing the hoard. In the ne#t frag)ent Hreid)ar calls on his

daughters to a!enge hi)8 $yngheid re*lies that they cannot do so on

their o4n brother, and her father bids her bear a daughter 4hose son

)ay a!enge hi). This has gi!en rise to a suggestion that H;oerdis,

"igurds )other, 4as daughter to $yngheid, but if that is intended,it )ay only be due to the Norse *assion for genealogy. The ne#t

frag)ent brings +egin and "igurd together, and the s)ith taes the

young "igurd disregards the 4arning 4ith the )a#i)


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>$ong ha!e I sle*t, long 4as I sun in slee*, long are )ens

)isfortunes. It 4as 7dins doing that I could not brea the runes of

slee*. Hail, dayC hail, sons of dayC hail, nightC $oo on us t4o 4ith

gracious eyes, and gi!e !ictory to us 4ho sit here. Hail, AesirC hail,

Asyn;orC hail, Earth, )other of allC gi!e elo/uence and 4isdo) to usthe 4onderful *air, and hands of healing 4hile 4e li!e.>

"he then beco)es "igurds guardian and *rotectress and the source of

his 4isdo), as she s*eas the runes and counsels 4hich are to hel* hi)

in all difficulties8 and fro) this *oint corres*onds to the )aiden 4ho

is the heros benefactress, but 4ho) he deserts through sorcery2 the

>Master)aid> of the fairy:tales, the Medeia of 6ree )yth. 6udrun is

al4ays an innocent instru)ent in dra4ing "igurd a4ay fro) his real

bride, the actual agent being her 4itch:)other 6ri)hild. This *art

of the story is su))arised in 16ri*iss*a1, e#ce*t that the 4riter

see)s una4are that the Wish)aiden 4ho teaches "igurd >e!ery )ysterythat )en 4ould no4> and the *rincess he betrays are the sa)e2

>A ings daughter bright in )ail slee*s on the fell8 thou shalt he4

4ith thy shar* s4ord, and cut the )ail 4ith Fafnis slayer.... "he

4ill teach thee e!ery )ystery that )en 4ould no4, and to s*ea in

e!ery )ans tongue.... Thou shalt !isit Hei)is d4elling and be the

great ings ;oyous guest.... There is a )aid fair to see at Hei)is8

)en call her Brynhild, Budlis daughter, but the great ing Hei)i

fosters the *roud )aid.... Hei)is fair foster:daughter 4ill rob

thee of all ;oy8 thou shalt slee* no slee*, and ;udge no cause,

and care for no )an unless thou see the )aiden. ... De shall s4ear

all binding oaths but ee* fe4 4hen thou hast been one night 6iuis

guest, thou shalt not re)e)ber Hei)is bra!e foster:daughter.... Thou

shalt suffer treachery fro) another and *ay the *rice of 6ri)hilds

*lots. The bright:haired lady 4ill offer thee her daughter.>

1


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1"igurd 4as slain south of the +hine8 a ra!en on a tree called aloud2

7n you 4ill Atli redden the s4ord8 your broen oaths shall destroy

you. 6udrun 6iuis daughter stood 4ithout, and these 4ere the first

4ords she s*oe2 Where is no4 "igurd, the lord of )en, that )y ins)en

ride first Hoegni alone )ade ans4er2 We ha!e he4n "igurd asunder

4ith the s4ord8 the grey horse still stoo*s o!er his dead lord.>

This agrees 4ith the 17ld 6udrun $ay1 and 4ith the 9ontinental 6er)an

!ersion, as a *rose e*ilogue *oints out.

7f the 6iuing brothers, 6unnar a**ears only in a conte)*tible light2

he gains his bride by treachery, and ee*s his oath to "igurd by a

/uibble. Hoegni, 4ho has little but his na)e in co))on 4ith Hagen !on

Tron;e of the 1Nibelungen $ied1, ad!ises 6unnar against breaing his

oath, but it is he 4ho taunts 6udrun after4ards. The later *oe)s of

the cycle try to )ae heroes out of both8 the sa)e discre*ancy e#ists

bet4een the first and second hal!es of the 1Nibelungen $ied1. Their

half:brother, 6utthor), *lays no *art in the story e#ce*t as the

actual )urderer of "igurd.

The chief effect of the influences of 9hristianity and +o)ance on

the legend is a loss of sy)*athy 4ith the heroic ty*e of Brynhild,

and an atte)*t to gi!e )ore dignity to the figure of 6udrun. The

"hield:)aiden of di!ine origin and unearthly 4isdo), 4ith her

unrelenting !engeance on her belo!ed, and her conte)*t for her

slighter ri!al 0>Fitter 4ould it be for 6udrun to die 4ith "igurd,

if she had a soul lie )ine>3, is a figure out of har)ony 4ith the ne4

religion, and beyond the co)*rehension of a ti)e coloured by ro)ance8

4hile both the senti)ent and the )orality of the age 4ould be on the

side of 6udrun as the for)ally 4edded 4ife. "o the *oe) no4n as the

1"hort "igurd $ay1, 4hich has )any )ars of lateness, such as theelaborate descri*tion of the funeral *yre and the e#aggeration of


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the signs of )ourning, says nothing of "igurds lo!e for Brynhild,

nor do his last 4ords to 6udrun gi!e any hint of it. The 1Nibelungen

$ied1 su**resses "igurds lo!e to Brynhild, and the )agic drin, and

altogether lo4ers Brynhild, but ele!ates 6udrun 0under her )others

na)e38 her slo4 but terrible !engeance, and absolute forgetfulness

of the ties of blood in *ursuit of it, are e/ual to anything in theoriginal !ersion. The later heroic *oe)s of the Edda )ae a less

successful atte)*t to create sy)*athy for 6udrun8 so)e, such as the

so:called 1First 6udrun $ay1, 4hich is entirely ro)antic in character,

try to )ae her *athetic by the abundance of tears she sheds8 others,

to )ae her heroic, though the result is only a s*urious sa!agery.

The re)aining *oe)s of the cycle, all late in style and tone, deal

4ith the fates of 6udrun and her brothers, and o4e their e#istence

to a narrators un4illingness to let a fa!ourite story end. The

curse )aes continuation easy, since the 6iuings inherit it 4ith the

hoard. 6udrun 4as )arried at the 4ish of her ins)en to Atli the Hun,said to be Brynhilds brother. He in!ited 6unnar and Hoegni to his

court and illed the) for the sae of the treasure, in !engeance for

4hich 6udrun illed her o4n t4o sons and Atli8 this latter incident

being *ossibly an i)itation of "igny. If 4e )ay belie!e that 6udrun,

lie 9hrie)hild in the 1Nibelungen $ied1, )arried Atli in order to

gain !engeance for "igurd, 4e )ight su**ose that there 4as confusion

here2 that she herself incited the )urder of her brothers, and illed

Atli 4hen he had ser!ed his *ur*ose. This 4ould strengthen the *art

of 6udrun, 4ho as the tale stands is rather a futile character. But

in all *robability the e*isode is due to a confusion of "ignys story

4ith that of the 6er)an 9hrie)hild and Et?el.

7ne *oint has still to be considered2 the *lace of the Nibelungs in the

story. In the Edda, the Hniflungs are al4ays the 6iuings, 6unnar and

Hoegni, and "norri gi!es it as the na)e of an heroic fa)ily. The title

of the first 1a!entiure1 of the 1Nibelungen $ied1 also a**arently uses

the 4ord of the Burgundians. Det the treasure is al4ays the Nibelungs

hoard, 4hich clearly )eans that they 4ere the original o4ners8 and 4hen

Hagen !on Tron;e tells the story later in the *oe), he s*eas of the

Nibelungs correctly as the d4arfs fro) 4ho) "iegfried 4on it. 7n this

*oint, therefore, the 6er)an *reser!es the older tradition2 the NorseAnd!ari, the ri!er:d4arf, is the 6er)an Alberich the Nibelung. In

the 1Nibelungen $ied1 the 4inning of the treasure for)s no *art of

the action2 it is )erely narrated by Hagen. This accounts for the

shortening of the e*isode and the o)ission of the inter)ediate ste*s2

the robbing of the d4arf, the curse, and the dragon:slaying.

1Er)anric.::1The t4o *oe)s of 16udruns $a)ent1 and 1Ha)this)al1,

in the Edda attached to the


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Ha)thi and Er*. "he )arried "!anhild, her o4n and "igurds daughter,

to 5oer)unre, ing of the 6oths8 but "!anhild 4as slandered, and her

husband had her trodden to death by horses hoofs. The descri*tion

of "!anhild is a good e#a)*le of the style of the ro)antic *oe)s2

>The bond)aids sat round "!anhild, dearest of )y children8 "!anhild4as lie a glorious sunbea) in )y hall. I do4ered her 4ith gold

and goodly fabrics 4hen I )arried her into 6othland. That 4as the

hardest of )y griefs, 4hen they trod "!anhilds fair hair into the

dust beneath the horses hoofs.>

6udrun sent her three sons to a!enge their sister8 t4o of the)

sle4 Er* by the 4ay, and 4ere illed the)sel!es in their attac on

5oer)unre for 4ant of his hel*. "o died, as "norri says, all 4ho 4ere

of 6iuing descent8 and only Aslaug, daughter of "igurd and Brynhild,

sur!i!ed. 1Hei)sringla1, a thirteenth century history of the royal

races of "candina!ia, traces the descent of the Norse ings fro) her.

This Er)anric story, 4hich belongs to legendary history rather than

)yth, is in reality /uite inde*endent of the


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told his brother, 4ho, dying in a fight 4ith Hrod)ars son, charged

"!a!a to )arry Hedin. A note by the collector adds >Helgi and "!a!a

are said to ha!e been born again.>

In 1Helgi Hundingsbane I1., Helgi is the son of "ig)und and

Borghild. He fought and sle4 Hunding, and after4ards )et in battleHundings sons at $ogafell, 4here the


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friendshi*. But there is no *arallel to the essential features of the

old 4i!es tales> of Helgis re:birth ha!e nothing

to do 4ith his legend, but are )erely a boo)ans atte)*t to connect

stories 4hich he felt to be the sa)e though different.

The essential feature of the story told in these *oe)s is the )oti!e

fa)iliar in that class of ballads of 4hich the 1ouglas Tragedy1 is a

ty*e2 the hero lo!es the daughter of his ene)ys house, her ins)en

ill hi), and she dies of grief. This is the story told in both the

lays of 1Helgi Hundingsbane1, co)*lete in one, unfinished in the

other. No single *oe) *reser!es all the incidents of the legend8 so)e

sur!i!e in one !ersion, so)e in another, as usual in ballad literature.

$ie "inf;oetli and "igurd, Helgi is brought u* in obscurity. He s*ends

his childhood disguised in his ene)ys household, and on lea!ing it,sends a )essage to tell his foes 4ho) they ha!e fostered. They *ursue


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hi), and he is obliged, lie 6ude Wallace in the "cottish ballad,

to disguise hi)self in a bond)aids dress2

>Piercing are the eyes of Hagals bond)aid8 it is no *easants in 4ho

stands at the )ill2 the stones are s*lit, the bin s*rings in t4o. It

is a hard fate for a 4arrior to grind the barley8 the s4ord:hilt isbetter fitted for those hands than the )ill:handle.>

"igrun is *resent at the battle, in 4hich, as in the English and

"cottish ballads, Helgi slays all her indred e#ce*t one brother. He

tells her the fortunes of the fight, and she chooses bet4een lo!er

and ins)en2

1Helgi1. >6ood luc is not granted thee, )aid, in all things,

though the Norns are *artly to bla)e. Bragi and Hoegni fell to:day

at Freastein, and I 4as their slayer8... )ost of thy indred lie

lo4. Thou couldst not hinder the battle2 it 4as thy fate to be a causeof strife to heroes. Wee* not, "igrun, thou hast been Hild to us8

heroes )ust )eet their fate.>

1"igrun1. >I could 4ish those ali!e 4ho are fallen, and yet rest in

thy ar)s.>

The sur!i!ing brother, ag, s4ears oaths of reconciliation to Helgi,

but re)e)bers the feud. The end co)es, as in the Norse "ig)und tale,

through 7dins interference2 he lends his s*ear to ag, 4ho stabs Helgi

in a gro!e, and rides ho)e to tell his sister. "igrun is inconsolable,

and curses the )urderer 4ith a rare *o4er and directness2

>May the oaths *ierce thee that thou hast s4orn to Helgi.... May the

shi* sail not that sails under thee, though a fair 4ind lie behind. May

the horse run not that runs under thee, though thou art fleeing fro)

thy foes. May the s4ord bite not that thou dra4est, unless it sing

round thine o4n head. If thou 4ert an outla4 in the 4oods, Helgis

death 4ere a!enged.... Ne!er again 4hile I li!e, by night or day,

shall I sit ha**y at "e!afell, if I see not the light *lay on )y heros

co)*any, nor the gold:bitted War:bree?e run thither 4ith the 4arrior.>

But Helgi returns fro) the gra!e, unable to rest because of "igruns

4ee*ing, and she goes do4n into the ho4e 4ith hi)2

1"igrun1. >Thy hair is co!ered 4ith frost, Helgi8 thou art drenched

4ith deadly de4, thy hands are cold and 4et. Ho4 shall I get thee hel*,

)y hero>

1Helgi1. >Thou alone hast caused it, "igrun fro) "e!afell, that Helgi

is drenched 4ith deadly de4. Thou 4ee*est bitter tears before thou

goest to slee*, gold:deced, sunbright, "outhern )aid8 each one falls

on )y breast, bloody, cold and 4et, cruel, hea!y 4ith grief....>


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1"igrun1. >I ha!e )ade thee here a *ainless bed, Helgi, son of the

Wolfings. I 4ill slee* in thy ar)s, )y 4arrior, as if thou 4ert ali!e.>

1Helgi1. >There shall be no stranger thing at "e!afell, early or late,

than that thou, ing:born, Hoegnis fair daughter, shouldst be ali!e

in the gra!e and slee* in a dead )ans ar)s.>

The lay of Helgi H;oer!ardsson is furthest fro) the original, for there

is no feud 4ith "!a!as indred, nor does Helgi die at their hands8

but it *reser!es a feature o)itted else4here, in his lea!ing his bride

to his brothers *rotection. $ie the 4ife in the English ballad of

1Earl Brand1, and the heroine of the anish 1+ibold and 6uldborg1,

"!a!a refuses, but Hedins last 4ords see) to i)*ly that he is to

return and )arry her after a!enging Helgi. This 4ould be contrary to

all *arallels, according to 4hich "!a!a should die 4ith Helgi.

The alternati!e ending of the 1Helgi and =ara1 !ersion is interestingas *ro!iding the *ossible source of another "cottish ballad dealing

4ith the sa)e ty*e of story. In 1The 9ruel =night1, as here, the

hero slays his bride, 4ho is of a hostile fa)ily, by )istae. 7ne

*assage of 1Helgi Hundingsbane II.1 describes Helgis entrance into

Why the sea is salt>8 but this is not the oldest *art of the story,

though it too )ost hold of the *o*ular i)agination 4hich lo!es

legendary e#*lanations of natural *heno)ena. The hero, Frodi, a

)ythical anish ing, is the northern 9roesus. His reign 4as )ared

by a 4orld:*eace, and the *eace, the 4ealth, the liberality of Frodi

beca)e *ro!erbial. The )oti!e of his tale is again the curse that

follo4s gold. It is told by "norri, in 4hose 4or 16rottasoengr1

is e)bodied.

Frodi *ossessed t4o )agic /uern:stones, fro) 4hich the grinder couldgrind out 4hate!er he 4ished8 but he had no one strong enough to turn

the) until he bought in "4eden t4o bond)aids of giant:race, Men;a and

Fen;a. He set the) to grind at the /uern by day, and by night 4hen

all sle*t, and as they ground hi) gold, and *eace, and *ros*erity,

they sang2

>We grind 4ealth for Frodi, all bliss 4e grind, and abundance of

riches in the fortunate bin. May he sit on 4ealth, )ay he slee* on

do4n, )ay he 4ae to delight8 then the grinding 4ere good. Here shall

no )an hurt another, *re*are e!il nor 4or death, nor he4 4ith the

een s4ord though he find his brothers slayer bound.>


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and then returned to their shi*s8 but Hild 4ent on shore and 4oe u*

all the slain by sorcery, so that the battle began again ne#t day

;ust as before. E!ery day they fight, and e!ery night the dead are

recalled to life, and so it 4ill go on till +agnaroe.

In the 6er)an *oe), 16udrun1, the 9ontinental !ersion of this legendoccurs in the story of the second Hilde. "he is carried a4ay by the

)instrel Horant 04ho thus *lays a )ore acti!e *art than the Norse

H;arrandi3, as en!oy fro) =ing Hettel, Hedins 6er)an counter*art. Her

father Hagen *ursues, and after a battle 4ith Hettel agrees to a

reconciliation. The story is du*licated in the abduction of Hildes

daughter 6udrun, and the battle on the Wuel*ensand.

Another reference )ay *robably be su**lied by the )uch debated lines

%:%G fro) the Anglo:"a#on 1eor1, of 4hich the )ost satisfactory

translation see)s to be2 >Many of us ha!e heard of the har) of Hild8

the 5utes lo!es 4ere unbounded, so that the care of lo!e toofro) hi) slee* altogether.> "a#o, it is true, )aes Hilds father

a 5ute, instead of her lo!er, and "norri a**arently agrees 4ith hi)

in )aing Hedin Nor4egian8 but in the 16udrun1 Hettel is Frisian or

5utish. The Anglo:"a#on 1Widsith1 )entions in one line Hagena, ing of

the Hol)rygas 0a Nor4egian *ro!ince3, and Heoden, ing of the 6lo))as

0not identified3, 4ho )ay be the Hoegni and Hedin of this tale.

The Anglo:"a#on and 6er)an agree on another *oint 4here both differ

fro) the Norse. The Anglo:"a#on *oe) 1eor1 is su**osed to be s*oen

by a 1sco*1 or court *oet 4ho has been ousted fro) the fa!our of

his lord, a Heodening, by Heorrenda, another singer2 >7nce I 4as the

Heodenings sco*, dear to )y lord2 eor 4as )y na)e. Many a year I had

a good ser!ice and a gracious lord, until the song:silled Hoerrenda

recei!ed the rights 4hich the *rotector of )en once granted )e.> $ie

Heorrenda, Horant in the 16udrun1 is a singer in the ser!ice of the

Heathnings. The Norse !ersion ee*s the na)e, and its connection 4ith

the Heathnings, but gi!es H;arrandi, as the heros father, no acti!e

*art to *lay. In both *oints, arguing fro) the *robable Frisian origin

of the story, the Anglo:"a#on and 6er)an are )ore liely to ha!e the

correct for).

The legend is, lie those of Walter and Hildigund, Helgi and "igrun,

founded on the *ri)ary instincts of lo!e and 4ar. In the Norse

story of the Heathnings, ho4e!er, the for)er ele)ent is al)ost

eli)inated. It is fro) no lo!e to Hedin that Hild acco)*anies hi),

though "a#o 4ould ha!e it so. Nothing is clearer than that strife is

her only ob;ect. It is her )ediation 4hich brings about the battle,

4hen a**arently both heroes 4ould be /uite 4illing to )ae *eace8 and

her arts 4hich cause the daily rene4al of fighting. This island battle

a)ong dead and li!ing is *eculiar to the Norse !ersion, and coloured

by, if not originating in, the


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contrasting 4ith the gentler *art *layed by the 9ontinental 6er)an

heroines 04ho are rather the causes than the inciters of strife3,

can be *aralleled fro) )any of the sagas *ro*er.

Hoegnis s4ord ainsleif, forged by the d4arfs, as 4ere all )agic

4ea*ons, is lie the s4ord of Angantyr, in that it clai)s a !icti)4hene!er it is dra4n fro) the sheath2 an idea 4hich )ay easily ha!e

arisen fro) the *ro4ess of any fa)ous s4ords)an.

1The "4ord of Angantyr1.::$ie the t4o last legends, Angantyrs

story is not re*resented in the Elder Edda8 it is not e!en told by

"norri. Det *oe)s belonging to the cycle sur!i!e 0*reser!ed by good

fortune in the late )ythical 1Her!arar "aga13 4hich a)ong the heroic

*oe)s ran ne#t in artistic beauty to the Helgi $ays. "ince the story

*ossesses besides a striing originality, and is connected 4ith the

na)e of a Pan:6er)anic hero, the 7ngendtheo4 of 7ld English *oetry,

I cannot follo4 the e#a)*le of )ost editors and o)it it fro) theheroic *oe)s.

$ie the


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4ith the curse that goes 4ith it. Here the second *oe) begins. 7n

reaching the island 4here her father fell, she ass a she*herd to

guide her to the gra!es of Arngri)s sons2

>I 4ill as no hos*itality, for I no4 not the islanders8 tell )e

/uicly, 4here are the gra!es called H;oer!ards ho4es>

He is un4illing2 >The )an is foolish 4ho co)es here alone in the dar

shade of night2 fire is flicering, ho4es are o*ening, field and fen

are afla)e,> and flees into the 4oods, but Her!oer is dauntless and

goes on alone. "he reaches the ho4es, and calls on the sons of Arngri)2

>A4ae, AngantyrC Her!oer calls thee, only daughter to thee and

Tofa. 6i!e )e fro) the ho4e the een s4ord 4hich the d4arfs forged

for "!afrla)i, Her!ard, H;oer!ard, Hrani, AngantyrC I call you all

fro) belo4 the tree:roots, 4ith hel) and corselet, 4ith shar* s4ord,

shield and harness, and reddened s*ear.>

Angantyr denies that the s4ord is in his ho4e2 >Neither father, son,

nor other ins)en buried )e8 )y slayers had Tyrfing8> but Her!oer does

not belie!e hi). >Tell )e but truth.... Thou art slo4 to gi!e thine

only child her heritage.> He tries to frighten her bac to the shi*s

by describing the sights she 4ill see, but she only cries again,

>6i!e )e H;al)ars slayer fro) the ho4e, AngantyrC>

A. >H;al)ars slayer lies under )y shoulders8 it is all 4ra**ed in

fire8 I no4 no )aid on earth 4ho dare tae that s4ord in her hands.>

H. >I 4ill tae the shar* s4ord in )y hands, if I can get it2 I fear

no burning fire, the fla)e sins as I loo on it.>

A. >Foolish art thou, Her!oer the fearless, to rush into the fire

o*en:eyed. I 4ill rather gi!e thee the s4ord fro) the ho4e, young )aid8

I cannot refuse thee.>

H. >Thou dost 4ell, son of !iings, to gi!e )e the s4ord fro) the

ho4e. I thin its *ossession better than to 4in all Nor4ay.>

Her father 4arns her of the curse, and the doo) that the s4ord

4ill bring, and she lea!es the ho4es follo4ed by his !ain 4ish2

>Would that I could gi!e thee the li!es of us t4el!e, the strength

and energy that 4e sons of Arngri) left behind usC>

It is unnecessary here to continue the story as the saga does, 4oring

out the doo) o!er later generations8 o!er Her!oers son Heidre, 4ho

forfeited his head to 7din in a riddle:contest, and o!er his children,

another Angantyr, Hlod, and a second Her!oer. The !erse sources for

this latter *art are !ery corru*t.

A full discussion of the relation bet4een the Eddic and the 9ontinental


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!ersions of the heroic tales su))arised in the foregoing *ages 4ould,

of course, be far beyond the sco*e of this study8 the ut)ost that

can be done in that direction is to suggest a fe4 *oints. Three of

the stories are not concerned in this section2 Helgi and Frodi are

*urely "candina!ian cycles8 4hile though Angantyr is a 4ell:no4n

heroic na)e 0in 1Widsith1 7ngendtheo4 is ing of the "4edes3, thelegend attached to his na)e in the Norse sources does not sur!i!e

else4here. The Weland cycle is *erha*s co))on *ro*erty. None of the

!ersions localise it, for the na)es in 1


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)yth. In the latter case, the story is *ure )yth8 in the for)er it

is legend, or a )i#ture of history and legend, as in the Er)anric

and ietrich tales, 4hich ha!e less interest for the )ythologist.

The curse:bringing treasure, one of the )ost fruitful 6er)anic

)oti!es, *robably has its origin in the custo) of burying a dead )ans*ossessions 4ith hi). In the 1Waterdale "aga1, =etil +au), a !iing

of the eighth and early ninth centuries, re*roaches his son Thorstein

as a degenerate, in that he e#*ects to inherit his fathers 4ealth,

instead of 4inning fortune for hi)self2 >It used to be the custo)

4ith ings and earls, )en of our ind, that they 4on for the)sel!es

fortune and fa)e8 4ealth 4as not counted as a heritage, nor 4ould sons

inherit fro) their fathers, but rather lay their *ossessions in the

ho4e 4ith the).> It is easy to see that 4hen this custo) ca)e into

conflict 4ith the sons natural desire to inherit, the sacrosanctity

of the dead )ans treasure and of his burial:)ound 4ould be their only

*rotection against !iolation. The fear of the conse/uences of breaingthe custo) too for) in the )yth of the curse, as in the s4ord of

Angantyr and the Nibelungs hoard8 4hile the dangers attending the

!iolation of the ho4e 4ere *ersonified in the dragon:guardian. In

16old:Thoris "aga1, the dead bersers 4hose ho4e Thori enters, are

found guarding their treasure in the sha*e of dragons8 4hile Thori

hi)self is said to ha!e turned into a dragon after death.

Marriage 4ith alien 4i!es, 4hich in the case of the Master)aid story

has been *ostulated as )eans of trans)ission and as the one *ossible

e#*lanation of its nearly uni!ersal diffusion, )ay *erha*s 4ith )ore

si)*licity be assu)ed as the co))on basis in custo) for inde*endently

arising )yths of this ty*e. The atte)*ts of the brides indred to

*re!ent the )arriage, and of the bridegroo)s to undo it, 4ould be

natural incidents in such a story, and the )agic *o4ers e)*loyed by

and against the bride 4ould be the )ythical re*resentati!es of the

)utually unfa)iliar custo)s of alien tribes. This theory at least

offers a credible e#*lanation of the heros te)*orary obli!ion of

or unfaithfulness to his *rotectress, after their successful esca*e

together.

In the


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)ore than instinct8 in Her!oer it is not e!en that2 she 4ould desire

nothing fro) )arriage beyond a son to inherit the s4ord. At the other

e#tre)e is "igrun, 4ho has the 4arlie instinct, but is s*iritually a

lo!er as co)*letely and essentially as Isolde or 5uliet. The interest

in "igny lies in the 4ay in 4hich she sacrifices 4hat are usually

considered the strongest fe)inine instincts, 4ithout, ho4e!er, byany )eans abandoning the), to her unco)*ro)ising re!enge and *ride

of race. Her *ride in her son see)s to include so)ething of both

trains of feeling8 and she dies 4ith the husband she detests, si)*ly

because he is her husband. Brynhild, lastly, is a highly )odern ty*e,

as inde*endent in lo!e as in 4ar. It is i)*ossible to i)agine "igrun,

or Wagners "ieglinde, taing her re!enge on a faithless lo!er8

fro) no lac of s*irit, but si)*ly because re!enge 4ould ha!e gi!en

no co)fort to either. To Brynhild it is not only a distinct relief,

but the only endurable end8 she can forgi!e 4hen she is a!enged.

The other )oti!es of these stories )ay be briefly enu)erated. Theburning of Brynhild and "igny, and "igruns entrance into the ho4e,

are )ythical re)iniscences of 4ido4:burial. The >sisters son> is

*reser!ed in the "ig)und and "inf;oetli tale, 4hich also has a trace

of ani)is) in the 4er4olf e*isode. The co))on s4an)aid )oti!e occurs

in t4o, the


25/30

Na*iers discussion, 4ith *hotogra*hs, in the 1English Miscellany1

07#ford, 9larendon Press, %&'%3. The 1Thidres "aga1 0so)eti)es

called 1


26/30

Prosaische Edda1 0Paderborn, %J@J3. There is an English !ersion of

1"ignys $a)ent>

*ostulated by r. "chofield, 4ere co)*osed in the West.

It see)s unnecessary to su**ose, 4ith r. "chofield, an influence of

British legend on the


27/30

fallen in battle8 a stratage) /uite in har)ony 4ith 7dins traditional

character.

1"ig)und and "inf;oetli1. 0Page %.3

It see)s *robable, on the e!idence of 1Beo4ulf1, that "ig)und and"inf;oetli re*resent the Pan:6er)anic stage of the national:hero, and

"igurd or "iegfried the 9ontinental stage. Possibly Helgi )ay then be

the Norse race:hero. "igurd 4as certainly foreign to "candina!ia8 hence

the e*ithet Hunnish, constantly a**lied to hi), and the localising

of the legend by the +hine. The *ossibility suggests itself that the

Brynhild *art of the story, on the other hand, is of "candina!ian

origin, and thence *assed to 6er)any. It is at least curious that

the 1Nibelungen $ied1 *laces Prunhilt in Iceland.

1Wagner and the


28/30

r. "tor) has an interesting article on the Norse belief in +e:birth in

the 1Ari! for Nordis Filologi1, i#. He collects instances, and a)ong

other argu)ents *oints out the Norse custo) of na)ing a *osthu)ous

child after its dead father as a *robable relic of the belief. The

inheritance of luc )ay *erha*s be another sur!i!al8 a notable instanceoccurs in 1


29/30

The "ald Bragi 0before J' A..3 has a *oe) on this sub;ect,

gi!en 4ith a translation in the 19or*us1, !ol. ii. "a#os !ersion

is in the fifth boo of his History. According to Bragi, Hild has a

neclace, 4hich has caused co)*arison of this story 4ith that of the

6ree Eri*hyle. Irish legendary history describes a si)ilar battlein 4hich the slain re!i!e each night and rene4 the fight daily, as

occurring in the 4anderings of the Tuatha e anann before they reached

Ireland. According to =eating, they learnt the art of necro)ancy in

the East, and taught it to the anes.

The latest edition of the 16udrun1 is by Ernst Martin 0second edition,

Halle, %&'(3. There is a )odern 6er)an translation by "i)roc.

1Angantyr1. 0Page (.3

The *oe)s of this cycle are four in nu)ber::0%3 1H;al)arseath:song12 0(3 1Angantyr and Her!oer18 0-3 1Heidres +iddle:Poe)12

03 1Angantyr the Dounger and Hlod1. All are gi!en in the first !olu)e

of the 19or*us1, 4ith translations.

1Herrarar "aga1 4as *ublished by +afn 09o*enhagen, %J(&:-'3 in

1Fornaldar "oegur1, !ol. i., no4 out of *rint. It has been )ore recently

edited by r. Bugge, together 4ith 1


30/30

19usto) and Myth1 0$ondon, %J&-3.

1The "isters "on1. 0Page %.3

"ee Mr. 6u))eres article in the 1English Miscellany18 and Professor

+hys Presidential Address to the Anthro*ological "ection of theBritish Association, %&''. The double relationshi* bet4een "ig)und

and "inf;oetli 0not unco))on in heroic tales8 co)*are 9onchobhar and

9uchulainn, Arthur and Mordred3 see)s in this case due to the sa)e

cause as the custo) 4hich *re!ailed in the dynasty of the Ptole)ies,

4here the ing often )arried his sister, that his heir )ight be of

the *ure royal blood.

1"4an)aids1. 0Page %.3

"ee Hartland, 1"cience of Fairy:Tales.1

1The Wa!erlo4e1. 0Page %.3

r. Fra?er 016olden Bough13 gi!es instances of ritual )arriages

connected 4ith the )idsu))er fires. For 1"!i*dag and Menglad1, see

"tudy No. %( of this series. If +ydberg, as see)s !ery *robable, is

right in identifying Menglad and "!i*dag 4ith Frey;a and the )ortal

lo!er 4ho 4ins her and 4ho) she after4ards loses, the story 4ould

be a *arallel to those of

the edda (second part)

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