The Poetic Edda on Volund
The > Poetic Edda > Proper Names
- attestation: The Norse letter ø is rendered as 'ö' in names such as Völund
"For the Norse ø I have used its equivalent, "ö," e.g., Völund"
The > Volume Ii > Introductory Note
attestation: Völund is characterized by wisdom in the verse.
"6. Völund home | from his hunting came, From a weary way, | the weather-wise bowman, Slagfith and Egil | the hall found empty, Out and in went they, | everywhere seeking."
attestation: The stanza references rulership or authority involving Völund.
"6. Völund home | from his hunting came, From a weary way, | the weather-wise bowman, Slagfith and Egil | the hall found empty, Out and in went they, | everywhere seeking."
attestation: The stanza describes death or destruction involving Völund.
"14. So long he sat | that he fell asleep, His waking empty | of gladness was; Heavy chains | he saw on his hands, And fetters bound | his feet together.
Völund spake:"
- attestation: The stanza describes binding or imprisonment involving Völund.
"14. So long he sat | that he fell asleep, His waking empty | of gladness was; Heavy chains | he saw on his hands, And fetters bound | his feet together.
Völund spake:"
- attribution: Völund delivers a speech in the verse.
"14. So long he sat | that he fell asleep, His waking empty | of gladness was; Heavy chains | he saw on his hands, And fetters bound | his feet together.
Völund spake:"
relationship: Völund is the spouse of Nithuth.
"17. Without stood the wife | of Nithuth wise, And in she came | from the end of the hall; On the floor she stood, | and softly spoke: "Not kind does he look | who comes from the wood." "
attestation: The stanza describes warfare or combat involving Völund, Nithuth.
"17. Without stood the wife | of Nithuth wise, And in she came | from the end of the hall; On the floor she stood, | and softly spoke: "Not kind does he look | who comes from the wood." "
attestation: Völund is characterized by age in the verse.
"17. Without stood the wife | of Nithuth wise, And in she came | from the end of the hall; On the floor she stood, | and softly spoke: "Not kind does he look | who comes from the wood." "
attestation: The stanza references wealth or gifts involving Völund.
"17. Without stood the wife | of Nithuth wise, And in she came | from the end of the hall; On the floor she stood, | and softly spoke: "Not kind does he look | who comes from the wood." "
attestation: The stanza describes warfare or combat involving Völund, Bothvild.
"18. "The glow of his eyes | is like gleaming snakes, His teeth he gnashes | if now is shown The sword, or Bothvild's | ring he sees; Let them straightway cut | his sinews of strength,"
attestation: The stanza describes travel or movement involving Völund.
"21. They came to the chest, | and they craved the keys, The evil was open | when in they looked; To the boys it seemed | that gems they saw, Gold in plenty | and precious stones.
Völund spake:"
- attribution: Völund delivers a speech in the verse.
"21. They came to the chest, | and they craved the keys, The evil was open | when in they looked; To the boys it seemed | that gems they saw, Gold in plenty | and precious stones.
Völund spake:"
- attestation: Völund is characterized by age in the verse.
"21. They came to the chest, | and they craved the keys, The evil was open | when in they looked; To the boys it seemed | that gems they saw, Gold in plenty | and precious stones.
Völund spake:"
- attestation: The stanza references wealth or gifts involving Völund.
"21. They came to the chest, | and they craved the keys, The evil was open | when in they looked; To the boys it seemed | that gems they saw, Gold in plenty | and precious stones.
Völund spake:"
- attribution: Völund delivers a threat in the verse.
"29. Beer he brought, | he was better in cunning, Until in her seat | full soon she slept.
Völund spake:
"Now vengeance I have | for all my hurts,
Save one alone, | on the evil woman.""
- attestation: Völund is characterized by cunning in the verse.
"29. Beer he brought, | he was better in cunning, Until in her seat | full soon she slept.
Völund spake:
"Now vengeance I have | for all my hurts,
Save one alone, | on the evil woman.""
attestation: The stanza describes emotional response involving Völund.
"31. Laughing Völund | rose aloft, Weeping Bothvild | went from the isle, For her lover's flight | and her father's wrath."
attribution: Völund delivers a speech in the verse.
"34. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . "Answer me, Völund, | greatest of elves, What happed with my boys | that hale once were?"
Völund spake:"
- attestation: Völund is characterized by greatness in the verse.
"34. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . "Answer me, Völund, | greatest of elves, What happed with my boys | that hale once were?"
Völund spake:"
relationship: The stanza references a wife of Völund.
"35. "First shalt thou all | the oaths now swear, By the rail of ship, | and the rim of shield, By the shoulder of steed, | and the edge of sword, That to Völund's wife | thou wilt work no ill,"
attestation: The stanza describes death or destruction involving Völund.
"35. "First shalt thou all | the oaths now swear, By the rail of ship, | and the rim of shield, By the shoulder of steed, | and the edge of sword, That to Völund's wife | thou wilt work no ill,"
attestation: The stanza describes warfare or combat involving Völund.
"35. "First shalt thou all | the oaths now swear, By the rail of ship, | and the rim of shield, By the shoulder of steed, | and the edge of sword, That to Völund's wife | thou wilt work no ill,"
attestation: The stanza references wealth or gifts involving Völund.
"35. "First shalt thou all | the oaths now swear, By the rail of ship, | and the rim of shield, By the shoulder of steed, | and the edge of sword, That to Völund's wife | thou wilt work no ill,"
attestation: The stanza describes an act of creation involving Völund.
"39. "Never spakest thou word | that worse could hurt me, Nor that made me, Völund, | more bitter for vengeance; There is no man so high | from thy horse to take thee, Or so doughty an archer | as down to shoot thee,"
attestation: Völund is characterized by age in the verse.
"42. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . "Is it true, Bothvild, | that which was told me; Once in the isle | with Völund wert thou?"
Bothvild spake:"
- attestation: The stanza describes emotional response involving Völund.
"40. Laughing Völund | rose aloft, But left in sadness | Nithuth sat. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . ."
The > Volume Ii > Notes
attestation: Volund is called an elf in the poem, but the later prose introduction calls him a king of the Finns (Lapland dwellers)
"King of the Finns: this notion, clearly later than the poem, which calls Völund an elf, may perhaps be ascribed to the annotator"
attestation: The poem identifies Volund as belonging to the race of the elves
"Elves: the poem here identifies Völund as belonging to the race of the elves"
attestation: In the Thithrekssaga Volund sends the boys away with instructions to approach walking backward through fresh snow, then kills them
"In the Thithrekssaga Völund sends the boys away with instructions not to come back until just after a fall of snow, and then to approach his dwelling walking backward. The boys do this, and when, after he has killed them, Völund is questioned regarding them, he points to the tracks in the snow as evidence that they had left his house"
attestation: The evil in the gold chest was destined to be the boys' undoing
"The evil was open: i.e., the gold in the chest was destined to be their undoing"
attestation: Volund made wings from feathers collected by his brother Egil, according to the Thithrekssaga
"The Thithrekssaga tells the story of how Völund's brother, Egil, shot birds and gave him the feathers, out of which he made a feather-garment"
attestation: Volund's lameness meant he could not leave the island without wings
"Something has probably been lost before this stanza, explaining how Völund made himself wings, as otherwise, owing to his lameness, he could not leave the island"
attestation: The son of Volund and Bothvild was Vithga (or Witege), one of the heroes of Dietrich of Bern
"According to the Thithrekssaga, the son of Völund and Bothvild was Vithga, or Witege, one of the heroes of Dietrich of Bern"
attestation: An ancient ivory casket with Anglo-Saxon runic inscription preserves scenes from Volund's career
"This episode likewise appears among the scenes from Völund's career rudely carved on an ancient casket of ivory, bearing an Anglo-Saxon inscription in runic letters, which has been preserved"
The > part in a few of the Eddic poems. > Notes
- comparison: The skull-cups motif may have been borrowed from the Volund tradition
"Skulls: it is possible that line 3 was borrowed from a poem belonging to the Völund tradition (cf. Völundarkvitha, 25 and 37)"
The > part in a few of the Eddic poems. > Pronouncing Index
- attestation: Volund is a famous smith in Norse legend
"Völ′-und, a smith"