[EN#10]--The Hoard.
This story is found in both the Elder and the Younger Eddas, and isreally the basis upon which the entire plot of the legend of Sigurd, orSiegfried, is constructed. See also EN#18.
[EN#11]--The Dragon.
The oldest form of this story is the Song of Sigurd Fafnisbane, in theElder Edda. The English legend of St. George and the Dragon was probablyderived from the same original sources. A similar myth may be foundamong all Aryan peoples. Sometimes it is a treasure, sometimes abeautiful maiden, that the monster guards, or attempts to destroy. Itsfirst meaning was probably this: The maiden, or the treasure, is theearth in its beauty and fertility. "The monster is the storm-cloud.The hero who fights it is the sun, with his glorious sword, thelightning-flash. By his victory the earth is relieved from her peril.The fable has been varied to suit the atmospheric peculiarities ofdifferent climes in which the Aryans found themselves.... In Northernmythology the serpent is probably the winter cloud, which broods overand keeps from mortals the gold of the sun's light and heat, till in thespring the bright orb overcomes the powers of darkness and tempest, andscatters his gold over the face of the earth." This myth appears in agreat variety of forms among the Scandinavian and German nations. Inthe Eddas, Sigurd (Siegfried) is represented as roasting the heart ofFafnir, and touching it to his lips. We have ventured to present a lessrevolting version.--See Baring-Gould's Curious Myths of the Middle Ages.
"The slaying of the dragon Fafnir reminds us of Python, whom Apolloovercame; and, as Python guarded the Delphic Oracle, the dying Fafnirprophesies."--Jacob Grimm.
[EN#12.]
In order to harmonize subsequent passages in the story as related indifferent versions, we here represent Siegfried as turning his backupon the Glittering Heath, and leaving the Hoard to some other hero ordiscoverer. In the Younger Edda, Siegfried (Sigurd) rides onward untilhe comes to Fafnir's bed, from which "he took out all the gold, packedit in two bags, and laid it on Grane's (Greyfell's) back, then got onhimself and rode away."
[EN#13]--BRAGI. This episode of Bragi and his vessel is no part of theoriginal story of Siegfried, but is here introduced in order to acquaintyou with some of the older myths of our ancestors. Bragi was theimpersonation of music and eloquence, and here represents the music ofNature,--the glad songs and sounds of the spring-time. "Above any othergod," says Grimm, "one would like to see a more general veneration ofBragi revived, in whom was vested the gift of poetry and eloquence....He appears to have stood in pretty close relation to AEgir."
[EN#14]--AEgir.
"AEgir was the god presiding over the stormy sea. He entertains thegods every harvest, and brews ale for them. The name still survivesin provincial English for the sea-wave on rivers."--Anderson's NorseMythology. See Carlyle's Heroes and Hero-Worship.
[EN#15]--The Valkyries.
See Grimm's Teutonic Mythology, p. 417, and Anderson's Norse Mythology,p. 265.
[EN#16]--Brunhild.
In the Elder Edda, Brunhild's inaccessible hall stands on a mountain,where she was doomed to sleep under her shield until Sigurd shouldrelease her. In the Nibelungen Lied, she is represented as rulingin Isenland, an island far over the sea. The well-known story of theSleeping Beauty is derived from this myth.
[EN#17]--Nibelungen Land.
"Vain were it to inquire where that Nibelungen Land specially is.Its very name is Nebel-land, or Nifl-land, the land of Darkness, ofInvisibility.... Far beyond the firm horizon, that wonder-bearingregion swims on the infinite waters, unseen by bodily eye, or, atmost, discerned as a faint streak hanging in the blue depths, uncertainwhether island or cloud."--Carlyle, on The Nibelungen Lied.
[EN#18]--Schilbung and Nibelung.
"Old King Nibelung, the former lord of the land, had left, when he died,a mighty hoard concealed within a mountain-cavern. As Siegfried rodepast the mountain-side alone, he found Schilbung and Nibelung, theking's sons, seated at the mouth of the cavern surrounded by more goldand precious stones than a hundred wagons could bear away. EspyingSiegfried, they called upon him to settle their dispute, offering himas reward their father's mighty sword Balmung."--Auber Forestier'sTranslation of the Nibelungen Lied.
We have here made some slight variations from the original versions.(See also EN#12.)
An ancient legend relates how King Schilbung had obtained the Hoard inthe upper Rhine valley, and how he was afterwards slain by his brotherNiblung. This Niblung possessed a magic ring in the shape of a coiledserpent with ruby eyes. It had been presented to him by a prince namedGunthwurm, who had come to him in the guise of a serpent, desiring thehand of his daughter in marriage. This ring, according to the Eddas, wasthe one taken by Loki from the dwarf Andvari, and was given by Sigurd(Siegfried) to Brunhild in token of betrothal. It was the cause of allthe disasters that afterwards occurred.--See W. Jordan's Sigfridssaga.See also EN#10.
[EN#19]
"... Siegfried the hero good Failed the long task to finish: this stirred their angry mood. The treasure undivided he needs must let remain, When the two kings indignant set on him with their train; But Siegfried gripped sharp Balmung (so hight their father's sword), And took from them their country, and the beaming, precious hoard." The Nibelungenlied, Lettsom, 96, 97
[EN#20]--Siegfried's Welcome Home.
In the Nibelungen Lied this is our first introduction to the hero. The"High-tide" held in honor of Siegfried's coming to manhood, and which wesuppose to have occurred at this time, forms the subject of the SecondAdventure in that poem.
[EN#21]--Kriemhild's Dream.
This forms the subject of the first chapter of the Nibelungen Lied. "Theeagles of Kriemhild's dream," says Auber Forestier, "are winter-giants,whose wont it was to transform themselves into eagles; while the puregods were in the habit of assuming the falcon's form."
[EN#22]--Idun.
The story of Idun and her Apples is related in the Younger Edda. It isthere represented as having been told by Bragi himself to his friendAEgir. This myth means, that the ever-renovating spring (Idun) beingtaken captive by the desolating winter (Thjasse), all Nature (allthe Asa-folk) languishes until she regains her freedom through theintervention of the summer's heat (Loki). --See Anderson's NorseMythology.
[EN#23]--Balder.
The story of Balder is, in reality, the most ancient form of theSiegfried myth. Both Balder and Siegfried are impersonations of thebeneficent light of the summer's sun, and both are represented as beingtreacherously slain by the powers of winter. The errand of Hermod tothe Halls of Death (Hela) reminds us of the errand of Hermes to Hadesto bring back Persephone to her mother Demetre. We perceive also aresemblance in this story to the myth of Orpheus, in which that hero isdescribed as descending into the lower regions to bring away his wifeEurydice.
[EN#24]
The making of rich clothing for the heroes is frequently referred to inthe Nibelungen Lied. Carlyle says, "This is a never-failing preparativefor all expeditions, and is always specified and insisted on with asimple, loving, almost female impressiveness."
[EN#25]--The Winning of Brunhild.
The story of the outwitting of Brunhild, as related in the pages whichfollow, is essentially the same as that given in the Nibelungen Lied. Itis quite different from the older versions.
[EN#26]--Sif.
Sif corresponds to the Ceres of the Southern mythology. (See Grimm, p.309.) The story of Loki and the Dwarfs is derived from the Younger Edda.It has been beautifully rendered by the German poet Oelenschlager, atranslation of whose poem on this subject may be found in Longfellow'sPoets and Poetry of Europe.
[EN#27]--Eigill.
Eigill is the original William Tell. The story is related in the Sagaof Thidrik. For a full history of the Tell myth, see Grimm's TeutonicMythology, p. 380, and Baring-Gould's Curious Myths of the Middle Ages,p. 110.
[EN#28]--Welland the Smith.
The name of this smith is variously given as Weland, Wieland, Welland,Volundr, Velint etc. The st
ory is found in the Vilkina Saga, and was oneof the most popular of middle age myths. (See Grimm's Mythology.) SirWalter Scott, in his novel of Kenilworth, has made use of this legend inintroducing the episode of Wayland Smith.
[EN#29]--Vidar[FN#1] the Silent.
"Vidar is the name of the silent Asa. He has a very thick shoe, and heis the strongest next to Thor. From him the gods have much help in allhard tasks."--The Younger Edda (Anderson's translation).
[FN#1] The word Vidar means forest.
[EN#30]--Loki.
"Loki, in nature, is the corrupting element in air, fire, and water. Inthe bowels of the earth he is the volcanic flame, in the sea he appearsas a fierce serpent, and in the lower world we recognize him as paledeath. Like Odin, he pervades all nature. He symbolizes sin, shrewdness,deceitfulness, treachery, malice etc."--Anderson's Mythology, p. 372.
He corresponds to the Ahriman of the Persians, to the Satan of theChristians, and remotely to the Prometheus of the Greeks.
[EN#31]--The Quarrel of the Queens.
In the ancient versions, the culmination of this quarrel occurred whilethe queens were bathing in the river: in the Nibelungen Lied it happenedon the steps leading up to the door of the church.
[EN#32]--Hagen.
Hagen corresponds to the Hoder of the more ancient myth of Balder. Inthe Sigurd Sagas he is called Hogni, and is a brother instead of anuncle, of Gunther (Gunnar).
[EN#33]--The Death of Siegfried.
This story is related here essentially as found in the NibelungenLied. It is quite differently told in the older versions. Siegfried'sinvulnerability save in one spot reminds us of Achilles, who also wasmade invulnerable by a bath, and who could be wounded only in the heel.
[EN#34]--The Burial of Siegfried.
The story of the burning of Siegfried's body upon a funeral-pile, asrelated of Sigurd in the older myths, reminds us of the burning ofBalder upon the ship "Ringhorn." (See p. 162.) The Nibelungen Liedrepresents him as being buried in accordance with the rites of theRoman-Catholic Church. This version of the story must, of course, havebeen made after the conversion of the Germans to Christianity. "Whenthe Emperor Frederick III. (1440-93) visited Worms after his Netherlandscampaign," says Forestier, "he undertook to have the mighty hero's bonesdisinterred, probably in view of proving the truth of the marvellousstory then sung throughout Germany; but, although he had the ground duginto until water streamed forth, no traces of these became manifest."
[EN#35]--Morris: Sigurd the Volsung, Bk. III.
[EN#36]--The Hoard.
The story of bringing the Hoard from Nibelungen Land belongs to thelater versions of the myth, and fitly closes the First Part of theNibelungen Lied. Lochheim, the place where the Hoard was sunk, was notfar from Bingen on the Rhine.
[EN#37]--a Short Vocabulary of the Principal Proper Names Mentioned inthis Story.
AEGIR. The god of the sea. ALBERICH and ANDVARI. Dwarfs who guard the great Hoard. ASA. A name applied to the gods of the Norse mythology. ASGARD. The home of the gods. BALDER. The god of the summer sunlight. BRAGI. The god of eloquence and of poetry. DRAUPNER. Odin's ring, which gives fertility to the earth. FAFNIR. The dragon whom Siegfried slays. FENRIS-WOLF. The monster who in the last twilight slays Odin. FREYJA. The goddess of love. REY. The god of peace and plenty. GRIPIR. The giant who gives wise counsel to Siegfried (Sigurd). GUNTHER. In the older myths called Gunnar. HEIMDAL. The heavenly watchman. HELA. The goddess of death. HERMOD. The quick messenger who is sent to Hela for Balder. HODER. The winter-god. He slays Balder. HOENIR. One of the three most ancient gods. HUGIN. Odin's raven, Thought. IDUN. The goddess of spring. IVALD. A skilful dwarf. JOTUNHEIM. The home of the giants. KRIEMHILD. In the older myths called Gudrun. LOKI. The mischief-maker. The god of evil. MIMER. In the later German mythology a skilful smith. In the older mythology a wise giant. NORNS. The three Fates,--Urd, Verdande, and Skuld. ODIN. The chief of the gods. REGIN. The teacher of Sigurd, by whom he is slain. SIEGFRIED. In the older myths called Sigurd. SIF. Thor's wife. SLEIPNER. Odin's eight-footed horse. TYR. The god of war. THOR. The god of thunder. The foe of the giants. VALHAL. The hall of the slain. VALKYRIES. The choosers of the slain. Odin's handmaidens. VIDAR. The silent god. YMIR. The huge giant out of whose body the world was made.
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