Vilmundar saga viðutan

Vilmundar saga viðutan (German: Saga of Vilmund Weit-Außen ) is an Icelandic fairy tale saga , which was probably written in Iceland towards the end of the 14th century. Around 50 manuscripts of the saga have survived and it was processed in several Rímur cycles. Like the Ála flekks saga , the Vilmundar saga is most likely one of the original Riddarasögur due to the courtly-knightly milieu, but this story also often contains connections and parallels to the prehistoric sagas . What is special about the Vilmundar saga is that the protagonist is a farmer's son who ultimately becomes a knightly hero. Here again there is a proximity to the continental European Perceval or Parzival fabric.

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King Visivald and his wife rule Holmgardreich. He already has an excellent son, Hjarandi, from a previous marriage when the Queen gives birth to two girls. A fortune teller predicts that Gullbra will marry a king's son and Soley a farmer's son. The king has the capable Soley raised by the foster mother Silven, while the beautiful Gullbra grows up in the royal palace. Meanwhile, Hjarandi embarks on a successful campaign to Ireland and brings the ugly Kol Kryppa home as a slave. Since his sister Gullbra is now of marriageable age, Hjarandi vows not to give his sister to anyone who is not his equal in the knightly virtues. In contrast, King Visivald is immediately ready to give his daughter Soley to the son of an evil farmer. Soley asks Kol Kryppa to kill the farmer's son for her. She promises she will be Kol's wife for it and he will build a castle in the forest for both of them. Kol insidiously kills the farmer's son in his sleep. In the meantime Soley has swapped roles with the maid Öskubuska and Kol takes the latter into the forest with him. The king believes that Kol kidnapped his daughter and he pronounces the ban on him. Then Kol begins to terrorize the area.

Vilmund grew up with his parents in a remote valley until he was 20 years old. One day he is looking for his father's goats in the forest and finds a golden shoe next to a spring on a sandy plain. He continues to spot footprints and follows them to a rock with a window in it. He sees three women in it and hears the old woman asking her foster daughter about her missing shoe. The girl promises that she will marry the man who will bring the shoe back to her. Some time later, Vilmund moves out again to look for the goat Gaefa. He gets lost and comes to a colorful, smooth mountain - he doesn't know what a castle is - and there gains access to Gullbras fortress. The next day, Vilmund attended the king's feast, where he was mistaken for a fool. When the king learns that the stranger has slept with his daughter, he is supposed to fight the guard Ruddi in a wrestling match. Vilmund kills Ruddi and then has to compete against Hjarandi. When Hjarandi cannot defeat him in a swimming competition, the king lets a polar bear loose on Vilmund. With great effort he succeeds in killing the bear and Hjarandi swears brotherhood with Vilmund.

One day 35 ships land in the Holmgardreich. The king's son Buri has come to marry Gullbra. Hjarandi confronts the strangers with an army, but he is badly wounded in battle. Vilmund comes to his aid, kills Buris and drives his men to flight, all of whom are slain.

When Hjarandi has recovered, the king sends him with Vilmund into the forest to destroy Kol. After several fights, the oath brothers succeed in killing Kol, his wife, his servants and his 50 wild pigs. The king banishes Vilmund because he believes he killed Soley. Back with his parents again, Vilmund goes to the rock in the forest and hears that the foster daughter is actually Soley and that a new suitor is wooing Gullbra. Vilmund returns to his castle in the forest, while Hjarandi has to face the king's son Gudifrey. Gudifrey turns out to be a match and the wedding is prepared.

Vilmund visits the rock again and this time demands entry. He identifies himself as Vilmund Vidutan and reminds Soley of her promise. Vilmund then brings her back to her father's court, is reconciled with the king and has Soley as his wife.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Gert Kreutzer: Notes . In: Jürg Glauser and Gert Kreutzer (eds.): Icelandic fairy tale sagas Volume 1. The saga of Ali Flekk, The saga of Vilmund Vidutan, The saga of King Flores and his sons. The saga of Remund the emperor's son, The saga of Sigurd Thögli, The saga of Damusti. Translated from Old Icelandic by Jürg Glauser, Gert Kreutzer and Herbert Wäckerlin. Diedrichs, Munich 1998, p. 411-416 .
↑ The Saga of Vilmund Vidutan. Translation by Gert Kreutzer. In: Jürg Glauser and Gert Kreutzer (eds.): Icelandic fairy tale sagas Volume 1. The saga of Ali Flekk, The saga of Vilmund Vidutan, The saga of King Flores and his sons. The saga of Remund the emperor's son, The saga of Sigurd Thögli, The saga of Damusti. Translated from Old Icelandic by Jürg Glauser, Gert Kreutzer and Herbert Wäckerlin. Diedrichs, Munich 1998, p. 41-76 .

[:0-1] Gert Kreutzer: Notes . In: Jürg Glauser and Gert Kreutzer (eds.): Icelandic fairy tale sagas Volume 1. The saga of Ali Flekk, The saga of Vilmund Vidutan, The saga of King Flores and his sons. The saga of Remund the emperor's son, The saga of Sigurd Thögli, The saga of Damusti. Translated from Old Icelandic by Jürg Glauser, Gert Kreutzer and Herbert Wäckerlin. Diedrichs, Munich 1998, p. 411-416 .

[2] The Saga of Vilmund Vidutan. Translation by Gert Kreutzer. In: Jürg Glauser and Gert Kreutzer (eds.): Icelandic fairy tale sagas Volume 1. The saga of Ali Flekk, The saga of Vilmund Vidutan, The saga of King Flores and his sons. The saga of Remund the emperor's son, The saga of Sigurd Thögli, The saga of Damusti. Translated from Old Icelandic by Jürg Glauser, Gert Kreutzer and Herbert Wäckerlin. Diedrichs, Munich 1998, p. 41-76 .