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Wölsung (also Wälsung or Völsung , Old Norse Vǫlsungr ) is a mythological figure from the Nordic legends . The most important source about his origin and deeds is the Vǫlsunga saga , which was compiled from mainly Eddic traditions in the second half of the 13th century , the complete tradition of which is in the parchment manuscript Ny kgl. Saml. 1824 b 4to is included.
Origin and literary biography
Volsung was the son of Rerir , grandson of Sigi ( Odin's son) and the founder of the family of Wölsungen . He was married to Hljǫd (r), daughter of the giant Hrimnir. Their children Sigmund and his sister Signy were twins and the eldest. After that, the couple had nine sons.
Life
He built a hall for himself , in the middle of which a mighty oak grew, which is said to have originated from the seed of an apple - apparently a homage to that apple from the courtship ritual that Hljǫd once had on behalf of her father Hrimnir to Rerir, the father of Wolsung, had been delivered.
Wolsung was a king of Hunaland .
Marriage of his daughter Signy
Siggeir , the king of Gautland (possibly Gotland ), asked for Signy's hand, which, however, showed little inclination towards this connection. The marriage was nevertheless decided. During the wedding, a stranger suddenly appeared, a tall old man with only one eye. He was Odin himself, went to the apple tree, took a sword and cut the blade into the trunk. Then he announced that this sword was for the man who could pull it out of the trunk, and disappeared. Each guest tried to pull the blade out of the tree, but only Sigmund managed it with ease. The blade was called Gram . Siggeir, his brother-in-law, offered its weight in gold three times for the sword, but Sigmund refused. This very annoyed Siggeir, who drove home the next day and was looking for revenge.
death
Three months later, Wölsung and his sons were invited to be entertained by Siggeir. Signy was waiting for her and warned that Siggeir was going to ambush her. The bulges rejected the warning. They were attacked by the Gautlanders, Wölsung fell in battle, his 10 sons were captured and put in the forest to die. All but Sigmund were bitten to death by a she-wolf.
By a trick and with the help of a spell, Signy as Völva got her brother Sigmund to father a child with her, the boy Sinfiötli . When Sinfiötli had grown into a man, these two took revenge on the King of Gautland and later returned to Hunaland.
expenditure
- Paul Herrmann, Ulf Diedrichs (Ed.): Nordic Nibelungs: the sagas of the Völsungen, by Ragnar Lodbrok and Hrolf Kraki. Cologne 1993.
- The saga of the Völsungen. In: Thule - Old Norse Seals and Prose , Volume 21: Isländische Heldenromane.