#BRYNHILD AND SIGURD WERE AMAZING

[bluespiritfire]

Finished Lostbelt 2 and idk...there's something about the twisted dynamic between Ophelia and Surtr that I love in a tragic, painful sort of way.

[haljathefangirlcat]

Now that you mention it, the Volsung-Nibelung-Dietrich cycle would make a good sitcom if you just focused on the zanier parts. The Nibelung siblings Gullrond, Gunther, Gernot, Giselher, Kriemhild, and (maybe) Hagen, with all their pals. Nephews Dankwart and Patavrid; Gunther's incredibly athletic girlfriend Brynhild and her dog and horse; the Nibelungs' best pal and Brynhild's ex Sigurd, who would be the man you wished your man could be if not his moments of random philosophizing or idiotic life decisions despite knowing what was going to happen; Hagen's best pals, Volker the musician and Walther the nerd; local businessman Rudiger and his sweet, cutesy young daughter; socially maladjusted Dietrich and his gang of pals, who always pop up during hangouts despite nobody inviting them... With less murder and more mayhem, it sure would make a good show!

You know, one thing I will always be irrationally sad about when it comes to the Sigurd/Siegfried cycle and related legends is that... it just never gets any of the wacky, zany, "how tf did you even come up that" adaptations and reimaginings Arthuriana keeps getting.

I mean, sure, you do have adaptations with some humor in it, and different ways to mesh Norse and Continental and even Wagnerian elements, and very different perspectives on the same characters. But Arthuriana really has anything and everything from Disney movies to anime and manga to Monty Python movies and musicals to kids' cartoons to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and all its parodies to Young!Arthur/Young!Merlin Slashy Bromance shows to irriverent French sitcoms to loosely-inspired queer YA romance novels to a few recurring and even main characters in "all stories are true" fantasy series like Once Upon a Time or The Librarians. There's even those collector's edition Merlin & Morgana Barbies that were making the rounds on here a while ago!

Meanwhile, the wackiest, less "serious" stuff our Nibelungs get are:

The brief Siegfried & Fafnir cameo in the Mara and the Firebringer movie, where the main mythological figures are actually Loki and Sigyn (can't really say anything about the books, as I haven't read them)

A weird Hungarian (?? iirc??) comedy movie where Siegfried has a talking piglet as his animal companion for some reason and Kriemhild really doesn't like him but she apparently can't just tell him to get lost and stop courting her so she orders Hagen to drive him away from Worms and kill him, which I've only ever managed to "watch" in bits and pieces

The comedic operetta Die lustigen Nibelungen, which I've never managed to find anything about that wasn't in German, so I'm not even really sure what it's actually about

The 70s porn movie The Long Swift Sword of Siegfried, which... tbh, I'd rather stick to fanworks on the nsfw side of things, if the alternative is Siegfried with a pornstache

A Modern/High School AU fantasy romance self-pub I once found where, from what I remember of the summary and excerpt I read, Brunhild is a Mean Girl/Queen Bee who tries to steal Siegfried away from Kriemhild and Hagen is Kriemhild's shitty jealous ex-boyfriend (nothing against High School AUs, or romance novels, or alternative takes on the Kriemhild/Siegfried/Brunhild love triangle, or Hagen/Kriemhild as a ship... but tbh, I'd rather see all those elements handled in vastly different ways XDD)

A couple of old Italian Disney comicbook parodies featuring Donald Duck and his family (but those were mostly Wagner-based, iirc, and then again, an amazing thing about Italian Disney comics is that they will parody literally everything under the sun from the Divine Comedy to Twilight)

... Siegfried (or Sigurd?) showing up in one of the Fate anime series? Or novels? Or games? Not sure. I've only ever watched like two episodes of the Fate/Stay Night anime and then dropped it because I didn't like the normal guy protagonist always rushing to protect his (secretly Fem!King Arthur) supernatural sworn knight just because she was a girl

And... that's it, I think.

And on the one hand, I get it. With Arthuriana, you have adventurous romances and ridiculous (affectionate) quests and so many different bizarre canons and twists on them that even that cartoon where Morgan Le Fay sends an American football team back in time to Camelot (I think that was the plot, at least????) is just another "you know, this might as well happen" situation. I suppose that, at least by comparison, the Nibelungensage & All Adjacent Stuff may appear more grounded and less easy to play with and bring in whatever strange, unlikely new direction you want. Plus, tragic events like Sigurd/Siegfried's death, Brynhild/Brunhild being tricked into marrying a man she doesn't want, and Gudrun/Kriemhild's revenge, or even Dietrich's exile, are just central to it, so that's kind of a downer already, I guess.

... on the other hand, King Arthur's tale literally ends with him and his son killing each other at the end of a bloody civil war. And it's not like anyone's ever had any problem merrily ignoring THAT part to, idk, have everyone in the story be cats.

All this to say, I'd watch the hell out of a Modern AU Nibelung sitcom. Or even just a Nibelung sitcom set in the Middle Ages, or Late Antiquity, or a vague mishmash of the two. The dream for that would be a Galavant-style show with musical numbers and a lot of scenes poking fun at epic and heroic tropes, ngl.

Actually, let's be real: I wouldn't just watch it, I'd probably write fic and make gifs and fanvids for it!

[honestsycrets]

Eddic [Mythology of All Races Vol. 2] Chp IV: Odin

A few personal notes for me to keep in mind. This is all from the book, Eddic: Mythology of All Races by Matthew MacCollogh. Nothing is outside of this. Furthermore I’m sure there is content in here that can be debated.

Other names:

Wodan wōd: mad

OHG woutan

OS wodan

AS Woden

ON O penn ON: poetic frenzy

Furious Host (?)

Other Norse Names:

Vafud

Vegtam (Wanderer)

Gangler (Traveler)

Ómi (Noist one)

Vidforull (Fartraveler).

Viator Indefessus (Unwearied traveler) by Saxo.

Heimskringla (The far have travelled) by Snorri.

Galga Valdyr (Lord of the Gallows)

Hanga-tyr (God of the hanged).

Hnikar (Thruster).

Karl af berge (The man of the mountain).

Rostarus.

Drauga Drottim (Lord of Ghosts).

Valgautr (God of the Slain).

Val-Fadir because ‘all that fall in battle are sons of his adoption. Oski Synir (Snorri)

Valkjosandi (Chooser of the Slain) in (Kormaks-saga).

Hropt.

Fjolnir (The many shaped).

Bolverk.

Sigfadir (Father of Victory)

Sigtyr (God of Victory).

Hertyr (God of hosts).

Heryan (Leader of hosts).

Herfadir (Father of hosts).

Valfadir (Father of the slain).

Hnikarr (Spear-lord).

Biflindi (Spear Brandisher).

Gautatyr (God of the Gauts).

Saxagod (God of the Saxons).

Aldafadie (father of men).

Grimnir (the hooded one).

Hrafna-god (Raven god).

All Father and patron of aristocracy, warriors and skalds.

Hyndlujod, Freyja says he gives hold, Hermod helm and coat of mail, to Sigmund a sword, and triumph to some.

Oaths were sworn by Sigtyr’s Mountain, his city was Sigtun.

Odin drinks wine.

The first drink is to Odin ‘for victory and power.’

The other gods are Odin’s people as he rules all things.

Grants men their wishes.

War god

Weapons and armour to heroes.

Dog was given his spear.

Heroes valour, triumph and treasure.Women and giantesses made victims by his runes.

Caused the first war between the Aesir and Vanir.

‘He hurled his spear on the host, and war then came first into the world.’ (Voluspa).

Also pisses off princes, kings and causes strife.

Provoked battle of Harald and Ring.

Pisses off easily when victory is given to the wrong places such as Brynhild and Agnar (Svefnthorn).

Joins in battle and has favourites, so people favour him.

Great warrior.

Weapons reference Odin and his Valkyries.

More prominent than Thor.

Likewise his spear is of better 'culture’ than Thor’s hammer.

Ravens haunting the battlefield equate to him.

Spear Gungnir made by dwarfs and given to him by Loki.

All other weapons were useless against it.

God of poetry, master of magic, knowledge.

Odin gives poets their words by taking poetic mead from the giants.

Gave Starkad the art of poetry and composition of spell.

Appears in dreams before great battles to give some victory and invite others to him. (Snorri)

Spoke magic and charms to the Volva but did not know Balder’s fate-- had to seek knowledge from her.

Struck Rinda with a bark of runes and drew her into a frenzy.

Loki accuses him of dressing as a witch and working charms in Samsey.

Obtained a magic wand gambantein and learned a language from the dead in Hlebard in Harbardsljod.

Cures a lame horse with charm or rune.

Knows magic songs bringing sickness, sorrow, stop arrows, produce fetters and blunt weapons, neutralizer dangerous roots where runes are written and reflect the danger, remove hatred, calm wind, aid friends in a fight, make the hanged speak, quench fire, give knowledge of the gods and elves and win love.

Takes form of a ferryman, a servant or peasant, snake, eagle.

Woke the dead and sat under hanged men for knowledge. (Ynglinga-saga)

Could control fire, sea and wind by his words.

Knew of buried treasure, runes to open earth, mountains, rocks and mounds. Could also bind these.

May understand the language of birds.

Runes

May have created runes in Havamal.

Coloured them perhaps with blood.

Could have obtained the wounds by hanging on Yggdrasil and wounding himself by his spear as an offering to himself. The runes may have fallen down from the tree.

Consults Mimir.

Made runes of draught from head of Heithdraupnir and horn of Hoddrofnir.

Mimir may be a waterspirit with his well beneath a root of Yggdrasil.

Wisdom and understanding are stored under Yggrasil

Loss of his eye! Mimir withheld a drink from the well until he was given.

Odin’s eye is hidden in the well where Mimir drinks of the pledge each day.

Could perhaps be Odin’s uncle, son of Bolthorn who is the father of Bestla who is Odin’s mother.

More Wisdom

Drinks daily from the cool waves of Sokkvabekk with gold cups with the Goddess Saga (Frigg?)

Saga is a female water elf.

Love affair (?).

Sought to match his knowledge with the giant Vafthrudnir. Proved himself wiser.

“What did Odin speak into Balder’s ear before he was burned on the pyre?” A riddle used with both th giant and King Heidrik during Yule.

Initially a spirit of god of wind or dead as the past wandered in the wind. Brings wind with his wagon.

Gives fair winds to sailors as said by Freyja in Hyndluljod.

The storm stills when Odin boards Sigurd’s ship.

May have first been worshipped in Gotland.

Is a traveler.

Rides a white or black horse with a wide brimmed hat, staff and hounds.

Snorri: rides with helmet, birnie and speak Gungnir at Ragnarok.

Also known to ride Sleipnir. The eight legged grey mare of Loki’s lineage with Svadilfari.

Rides her to Urd’s well daily.

To consult Volva in Niflhel about Balder’s dreams.

To offer random for Hel after his death.

Names stemming from appearance:

Sidhottr (with broad hat).

Harbard (grey beard).

Skidskegg (long beard).

Misc about appearance

A man of amazing height (Saxo).

Draupnir, the ring made by Sindri the dwarf was given to Odin by his brother.

Burned with Balder’s pyre and Balder sent it back to him from Hel.

Animals of Odin.

Munnin (Memory) and Huginn (Thought) are sent at day break around the world and return at evening to bring news to him.

Whisper what they have heard.

All Ravens are birds of Odin.

Wolves are also his: Geri ‘The Ravener’ and Freki ‘The Glutton’

Shares food and wind with him.

Sleipnir is taken to Hel, Jotunheim, etc.

Challenged Hrungnir that his was better than Gullfaxi.

Hrungnir chased him into Asgard where Thor dealt with him.

Yggdrasil

‘Ygg’s Horse’ Ygg being “The terrible”.

Askr Yggdrasils (the ash of Yggdrasil or of Odin’s steed).

Odin hung for nine nights in Havamal.

Stabbed himself with his own spear as well.

King Vikar needed to sacrifice himself so that his fleet might pass through great storms.

Starkad (Odin’s foster son) created a death akin to Odins for Vikar.

Harbard

Appears as a ferryman of the dead.

Valhalla

“Souls of those slain by violence go in the Furious Host, and souls of heroes go to Odin in Valhall.” (MacCulloch, 44).

Chosen warriors are einherjar.

Mightiest of warriors are taken to Valhalla as he wants them by their side when Fenrir comes to the seat of the god.

Valhalla lies in Gladsheim, the world of joy.

Valhall is the ‘Hall of the Slain’.

Vingolf is the ‘friendly floor.’

Valkyries

 ‘Chooser of the Slain,’

However shares the slain with Freyja.

Determine a man’s feyness and awarded victory and took the slain.

Wish-Maidens becausee they carried out Odin’s will.

Corselets sprinkled with blood and sparks fly from their spears.

Sacrifice

Prisoners sacrificed more common in Denmark and Sweden. ‘Odin has you all!’

In response Odin gives some gifts at times.

Descent

The cow Audhumla gave birth to Buri.

His son was Borr who married Bestla.

Bestla was daughter of Bolthorn.

Bestla and Borr had Odin, Vili and Ve.

Children and Love

Frigg.

Wife of Odin, although she was at one point shared with Vili and Ve when they believed Odin would not return.

Frigg offending Odin may have been why he left.

Or perhaps thrown out into exile after the incident with Rinda.

Took her back as his wife when he came back.

Son was Balder

 Jord

Son was Thor.

Rinda.

After Balder died, Odin desired revenge. So he spoke to prophets on this and one of these told him a son must be born to him by Rinda. As a soldier, he gained her father’s favour but not Rinda. As a smith he made Rinda made many things but she still refused him. Eventually, he used the bark of runes and claimed to cure her as a maiden skilled in Leecraft.

Has Vali by her (Bous in Eddas).

Seven sisters in Harbardsljod. Allures witches from their husbands.

Linen-White Maid.

Grid

Has Vidarr by her.

Billings Daughter

“Dear to him as life.”

Tried to visit her at night on her request only to find a band of warriors at her home.

Visited her in the morning and found a dog tied to her bed.

“Many maids are fickle.”

Gunnlod, daughter of the giant Suttung.

Penetrated rock with the snout of Rati.

Mead given to him by Gunnlod and he won her over.

‘fettered with the feathers of the bird of forgetfulness (heron) in Gunnlod’s abode, very drunk in the house of wise Suttung.’

Gains knowledge from the mead.

As Bolverk, he slept with her for three nights and received three draughts of mead. He gave the first to Odrorir, second to Bodn and third Son to gain all the mead.

Then turned into an eagle and flew away beck to Asgard.

Gave the mead to the Aesir, who have the ability of composition. Poetic Mead.

Other Children

Heimdall

Bragi

Hod

Skjold

Kings and chiefs (Skjoldings from his son Skjold)

Losses

After killing Otter he had to pay wergild when overcome by Hreidmar.

“In Lokasenna, Odin shows himself frightened for Loki, and it is Thor, not Odin, who silences him.” (MacCullogh, 49)

Source Credit

MacCulloch, John Arnott. The Mythology of All Races: Eddic. Vol. 2, Cooper Square Publ., 1964.

[mary-tudor]

“ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴏғ ᴀsʟᴀᴜɢ”, from Anglo-Saxons classics.

"DURING prehistoric times in ancient Scandinavia, when the land was divided into a number of little principalities, over each of which a chief or king ruled, generally at war with his neighbour, the liege of the bordering state,there lived and ruled a famous family of chiefs called the house of Volsung. Of these Sigurd Fafnirsbane, or Snake-Killer, was the most renowned; he was espoused to the warlike but beautiful Amazon Brynhild, whom he had liberated from the charmed imprisonment of that aforenamed mythical huge snake, which had held her enthralled in a deep trance for a long time. The issue of this union was a little daughter, whom they called Aslog. [...]

Dearly loved at the court of Sigurd, there lived an exiled king called Heimer, who was the accepted scald or bard of this chief and hero; and when Sigurd and Brynhild met their untimely end, the old kingly bard took their little daughter Aslog, then only a few years of age, and hastened into other petty states, to seek refuge and save the only surviving child of her race from the general carnage which raged amongst her infuriated kinsfolk. Better to conceal his infantile charge, he had a large harp constructed, in which he was able to hide the child. And now began a period of strange adventures [...]

Sometimes, when far from the habitations of men, the old harper would allow his little darling to run by his side gathering flowers and berries from the wayside. He opened the foot of the harp and lifted out his little charge, Aslog, who had fallen asleep within, overpowered with grief at the recollection of her lost parents which the song had evoked in her loving and childish heart.

It was a cold evening, and the stars were out; so the old man bethought himself that he had better warm little Aslog in his embrace. Soon, locked in his arms, she looked up into his face and leaned her head against his cheek, when her silent tears trickled down into his long white beard, and lay like gems reflecting the silvery glimmer of the moon-beams which like a halo played round the group. 

"Hush, my little one, you have me still who loves you, and the good god Balder, Odin's most beloved son, the god of Light and Song. He will protect you when I am dead and gone. Do you know, child, those rustics and warriors who listened to my song about Sigurd and Brynhild (may Balder bless their union in Valhalla!) they, simple folk, thought the harp bewitched, because you muled and wailed, little one. Do not do so again, but cheer up ; we will soon arrive at a place of refuge and safety, where we will find friends that love us. If you weep in the harp to my playing, and bewitch the listeners, I shall have to call you my little witch, and you would not like that, King Sigurd's daughter! The old man had to sing out of tune to drown your sobs; give me now a kiss and say you love me as much as ever, though I won't let you cry. You cry indeed ! the daughter of the famous hero and Amazon! Oh no, we will have no mo-re tears now, only love and song.”

[...] This crime accomplished, they eagerly hurried to the harp, and opened the little door of the instrument; but picture their surprise when out stepped a little girl, fairhaired and blue-eyed, just awakened by their bustle, and looking enquiringly around for her aged guardian. When little Aslog saw the sinister-looking couple, she ran frightened to old Heimer, where he lay stretched on the floor; but when she could get no answer to her repeated call upon his name, even though she pulled him by his hands and beard, as she was wont to do, she at last realized the fact that her beloved protector was dead, and would speak no more to her. She burst into bitter sobs, clinging to her silent friend, and flung her little arms around his neck and nestled in his clothes and silvery hair. 

The inhuman old wretches considered for a short time whether they should not murder the little girl as well; but her despair was so touching, and her rare beauty so winning, that at last they resolved to spare her and adopt her as their own child. To silence inquisitive people who might call at their lonely hut, she was forthwith dressed in coarse grey baize, as was customary with the children of bondsmen, Aslog was compelled to remain with the old people, who called her Kraka, and she grew up to become a most beautiful maiden, slender, tall, and graceful, and with the inborn gait of a princess. All who saw her admired her wondrous beauty. Her native wit and wisdom were also most remarkable, though she spoke but seldom, and never with strangers, who therefore imagined she was deaf and dumb. Only with her grim wardens did she exchange a few words, when she was alone with them, and only then when their daily intercourse compelled her, for she loathed them' from her inmost soul, because they had murdered her beloved and venerated guardian, and detained her, the daughter of Sigurd and Brynhild, a slave to wretched bondsmen. She repeated to herself every day the song Heimer had sung to his harp's accompaniment about her heroic parents, and thus she kept in vivid recollection for many long years the story of their loves and untimely fate.

When Kraka had lived with the wicked old couple thus for more than twelve years she was now sixteen years old a Viking sailed into the creek one day with several galleys, and landed with his men near her home. It was no less a person than Ragnar Lodbrook, a hero famous all over the north for his deeds of daring.

When the hut was observed by the mariners, some of the men were sent thither to bake some bread, of which provision they had been short for the last few days.

When the men returned with the hard-baked bread, it was found to be burned and wholly spoiled; upon this the Viking became greatly exasperated, and gave orders to have the negligent fellows severely punished. But the men tried to excuse themselves, and said that in the hut they had beheld such a beautiful maiden that they had quite forgotten all about the bread in the oven, and they could not help it, for she had quite bewitched them.

The Viking became interested at this, and asked who the girl might be. They answered that she was the daughter of Ake and Grima, the bondsmen who lived in the hut, though they could scarcely believe it, for they were such an aged and repugnant-looking couple, and the old woman such a vicious old harridan; and yet they said she was their daughter Kraka, their only child, who tended the goats on the mountain slopes. 

But her beauty, they persisted, was fairly bewitching, and her bearing that of a queen. "Impossible!" the Viking answered, "I cannot believe it. [...]  You have all seen my lamented consort,the incomparable Thora, and any one who ever saw her ought not to speak of other women's loveliness."

Yet the men maintained that the girl's rare beauty would in every respect vie with that of their dead queen. Then the chief ordered that Kraka should immediately be brought before him, and promised that if he really found her so exceedingly lovely as the men had given out, he would forgive them their negligence.

Kraka was soon brought, and Ragnar Lodbrook was even more bewitched than his men by her incomparable beauty, and was quite spellbound by the prudent and ready answers she gave to all his questions. The Viking thought her a fair prize, and took her aboard his own galley, and told her she should never return to the old people at the hut. 

Her radiant beauty at first repelled every advance from the wild and passionate hero of many lands, for she was virtuous as she was wise and beautiful; and this pleased her captor much, and he could not hdp admiring that lofty spirit which dared even him, the hero of his time.

Ragnar already possessed two sons, Eric and Agnar, by his former consort, and they found in Kraka a loving stepmother; indeed the young queen, through her many virtues and rare wisdom, endeared herself not only to her newly-found family, but to all the people over whom Ragnar Lodbrook ruled. Many years of happy married life followed, during which she presented her royal husband with five sons, all of whom became more or less famous in the warfares of the times.

When King Ragnar, already advanced in years, was on a visit to King Eisten Bele, one of the Swedish petty kings, he saw this chief's daughter Ingeborg, whose beauty quite captivated the gallant champion. The Princess* went the round of the table at the banquet given in his honour, and filled the goblets of the royal guest Her beauty, and the wine, must have intoxicated him, for he determined upon separating himself from Kraka, whom he but knew as a bondsman's daughter, and thus unworthy to share his throne, and then marry Ingeborg, the daughter of a king, as more befitting his royal state. Eisten Bele readily consented to this union, to be contracted as soon as Ragnar had rid himself of Kraka. When the ice broke up Ragnar sailed away, promising to return during the summer to celebrate the nuptials with the fair Ingeborg.

Upon his return home he divulged nothing to Kraka of his design, but the news came to her through other channels at the court. Instead of upbraiding her spouse, she resorted to other means far wiser; she increased her loving attention to him, and was more charming than ever; and she told the king that at last she thought the right time had come to tell him who were her real parents, and that she was no vile bondsman's child. 

With unfeigned amazement he learnt that she was the daughter of Sigurd and Brynhild; he listened eagerly to the recital of her wondrous flight in the harp; effected by King Heimer, and to her tale of woe during her long captivity with Ake and Grima. His joy to possess a queen of noble descent and equal to himself was sincere; he thought he had never loved her so- well before, and dispelled all thoughts of parting with her. 

The image of Ingeborg vanished from his heart for ever, and no journey to Eisten Bele was taken to celebrate the contemplated union, which this warrior thought a great insult to him, as his daughter was a princess, and he the King oif Upsala. But Eisten Bele got no opportunity to avenge this breach of promise, for Queen Aslog, the name she now resumed, persuaded her two stepsons to hasten to Upsala to war with its king in his own domains. This they did, but Agnar fell in the battle, which grieved his noble and grateful stepmother as if he had been her own son.

When Ragnar Lodbrook, on one of his seafaring expeditions, fell into the hands of King Ella of Northumbria, and by his victor was thrown into a pit filled with serpents, and there met his tragic death, which event is recorded in the English Chronicles, Aslog sent all her own five sons to avenge his death. 

She survived her spouse many years, a disconsolate widow, honouring the memory of the noble Viking who had rescued her from ignoble thraldom and made her queen of his heart and realm, Aslog, the little child princess, who had lain in a harp, and sobbed in harmony with its tremulous strings to the piteous lay recording the fate of her hapless parents.”