The only named elf in Old Norse is Volund. In the few other stories, where he is mentioned, he is not called an elf but he is clearly and Otherworldy being even in the other stories. His extra-ordinary skill as a smith sets him apart and his ability to fly. The Wayland/Volund story is so old but scholars can't agree if he had a wife before he was taken captive by Nidud. I think he did. I think the swan maidens were valkyries because the daughters of elves could be valkyries and she was so very white as were all the other valkyries in Norse myth. You don't get that sense reading them in translation because hvitr is often translated as fair or radiant. It fires the imagination to think of what people made of swans so that they are related etymologically to elves.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Swans and Valkyries
I just finished a paper. It is a huge, huge subject. To do it justice , one could probably write a book. Valkyries are a Northern concept; they belong to the Viking Age. No other culture has the armoured, beautiful battle maidens in their mythology. At least no conclusive evidence for them has been found. The three valkyries in Volundarkvida are also swan maidens. There is a lot of philological evidence that Latin for white 'albus', elf 'alp', and swan 'alpt' have a common Indo-European root.
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There is a lot of philological evidence that Latin for white 'albus', elf 'alp', and swan 'alpt' have a common Indo-European root.
That's fascinating! Makes all those fair-haired elves (or even white haired ones) closer to their original roots. And the Targaryens...they also had white-blond heads...
Nothing elf-like about the Targs. :-) Although, they do come down from the sky like valkyries.
I agree you could write a book - I've just read your wonderful paper and it covers so much ground.
No other culture has the armoured, beautiful battle maidens in their mythology.
The whole concept of women in battle (whether in mythology or real life) is comparatively rare - the only other well-known ones are, what, the Amazons and Boudica?
Thank you. At first I was having trouble filling 20 pages and then suddenly 20 wasn't enough. It is a huge subject. I would have needed another 20 pages to do it justice.
Amazons are different from Valkyries in that they avoid the society of men. Valkyries marry and take a personal interest as a guardian to special heroes.
There always were women who by interest or necessity took up the sword. Freydis below for starters.
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