Beaduhild
Beaduhild
Beaduhild
at evening brings
Ale and bread to the
broken man
(For pity's sake-- or
so she says).
Looking away from ruined
limbs,
She lightly gossips of
local scandal
And yesterday's weather
to Weland Smith.
(Can she know how close
he watches,
Tracking her form with
flaming eyes?)
Weland sweats
at the white-hot forge
In endless labor, easeless
rage.
From time to time she
comes to talk
(To pass an idle hour--
that's all).
The hammer rises-- she
watches his hands,
She studies his face--
the hammer strikes.
Bright leaps the fire
at bellows' urging,
Brighter the embers that
burn in her eyes.
All have heard
what happened then--
Who knows truth save
two alone?
Author's note: this poem is based on the story
of Weland (aka Volund) as told in the Old English poem _Deor_ (1) and
in the _Volundarkvitha_ (2). King Nithhad (ON Nithoth), father of Beaduhild
(ON Bothvild), learns that Weland is home alone. Nithhad takes him prisoner,
cuts the sinews in his knees, and puts him to work in the royal forge.
Weland takes his revenge by killing Nithhad's sons and sending cups made
from their skulls to Nithhad. He also impregnates Beaduhild. He then escapes
on wings that he has made.
The encounter between Weland and Beaduhild
is usually described as "rape", but some features in the story caught
my attention and made me wonder whether "rape" was an accurate description.
For example, in stanza 29 of the _Volundarkvitha_ (2), it says that Weland
plies Beaduhild with beer until she passes out. Yet, in describing to
her father what happened, Beaduhild never mentions being incapacitated,
but states instead (stanza 43):
Nought was my might with
such a man
Nor from his strength could
I save myself.
In stanza 31, Beaduhild is described
as weeping over Weland's incipient departure and her father's impending
wrath, but not, apparently, over what Weland has done to her. Finally,
Weland extracts an oath from Nithhad that he will not harm "Volund's wife,"
Beaduhild (stanza 35). Hence, this poem.
1. Runic and Heroic Poems of the Old
Teutonic Peoples, Bruce Dickins, ed.; Klaus Reprint Co.: New York,
1968; pp 70-73.
2. Poetic Edda, Henry Adams Bellows,
transl.; The American-Scandinavian Library: New York, 1923; pp 252-268.