Weyland
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Image:Runsten1.jpg Weyland (also spelled Wayland, Weland and Watlende) is the mythical smith-god of the Saxon immigrants into Britain. He is synonymous with the North-Germanic/Norse Völundr of the Völundarkviða, a poem in the Poetic Edda.
Weyland had two brothers, Egil and Slagfidur (or Slagfinn). In one version of the myth, the three brothers lived with three Valkyries: Olrun, Alvit and Svanhvit. After nine years, the Valkyries left their lovers. Egil and Slagfidur followed, never to return. In another version, Weyland married the swan maiden Hervor, and they had a son, Heime; Hervor later left him. In both versions, his love left him with a ring; in the former myth, he forged seven hundred duplicates of this ring.
At a later point in time, he was captured in his sleep by king Nidud in Nerike who ordered him hamstrung and imprisoned on the island of Saeverstod. There he was forced to forge items for the king. Weyland's wife's ring was given to the king's daughter, Bodvild. Nidud wore Weyland's sword.
For revenge, Weyland killed the king's sons when they visited him in secret, fashioned goblets from their skulls, jewels from their eyes, and a brooch from their teeth. He sent the goblets to the king, the jewels to the queen and the brooch to the kings' daughter. When Bodvild took her ring to him to be mended, he took the ring and seduced her, fathering a son and escaping on wings he made.
Weyland forged the sword Balmung, and the armor in which Beowulf fought Grendel. In Teutonic legend he is also said to have forged a sword for his son Heime that was wielded by Miming and then by Hodur. He is sometimes said to be the ruler of the dark elves (svartalfar).
He is particularly associated with Wayland's Smithy, a burial mound in Oxfordshire. This was named by the Saxons, but the megalithic mound significantly predates them. It is from this association that the superstition came about that a horse left there overnight with a small silver coin (a groat) would be shod by morning.
Watlende is also a Manor house in Kent.
Cultural references
The character "Weyland Smith" is prominent in the "Animal Farm" story arc of the Fables comic book. He is the administrator of "the Farm"---the rural property in upstate New York State where non-human-appearing Fables must live, to preserve the secret of their existence. He is briefly imprisoned as part of the abortive revolution against the Fabletown government, and is replaced as administrator by Rose Red, with whom he becomes involved. This version of Weyland Smith is a genius with tools and machinery, and during his time in captivity, he is forced to alter "mundy" weaponry to be used by non-human Fables. He fights in the war with the wooden soldiers sent by the Adversary and eventually gives his life protecting Fabletown.
See also
External link
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