Nidud
Family: Niarars · Role: king · First appears: Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1
In the Lay of Volund, Nidud’s daughter Bodvild received from him the ring taken from Volund, while Nidud kept Volund’s sword. Nidud’s men seized Volund at Ulfdal, taking all but one of his rings; Nidud then had him hamstrung and confined on an island at Sævarstad, where he forged jewellery for the king.
In the Lay of Volund, Volund avenged himself by killing Nidud’s two sons. He later told Nidud that he had cut off their heads and placed their bodies beneath the prison’s refuse.
Relationship record
Life events
- Nidud's men seized Volund and carried off all but one of his rings.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1 · 📍 Ulfdal)
- With: Volund
- “And they took them off, and they put them on, all save one, which they bore away.”
- Nidud gave Bodvild the ring taken from Volund and kept Volund's sword.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1)
- Nidud had Volund hamstrung and confined on an island, where Volund forged jewellery for him.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1 · 📍 Sævarstad)
- With: Volund
- “This was done; he was hamstrung, and then set on a certain small island near the shore, called Sævarstad. He there forged for the king all kinds of jewellery work.”
- Volund avenges himself on Nidud by killing Nidud’s two sons.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 2)
- With: Volund
- “Of those children he the heads cut off, and under the prison's mixen laid their bodies.”
- Volund reveals that he killed Nidud’s sons and fashioned their remains into gifts.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 2)
- With: Volund
- “The heads I severed of thy boys, and under the prison's mixen laid their bodies.”
Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1
- child: Bodvild “There was a king in Sweden named Nidud: he had two sons and a daughter, whose name was Bodvild.”
- protégé: Bodvild “King Nidud gave to his daughter Bodvild the ring which had been taken from the bast in Volund's house;”
- enemies with Volund “King Nidud ordered him to be seized, so as it is here related.”
- servant: Volund “He there forged for the king all kinds of jewellery work.”
Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 2
- enemies with Volund “He sat and never slept, and his hammer plied; but much more speedy vengeance devised on Nidud.”
- child: Bodvild “Now Bodvild goes big with child, the only daughter of you both.”
- servant: Thakrad “Rise up Thakrad, my best of thralls! bid Bodvild, my fair-browed daughter, in bright attire come, with her sire to speak.”
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Extracted from the original text of The Eddas. Made with Rho MD.