Volund

Role: brother of Slagfid and Egil · First appears: Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1

In the Lay of Volund, Volund was one of three brothers, with Slagfid and Egil. He took Hervor-Alvit home as his consort, but after the Valkyriur left, he remained in Ulfdal while his brothers went searching for theirs. Nidud’s men seized him, taking all but one of his rings; Nidud gave the ring to Bodvild and kept Volund’s sword. He had Volund hamstrung and confined on the island of Sævarstad, where Volund forged jewellery for him.

In the Lay of Volund, Volund avenged himself by killing Nidud’s two sons and making gifts from their remains. He told Nidud that “Now Bodvild goes big with child, the only daughter of you both,” and escaped by rising into the air. Bodvild admitted that she and Volund had sat together on the isle.

Relationship record

Life events

• The brothers found three Valkyriur spinning flax beside a lake.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1 · 📍 Ulfdal)
  • With: Slagfid Egil
  • “Early one morning they found on the border of the lake three females sitting and spinning flax. Near them lay their swan-plumages: they were Valkyriur.”
• Volund took Alvit home as his consort.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1)
  • With: Hervor-Alvit
  • “They took them home with them to their dwelling. Egil had Olrun, Slagfid Svanhvit, and Volund Alvit.”
• The Valkyriur left their companions, and Egil and Slagfid went searching for theirs.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1 · 📍 Ulfdal)
  • With: Olrun Hladgud-Svanhvit Hervor-Alvit Egil Slagfid
  • “They lived there seven years, when they flew away seeking conflicts, and did not return. Egil then went on snow-shoes in search of Olrun, and Slagfid in search of Svanhvit, but Volund remained in Ulfdal.”
• Nidud's men seized Volund and carried off all but one of his rings.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1 · 📍 Ulfdal)
  • With: Nidud
  • “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)
  • With: Nidud Bodvild
  • “King Nidud gave to his daughter Bodvild the ring which had been taken from the bast in Volund's house; but he himself bore the sword that had belonged to Volund.”
• 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: Nidud
  • “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: Nidud
  • “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: Nidud
  • “The heads I severed of thy boys, and under the prison's mixen laid their bodies.”
• Volund reveals that Bodvild is pregnant with his child.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 2)
  • With: Bodvild
  • “Now Bodvild goes big with child, the only daughter of you both.”
• Volund escapes by rising into the air.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 2)
  • “Laughing Volund rose in air, but Nidud sad remained sitting.”
• Bodvild admits that she and Volund sat together on the isle.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 2 · 📍 the isle)
  • With: Bodvild
  • “True it is, Nidud! what has been told to thee, that Volund and I in the isle together sat, in an unlucky hour: would it had never been!”

Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 1

• siblings with Slagfid “There were three brothers, sons of a king of the Finns, one was called Slagfid, the second Egil, the third Volund.”
• siblings with Egil “There were three brothers, sons of a king of the Finns, one was called Slagfid, the second Egil, the third Volund.”
• married with Hervor-Alvit “Egil had Olrun, Slagfid Svanhvit, and Volund Alvit.”
• enemies with Nidud “King Nidud ordered him to be seized, so as it is here related.”
• employer: Nidud “He there forged for the king all kinds of jewellery work.”

Elder Edda · The Lay of Volund · Part 2

• enemies with Nidud “He sat and never slept, and his hammer plied; but much more speedy vengeance devised on Nidud.”
• courtship with Bodvild “She mourned her lover's absence, and for her father's wrath.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Eddas. Made with Rho MD.