Voelundar Kvoeda

From THE BOOK OF WERE-WOLVES
by SABINE BARING-GOULD
Smith, Elder & Co., London
1865

I will give a few instances of each of the three methods of changing bodies mentioned above. Freyja and Frigg had their falcon dresses in which they visited different regions of the earth, and Loki is said to have borrowed these, and to have then appeared so precisely like a falcon, that he would have escaped detection, but for the malicious twinkle of his eyes. In the Vælundar kviða is the following passage:–

 

 I.                      I.

 

 Meyjar flugu sunnan     From the south flew the maidens

 Myrkvið igögnum         Athwart the gloom,

 Alvitr unga             Alvit the young,

 Orlög drýgja;           To fix destinies;

 þær á savarströnd       They on the sea-strand

 Settusk at hvilask,     Sat them to rest,

 Dró sir suðrœnar        These damsels of the south

 Dýrt lín spunnu.        Fair linen spun.

 

 II.                       II.

 

 Ein nam þeirra         One of them took

 Egil at verja          Egil to press,

 Fögr mær fíra          Fair maid, in her

 Faðmi ljósum;          Dazzling arms.

 Önnur var Svanhvít,    Another was Svanhwit,

 Svanfjaðrar dró;       Who wore swan feathers;

 En in þriðja           And the third,

 þeirra systir          Their sister,

 Var i hvítan           Pressed the white

 Háls Völundar.         Neck of Vœlund.

 

The introduction of Sœmund tells us that these charming young ladies were caught when they had laid their swan-skins beside them on the shore, and were consequently not in a condition to fly.