pauses of his labour he fashioned a pair of wings similar to those his
wife had used as a Valkyr, which he intended to don as soon as his
vengeance had been accomplished. One day the king came to visit his
captive, and brought him the stolen sword that he might repair it;
but Voelund cleverly substituted another weapon so exactly like the
magic sword as to deceive the king when he came again to claim it. A
few days later, Voelund enticed the king's sons into his smithy and
slew them, after which he cunningly fashioned drinking vessels out
of their skulls, and jewels out of their eyes and teeth, bestowing
these upon their parents and sister.

"But their skulls
Beneath the hair
He in silver set,
And to Nidud gave;
And of their eyes
Precious stones he formed,
Which to Nidud's
Wily wife he sent.
But of the teeth
Of the two
Breast ornaments he made,
And to Boedvild sent."

Lay of Voelund (Thorpe's tr.).

The royal family did not suspect whence they came; and so these gifts
were joyfully accepted. As for the poor youths, it was believed that
they had drifted out to sea and had been drowned.

Some time after this, Bodvild, wishing to have her ring repaired, also
visited the smith's hut, where, while waiting, she unsuspectingly
partook of a magic drug, which sent her to sleep and left her in
Voelund's power. His last act of vengeance accomplished, Voelund
immediately donned the wings which he had made in readiness for
this day, and grasping his sword and ring he rose slowly in the
air. Directing his flight to the palace, he perched there out of reach,
and proclaimed his crimes to Nidud. The king, beside himself with
rage, summoned Egil, Voelund's brother, who had also fallen into his
power, and bade him use his marvellous skill as an archer to bring
down the impudent bird. Obeying a signal from Voelund, Egil aimed
for a protuberance under his wing where a bladder full of the young
princes' blood was concealed, and the smith flew triumphantly away
without hurt, declaring that Odin would give his sword to Sigmund--a
prediction which was duly fulfilled.

Voelund then went to Alf-heim, where, if the legend is to be believed,
he found his beloved wife, and lived happily again with her until
the twilight of the gods.

But, even in Alf-heim, this clever smith continued to ply his craft,
and various suits of impenetrable armour, which he is said to have
fash