tan king.

Brunhild

Brunhild resembles Minerva in her martial tastes, physical appearance,
and wisdom; but her anger and resentment when Sigurd forgets her
for Gudrun is like the wrath of OEnone, whom Paris deserts to woo
Helen. Brunhild's anger continues to accompany Sigurd through life,
and she even seeks to compass his death, while OEnone, called to cure
her wounded lover, refuses to do so and permits him to die. OEnone
and Brunhild are both overcome by the same remorseful feelings when
their lovers have breathed their last, and both insist upon sharing
their funeral pyres, and end their lives by the side of those whom
they had loved.

Sun Myths

Containing, as it does, a whole series of sun myths, the Volsunga Saga
repeats itself in every phase; and just as Ariadne, forsaken by the
sun-hero Theseus, finally marries Bacchus, so Gudrun, when Sigurd has
departed, marries Atli, the King of the Huns. He, too, ends his life
amid the flames of his burning palace or ship. Gunnar, like Orpheus
or Amphion, plays such marvellous strains upon his harp that even
the serpents are lulled to sleep. According to some interpretations,
Atli is like Fafnir, and covets the possession of the gold. Both are
therefore probably personifications "of the winter cloud which broods
over and keeps from mortals the gold of the sun's light and heat,
till in the spring the bright orb overcomes the powers of darkness
and tempests, and scatters his gold over the face of the earth."

Swanhild, Sigurd's daughter, is another personification of the sun,
as is seen in her blue eyes and golden hair; and her death under the
hoofs of black steeds represents the blotting out of the sun by clouds
of storm or of darkness.

Just as Castor and Pollux hasten to rescue their sister Helen when
she has been borne away by Theseus, so Swanhild's brothers, Erp,
Hamdir, and Soerli, hasten off to avenge her death.

Such are the main points of resemblance between the mythologies
of the North and South, and the analogy goes far to prove that
they were originally formed from the same materials, the principal
differences being due to the local colouring imparted unconsciously
by the different races.

NOTES

[1] "Northern Mythology," Kauffmann.

[2] Halliday Sparling.

[3] Carlyle, "Heroes and Hero Worship."

[4] "Northern Mythology," Kauffmann.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths of the Norsemen, by H. A. Guerber

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