Wayland's Smithy

As I have mentioned before, my brother and his (British) partner live near a neolithic burial mound called Wayland's Smithy. This is the story of Wayland, and how he came to that mound. TW: Fairy Tale violence and misogyny.

How Wayland came to His Smithy

Long, long ago, a young lad named Wayland was apprenticed to two dwarves, who taught him the art of smithing. By the end of seven years, he had become a master smithy, surpassing even many among the dwarves. His apprenticeship over, young Wayland moved in with his two human brothers, Egil the Archer and Slagfid the Tracker, at their hunting lodge deep in the forest. One icy day, the three brothers were walking through the wood, when they came upon three beautiful maidens spinning at the edge of a frozen lake. Wayland immediately understood that these were no human women, but magical swan maidens! The three brothers snuck down to the edge of the lake, and, sure enough, there they found the maiden’s feather cloaks, in which their true forms were locked away. As they had been taught to do, the brothers stole the swan maidens’ cloaks, and so obligated the swan maidens, who were powerless to escape without their wings, to marry them. 

 After seven more years, the swan maidens managed to steal back their cloaks, and they flew away, never to be seen again. Egil and Slagfield went in search of their wives, but Wayland, perhaps regretting his role in his wife’s imprisonment, remained in his smithy. With no wife or brothers for company, and nothing else to occupy his time, Wayland focused on his craft, and soon became the best smith the world had ever seen, especially known for his fine work in gold.

Eventually, his beautiful wares caught the attention of the king of Sweden, who had him kidnapped and hamstrung, so he could not escape and would produce his goods only for the king. Perhaps Wayland would have remained ever a captive, had the king not stolen the simple iron ring Wayland wore, a token from his swan wife. Wayland waited, frustrated, and plotted his revenge.

Time passed, and eventually Egil heard of his brother’s plight. He knew he could not carry his crippled brother away, so he made for him, using all the skills of his bow-maker’s craft, a fine set of feathered wings. Meanwhile, Wayland began his revenge. 

The king's young sons had been forbidden from visiting the old smith, but they could not resist the lure of seeing this magical art for themselves. Wayland lured the princes to his workshop, then killed the boys, and fashioned from their skullcaps fine goblets, encrusted in gold and jewels, which he sent as a gift to the king’s daughter, who wore Wayland’s wife’s ring.  Intrigued by the gift, the princess also came to visit the smithy, whereupon Wayland raped her, stole the ring back, and flew off on his artificial wings. 

He flew all the way to Britain, where he was flagged down by Merlin, who had sensed him coming. The great wizard commissioned him to make Excalibur for King Arthur, a true and just king, quite unlike the conniving king of Sweden. In exchange, Wayland was given an ancient mound as his smithy, and there he remains to this day.