Chapter 15

The swan's wing, the swan's coat, betokens another supernatural quality which heroes share with the gods (p. 326), the power of flying. As Wieland ties on his swan-wings, the Greek Perseus has winged shoes, talaria, Ov. met. 4, 667. 729, and the Servian Relia is called krilát (winged), being in possession of krilo and akrilie (wing and wing-cover), Vuk 2, 88. 90. 100. A piece of the wing remaining, or in women a swan's foot, will at times betray the higher nature.

The superhuman quality of heroes shines out of their eyes (luminum vibratus, oculorum micatus, Saxo Gram. 23): ormr î auga. The golden teeth of gods and heroes have been spoken of, p. 234. In the märchen sons are born with a star on the forehead, Kinderm. 96. Straparola 4, 3; or a golden star falls on the forehead, Pentam. 3, 10. The Dioscuri had a star or flame shining on their heads and helmets: this may have reference to the rays encircling the head (p. 323), or to constellations being set in the sky. In some cases the heroic form is disfigured by animal peculiarities, as Siegfried's by his horny skin, and others by a scaly; the märchen have heroes with hedgehog spikes. The legend of the Merovings, imperfectly handed down to us, must be founded on something of the kind. When Clodio the son of Faramund with his queen went down to the shore, to cool themselves from the sultry summer heat, there came up a monster (sea-hog?) out of the waves, which seized and overpowered the bathing queen. She then bore a son of singular appearance, who was therefore named Merovig, and his descendants, who inherited the peculiarity, Merovings. (88) Theophanes expressly declares, that the Merovings were called kristatai and tricoracatai, because all the kings of that house had bristles down the backbone (racij), like swine. We still find in Rol. 273, 29, where it is true they are enumerated among heathens,

di helde von Meres;

vil gewis sît ir des,

daz niht kuoners mac sîn:

an dem rucke tragent si borsten sam swîn.

The derivation of the name is altogether unknown. Can it possibly have some connexion with the boar-worship of Frô, which may have been especially prevalent among the Franks? Lampr. Alex. 5368 also has: sîn hût was ime bevangen al mit swînes bursten (see Suppl.).

One principal mark to know heroes by, is their possessing intelligent horses, and conversing with them. A succeeding chapter will show more fully, how heathendom saw something sacred and divine in horses, and often endowed them with consciousness and sympathy with the destiny of men. But to heroes they were indispensable for riding or driving, and a necessary intimacy sprang up between the two, as appears by the mere fact of the horses having proper names given them. The touching conversation of Achilles with his Xanthos and Balios (Il. 19, 400-421) finds a complete parallel in the beautiful Karling legend of Bayard; compare also Wilhelm's dialogue with Puzzât (58, 21-59, 8), in the French original with Baucent (Garin 2, 230-1), and Begon's with the same Baucent (p. 230). In the Edda we have Skîrnir talking with his horse (Sæm. 82b); and Goðrûn, after Sigurð's murder, with Grani (231b):

hnipnaði Grani þâ, drap î gras höfði.

Well might Grani mourn, for the hero had bestridden him ever since he led him out of Hialprek's stable (180), had ridden him through the flames (202ª), and carried off the great treasure. Swedish and Danish folk-songs bring in a sagacious steed Black, with whom conversation is carried on (Sv. vis. 2, 194. Sv. forns. 2, 257. Danske vis. 1, 323). In the poems on Artus the horses are less attractively painted; but how naively in the Servian, when Mila shoes the steed (Vuk 1, 5), or Marko before his death talks with his faithful Sharats (2, 243 seq. Danitza 1, 109). In Mod. Greek songs there is a dialogue of Liakos with his horse (Fauriel 1, 138), and similar ones in the Lithuanian dainos (Rhesa p. 224). The Persian Rustem's fairy steed is well-known (see Suppl.) (89)

If many heroes are carried off in the bloom of life, like Achilles or Siegfried, others attain a great age, beyond the limit of the human. Our native legend allows Hildebrand the years of Nestor with undiminished strength, and to the Scandinavian Starkaðr is measured out a life that runs through several generations; the divinely honoured Goðmundr is said to have numbered near five hundred years, Fornald. sög. 1, 411. 442. In the genealogies that have come down to us, great length of life is given to the first ancestors, as it is in the Bible also. Snaerr hinn gamli, sprung from Kâri and Jökull, is said to have attained 300 years, and Hâlfdan gamli as many, Fornald. sög. 2, 8. The MHG. poem of Dietrich's ancestors (1869-2506) gives Dietwart and Sigeher 400 years of life each, Wolfdieterich 503, Hugdieterich 450, and Dietmar 340; Dietrich of Bern is the first that reaches only the ordinary limit, Otnit the son of Sigeher was killed when young. (90) The Servian Marko was three hundred years old, almost like the giants of old. On the other hand, the life of heroes is enfeebled by union with goddesses and superhuman females. Examples will be given, when the valkyrs are discussed; the belief of the Greeks is expressed in a remarkable passage of the Hymn to Venus 190, where Anchises, after he has embraced Aphrodite, fears that he shall lead a stricken life (amenhnoj) among men:

epei ou bioqalmioj anhr gignetai, oste qeaij eunazetai aqanatmsi.
      The goddess does not conceal, that age will come on him apace, and that Zeus's thunderbolt will maim him if he boast of her favours. The story of Staufenberger and the sea-fairy is founded on similar notions.

Another thing in which the condition of heroes resembles that of gods is, that particular local haunts and dwellings are assigned them. Such abodes seem by preference to bear the name of stone, as Gibichenstein, Brunhildenstein, Kriemhildenstein, Eigelstein, Waskenstein; which points to sacred rocks uninhabited by men, and a primeval, firmly rooted worship. More rarely we find castle or hall connected with a hero (Iringes burc, Orendelsal), a few times ea and burn, oftener way or street; now, as the notion of a highway lies close to that of a conspicuous column to which the roads led up, we may well connect the 'Herculis columnae,' the Irmansuli, with the Roland-pillars, which we come upon just in those northern parts of Germany where heathenism prevailed latest. As king Charles occupies Wuotan's place in certain legends, especially that of the 'furious host,' Roland, the noblest hero of his court, who is to him almost exactly what Donar is to Wuotan, seems to replace the divine vanquisher of giants. Æthelstân-pillars have been mentioned, p. 119. It is worthy of note, that, while Scandinavia offers nothing else that can be likened to the Irmen-pillars, yet at Skeningen, a town of Östergötland, there stood erected in the marketplace, just where Roland-pillars do stand, the figure of a giant or hero, which the people called Thore lâng (Thuro longus), and at which idolatry was practised in former times. (91) This figure appears far more likely to belong to the heathen god than to any hero or king; and probably the column in the market place of Bavais in Hainault, from which seven roads branched off, and which is said to have been reared in honour of a king Bavo, had a similar meaning (see Suppl.).



ENDNOTES:

88. Fredegar's epitome (Bouquet 2, 396), and Conradus Ursperg., Arg. 1609, p. 92. Per contra, Müllenhoff in Haupt's zeitschr. 6, 432. Back

89. A Mongolian warrior's dying song has:

My poor cream-coloured trotter, you will get home alive.

Then tell my mother, pray: 'full fifteen wounds had he'.

And tell my father, pray: 'shot through the back was he,' &c.---Trans.Back

90. These are undoubtedly genuine myths, that lose themselves in the deeps of time, however distorted and misplaced they may be. Sigeher (OHG. Siguhari) is plainly the ON. Sigarr, from whom the Siglingar or Siklîngar take their name; Sigeher's daughter is called Sigelint, Sigar's daughter Signý, but the two are identical. Hugdieterich, who in woman's clothing woos Hildeburg, is one with Hagbarðr (Sw. Habor, Dan. Hafbur), who likewise succeeds in his suit for Signý (Sw. Signil, Dan. Signild), though here the story has a tragic end, and the names disagree; but hug and hag, both from one root, support each other. Sigeminne too, the wife of Wolfdieterich, who in the Heldenbuch is the son of Hugdieterich, comes near to Signý. The part about Hugdieterich in the Heldenbuch is throughout uncommonly sweet, and certainly very ancient. Back

91. Olaus Magnus 14, 15. Stjernhöök, De jure Sveon. vet., p. 326. Broocmans beskrifn. öfver Östergötland, Norrköping 1760. 1, 190 Back