Chapter 28

Now, in themselves, the gifts of destiny would include every earthly blessing. But gradually men began ascribing whatever in human life seemed bane or blessing (excepting birth and death) to a separate being: thus the Greeks and Romans, in addition to moira and fatum, held by an independent Tuch and Fortuna.

Müllenhoff in the Nordalbingia p. 11 (conf. Schlesw. holst. sagen xliv) infers from the name of a place Welanao, occurring in Angsgar (Pertz 2, 687-99), an OS. god Welo, AS. Wela, the very thing I had had in my mind (p. 163): an older god of weal in the place of the later goddess Sâlida, Sælde. But instead of his interpretation Welanaha, I should prefer Welan-owa, which is supported by the more modern Welnau, a place that stood on the right bank of the Elbe near Itzehoe, the river Stör having apparently formed the 'aue, ea'; Welan-owa would then be uniform with Wunschesouwa and Pholesouwa (p. 600). The great thing is, first to establish from other sources the personality of Welo, which the quotations from the Heliand fail to do, for welanowa taken simply as isle of luck (Atterbom's lycksalighetensö) is quite compatible with the old ways of thinking: Reichenau (augia dives) has much the same meaning, and in the vicinity of Welnau has arisen Glückstadt. In the AS. 'welan bewunden' (Gramm. 4, 752), wela is used, though mythically, yet not of a person but a thing: God himself sits 'welan bewunden,' Adam and Eve stand 'mid welan bewunden,' wrapt in splendour, in bliss, Cædm. 42, 2. 27, 19. But the 'gold welan bewunden' forms a contrast to the 'gold galdre bewunden,' a holy divine power is imagined confronting that of sorcery; and this wela does seem to lead up to Wela, as the kindred notion of wunsch to Wunsch.

The ON. distinguishes its fem. heill (felicitas) from a neut. heil (omen), so does the AS. its hælu f. (salus) from hæl n. (omen), and the OHG. its heilî f. (salus) from heil n. (omen). Both meanings are combined in MHG. heil n. Personifications of this I scarcely know, unless such be intended by a passage obscure to me, Ottoc. 683b, which gives out as a common proverb: 'chum hail hauenstain!' In MS. 2, 130b: 'waz ob iuwer heil eime hail hauenstain!' In MS. 2, 130b: 'waz ob iuwer heil eime andern kumet an sîn seil,' what if your hap prove another's hanging? And so early as O. ii. 18, 7: 'thaz heil ni gifâhit iuwih,' luck comes not your way (see Suppl.).

On the other hand, it is the commonest thing with our 13^th cent. poets to treat sœlde (fortuna) as a female person, and that apparently not in imitation of the Romance writings: even the OHG. sâlida occurs with the like import, and the compound huîlsâlida (supra p. 857) was a stronger expression of the same thing. O. i. 26, 4 speaking of the baptism of Christ in the water, uses a remarkable phrase, to which no church writer could have prompted him: 'sîd wachêta allên mannon thiu Sálida in thên undon.' Waking presupposes life. The personification comes out still more clearly in poets four centuries after him: 'unser Sœlde wachet,' Parz. 550, 10. 'mîn sorge slâfet, sô dîn Sœlde wachet,' Tit. 31, 3. 'z'aller zît des S. wachet,' MS. 1, 16b. 'unser S. diu wil wachen,' Trist. 9430. 'des noch sîn S. wachet,' Ernst. 5114. 'ir S. wachet,' Amgb. 35ª. 'daz mir S. wache,' ib. 43ª 'ich wæn sîn S. slâfe,' ib. 44ª. 'sô ist im al diu S. ertaget (dawned),' Trist. 9792. 'diu S. ist dir betaget,' Wartb. kr. jen. 21. 'diu S. was mit im betaget,' Dietr. 5ª. 27ª. 'iuwer S. wirt erwecket,' Lohengr. 19. Observe in these MHG. quotations the frequent poss. pron. (11) or gen. case: the Sælde dedicates herself to certain men, protects and prospers them, wakes for them while they sleep, as we say 'luck came to me in my sleep.' A mode of speech so common need not always be felt to personify: 'daz im sîn heil niht slief,' Troj. 9473. 'dâ wachet schande, unde slæft daz heil,' Zauberbecher (magic bowl) 1113. 'Tristans gelücke dâ niht slief,' Heinr. Tr. 2396. It was even extended to other notions of the same kind: 'wachet sîn êre und ouch sîn lop,' honour, praise, Amgb. 47ª. 'ir milte wachet,' ib. 12b. 'ir genâde (kindness) mir muoz wachen,' MS. 1, 33ª. 'ich wæne an ir ist genâde entslâfen (asleep), daz ich ir leider niht erwecken kan,' MS. 1, 48ª. 'du (minne) bist gegen mir hart enstláfen,' MS. 1, 60ª. 'mîn schade wachet,' Ben. 121. 'dîn kraft mit ellen dô niht slief,' Parz. 85, 24. We still say, 'treason sleeps not'; and some phrases of this sort can have a personal sense. The heathen colouring of Sælde's waking and being waked I infer chiefly from the analogous 'vekja Hildi' noticed on p. 422, who not only was awaked, but herself awoke the heroes (Sn. 164). And 'vilbiörg scal vaka,' Sæm. 46ª, may bear the same meaning: we can translate it 'jucunda salus,' or suppose it a proper noun. Frôði makes Fenja and Menja (p. 531) grind gold, peace and happiness (gull, frið oc sælu), allowing them but scanty rest at night: they wake to grind prosperity for him, and afterwards misfortune (salt) for Mýsîngr, Sn. 146-7 (see Suppl.).

And this is far from being the only way personfication is applied to her. Sælde is called frau, she appears, meets, bends her face toward her favourites, hearkens to them (as a god hears prayer), smiles on them, greets them, is kind and obliging, but can be cross; those whom she dislikes, she forgets, shuns, flees, runs away from, (12) turns her back upon; she has a door and a road. Here again old Otfrid leads the way (ii. 7,20): 'thiu Sâlida in thar gaganta' (eis occurrit). Walther sings 55, 35: 'frô Sœlde teilet umbe sich (scatters gifts around), und kêret mir den rügge zuo (turns her back), sie stêt ungerne gegen mir, si n'ruochet (recks) mich niht an gesehen'; and 43, 5: 'mîn frou S., wie si mîn vergaz!' 'vrô S. hât iu an sich genomen, wil dîn pflegen (cherish),' Ecke 10, 160. 'ob vrouwe S. mînes heiles welle ruochen,' Ben. 425. 'die wîle es mîn S. ruochte,' Parz. 689, 20. 'hæte mir diu S. ir ôre baz geneiget,' inclined her ear, MS. 2, 220b. 'dô was mir S. entrunnen,' Parz. 689, 8. 'S. was sîn geleite,' conductresses, Wigal. 8389. 'frou S. ir was bereit,' ready to help, Er. 3459; and perhaps we ought to add what follows: 'diu Gotes hövescheit ob mîner frowen swebte,' God's kindness over my lady hovered; for so hover the valkyrs over the heroes they befriend. 'Got wîse mich der Sœlden wege,' guide me on Fortune's way, Parz. 8, 16. 'den vuoz (foot) setzen in der S. pfat,' Ben. 306. 'frowe S. muoz in ûf ir strâze wîsen,' Tit. 5218. 'der Sœlden stîc,' path, Karl 19b. 'über frô S. stec gân,' Fragm. 46ª. 'tuo mir ûf (open) der S. tür!' MS. 1, 36ª. 'der S. porte,' A. Heinr. 243,33. 'der S. tür besliezen,' shut, MsH. 3, 336ª. 'setzen zuo der S. tür,' Zauberb. 1150. 'den begiuzet S. vluot,' flood, MsH. 3, 205ª. 'Sœlde und ir gesinde (household) walt ir,' MS. 1, 88b. 'diu Sâlde folget sínen vanen,' follows his banners, Lampr. 2089. 'mir enwil diu S. ninder folgen einen fuoz,' Ben. 367. 'mir ist diu S. gram,' unfriendly, Gregor 2390. 'diu S. was ime gram,' Diut. 1, 10. Athis D. 84. 'diu S. vliuhet (flees) von mir,' Greg. 1526. 'diu S. hât mich verlân,' Karl 95ª. 'diu S. hât si besezzen,' possessed her, Wigal. 884. 'diu S. het ir gesworn' 941. 'diu S. het zuo im gesworn zeim stæten ingesinde,' to be his steadfast follower, Lanz. 1561. 'der Sœlden spil,' game, Wigal. 8761. 9271. 9386. 'diu gespil der S.,' playmate 10532. 'swes diu S. ze gesellen gert,' desires as companion 945. 'im gab diu S. ir hantgift,' Silv. 534. 'diu S. vlôz im in den munt' 1024. 'ez rîse (drop) ûf dich der S. tuft' 1389. 'so grüenet dîner S. rîs,' spray, MsH. 2, 258ª. 'frouwe S. lachet mir,' laughs, Ernst 4334. 'daz dir frô S. lache, und al dîn heil bewache,' Silv. 2565. 'Fortûne wolt im dô niht mê genædeclîchen (graciously) lachen,' Troj. 5754. 'sô decket uns der S. huot,' hood, hat, Winsbekin 45, 7: a wishing-cap. 'daz iuch frouwe S. müeze behüllen' (fovere), Lohengr. 101: behüllen prob. in its literal sense, to wrap, to clothe, as Walther 43, 1 and 7 makes frô Sælde kleiden (clothe) people, and schrôten (cut out) for them; she cuts out sorrow and high courage. And so, no doubt, under many more aspects, which we can guess from our present figures of speech: 'fortune favours, visits, pursues him,' etc. etc. And here again we find, even in old poets, the more vague neuter: 'gelücke hât den nuwen gegen mir gekêrt,' turned its back toward me, LS. 1, 238; 'hât den nuwen noch gegen mir endecket; enblecket gên mir sînen zan (bared its teeth, gnashed); het zer rechten hende griffen' 3, 539. 'dô kêrte von im unde vlôch gelücke,' Troj. 5750. We say 'my fotune blooms, grows,' as though it were attached to a tree or herb: 'mein glücke das blühete mir,' Schweinichen 1, 170. 'gelücke wahset mit genuht,' Troj. 5686. 'uns ist niht wol erschozen gelücke' 12438. 'Got wil uns sælde lâzen wahsen,' Lohengr. 66. The proverb 'das glück kommt von ungefähr wol über neunzig stauden her,' Simplic. 2, 158, well expresses the suddeness and surprise, the windfal nature of luck, to which are owing the very names of tuch (from tucein, tugcanein) and fortuna (from fors). Very likely some of the phrases quoted above have come to us from the ancients, or they had them in common with us (see Suppl.).

The tale of the Wunderer (wonder-worker, Etzels hofh. 208), makes frau Sœlde a king's daughter with three miraculous gifts, [1] that of knowing a man's thoughts, [2] of blessing warriors against wounds in battle, [3] of transporting herself whither she will (24-26). Who can fail to detect in this the echo of an old heathen valkyr?

The now universally familiar image of Fortune riding on a rolling wheel (kulindroj), (13) which was attributed to Fors, Tyche and Nemesis (O. Müller's Archäol. 607), is, I consider, an importation. 'Versatur celeri Fors levis orbe rotae,' Tibull. i. 5, 70. stans in orbe dea,' Ov. ep. ex Ponto ii. 3, 56. 'Fortunae rotam pertimescebat,' Cic. in Pison. 10. 'rota Fortunae,' Tac. de orat. 23. 'assumptus in amplissimum Fortunae fastigium, versabiles ejus motus expertus est, qui ludunt mortalitatem, nunc evehentes quosdam in sidera, nunc ad Cocyti profunda mergentes,' Amm. Marc. 14, 11: 'Fortunae te regendum dedisti, dominae moribus oportet obtemperes, tu vero volventis rotae impetum retinere conaris? Si manere incipit, Fors esse desistit,' Boëth. de consol. ii. pr. 1. Notker cap. 25. 'rotam volubili orbe versamus (says Fortuna of herself), infima summis, summa infimis mutare gaudemus. ascende si placet, sed ea lege uti ne, cum ludicri mei ratio poscet, descendere injuriam putes,' ib. ii. pr. 2.---There seem to be two separate images here: one, that of the goddess herself standing or sitting (14) on the revolving wheel, (15) and so whirling by in breathless haste; the other, that she makes the favoured ones ascend the wheel, and the unlucky ones descend, those soar aloft, these hang below. Our poems of the Mid. Ages often speak in general terms of the rat (wheel) or schîbe (disc, orb) of Fortune, of luck, of Sælde: 'orbita Fortunae ducit utroque rotam (a better reading: utramque viam),' Reinh. 1, 1494. 'volubilis Fortunae rota,' Rodulfus chron. Trudonis, p. 381. 'rota Fortunae,' Radevicus 1, 40. 'swaz ie geschiht, daz stât an glückes rade,' whatever happens rests on fortune's wheel, Freid. 110, 17. 'daz im der sœlekeit rat mit willen umbe lief,' Troj. 9471; 'jâ walzet ir gelückes rat vil stæteclich ûf und nider, her und hin, dan und wider loufet ez,' her (i.e. Sæde's) wheel of luck rolls right steadfastly, (16) etc. 2349. 'im dienet daz gelückes rat, daz im nâch êren umbe lief' 7229. 'gelückes rat lauft uns die sumer und die winder,' Lohengr. 119. 'mîn schîbe gât ze wunsche,' Ben. 353; 'dem gêt sîn schîbe enzelt,' 360. 'wol gie (or, gie für sich) ir schîbe,' Lohengr. 146. 189. 'si vuoren (they rode) ûf gelückes rade,' Flore 844. 'Sœlde diu ist sinewel (spherical), und walzet umb als ein rat,' Uebel wîp 241. 'der Sœlden schîben trîben,' Amis 2053. 'entschîben,' Ulr. Trist. 708. Yet that ascending and descending is often mentioned too: 'sô stîge ich ûf, und ninder abe,' never down, Parz. 9, 22. 'gelücke ist rehte als ein bal, swer stîget der sol vürhten val,' who climbs must fear a fall, Freid. 115, 27. 'sô hangen ich an dem rades teile (limb), dâ maneger hanget âne trôst (without hope),' Ben 88; 'ê daz der Sœlden schîbe mich hin verdrücke gar zuo der verzalten schar' 91. 'si waren hôhe gar gestigen (mounted high) ûf des....gelückes rat, nû müezens leider von der stat aber nider rûcken (move down again),' Flore 6148. 'swer hiute sitzet ûf dem rade, der sîget morgen drunder (sinks under it to-morrow),' Troj. 18395. 'er ist komen ûf gelückes rat, daz muoz im immer stille stân,' Geo. 193. 'gelückes rat, wenne sol ich mîne stat ûf dir vinden?' Ben. 306. 'swebe oben an der Sœlichkeit rade,' Zauberb. 1860. 'Got werfe in von (hurl him from) gelückes rat!' Kolocz. 74. 'gelückes rait geit up ind neder, ein velt (one falls), der ander stiget weder,' Hagen's Cöln. chr. 1770. 'gelückes rat nu rîde in ûf die hœhe,' turn (writhe) him up aloft, Tit. 5218; 'gelücke, dîn rat nu rîde!' 5275. 'Fortûna diu ist sô getân, ir schîbe lâzet si umbe gân, umbe loufet ir rat, dicke vellet der da vaste saz,' oft falleth he that sat there fast, Lampr. Alex. 3066. (17) This notion carried into detail shows us four (or twelve) men at once standing on fortune's wheel in ceaseless revolution: 'gelückes rat treit vier man, der eine stîget ûf, der ander stîget abe, der dritte ist obe, der vierde der ist under,' MS. 2, 221ª; and Wigal. p. 41 tells us of one who had in his house such a wheel cast of gold, and who was always happy (like Frode with his mill of luck, which also went round): 'ein rat enmitten ûf dem sal, daz gie ûf und ze tal (down); da wâren bilde gegozzen an (molten images thereon), iegelîchez geschaffen als ein man. hie sigen diu (sank these) mit dem rade nider, sô stigen (mounted) diu ander ûf wider. daz was des gelückes rat,' (18) In Renart le nouvel 7941-8011, Fortune lifts the fox on to her wheel, and promises not to turn it. Hence too the story of the twelve landsknechts or Johanneses on fortune's wheel, Deut. sag. nos. 209. 337. Our Sælde is never painted blind or blindfolded (19) (see Suppl.).




ENDNOTES:

11. So: 'des sî mîn S. gein iu bote,' Parz. 416, 4. 'des sol mîn S. pfant sîn,' be pledge thereof, Frauend. 23. 'lât dir'z din S. wol gezemen,' MS. 2, 252ª. [Back]

12. This escaping is the same thing as the ON. hverfa (evanescere): heillir horfnar (felicitates evanitae), Sæm. 93ª. 'swi ime di Sâlden volgen, werdent si ime verbolgen, si ne kêren zornliche wider,' once offended, they come not back, Al. 6189. [Back]

13. A different thing therefore from the wheel that Krodo and Vishnu carry in the hand (p. 248-9). [Back]

14. Pentam. 5, 9 has also a 'vecchia seduta ncoppa na rota' as Fortuna. [Back]

15. The mere turning of the wheel (daz sueibônta rad, N. Boëth. 47) may, quite apart from the goddess, suggest the mutability of fate. When Cyrus saw a captive king attentively watch the rising and falling spokes of wheels, and inquired the reason, the latter replied, that they put him in mind of the instability of life, pwj ta katw anw ginontai, kai ta anw katw (Cedrenus, ed. Paris, 142). [Back]

16. This is contrary to James I. of Scotl.'s idea: 'the sudden sweltering of that ilk wheel.....so tolter whilom did she it to-wry (twist about).' But it seems the prevailing one here, unless 'sîn schîbe gêt en-zelt' (3 lines lower) mean 'goes tolter,' tolutans, ambling, as zelter is an ambler. Further on, 'mich hin verdrücke,' push me off, need not imply a waddling movement.-----Trans. [Back]

17. Conf. the passage on la roe de la Fortune in the Jeu d'Adan (Théâtre français au moyen âge p. 82). [Back]

18. From this wheel, which Wigalois wore on his helmet (1862-6), came the name of Ritter mit dem rad (already in Gildas of Banchor 'miles quadrigae'), not from the adventure he had to brook with a brazen wheel (pp. 252-4 of the poem). [Back]

19. Nor is she called glesîn, like the Lat. Fortuna vitrea; Gotfrid of Strassburg alone (MS. 2, 45b) has 'daz glesin glücke,' and we have now the proverb 'luck and crock are easy broke.' [Back]