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NORSE MYTHOLOGY: THE ATLAKVIDA AND TALES FROM THE POETIC EDDA

ATLAKVIDA
The Atlkakvida is one of the heroic poems of the Poetic Edda. One of the main characters is Atli who originates from Attila the Hun. The story uses characters also known in the Song of the Nibelungs. I have deliberately merged the two stories for this series of illustrations.

1. Gudrun mourns her dead husband Sigurd, murdered by Gunnar and Hagen.

2. Years of depression, grief and unfulfilled desire for revenge follow.

3. A messenger of Attila the Hun arrives. Attila asks for Gudrun to marry him.

4. Attila receives Gudrun and her entourage. They marry and Gudrun becomes Empress

5. On their way to Attila, Hagen encounters a rivermaid that predicts the future. Everyone will die on this journey.

6. At the court of the Huns, Gudrun tries to force Hagen and Gunnarr to reveal the location of the gold of the Nibelungs. They resist, so she has Hagen's heart cut out, and Gunther thrown into the snake pit, where he dies while playing the harp..

7. Feeling that her husband has been of no help to her, she murders his two children and serves him their flesh when he is drunk at a feast. She then throws herself out of the window, but the sea deemed her acts a fitting revenge for what was done to her in her life, and carries her off to the shores of Denmark, where she weds king Jonakr of Denmark.

THE POETIC EDDA
The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic medieval manuscript Codex Regius. Along with Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda is the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, and from the early 19th century onwards has had a powerful influence on later Scandinavian literatures, not merely through the stories it contains but through the visionary force and dramatic quality of many of the poems.

2. Hyndluljóð "The Lay of Hyndla". Not much storyline in there, but I loved the idea of Freya hollering at Hyndla "Let's go ride to Valhall, you on your wolf, and I on my boar, and have some girl talk!"

1. Lokasenna "The flyting of Loki". After offending pretty much all Gods and Goddesses in Valhall, Loki is hunted down and tied with his own son's guts. A venomous snake drips poison on his face. His wife Sigyn stays with him, holding a cup under the stream of poison. But whenever she has to empty the cup, poison reaches Loki's face and he's writhing in pain, this being thought the cause of earthquakes.

3. Skírnismál (Sayings of Skírnir). In which Frey falls in love with Gerdr, and sends his servant Skírnir to woo her. But Skírnir does quite the bad job at it, and after Gerdr won't yield to clumsy sweet talk, Skírnir has to threaten her life for her to succumb. Romantic...not!

4. Þrymskviða "The Lay of Thrym". Freya lends her feathered cloak to Loki, who flies to earth, looking to find out who stole Thor's hammer. The fun part of the story is when Thrym demands Freya as a bride in return for the hammer, and Thor decides to cross-dress and pretend he is Thrym's fair bride Freya. At the wedding feast, Thrym can't help but notice his veiled bride is much more stout than he had pictured her, and she eats a whole ox and downs three kegs of beer. Should have made him suspicious!

5. Baldr has been having nightmares. Odin rides to Hel to investigate. He finds the grave of a völva and resurrects her. Their conversation follows, where the völva tells Odin about Baldr's fate. In the end Odin asks her a question which reveals his identity and the völva tells him to ride home.

6. Sigrdrífumál ("sayings of the victory-bringer") Sigurd rode up the Hindarhil, and went into the castle. He saw a warrior lying within it asleep. He first took the helmet off the warrior's head, and saw that it was a woman. With his sword Gram, he ripped the corslet and took it off from her, breaking the spell of Odin. Brynhild rises and continues to praise and greet the world, as Sigurd drinks a potion from a horn.

ANGLO SAXON TALES: TRISTAN AND ISEULT & BEOWULF

TRISTAN AND ISEULT
The legend of Tristan and Iseult is an influential romance and tragedy, retold in numerous sources with as many variations. The tragic story is of the adulterous love between the Cornish knight Tristan and the Irish princess Iseult (Isolde).

1. In Cornwall, King Mark reigned, always at his side his sister Blanchefleur. But Blanchefleur secretly fell in love with King Rivalin, and conceived his child as he lay wounded from war on his deathbed.

2. To spare her brother the disappointment, she fled to King Rivalin's castle and secretly gave birth to her son. She died, too, and named her son Tristan, since he was born through grief and sadness.

3. King Marke missed his sister, having no idea what happened to her. Years passed in grey loneliness.

4. Meanwhile, Tristan grew into a formidable young man. So smart and handsome was he, that he got kidnapped by a group of tradesmen. But they felt Gods' wrath when they got into a terrible storm at sea. To soothe God's anger, they released Tristan in a small boat.

5. Without knowing it, Tristan had been washed ashore in Cornwall, where he impressed a few of King Mark's huntsmen and was introduced to Mark's court.

6. Soon, he became the King's favorite. One day, as the Irish barbarian King Morolt came to blackmail Mark, Tristan dueled him and killed Morolt. However, he received a wound from Morolt's poisoned blade.

7. Tristan fell sick and there seemed to be no hope for his life. He asked to be released on a small boat, to await his fate on the ocean. His beloved harp was the only thing he took with him.

8. But Tristan was lucky. The boat was carried over to Ireland, where fishermen found him through the sound of his harp. He was brought to Morolt's sister and she cured the poisoning. As he recovered, he shared his musical skills with young Iseult, Morolt's niece.

9. Tristan returns home and Marke is so overjoyed that he plans to make him his heir. This angers some of the court, and Tristan advises Marke to marry and have a son. He thinks young Isolde would be perfect. Iseult's mother says yes and gives her daughter a love potion to share with Mark. But while traveling with Tristan, they accidentally drink it and fall in love.

10. Mark loves his young bride, not aware of what is going on. They marry.

11. Tristan and Iseult begin a dangerous love affair. Time and again do they have to make up lies and excuses.

12. Mark does not believe the rumours but reluctantly agrees to put the two to the test. He spreads flour around Isoldes bed and then leaves the chamber for a while. Tristan sees the flour, jumps across it into Iseult's arms. But when Mark checks the flour, he sees droplets of blood, coming from a wound on Tristan's leg that has opened from jumping.ou want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

13. Tristan is condemned to death and Iseult given to a group of lepers. But fortunately, Tristan escapes and rescues Iseult.14. Together, they live happily in the forest for a while. One night, after a long discussion they sleep with Tristan's sword between them. It is then Mark finds them, believes the two not lovers and exchanges Tristan's sword with his, as a peace offer.

14. Together, they live happily in the forest for a while. One night, after a long discussion they sleep with Tristan's sword between them. It is then Mark finds them, believes the two not lovers and exchanges Tristan's sword with his, as a peace offer.

15.Tristan and Iseult understood and came back to court. Iseult decided to prove in front of God that she was innocent. Tristan dressed up as a beggar, and one her way to the site of the "test" she pretended to trip and land in his arms by accident.
In front of Mark's people, she finally announced that she has never laid in anyone's arms but Mark's - and that poor beggar, by accident of course. Then she picked up an iron rod from a fire and carried it with her hands for everyone to see. And because she had spoken the truth, the iron did not hurt her.

16. However, the glory days were over. They both decide it's best to not see each other again.

18. One day, Tristan met another girl, also called Iseult. She was the sister of one of his friends Kaedin. He decided to marry her, trying to overcome his desire for the real Iseult. Soon after, Tristan helped Kaedin meet his secret lover and was reminded of his sweet days with Iseult la blonde. But they got caught, Kaedin died and Tristan was lethally wounded. On his deathbed, he asked to have the real Iseult visit him one final time. A ship was sent, and if it came back with white sails, she would be on it. If the sails would be black, it would mean she would not be there. Again and again he asked his wife if she saw the ship coming yet. Poor thing was sad and jealous. When the ship finally came, it had white sails. Iseult had finally revealed to Mark the truth about the potion, and he regretted everything. He was to let them have each other. But as Tristan asked his wife about the color of the sails, her jealousy took over and she said "black".

19. That moment, he died. Iseult raced up to his bed the second the boat arrived, to take one last look. She threw herself on the bed, kissed him, and died, too. ~The END~

BEOWULF
In this poem from the 8th century, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats in Scandinavia, comes to the help of Hroðgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall has been under attack by a being known as Grendel. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel's mother attacks the hall and is then also defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland in Sweden and later becomes king of the Geats. After a period of fifty years has passed, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is fatally wounded in the battle.

1. Beowulf, Hero of the Geats

2. Beowulf arrives at the kingdom of King Hrodgar. A guard asks the reason for his visit. Beowulf tells him he came to free the Danes of Grendel.

3. Grendel has been wreaking havoc in Hrodgar's mead hall several times, whenever the warriors feast and sing loudly.

4. Beowulf defeats Grendel and rips his arm off. The dying monster escapes back to its lair, where his mother swears revenge.

5. Grendel is her only child, and so the monstrous witch awaits Beowulf, who has set out to look for the mother and confirm Grendel's death.

6. Grendels mother, who lives in a cavern under the sea, grabs Beowulf and brings him to her home, where they fight fiercely until Beowulf finally kills her.

7. Fifty years later, a thief steals a golden cup from a dragon's lair, awakening the dragon and killing everything within its reach. Beowulf faces his final battle. He slays the dragon, but is mortally wounded. Good night Beowulf, Sometime King of the Geats!

GREEK MYTHOLOGY