Wayland the Smith | Weird, Vengeful Elf or Ancient Crippled God?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.ค. 2024
- Wayland the Smith | Tracking the Crippled God.
Welcome back to another episode of Deity Tracker, where we will be telling the story of the Anglo Saxon figure of Weyland, or Volund as he is called in the Norse Sagas and the associated folklore and mythology of this Master Craftsman.
The journey begins with Weyland’s Smithy Long Barrow up on the Ridgeway, an ancient Neolithic site shrouded in myth and magic. Dubbed 'Britain's Oldest Road', the Ridgeway has many ancient sacred sites also revered by contemporary pagans.
Local Legend has it the invisible smith will shod your horse if you leave a silver coin...
Then I will tell the story of Weyland, a renowned figure in Norse mythology, famed for his unmatched skill in metalworking. Betrayed and crippled by a king, Weyland’s story is one of cunning revenge and resilience.
But Weyland’s story extends beyond Norse tales. In the “mythological labyrinth,” we’ll explore how this archetype of the wounded smith appears in various cultures. Discover parallels with Vulcan of Roman lore, the Greek craftsman Daedalus, and Hephaestus, the Olympian god of fire and forge.
We’ll also delve into archaeological and literary connections, ancient and modern, such as the heroic Beowulf, Marvel Comic's Iron Man, and the enigmatic Franks Casket.
These stories reflect the enduring legacy of the master craftsman archetype across different times and cultures.
Trigger warning: This story includes themes of murder, torture, rape, hamstringing, betrayal, bereavement and revenge.
My name is Oliver Lavery, and I'm the Story Crow. Thanks for watching
Hey guys, before watching, please take note:
I don't usually put trigger warnings on old tales, but I got a bit visceral with the telling of this one and it is just quite a weird and horrid story in some respects. You name it. Torture, murder, infanticide, cannibalism, sexual violence, regular violence. It's all in this story. You have been warned.
Skip past the story to the Mythology stuff about half way through if you don't fancy that or it's too early in the morning 😅
Good on you for adding the trigger warning.
I do hope you never self censor your stories. I think it was Tain who said something about censorship along the lines of "Don't tell me I can't eat steak because you don't have teeth"
I've always loved this story and I think you did an awesome job telling it.
Such a shame that the world has become so infantilised and full of snowflakes that you felt the need to warn people who might be "triggered" by the content. Given that this has been told and retold for thousands of years. The ancient myths you cover are full of similar subjects. I would have thought the people who are subscribed to your channel arre aware, and accepti5of such thi GS.
Such a sad state the so called modern world has become.
Great story though. I've always wondered about Weyland, and hope to visit Weyland Smithy someday.
@andyowens-kirk8309 Why does it bother you if people who don't want to hear about violence and sexual assault get a warning about it? You can still watch the video. You have lost nothing. Everyone has a right to choose if and when they are exposed to such things.
@@simon1714 He was triggered by a trigger warning. The irony of it.
All hail the God of the Algorithm, who hath blessed me on this fine day. 🙏 💜
No one tells tale (folklore) like you bravo 👏 I can see the similarities with other tales. Thankyou ♥️
Thanks 🙏☺️✨
I love the manic energy you have when you get really into telling the tale, You're an incredible storyteller
I do get carried away sometimes 😂
Thanks for the comment my friend 🙏
I could listen to you telling these stories for hours (and often do). My favorite channel hands down 😊
Love this comment. I’ll keep making the tales then. Happy listening my friend and thanks for supporting the channel with all those watch hours 🙏☺️♥️
yeah one day he should do a marathon, like some daimon bard trying to put to bed this restless youtube. 👏🏽👏🏽
Well, that escalated quickly! Put me in mind of “How very different from the home life of our own dear Queen!”
I’ve always found Wayland’s Smithy and the Uffington White Horse quite magically beautiful places to visit.
What a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an hour ona friday evening - listening to you 🙏 thank you
Pleased to hear it. I spent it at a moist festival listening to a queen tribute act 😂
💜
Patricia Briggs is an urban fantasy author, her main series is Mercy Thompson, a coyote shapeshifter out of her league in a world of vampires, werewolves and fae among other mythic figures
Her employment is as a VW mechanic. Her mentor is an iron-kissed fae who goes by Zee, Seibold Adelbertsmiter, slowly confirmed to be the Dark Smith of Drontheim, in book 13 hinted and confirmed by Underhill itself to be Wayland the Smith. Tilly gives her a particular skull chalice
It's a delightful series, Mercy has also been named Mercy Coyotesdaughter
Thank you for continuing to supplement my knowledge
In Welsh it's known as Gofannon's Smithy. Gofannon, the ‘Divine-Smith,’ was the son of Belenos, the Sun-God, and Anu, his wife. Gofannon made a silver hand for the maimed Llud at the site. He is mentioned in the Mabinogion, has many links to Vulcan and earlier. All of these probably stem from PIE myths but I don't know of any. Thank you for the teachings and for reaching into your word-hoard with the tale of Weyland.
That’s interesting, I didn’t know it’s welsh name. Is there a name in the old language for west kennet long barrow and Adam’s grave too?
Yeah, I meant to talk about celtic counterparts of the divine smith at the end but it slipped my mind, thanks for mentioning ☺️🙏
@@TheStoryCrow If fannon is the same as finn (wing) that sounds the same as Gondor (Gandar) or Slagfinn a brother of Volund (wiland), Slagfinn married the valkyrie Svanvith (swan-white) ; Cepheus married Cassiopeia (celestial) . Gunther, the old hunter and the vain queen , Sappheriah .
@@willempasterkamp862 Sound The Horn of Gondor.
☝️
Excellent! Thank you for stirring my memories. Swans have always been special to me ( my name of origin). I have many swan feathers collected over time. Was given a book abt Weyland when in England..I would love to sit by the fire & listen to you, glad to have internet, so in a way I am...Blessed be wonderful one..My heart is always in England!!! Land of my ancestors.
Not sure I’ve ever heard of a tale so savage.
Wonderfully evocative, both Wayland 's Smithy and the story of Wayland the Smith. Both are vectors into the deep past.
Agreed 👍
Wow! I was transfixed by this story!!! Brilliant storytelling! Love your channel, Thank You for sharing 💕
Sir Walter Scott’s “Kenilworth” contains a description of Wayland’s Smithy.
Great video and story telling! Your passion is evident and worthy of great respect.
Well done and I look forward to further stories
Ah, didn’t know that. Cheers 👍🙏
And Kenneth or kennit are old names meaning, handsome, beautiful, fire...it's a name in Irish, Scottish and Scandinavian. There are strong links to the use of old brochs as smithys..iron processing, foundry. With whin bushes being fuel, which also gets hot enough to melt bedrock/building rock -- hello mystery vitrification - the place names around the megaliths, brochs bear witness to the ironworks of old.. kennith the handsome fire..west kennit barrows. Kent?? Kening is also knowing..Ken? Fire can be knowing...or smithy black Smith...black is also hidden or illuminated knowing. Like the ghillie dhu..hidden boys...ghillie is who will take you to learn fishing...how to know. Words a? Full brimming with maps to this land, this time or that. How to live. K x x
And Kenneth or kennit are old names meaning, handsome, beautiful, fire...it's a name in Irish, Scottish and Scandinavian. There are strong links to the use of old brochs as smithys..iron processing, foundry. With whin bushes being fuel, which also gets hot enough to melt bedrock/building rock -- hello mystery vitrification - the place names around the megaliths, brochs bear witness to the ironworks of old.. kennith the handsome fire..west kennit barrows. Kent?? Kening is also knowing..Ken? Fire can be knowing...or smithy black Smith...black is also hidden or illuminated knowing. Like the ghillie dhu..hidden boys...ghillie is who will take you to learn fishing...how to know. Words a? Full brimming with maps to this land, this time or that. How to live. K x x
This has brought me such pure joy! ❤ you are now my new favorite story teller! Whilst very easy on the eyes and ears too!! Thank you for sharing your talents! 🙏🙏
You are a superb storyteller ( love especially the wicked chuckle) You have a wonderful understanding of how myth and nature weave together with shamanism and mystery.Thank you.
Thank you kindly (gives wicked chuckle) 🙏😅
Keep up the good work, your channel is great!
Spellbinding storytelling, thank you!
Thank you for the telling and the elucidation piece too. This story is so rich, There are so many levels it is speaking to me. I do feel the crack of the great cosmic egg here, the loss of Eden, separation from the divine and the suffering that it begets. You're ending the piece with "this too shall pass" brought it home.
-the lyrics of one of my favorite songs Summertime evokes it:
Summertime, and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush little baby, don't you cry
One of these mornings, you're goin' to rise up singin'
And you'll spread your wings and you'll take the sky
But 'til that mornin', there's a-nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mommy standin' by.
🦢
Yes, so with you on the myth of separation and the fall from Eden there. That’s totally where this story is at.
Never really looked at summertime like that, but now I am…
a wonderful story and description on the narration. a joy to listen too.
Thanks for listening Paul, take care mate 👍
Can I just say. I love your videos. I love lore and mythology & plants but never knew that there was lore & mythology behind plants. You introduced this magic to me. I love your videos
I guess I’m just trying to tell you your audience. I’m a northern boy born and raised (pakistani, ethnicity) my borough and my ethnic people sadly don’t have time or care for things like this. But there’s a small pocket of people that are spreading these magical stories (me)
Keep these videos up , I love telling my wife/friends these stories when we go for a nice walk
Sincerely a Blackburn boy!!!
Ah, thanks for the comment my friend. I’m glad you’re spreading the old stories, they’re our shared heritage regardless of ethnicity.
You haven’t asked for this, obviously, but I will be telling more tales from the Islamic world in the coming months, from Morocco to Pakistan (and hoping it won’t mess with the algorithms too much 😂)
Here’s a West Country boy waving to a Lancashire lad across the inter webs 👋🙏😂
Very enjoyable..
Thank you 🪴
Fantastic telling…..mesmerising 🎉❤
Nicely told..you have got my mind working on the me being every character in the story..also the amount of information on where these stories originate and how they echo other tales. a dark tale of self suppression and anger control because of incarceration. another angle was the crippled genius that i am still mulling over. the gold ring i think was his own personal gift of his heart (that he was giving to his beloved).. that was wrongly given to another person ..i love your tales and the way you tell them and it has deepened my interest in my and the worlds ancient lore wisdom and self discovery..xx
I think that’s exactly the way we should look at these old tales. They’re happening within us daily
Nice to meet you at Waylands Smithy my friend :) great to see your story telling, congratulations !! lots of love, the guy in the robe ❤️
Ahhhh, yes mate, you had a good energy about you. And a nice dulcimer. Just watched your one TH-cam video. You should do more!
Found you recently. Your videos are such a treat. The topics are just what I've been looking for. You are a wonderful storyteller, a pleasure to listen to, not hard on the eyes either😉. Your rustic home looks quite like mine ( I live in a log cabin in northern California), and whenever I have the chance to see your library, we have the same books! Such a joy. I appreciate and applaude all you do!
Welcome aboard, glad you’re enjoying the tales ☺️🙏
This story was so awe-mayzin ! My face at the most vengeful parts literally : 😮
And its stayed like that for a minute. Bravo 👏🏻
Loved the storytelling, the mythology and the wonderful scenery. That interaction with the guy whose trickster smith great grandad was wild…loved the description of “temporary pagan” too … we all have our own ways of being.
OMG. I think I said ‘contemporary’ pagan. But ‘temporary’ pagan is genuinely brilliant. I hope I mis-spoke that.
It kind of suggests the fleeting nature of all self, phenomena and belief. Very pagan! 😂
@@TheStoryCrow maybe I misheard … most probably did (mea culpa)… but even so, it didn’t come over as in any way disrespectful … I’m going to turn up the volume and listen again
Hah amazingly well told. I bet they told these stories to their kids too. Good family entertainment!
Everyone is starting to see what once they couldn't some people are still asleep waking from a dream is hard 😂love your storytelling❤🇮🇪🤘 Pandoras box
Great stuff 🙏🏼
Had no idea, this is where the Simpsons character " Smithers" gets name.
That thing with the bladed chest lid has an interesting correspondence. Gregory of Tours recounts an instance where a Frankish queen was prevailed upon to bend over an open chest, and the lid slammed down by her own daughter in an effort to choke her to death. But royal minions broke it up and the queen lived.
Didn’t know that one, but it pops up in a lot of folk and fairy tales. Grimms ‘the juniper tree’ springs to mind
@@TheStoryCrow Ah I see. I suppose this implies that chest lid accidents were the kind of thing that people thought plausible. The lid of a big chest must weigh quite a lot, enough to break fingers at least. Probably if you lived in that context you knew people it had happened to.
Tragic story, but an excellent storyteller!🤗❤️🐝
Etymology of Elf shows up in German as Alp. ...meaning nightmare. I was expecting Elf/ elven to be "elder". Nice one, subscribed.
Elph-bone or elk is similar to ivory and horn, shiny gloomy white as wetted iron.
therefor the elkanites or iron maiden (Hymenaei) giving poor light,
Ebionites, 'the poor' compare to the 5 ancient known planets and the Twin.
Parable of the 5 fiery and 5 dull maiden. their lamps or skills are to compare with swan-skins. With no fuel their spirit will tamp out. 5 loaves + 2 pisces (fish) +
1 central (polar) star = 7 or 8 dwellers not following a proper path (micah 5 : 5)
7 dwarfs of Snowwhite, 7 sleepers of legend, 7 Nicolaitans (armed lads)..
Didn’t know that! Of course elves are responsible for bad dreams - I’ve experienced that! Thanks for the sub ☺️🙏
AHHH the inseverable link between mortal, ensalved Daedalus and Divine, crippled Hephaestus archetypes is making me feral. It’s the transcendence of mortal to divinity, but at the same time the divine brought down to humanity. Creation being only the act of gods. But also like, we humans can smith too and become like gods in creation
☝️ you got it 🙏😉
Fascinating! I think I chose well, though I could have gone with the Weyland spelling.
A quick thanks to Snuri, even if he did it his own way.
☝️☺️👍
Well there's a few things that Tolkien fans may notice there Mirkwood being the obvious but the Archer in the last scene reminded me of the Hobbit a little too.
Yes well spotted 😉
Also Tolkien’s mail shirts and swords made by elves you could say are indebted to Wayland
I'm a big fan of the crippled smith motif.
It’s an interesting one for sure 🔥
Thanks!
THANK YOU 🙏
I read once that blacksmiths were often depicted as crippled because slamming the hammer down caused them to become stooped and also shortened the leg they brought down as they swung.
Who wrote/performs your theme music? It brightens my day everytime I hear it, They should be in the credits.
Sounds plausible. Must have been heavy, heavy work
Ah, yeah it’s a small Scottish folk band I saw once, I really should put them in the credits, in fact I will 👍
It’s a traditional folk song in the Scots language called the Birkin tree, the version here is by the blind old dogs - fittingly 🐕
awesome - enjoyed this!!! : )
Great storytelling
I wonder if the handicap is aimbol to separate the craftsman from the ruling class because in the old days kings were wariors, and a crippled man couldn'tkeep gis kingdom , but in the end he impregnated the kings daughter
Fascinating story.
Georgians Aren't Indo-Europeans, but share many mythic archetypes.
We have a Forge priest who ascended into Demigod (godson) status known as Pirqush (grouch looker or Grumpy) who was a beautiful young man that girls wouldn't live alone so he prayed for peace and god gave him a disease that disfigured his face, giving him peace from the ladies.
In one story he gets kidnapped by Devi (Giants) and forced to work for them, devi are already powerful Blacksmiths so it's kinda odd why they kidnap him. He's probably much better. Then one of the other Godson heroes have to rescue him.
Blacksmith kidnapping was unfortunately common, north Caucasian barbarians often kidnapped Caucasian forge Priests and later empires would take skilled workers as well.
Thankfully Pirqush had no interest in women!
That’s a really interesting parallel story, doubtless of PIE origin like the others. Thanks for sharing. Love the Georgian myths, wish I knew more about them. I’ll have to visit one day. Cheers!
@@TheStoryCrow St. Paul was also a bachelor, wrote about a suit of armor, brestplate, shield, sword, hope, faith and love. was shipwrecked on an island. was married in a formal life. father of the Twin and the blessed Lady. The children were his own not that of the evil king. Similar the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the slain princes (missing children) compare to the children of Bethlehem.
47:10 there's certainly a nonzero chance they were familiar with Weyland, they certainly did their Norse myth research when creating the Thor comics.
Probably, although the marvel take on Norse myth is a bit dodgy 😂
@@TheStoryCrow I don't think it reflects an ignorance of the source material. They weren't attempting to remake the source, they were using it for their own ends. While I can see how that is "dodgy" given this is a living faith tradition, all I was attempting to argue was that they clearly knew the source material (the comics moreso than the movies). When they depart from the source material it's a choice, not an accident.
Agreed 🙏☺️
Wish the sound was a bit better.
Working on it. Getting some new sound equipment soon 😅
You may be able to help me ? years ago i visited Wayland Smithy and surrounding areas while looking for some stones reputedly used by the Knights Templar. While driving lost down country lanes we came across a small church being restored on the bend of the road and there was a 200mtr path running down the side of said church. We were advised to follow the path and much to our surprise we found a small perfect complete stone circle but covered with tall weeds and surrounded by a small fence and fields. We spent the day removing all the weed and taking many photos of this beautifull little circle the farmers had tried to hide from us. I have no idea of the exact location of this circle and have searched for years trying to find it, researched the WWW but no joy ?. We were driving around the ridgeway area, Averybury to Marlborough, any ideas please. ?
Ooof. No idea. Lots of stone circles round there though. If you find out let me know 😂
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
The leave a coin and your horse thing sounds more like a jokey legend to me. A joke because you'd have to be a complete fool to leave your horse there unguarded because of something you were told by the yokels in the nearby inn.
The name Saul means tall, stretched out, plain, vast, surfacial and sole. Weyland or weiland, wilander (dutch) means wide-land, open-land, meadow ; an 100% fit.
The name Paul means to the point, horny (cornelius), sticky and pole. Volundar or volund, the
norse variation means finisher, accomplisher, one 100% full-ender and that is what st. Paul wrote about himself ; made the good choice and fought the right battle, accomplished the walk of life.
Blacksmith compares with Ophiuchus, the celestial traveller, sailor (Popeye) but also an handyman, craftsman and snake-handler. Where Volund married Alvitr (omniscient) is the same as Ophiuchus in bed with Virgo (wise, all-knowing) ; Popeye gets Olive Oil.
Sounds about right 😉☝️
My son Rowan's ubilical cord is buried in the middle of the smithy
Surely you shoulda buried it under a Rowan tree!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Now I want to walk that ridgeway.
Doooooo it 👍
@@TheStoryCrow Is it a place where one would feel safe traveling by herself?
I mean, rural Britain is relatively safe for a solo female traveller I’d say. There’s few people up on the ridgeway, tbh, but you’re also not far from population centres. The one thing I would say, last time I travelled the ridgeway solo, was that I was quite spooked camping alone most nights - I’m not usually frightened of things that go bump in the night - but then the place I’d filled with burial mounds 😂
@@TheStoryCrow 😱🤣Oh gosh yes! That is something to consider. But I still want to go.
Hail Odin the all father.
🦉
Hephaistos was the greek version of this Smith, he was also crippled. look in to his tale
He is indeed ☺️
I talk about him at the end 👍
Did you comment before watching the whole video???
🫢😬😂
@@TheStoryCrow
Perseus married Andromeida
Cepheus married Cassiopeia
Ophiuchus married Virgo
Eagil the archer you say??
Blame the franks casket 😅
@@TheStoryCrow Egil = Egel = Hedgehog the defender or upholder. Egil married Olrun (= Mandrake) ; Perseus the persian warrior married Andromeida (strong as a man). Perseus compagnon is Sagittarius the archer. His arrow (rod, spear) hits the rock and releases the Living water.
Wayland would be a great bow name, if it wasn't for Smithers
It would wouldn’t it.
😂 yeah. I do wonder if the simpsons guy visited weylands smithy and thought, huh, that would be a good name…
@@TheStoryCrow it's too much of a coincidence
Probably 😂
For doggie snacks and lute? strings.
That lute does need restringing! Thanks fella, hope you and tux are well 😉👍
Nope, an American rapper, singer, music producer, and songwriter from Tampa, Florida.
Never heard of him 😂
Wayland didnt know about re incarnation? He should have moved on before he made anything at all. Coward.
I know what the peg is for on your table.
Yeah yeah