420
THE SAXONS IN ENGLAND.
[book I.
Song declares that he ruled the Helsings1 ; and even
later times had to tell of Wade’s boat2, in which
the exact allusion is unknown to us : the Scandi-
navian story makes him wade across the Groena-
sund, carrying his son upon his shoulder ; perhaps
our tradition gave a different version of this peril-
ous journey. The names of places which record his
name are not numerous, but still such are found,
thus Wadanbeorgas3, Wadanhlmw4. It is other-
wise, however, with his still more celebrated son,
Weland, the AVieland of German, Volundr of Norse
and Galand of French tradition. AVeland is the
most famous of smiths, and all good swords are his
work. In Beowulf, the hero when about to engage
in a perilous adventure, requests that if he falls his
coat-of-mail may be sent home, Welandes geweorc,
either literally the work of AVeland, or a work so ad-
mirable that AVeland might have made it.5 Ælfred
in his Boetiusc translates Jidelis ossa Fabricii by
‘ Line 44. See also Cod. Exon. pp. 320, 614. Ettmiiller, Scopes
wids⅛.
2 Chaucer once or twice refers to this in such a way as to allow that
the expression was used in an obscene sense. Old women, he says,
connen so moche craft in Wades bote.” Again of Pandarus :
“ He song, he plaitd, he told a tale of Wade.”
TroiL Cressid.
In this there seems to lie some allusion to what anatomists have
termed fossa naviculaιis, though what immediate connection there
could be with the mythical Wada, now escapes us. It is sufficiently
remarkable that the Greeks made a similar application of σκaφos.
« πayκaτaπvyov 6ημlτcpov iiτrau ytvos'
0vκ iτos aφ' ημωv tlσ∖v al τpayωbιat.
ovbèv yàp tσμlv πληv πoσtιi>ωv κaι σκaφη.
Aiistoph. Lysistr. 137.
’ Cod. Dipl. No. 65. 1 Ibid. No. 18.
5 Beow. 1. 901 ’ Boet. de Cons. ii.
CH. x∏∙]
HEATHENDOM. ÆGEL.
421
“ Sæs wιsan goldsmi,δes ban Welondes,” where, as
Grimm1 observes, the word Fabricius {falter) may
have led him to think of the most celebrated of
smiths, Weland. The use made by SirW. Scott of
AVelands name must be familiar to all readers of
Kenilworth : from what has been said it will ap-
pear how mistaken in many respects his view was.
The place in Berkshire which even yet in popular
tradition preserves the name of Wayland smith, is
nevertheless erroneously called ; the boundary of a
Saxon charter names it much more accurately
Welandes smiSl8e, i. e. Weland,s smithy, his work-
shop2. The legend of Weland, identical in many
respects with that of the AVilkina Saga and other
Northern versions, is mentioned in the Cod. Exon,
p. 377. Here we find notice taken of his mutila-
tion by Ni1Saudr, the violence done by him to Bod-
hildr, and Otheracts of his revenge3, all in fact that
is most important in this part of his history. Grimm
reminds me4 that the Wilkina Saga makes AVeland
1 D. Myth. p. 3δl. 2 Cod. Dipl. No. 1172.
3 Weland him be wurman
wræees Cimnade
sitSδan hine NitShad on
néde Iegde
swoncre seonobande,
onsyllan mon.
Beadohilde ne wæs
hyre broδra deals
on sefan swâ sâr
swa hyre sylfra i,ing,
tSæt heo gearolι'ce
Ongieten hæfde
tSæt heo eacen wæs, etc.
4 D. Myth. p. 3δl.