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Wayland's Smithy

Long Barrow

Folklore

Wayland or Volund is the divine smith in Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Germanic. It is said that is you leave your horse tethered there overnight with a silver coin as payment, the horse will have been re-shoed in the morning!

In folklore, Volund and his two brothers steal the "swan-shifts" of three swan maidens then go on to convince the swan maidens to stay in their human forms and become their wives. After a period of 9 years the Swan-Maidens manage to find their swan-shifts and turn back into swans! Interesting as it has been observed that Waylands Smithy aligns to Deneb in the consellation Cygnus (The Swan)

Reference "The Cygnus Mystery" by Andrew Collins
faerygirl Posted by faerygirl
12th July 2010ce
Edited 12th July 2010ce

Comments (3)

Good to be reminded of the Norse connection; you've probably read these links faerygirl - both interesting. I haven't yet read "The Cygnus Mystery" which is something I should rectify soon.

http://www.berkshirehistory.com/legends/smithy02.html

http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/oxfordshire/featured-sites/waylands-smithy.html

tjj Posted by tjj
13th July 2010ce
You might be interested in the comments and link here faerygirl - http://themodernantiquarian.com/forum/?thread=58696&message=740600 (and we hope to see you at one or other of the Meets :-) Littlestone Posted by Littlestone
13th July 2010ce
Yes I've seen Franks Casket pictures before. The wife of Volund has a rune symbol next to her that looks strangely like a swans foot. I love all these connections. Thinking myself that it may all come from the fact that Brahma (the creator God of Hinduism) rides on a swan between worlds. faerygirl Posted by faerygirl
14th July 2010ce
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