The Myth of Wayland the Smith

Illustration of Wayland the Smith with his wings, about to leap from a tower in an attempt to fly. Image originally from the book Myths and Legends of All Nations by Logan Marshall.[1]

Throughout the history of myths and legends, there are myriad stories that are shared or borrowed from earlier sources, then re-named and adjusted for a different culture. Certain themes repeat themselves throughout the ancient world, and those that resonate most effectively will endure over time and evolve alongside the cultures they exist in.

The myth of Wayland the Smith is one of these. The name Wayland comes from Old English, which is a later version of the original Norse legend of Völundr. There are other Germanic and French versions of Wayland as well, and the story is strikingly similar to the Greek myth of Daedalus. The main source for the original legend is the Völundarkviða, which is an Old Norse epic poem.

As the Völundarkviða story goes, Völundr, or Wayland, was a master craftsman and blacksmith who was captured by King Niðhad and forced to forge items for the king on the island of Sævarstöð. The king had Völundr hamstrung, which means his hamstring tendons were cut, rendering him a cripple. Obviously, Völundr sought revenge on the king, and as with any good myth, he got it. First, he fashioned a set of wings for himself, which allowed him to fly. Next, he killed the king’s three sons and fashioned objects out of their body parts, including goblets made of their skulls, jewels made from their eyes, and a brooch made from their teeth. These objects were then sent to the king, his queen and their daughter, Böðvild, respectively. Next, Völundr seduced Böðvild and impregnated her. After all this, Völundr visited the king and explained everything to him, then flew away. The king’s archers and cavalry attempted to capture him, but he flew too high and was never seen again.

It’s a colorful, violent tale of revenge, but the main takeaway is Wayland’s use of flight to escape his island prison. Once he was crippled by the king, his ability to escape over land or water was hindered, so he turned to the sky as a means of escape. It’s a familiar tale of the legendary figure who finds freedom in the sky by building a set of wings to fly with. Other myths that similarly deal with flight are the Greek myth of Daedalus, the British myth of King Bladud, and the Persian myth of Kay Kāvus, among others. This begs the question whether each of these tales was created in isolation, or if they all evolved from a common root legend. Either way, it speaks to the human need for verticality that flight is such a common theme throughout our myths and legends.

Read more about other ideas for flying machines here.

Check out other myths and legends that deal with flight here.


[1]: Myths and Legends of All Nations. Translated by Logan Marshall. Philadelphia: John C. Winston Co., 1914. 234.