Concerning Brynhild

Disclaimer: This is long. It's also filled with spoilers--though the idea of spoilers being an issue when it comes to a manuscript this old is kind of moot, if you ask me. I find it fascinating, and I hope you will too!

The Saga of the Volsungs is a tragedy. There are no happy endings, no joyful reunions with loved ones left behind. Sigurd does not follow the path of the traditional hero, going out into the world to find his place in it and returning home triumphant with a magical bride to share everything he has learned. But he does meet Brynhild, who if not a Valkyrie, is at least a warrior woman, with an astounding foresight and great wisdom. On their first meeting, Brynhild passes this wisdom on to Sigurd without hesitation. She shares not just her common sense, but also everything she knows about runes and magic.

Specifically, Brynhild tells Sigurd:

Ale runes shall you know
If you desire no other's wife
To deceive you in troth, if you trust.
They shall be cut on the horn
And on the hand's back
And mark the need rune on your nail.

For the cup shall you make a sign
And be wary of misfortune
And throw leek into the liquor,
Then, I know that,
you will never get
A potion blended with poison.

Not much later, Sigurd begs Brynhild to tell him more of her wisdom, and she says this:

Beware of ill dealings, both of a maid's love and a man's wife; ill often arises from these.

And do not swear a false oath, because hard vengeance follows the breaking of truce.

and then:

Beware of the wiles of friends. I see only a little of your future life, yet it would be better if the hate of your in-laws did not descend upon you.

Sigurd professes his admiration of Brynhild's wisdom, and we are left with the impression that he takes her words to heart, treasuring them along with the apparent love he holds for her after this first meeting. Brynhild accepts Sigurd's praise, and admiration, but she warns him that they are not meant to marry or live together. Still, Sigurd insists, and Brynhild is persuaded. They exchange vows with one another, privately, and then part. 

In these three pages, Brynhild has both warned Sigurd of how he will be betrayed and given him the information he needs in order to prevent his downfall. Everything that happens to him after this point might have been avoided, had he used the "magic" Brynhild gave him, and kept her words of warning and wisdom in mind. Had he used the runes, Queen Grimhild could not have used the ale of forgetfulness on Sigurd, which caused him to forget his love for Brynhild. Had he been cautious of other women, and the "wiles of friends" he would not have trusted her to drink from the cup she gave him, and never would have married Gudrun, or helped Gunnar, his brother-in-law, win Brynhild's hand in marriage.

This isn't the only time in the Saga when a woman presents a warning to her loved ones and is ignored. It begins with Volsung's daughter, Signy, when she is made to marry King Siggeir, only much more explicitly. First she warns her father that the union will cause problems, and then she warns her father and brothers when Siggeir plans to betray and kill them. Both times, though they believe her, they choose not to alter the circumstances. Out of honor (pride? Hubris?) the Volsungs refuse to turn their back on a war, so that no one can call them cowardly. Nor will they break the vows exchanged to extract Signy from a marriage which is going to cause them nothing but trouble and bring about their ruin. Though Siggeir would betray them, they will not even consider dishonoring him. As a result, all the Volsungs but Signy and Sigmund, her brother, are killed. (Sigmund is Sigurd's father, but he dies in battle before his son is born.)

Regardless, Brynhild does everything in her power to prevent any other man but Sigurd from winning her hand in marriage. She uses magic to place a flame around her home and swears that she will only marry the man who is able to ride through the fire-- and Sigurd, being so much greater than any other man of the times, is the only man who can accomplish this feat. But by this time, Sigurd is already under the power of the Ale of Forgetfulness, and instead of finding Brynhild for himself, he uses magic to take on his brother-in-law Gunnar's form, and wins Brynhild for him instead. Brynhild, bound by her oath, has no choice but to marry Gunnar, not realizing that it was Sigurd who had ridden through the flames with Gunnar's appearance and using Gunnar's name.

Being sister-in-law to Sigurd, is bad enough, but when his wife, Gudrun tells her that it was Sigurd who rode through the flames, Brynhild is deeply upset. The Saga describes what may as well have been a deep depression, and Brynhild borders on a catatonic state from the shock and emotional upheaval at having been so betrayed by Sigurd, Ale of Forgetfulness or not. What Sigurd had done was not only force Brynhild to break her own oath (to marry the man who rode through the flames, which was in fact Sigurd) but also her vow to Sigurd himself. In essence, she had very really married him twice, only to wake up in bed with another man. An unforgivable bait and switch.

It's at this point that I have a hard time understanding Brynhild's responses and actions. Sigurd, at Gunnar's request, goes to speak with Brynhild. He confesses his part in things, and tells her about the Ale, the influence of which he was only freed from after she married Gunnar. He also tells her that he loves her, but they're both married, and Brynhild seems to have lost her faith in Sigurd after his deceit. Though he offers to forsake Gudrun to be with her, Brynhild refuses, saying she will not have two husbands. But she already does, and the only honorable way for any of it to end is for either Sigurd, Gunnar, or Brynhild to die. To this end, Brynhild repays Sigurd's deceit by provoking Gunnar, telling him if he wants to keep her, Sigurd has to die. Gunnar, though he swore on his own blood to aid and protect Sigurd, persuades his youngest brother who is bound by no such vow, to kill Sigurd for him.

Somehow, all of this has to do with Brynhild's honor, and Sigurd's deceit, but if she loves Sigurd so much that she doesn't even want to live without him one minute, why is she trying to orchestrate his death the next? And refusing to allow Sigurd to divorce Gudrun and marry her instead? All I can think, is that this is one giant tale of the tragedy which accompanies Hubris. Brynhild is so proud, she would rather die herself, and see the love of her life dead too, than be dishonored or find herself deceived into breaking her own vows.

Like I said, The Saga of the Volsungs is a tragedy. There are no happy endings. Sigurd doesn't follow Brynhild's advice, and Brynhild is too proud to forgive him for what happened because of it. But trust is a delicate thing, and once lost, sometimes it's impossible to reclaim. I'm not sure I blame Brynhild for mistrusting Sigurd after he tricked her into marrying Gunnar, but I definitely don't understand the tragedy that follows. After all that, Brynhild still chooses to die with Sigurd, and has her own body burned in Sigurd's funeral pyre, so that she can guide him into the afterlife--undefined as their destination is.

Then again, if the point of living is for fame and reputation, Brynhild and Sigurd certainly managed quite a bit of that. The Saga itself makes the claim that it will be known far and wide for all time, and as true as it was when it was written, it is just as true now. I suppose their needless deaths served at least that much purpose--giving them each a taste of immortality.

Notes from the Waiting Room

It seems my writer's process has become something like this:

1) Do massive amounts of reading on subject.
2) When I say massive, I mean to the point of information overload.
3) Dump information overload via blogposts, conveniently sharing all the cool stuff with my loyal readership while organizing my thoughts!
4) Digest newly organized thoughts for somewhere between 15 minutes and 24 hours.
5) Obey compulsion to write the STORY which rises to the top.

P.S.
For all of you who enjoy my doctor's visit brainstorming, this last trip involved a conversation with a very smug Thor over the nuances of honor in Norse society and the fate of Brynhild and Sigurd. (During which, Thor may or may not have sat down on a child's knee-high stool which was shaped like a tooth, and I may or may not have laughed out loud at the image and caused people to stare.)

Expect a very informative post on Brynhild tomorrow! (actually, sometime around 2am tonight, but... it's the same difference!)

I've gotta stop with the parentheticals. I just can't help myself, sometimes.

The Sweetest Giveaway I've EVER Seen!

If you're a total geek like me (and Stephanie, from whom I learned of this awesomeness), then you too will be stoked to learn that you can win a copy of Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran, along with (and this is why it Rocks my Socks) A GENUINE AND AUTHENTIC ROMAN COIN!

Guys, Go to Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog and check it out. Or don't! Less competition for me! :)

I'm keeping my fingers crossed-- but if fate must choose only one prize for me, then I hope it skips over me for the Roman-coin-and-book and gives me an agent instead. The Query Wars are in full swing!

Go! Go! Go!

Being a Hero SUCKS

It seems that no matter what mythology we find them in, being a hero is the crappiest of all lives to live. Maybe if you're a demigod and particularly lucky, you'll end up not entirely dead, but for the most part being a hero means one thing: years and years of struggle, conflict, and death defying acts of courage to be repaid with some kind of betrayal and a really pathetic and ignoble death.

Three Case Studies:

Theseus
Son of Poseidon and King of Athens, Theseus fights his way through monsters as a young man when his trip to Athens takes him by the six entrances to the Underworld. Once in Athens and recognized by his other father, he defeats the minotaur, freeing his people from paying tribute, in lives, to Crete. He takes the amazon queen for his wife (he kind of has a history of womanizing). He battles centaurs. He travels with Pirithous to the underworld and comes back again! When he gets back he goes into retirement. Why not, right? He's had a long and busy life, and after a trip to the underworld, he probably isn't interested in continuing to push his luck. He makes arrangements with a King friend of his to move back to the country island lands of his ancestors. When he gets there, he's either betrayed and pushed off a cliff, or, worse, he slips and falls on his own. To his death.

Lame Factor: 4 (out of five) if he was pushed. 5 if he fell. But 3 if someone can find me proof or hearsay that Poseidon rescued his immortal self and turned him into a god.

Heracles
Son of Zeus and most popular Hero of the ancient world. Tortured by Hera, pretty much from birth. Took on and overcame his 12 labors, during which he killed or captured a bunch of monsters, pretty much just for the entertainment of a king who wanted to see him dead, and as a penance for being driven mad by Hera and killing his own children. (Seriously. Hera induces madness, Heracles kills his children without realizing what he's doing, then he gets punished because Hera screwed with him. As if losing his kids isn't punishment enough. Nice.) Sailed with the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece. He saved Prometheus, and liberated Theseus from the Underworld, and helped Tyndareus (Helen's non-godly father) reclaim Sparta, and... well, I could go on. Suffice it to say, Heracles was the hero of heroes and there wasn't a lot he didn't do. (Also, kind of a womanizer, uh, and manizer?) His third wife got a little upset about it and in revenge, poisoned his shirt. Yes. His Shirt. When he put it on, taking it off ripped the flesh from his bones, or somesuch. Heracles had a pyre built for himself and burned to death. Because he was special, only the mortal parts of him burned away and he became fully immortal and joined the gods on Olympus. (Where he of course took a new wife. Some things never change.)

Lame Factor: 3 because I can't get over the poisoned shirt. I mean, come on.

Sigurd
According to the Saga of the Volsungs, Sigurd is descended from a line of men fathered by Odin. The Volsungs were all pretty incredible, but Sigurd was the greatest of them. His father died before his birth, in battle and as a young man, Sigurd avenged his father's death by killing all the sons of King Hunding, and pretty much slaughtering their entire army. Back home, he also slaughtered Fafnir the dragon (admittedly with a little advice from Odin) and became easily the richest and most powerful king alive. Sigurd was loved by everyone and said to be the "foremost in strength and accomplishments, in zeal and valor." He fell in love with Brynhild, but was tricked into marrying a different woman, and helping his brother-in-law win Brynhild for himself. It wasn't until after Brynhild had been married to his brother-in-law that Sigurd realized what had happened. When his brother-in-law realized Sigurd and Brynhild were in love with one another (though neither one of them betrayed their marriage vows) he betrayed Sigurd and had him attacked and killed in his sleep.

Lame Factor: 5. Betrayed AND attacked while defenselessly sleeping? At least Heracles was awake and chose the pyre. And at least Theseus was on his feet. Sigurd got a raw deal.

You'll notice that in our re-imagination of these heroes in the pages of comic books, while we may torture our mythical heroes a bit, they usually don't end up with super lame deaths. They go down fighting, or defending the world somehow, usually. When we let them die at all. And most of the time, we resurrect them again. (Though, one could argue that might be an even worse fate-- every time they get some peace in death, they end up brought back to face more hardship and continue the fight. Buffy is a good example of this, and she does not handle it well.)

I feel pretty sorry for them.

Misc. Moment

I'm super excited about tomorrow's blogpost, so make sure you check back here to see my take on why being a Hero is not all it's cracked up to be! I'm so excited I'm posting it at 1am. Technically tomorrow, but also kind of still today.

In the meantime, check out my spoiler free review of the Percy Jackson movie, a bit more in depth than my one paragraph blurb from the other day. I don't usually DO movie reviews, so let me know how you liked it, or what you thought was lacking so next time I can cater to the whims of the public. Or, uhm, improve myself?

Thanks to everyone who has found me on Twitter! I'm really enjoying the dynamics and discussions going on in that arena. Nothing makes my day like some good conversation about mythology and ancient history, and having easy access to a community of writers all going through the same processes in real time is amazing.

Friday Fun! Now With More Goats!

First off, a shout out of thanks to Stephanie at Hatshepsut for awarding me the fabulous Circle of Friends award! She has been a fantastic friend, and I am very excited to be in the Query Wars with her!

I'd like to extend this award to my new friend Trinza over at Tall Tales, who has been putting together some great posts on writing and the process lately. He's got some great common sense rules for keeping yourself writing, and for those of you who enjoyed the There is no greater weapon than courage quote from Sigurd, I think you'll find Trinza's post speaking to you!

I wasn't really sure what I was going to write about today but then it occurred to me that I hadn't yet discussed one of my most favorite moments of revision while working on GENERATIONS.

That's right, my friends! Today we're talking about Thor's magic goats!

You see, when I first wrote my book, I left Thor's goats out. Because let's face it, a thunder god being pulled in a goat drawn chariot is a pretty ludicrous idea. It's laughable. There isn't anything godly or noble about it. I wanted Thor to be treated seriously, not comically, and how do you introduce magic goats in a serious manner? Believe me, it's not easy. Especially not when it made me giggle just to think about it.

But the more I wrote, and the more involved in Thor's character I got, the more I realized Thor needed to have his goats. It didn't matter how funny I thought it was, or how ridiculous it seemed, these goats are part of Thor's character. Tanngrisni and Tanngnost are Thor's companions, and this is one of the things that makes Thor unique and understandable as a god. Thor associates, not with some more noble horse, fabulous cat, feral wolf, creepy raven, or golden boar, but with the same animals that the Vikings and Norsemen depended on for a living-- the regular livestock. The ignoble goat. The goats were one more part of what made Thor approachable, one more point to reinforce the fact that he was The Every-man's God.

So during this last and final revision, I gave Thor his goats back. And weaving them back into this story gave him a way to reach out to another character, and ultimately find information that he needed. Adding goats into my manuscript was hands down the best decision I made during this final revision, and I think Thor's a little bit happier for it, too.

If you're interested, there are quite a few animals mentioned in Norse mythology. Odin has Sleipnir the eight-legged horse (and child of Loki). Freyja has a boar named Hildisvíni, and her chariot is drawn by cats--which still strikes me as more frightening than goats. And Freyr rides another boar named Gullinbursti, with golden bristles, which is a product of dwarven craftsmanship. Oddly, Freyja's cats are not, to my knowledge, named, though most of the other companion/familiars/livestock of the gods tend to be. Odin's ravens are named, Huginn and Muninn, and even Freyja's necklace has a name.

I really don't do enough posts about Norse stuff!

The Saga Of The Volsungs

The last couple of days I've spent rereading The Saga of the Volsungs, translated by Jesse L. Byock. It's an edition I picked up for my class on Tolkien in college way back in 2003. I've really enjoyed reading it-- a lot more this time than the first! There's something about reading for oneself, rather than for an assignment that makes the experience much more educational.

I thought today I'd share some words of wisdom, gleaned from the Saga. Brynhild especially has some very interesting things to say when considered in a more modern context. There's a whole chapter devoted to her wise counsel to Sigurd, in fact.

Some of my favorites:

Don't pick fights with mobs.
Don't lose sleep over random women met at parties, and certainly don't have affairs with strange women.
Definitely don't argue with drunks! At best it's futile, and at worst it's deadly.
Don't make promises you can't keep, or that you have no intention of keeping.
Don't provoke your in-laws, if at all possible stay on their good side.
You can't trust any man if you're responsible for the death of his family.

 And finally:

Never trust a woman to keep her promises.

I'm honestly not sure if I should be offended by that one or not. Most of Brynhild's advice seems to involve women at feasts, however, and I don't think any person, woman or man, should be taken at their word while under the influence. Brynhild herself is certainly an honorable woman and very straightforward in her dealings with Sigurd.

Sigurd's wisdom is less applicable--at least as far as I've read. He doesn't really engage in a lot of conversation, though he seems blown away by the advice he receives from Brynhild, as mentioned above. But there's one line that stuck out, especially.

Sigurd says:

No weapon is greater than courage.

All of this is paraphrased, of course. The language used in the Saga is very formal, even after translation. But the sentiments are there!

When I read any legend, any myth, I can't help but consider what might be the best way to make these stories accessible to people today. I guess I just like the challenge. For those of  you familiar with the Saga of the Volsungs, what do you think is the best modern analogue for Sigurd? Frat boy at an Ivy league university? (He was raised in a court of kings, given every advantage in life before he made his way into the world.) Or, would Sigurd be an athlete? Perhaps a rugby player? What do you think the modern equivalent to dragon slaying is?

Welcome to all the new followers, and thanks to everyone who stopped by to visit and read my Helen excerpt for the Whoops!blogfest!