Weland

Old English

Alternative forms

• Wēlund

Etymology

Compare Old Norse Vǫlundr and the Latin phrase Wielandia fabrica (“Waylandian craftsmanship”) (Waltharius), which corresponds to the Anglo-Saxon phrase Wēlandes weorc in the poem Waldere. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈweː.lɑnd/

Proper noun

Wēland m

1. Wayland, a smith of Germanic legend

   Þā sæt Wēland and smiðode þām cyninge ǣlċe dæġe of golde and of seolfre and of ǣlcum ōðrum þinge þe man smiðian mæġ.

   Wayland sat there and forged for the king every day of gold and of silver and of everything that can be forged.

   • unknown date, unknown author, "Waldere," lines 2-5

     Hūru Wēlandes weorc ne ġeswīcþ manna ǣnigum þāra þe Mimming cann heardne ġehealdan: oft æt hilde ġedrēas swātfāh and sweordwund seċġ æfter seċġum.

     Surely Wayland's work shall not fail any man holding Mimung in hand: often in battle warrior after warrior has fallen bloodstained at the hard sword.

   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

     Hwǣr sind nū þæs wīsan Wēlandes bān þæs goldsmiðes þe wæs ġeō mǣrest? Hwā wāt nū on hwelcum hlǣwa hrusan hīe þeċċen?

     Where are now the bones of the wise Wayland, the goldsmith who long ago was so renowned? Who knows in which mound they cover the earthen floor?

Usage notes

Some evidence exists that the Anglo-Saxons believed Weland to be an elf, though this is not mentioned in the few Old English references to him that survive:

• The Middle English poem Layamon's Brut says King Arthur's mail shirt was forged by an elvish smith named Wygar, father of Widia. Old English and Norse sources name Widia as Weland's son, so Wygar was presumably an alternative name or alteration of Weland.

• The Old Norse poem Vǫlundarkviða, which is often thought to be based on a lost Old English original, calls Weland the epithets alfa vísi ("leader of the elves") and alfa ljóði ("citizen of the elves"). Especially the latter phrase could be from Old English, since ljóði is not attested elsewhere in Old Norse, and its only exact cognate is the poetic Old English word lēoda.

Declension

Declension of Weland (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	Wēland	—
accusative	Wēland	—
genitive	Wēlandes	—
dative	Wēlande	—

See also

• Mimming