"'Wuldor couldn't do better.'"
-SM Stirling, Prince Of Outcasts (New York, 2017), Chapter Twenty-One, p. 462.
When I read this, I thought that we had discovered a new archer god. However, Wuldor turns out to be identical with Ullr whom we have encountered before. See here. I have also drawn attention to Usil. Archer gods are rare despite the former importance of archery? More prominent divine weapons are spear, hammer, sword (for these three, see here) and thunder-bolt. Thor, god of thunder, wielding a hammer, was identified with Jupiter, wielding the thunderbolt.
Stirling also shows us the weapon of the Japanese gods, the Kami - the Divine Wind, Kamikaze.
Addendum: Neptune, trident.
4 comments:
Wuldor is an older form of the word; it means "glory", and probably started as a divine epithet.
When Old Norse separated from Common Germanic, it dropped word-initial "W" -- hence Odin, rather than Woden/Wotan, and Ullr rather than Wulthur.
Woden and Odin. Wulthur and Ullr. Far out.
Dear Mr. Stirling and Paul,
Christian legends have also used or featured sacred weapons. Examples being King Arthur's "Excalibur," Charlemagne's "Joyeuse," The "Spear of Destiny" held by the Holy Roman Emperors, and Roland's sword in THE SONG OF ROLAND.
What I find esp. interesting is that Joyeuse and the Spear of Destiny actually exists! The former is preserved among the surviving crown jewels of France and the latter in the state regalia of the Emperors in Vienna.
Sean
Kaor Paul and all my friends on this blog!
One last comment before going to Florida. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!
Sean
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