-Poul Anderson, Hrolf Kraki's Saga (New York, 1973), VII, p. 255.
"Grim was that battle. Knowing they would die whatever happened, the Teurings fought till they dropped. Hathawulf alone heaped a wall of slain before him. When he fell, few were left to be glad of it."
-Poul Anderson, "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth" IN Anderson, Time Patrol (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 333-465 AT 372, p. 455.
"Eyjolf and the housecarls found him in the morning. A wind had awakened. Whitecaps chopped. The rope creaked as Hadding swung to and fro. On each of his shoulders perched a raven. They had not taken his eyes. As the men drew near, they spread black wings and flew off eastward."
-Poul Anderson, War Of The Gods (New York, 1999), XXXIV, p. 295.
The wind and the ravens of Odin. We see where Hadding goes:
"Leaves rustled, alive with sunlight. He stood beside an ash tree whose trunk was mightier than a mountain and whose crown reached higher than heaven. Those boughs spread as wide as all the worlds..."
-ibid., XXXV, p. 295.
"Gunnhild needed no witchcraft to know she was dying...
"Her strength ebbed into the wind. She sat down, then lay down, her face turned seaward. It felt as if moonlight streamed through her."
-Poul Anderson, Mother Of Kings (New York, 2003), XXXII, pp. 587, 591.
The wind is present again. Mother Of Kings was published posthumously.
Coincidentally, I am rereading Neil Gaiman's retelling of the myth of Orpheus. Gaiman integrates Orpheus into his Sandman myth. Thus, Orpheus is the son of Morpheus/Dream and consults Dream's older sister, Death, before descending into the Underworld.
Hail Anderson and Gaiman.
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I should have remembered how Hathawulf died! King Ermanaric's death probably stuck in my mind because of that bit about the Hunnish midnight rolling in from the east to overwhelm the weakened Goths.
DID Ermanaric have to kill himself, even if he thought he was no longer fit to be king? He could have abdicated and lived to be an adviser to his son. But probably there was no custom, precedent, or tradition among the Goths enabling a king to abdicate.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I think that Ermanaric had had a bellyful by then and did not think that his son amounted to much as an heir.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I agree Ermanaric had had a bellyful by then. But my impression was he did not believe hie oldest surviving son would be able to weather the catastrophe which had come upon the Goths, not that he thought that poorly of his son's abilities. To quote from page 289 of my hard bound copy of THE TIME PATROL: "Naught could he do for his kingdom but let go of it, in hopes that his eldest living son might be worthier, might be victorious. Emanaric bared teeth at the stars. Too well did he know how that hope lied. Before the Ostrogoths lay defeat, rapine, butchery, subjection." Because the bloody strife with the Teurings (caused by Ermanaric's own folly) had so badly divided and weakened the Goths that the Huns to the east would be able to defeat them. We are seeing the beginning of the Volkerwanderung era.
Ad astra! Sean
The descriptions owe a bit to historical accounts of how King Harold’s huscarles died in a ring around his body at Hastings.
“Fell fighters and grim, those of the Saxon kin, and the truest of men to their oaths.”
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Were you perhaps quoting from the ANGLO SAXON CHRONICLE? The household guards of the king would be the elite of the Saxons who fought at Hastings, absolutely bound to live or die with Harold Godwinson.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: it was a repeated phenomenon.
"Heart must grow harder -- courage the greater
As our strength lessens.
Here lies our lord -- I shall not outlive him..."
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
An admirable attitude not limited to Europe! I recall similar views and acts being described of persons from Chinese history loyal to the bitter end to their own lords. Such as happened during the Warring States era or when one of the great Imperial dynasties was falling.
Ad astra! Sean
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