Having realized that Hathawulf and Solbern will be remembered as Hamther and Sorli, the Wanderer is surprised that their half-brother is named Alawin, not something more like "Erp," the name in the stories. However, Alawin's mother is Erelieva so maybe it is the first part of her name that will be remembered as that of her son. By remaining so closely involved with this one family, Carl is sailing too close to the wind - or orbiting too close to the black hole as Doctor Kwei-fei Mendoza puts it in 2319.
In the opening 372 section, Liuderis spoke before the Teurings while both Randwar the Red and Sibicho Mannfrithsson were mentioned. All three of these men make their chronologically first appearances in the 348-366 section with only three years now left before the climax. Believing his ancestor, the Wanderer, to be a god, Tharasmund addresses him with the familiar phrase:
"'...your will be done.'" (p. 414)
The Wanderer accompanies Tharasmund, Liuderis and Randwar when they unsuccessfully seek justice from Ermanaric. Twice, the Wanderer invokes whatever moral authority he may have by raising his spear for silence before he speaks. He is interfering too much.
Ermanaric had had his two nephews tortured, then killed, when they had refused to tell him where they had hidden their booty which he claimed belonged to him as king. It is hidden in the River Dnieper. In the Volsungasaga, summarized by Carl to Manse Everard in 1980, Atli (Attila the Hun) had Gudrun's brothers killed when they would not tell him where the Rhinegold was. In both cases, the murdered men were under pledge of safe conduct. We infer that the booty in the Dnieper is the historical original of the fabulous Rhinegold?
2 comments:
Probably. Composers of epics didn't let facts stand in the way of a good story.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
With THE SONG OF ROLAND being a later, Christian example of that phenomenon.
Ad astra! Sean
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