TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY. - Centrostudirpinia.it

VALKYRJA, W.ELCYRIE. 419
One name is particularly attractive : dskmeyjar, wish-maidens
. 212. Vols. saga cap. 2), given them, I think, because they are
in OSin s service, and OSinn is called Oski, Wunsc. But there is
that Wuotan
something more : I find a confirmation of my opinion
bore the name of Wunsc in his identity with Mercury, for Mercury
carries the magic wand (caduceus), which is like our wishing-rod,
OHG-. wunsciligerta (-yerde, yard). The likeness will come out
more distinctly from a closer inspection of the two rods, which is yet
to come ; but if Wuotan and Wunsc, OSinu and Oski are one, we
may suppose that the thorn, the sleeping-thorn, which Oolnn put
was likewise
into the dress of the valkyrja Brynhildr (Seem. 192 a
),
a wishing-thorn. It throws light on the nature of Brunhild and
Chrimhild, that rocks are named after them, one called spilstein,
Chriemhildesp7 (p. 370), which does not find a meaning so well
from spil (ludus) as from spille (spindle, fusus). For other stones
have the name kunkel (distaff), and in French fairy-tales quenouille
x
a la bonne dame ; Dornroschen (thorn-rosekin) pricked her finger
with the spindle and fell into a dead sleep, as Brunhild did with
the wishing-thorn. Spindles are an essential characteristic of all the
wise-women of antiquity among Teutons, Celts and Greeks. 2 The
walklire is a wtmsch-kint, Wunsches kint, pp. 139, 142 (see Suppl.).
The name wunschelweib, which lasted down to a late time, shall
be produced hereafter; here I call up from the poem of the
Staufenberger a being by whom the connexion of valkyrs with fays
is placed beyond doubt. To the knight there shews herself a maiden
in white apparel (the hvit and biort above), sitting on a stone (line
224) ; she has watched over him in danger and war from his youth
up, she was about him unseen (332 364); now she becomes his
love, and is with him whenever he wishes for her (swenne du einest
wiinschest nach mir, so bin ich endelichen bi dir 474). By super
human power she moves swiftly whither she lists (war ich wil, da
bin ich, den wunsch hat mir Got gegeben 497). Staufenberger, after
being united to her in love, may do anything except take a wedded
wife, else he will die in three days.
i H. Schreiber pp. 20. 21.
er wunschte nach der frouwen sin,
bi im so war diu schcene fin.
2 1 like also Schreiber s derivation, pp. 65 67, of the name Nehaecij
Nehalennia (supra p. 257) from the root nere, neza to spin.