The ocean of story, being C.H. Tawney's translation of Somadeva's ...

226 THE OCEAN OF STORY
only in their latter aspect that the presence of the swan or
goose finds an adequate explanation.
Owing to the beauty of the Valkyries it is not surprising
that, as time went on, they assumed the role of the Celtic
"
fairy," and were obviously the only beings capable of
playing the part of the swan-maiden to perfection
when and
where the motif first reached Scandinavia. But, quite apart
from their " fairy " aspect, it is of the utmost importance
to notice that whenever they assume the form of animals
the swan is always the form chosen. This at once points
back to the roots of the Valkyrie myth being embodied in
the Alaisiages. Every imaginable animal figures in the
numerous variants of the " Swan-Maiden " motif, but the
Valkyries always "revert to type." This fact is significant,
and has been duly noted by Krappe, 1 who further points out
that there is also another proof that the Valkyries were swans
even before they became the heroines of the story-complex
of the fairy wife deserting her husband namely, that in
quite a number of tales the Valkyries appear in the shape
of swans, whilst they desert their husbands in only one, the
Volundarkvitha.
The point I am anxious to make here is simply this :
nowhere among the early primitive beliefs of Europe are
there to be found the roots of the "Swan-Maiden" motif.
In Teutonic mythology and primitive custom the swan has
played an important part, largely symbolical, from the
earliest times. Here the swan-maiden found a hearty welcome.
In classical countries, although the swan enters into
many legends, the swan-maiden found herself already largely
forestalled by the nereids and other fairylike beings.
We will now return to the East and glance briefly at the
migration routes of the motif as far as we can, and see if they
point to India as a central starting-place or not. We have
already seen that Sanskrit literature is the earliest source
of the incidents which go to make the complete motif. If,
therefore, the lines of migration radiate from India, the evidence
that India is really the home of the swan-maiden will
be doubly strengthened.
In order to understand more clearly the value of this
geographical inquiry, readers should have before them a map
of the world, and, if possible, a copy of Holmstrom's work,
1
Op. cit. f p. 67.