Today I'm listening to Out of the Silent Planet. My Special topics course is reading C S Lewis's trilogy, and we'll be discussing OSP Monday night. I've read it many times, but each time I'm delighted again. To actually read or hear the words, the descriptions, the language of the Malacandrians, always amazes me again. What an imagination Lewis had! And his story telling is so concise, yet brilliant, like sparkling jewels. His descriptions so cleanly defined, so finely chiseled.
As a medievalist, I really enjoy his cosmology and his Oyéresu--the medieval "Influences" that guide the planets in their cosmic dance. And hearing the story of the rebellious oyarsa of Thulcandra, understanding the sub-lunar silence imposed by his actions, makes me mourn the loss of communication with the Heavens that Earth has experienced for nearly its whole existence and makes me think that even the earliest cosmologists had an inkling of this as they designed their geo-centric models of the cosmos.
I'm just at the part where Ransom meets the pfifltrigg who is carving his "likeness" into the stone inscriptions on Meldilorn; I appreciate so much that Lewis develops his various species with such integrity: their physical appearance, traditions, and languages seem so "natural" to them. It's not hard to accept such creatures as "hnau"; the hard thing to imagine is that they live in peace and in willing submission to Maleldil. These stories elicit that desire Lewis was so aware of himself: the desire for wholeness and for true communication.
More on Ransom later; I'm looking at him in relation to a project I'm working on, so as I re-read the trilogy this time I'm hoping to focus on some of his characteristics.
If I stop blogging now, I should just have time to finish the book and get to bed before 2:30.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Brynhild betrayed . . .
In section 8, Svikin Brynhildr, "Brynhild Betrayed," we find Brynhild living in a splendid court; her fame for wealth and beauty has spread far. Many princes have hoped to marry her, but she waits for Sigurd. Odin comes to her and prophecies that she will wed a king; to ensure that this will be Sigurd, he sets a flaming circle around her hall--a flame circle that only the "World's Chosen" can pass.
Meanwhile, Sigurd and Gudrun's wedding is celebrated:
In Gjuki's house
glad the singing.
A feast they fashioned,
far men sought it.
To blissful Gudrun
the bridal drank
there golden Sigurd
glorious shining. (143)
The guests enjoy "mead and ale" and the harper's songs. And Sigurd exchanges oaths of loyalty with Gudrun's brothers.
When the rumors of Brynhild reach the land of the Gjukings, Gundrun's mother desires yet more power for her husband and a good match for her son, Gunnar. So she encourages him to woe Brynhild for his wife. Gunnar agrees and sets out with Sigurd and their retainers on this quest, but first his mother provides Gunnar with magic potions. When they arrive at the fire ring, Gunnar's horse won't go forward, so he borrows Sigmund's, but even with this advantage he can not proceed. Sigmund agrees to go in his stead, drinking the potion which changes him so that he looks like Gunnar. He rides his own horse and takes his own sword, Gram.
Sigurd easily passes through the fire barrier and enters Brynhild's hall, announcing himself as Gunnar come to win her as his bride. Brynhild is confused and doesn't know how to answer him. She believed only Sigurd would be able to pass the fire, but Gunnar has, and her mind is troubled. However, she agrees to follow him to his land and become his wife. Sigurd gives her a ring from the trove of Andvari's gold. And the section ends with Sigurd returning to Gunnar and heading home.
Christopher Tolkien suggests that Brynhild would never have broken her previous oath to Sigurd unless she really believed that Gunnar was the "World's Chosen" as evidenced by his passing the fire wall.
So Gudrun's mother's sorcery once again confounds true love. Sigurd has no memory of his love for and oath to Brynhild, and Brynhild has been tricked into marrying an impostor. Talk about a meddling mother-in-law! Grimhild may be the model for all the mother-in-law stories that followed. But all the others seem tame compared to her!
The poetry in this section seems uneven; there are a few really lovely stanzas--mostly those having to do with Gudrun--but too much of it is heavy with harsh alliteration, and sometimes, I think, Tolkien may have done better to give us more stanzas with more music rather than condense the tale so tightly. I do think he's accomplished an amazing feat--to use the Old Norse form with modern English which in many ways is not suited to such expression. It's just that when he does it really well, I want it to continue in that vein.
Meanwhile, Sigurd and Gudrun's wedding is celebrated:
In Gjuki's house
glad the singing.
A feast they fashioned,
far men sought it.
To blissful Gudrun
the bridal drank
there golden Sigurd
glorious shining. (143)
The guests enjoy "mead and ale" and the harper's songs. And Sigurd exchanges oaths of loyalty with Gudrun's brothers.
When the rumors of Brynhild reach the land of the Gjukings, Gundrun's mother desires yet more power for her husband and a good match for her son, Gunnar. So she encourages him to woe Brynhild for his wife. Gunnar agrees and sets out with Sigurd and their retainers on this quest, but first his mother provides Gunnar with magic potions. When they arrive at the fire ring, Gunnar's horse won't go forward, so he borrows Sigmund's, but even with this advantage he can not proceed. Sigmund agrees to go in his stead, drinking the potion which changes him so that he looks like Gunnar. He rides his own horse and takes his own sword, Gram.
Sigurd easily passes through the fire barrier and enters Brynhild's hall, announcing himself as Gunnar come to win her as his bride. Brynhild is confused and doesn't know how to answer him. She believed only Sigurd would be able to pass the fire, but Gunnar has, and her mind is troubled. However, she agrees to follow him to his land and become his wife. Sigurd gives her a ring from the trove of Andvari's gold. And the section ends with Sigurd returning to Gunnar and heading home.
Christopher Tolkien suggests that Brynhild would never have broken her previous oath to Sigurd unless she really believed that Gunnar was the "World's Chosen" as evidenced by his passing the fire wall.
So Gudrun's mother's sorcery once again confounds true love. Sigurd has no memory of his love for and oath to Brynhild, and Brynhild has been tricked into marrying an impostor. Talk about a meddling mother-in-law! Grimhild may be the model for all the mother-in-law stories that followed. But all the others seem tame compared to her!
The poetry in this section seems uneven; there are a few really lovely stanzas--mostly those having to do with Gudrun--but too much of it is heavy with harsh alliteration, and sometimes, I think, Tolkien may have done better to give us more stanzas with more music rather than condense the tale so tightly. I do think he's accomplished an amazing feat--to use the Old Norse form with modern English which in many ways is not suited to such expression. It's just that when he does it really well, I want it to continue in that vein.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Plotting and magic potions . . .
Section 7, "Gudrun," brings Sigurd to the hall of Gjuki, king of the Gjukings and Gudrun's father.
Before his arrival, Gudrun relates a dream to her mother--a disturbing dream foretelling doom; then she sees Sigurd approaching on Grani, his horse, laden with the dragon treasure. He is welcomed to the hall, and Tolkien describes the feast that follows. One of Gudrun's brothers plays a harp and sings of war between the Goths and Huns:
By mighty Mirkwood
on the marches of the East
the great Goth-kings
in glory ruled.
By Danpar-banks
was dread warfare
with the hosts of Hunland,
horsemen countless. (131)
Then Sigurd sings of his slaying of Fafnir and the waking of Brynhild. This is all very well done--Tolkien captures the atmosphere of the mead hall and the mood of the characters.
In the silence following the songs, Sigurd thinks of Brynhild, and Gudrun's brothers think of how they can get him to marry their sister.
Sigurd joins the household and goes to war with the Gjukings, winning great glory. Then his thoughts turn to his own homeland and revenge for his father's death. He fits out a fleet of dragon-prowed ships and sails to his father's land, where he is merciless to his enemies. Yet, even though he has exacted revenge, his father's hall is in ruins and his people all gone. He is now king--but has no subjects or meadhall, so he returns to the Gjuking's land.
Here, in Gjuki's hall, Sigurd fulfills his kingly role as ring-giver, gift-giver, binding his retainers more closely to him:
A king sat Sigurd:
carven silver,
raiment gleaming,
rings and goblets,
dear things dealt he,
doughty-handed,
his friends enriching,
fame upraising. (137)
As Gjuki and his sons seek for a way to marry Gudrun to Sigurd in order to form a more binding alliance, he sits thinking of Brynhild; then Gudrun's mother slips out of the hall and prepares a drugged drink in a rune-carved horn. When she gives it to Sigurd, he drinks it and immediately becomes confused, forgetting Brynhild. At that moment, Gudrun enters the hall:
In came Gudrun
gleaming-robed,
as flower enfolded
fair at morning.
Sigurd wondered,
silent gazing;
his mind was glamoured,
mood confounded. (140)
And here the section ends. What a cliff-hanger! Of course, we know this is the weaving of fate--with a little help from magic potions--but it's sad to think of Gudrun, knowing from her dream that something bad is about to happen, being used as a pawn (the Anglo-Saxon's "peace bride")to help strengthen her father's power.
Before his arrival, Gudrun relates a dream to her mother--a disturbing dream foretelling doom; then she sees Sigurd approaching on Grani, his horse, laden with the dragon treasure. He is welcomed to the hall, and Tolkien describes the feast that follows. One of Gudrun's brothers plays a harp and sings of war between the Goths and Huns:
By mighty Mirkwood
on the marches of the East
the great Goth-kings
in glory ruled.
By Danpar-banks
was dread warfare
with the hosts of Hunland,
horsemen countless. (131)
Then Sigurd sings of his slaying of Fafnir and the waking of Brynhild. This is all very well done--Tolkien captures the atmosphere of the mead hall and the mood of the characters.
In the silence following the songs, Sigurd thinks of Brynhild, and Gudrun's brothers think of how they can get him to marry their sister.
Sigurd joins the household and goes to war with the Gjukings, winning great glory. Then his thoughts turn to his own homeland and revenge for his father's death. He fits out a fleet of dragon-prowed ships and sails to his father's land, where he is merciless to his enemies. Yet, even though he has exacted revenge, his father's hall is in ruins and his people all gone. He is now king--but has no subjects or meadhall, so he returns to the Gjuking's land.
Here, in Gjuki's hall, Sigurd fulfills his kingly role as ring-giver, gift-giver, binding his retainers more closely to him:
A king sat Sigurd:
carven silver,
raiment gleaming,
rings and goblets,
dear things dealt he,
doughty-handed,
his friends enriching,
fame upraising. (137)
As Gjuki and his sons seek for a way to marry Gudrun to Sigurd in order to form a more binding alliance, he sits thinking of Brynhild; then Gudrun's mother slips out of the hall and prepares a drugged drink in a rune-carved horn. When she gives it to Sigurd, he drinks it and immediately becomes confused, forgetting Brynhild. At that moment, Gudrun enters the hall:
In came Gudrun
gleaming-robed,
as flower enfolded
fair at morning.
Sigurd wondered,
silent gazing;
his mind was glamoured,
mood confounded. (140)
And here the section ends. What a cliff-hanger! Of course, we know this is the weaving of fate--with a little help from magic potions--but it's sad to think of Gudrun, knowing from her dream that something bad is about to happen, being used as a pawn (the Anglo-Saxon's "peace bride")to help strengthen her father's power.
a new twist . . .
After reading section 6, "Brynhildr," I had to go back and look at section 5 again. I realize now that the 2 birds at the end of that section are describing 2 women: the Raven describes Brynhild and the story found in section 6, while the Finch describes Gudrun, who lives further along our hero's path:
Green run the roads
to Gjuki's land;
fate leads them on,
who fare that way. (116)
This becomes important at the end of "Brynhildr."
As section 6 opens, our hero, Sigurd, moves on toward Hindarfell:
Ever wide and wild
the wandering path'
long lay the shadow
of lone rider.
Ever high and high
stood Hindarfell,
mountain mighty
from mist rising. (118)
An adventure lies in his path; he leaves the "green road" toward the Gjuki's land--and Gudrun--and climbs Hindarfell, where he sees a ring of flames encircling the mountain top and then a shield wall and a warrior in enchanted sleep. He removes the helmet and discovers it's a woman! He hews off her armor with his now-famous dragon-slaying sword, and the enchantment is broken. The woman awakes and greats him:
Hands of healing,
hear and grant us,
light in darkness,
life and wisdom;
to both give triumph,
truth unfailing,
to both in gladness
glorious meeting! (120)
She then identifies herself as Brynhild, a Valkyrie, enchanted by Odin because she had changed the outcome of a battle. Odin has forbidden the battlefield to her and "doomed" her to marry instead; as a result she has sworn an oath never to marry anyone except "the World's chosen" (121). She tells Sigurd that in Valhalla they wait for the "serpent-slayer" (121); he then reveals his name and that he has indeed slain the dragon.
At this point the two swear faithfulness to each other, and Tolkien includes a cup-bearing ceremony, with Brynhild giving Sigurd the mead cup:
"A beaker I bring thee,
O battle-wielder,
mighty-blended
mead of glory;
brimmed with bounty,
blessed with healing,
and rimmed with runes
of running laughter." (122)
She goes on to prophecy and gives him advice, noting that his life will be short and violent. She sends him on his way, saying she will only wed a king--and he has yet to win his kingdom.
Tolkien captures several elements of Norse tradition in this section, including the shield-maiden, the mead cup, powerful runic inscriptions, and the implacable power of fate:
Faith then they vowed
fast, unyielding,
there each to each
in oaths binding.
Bliss there was born
when Brynhild woke;
yet fate is strong
to find its end. (124)
So, while I wasn't expecting Brynhild, I enjoyed this part of the poem--and it adds a layer of conflict and mystery to the whole story. What happens to Gudrun? Something must since she has, later in this book, her own "Lay." Will our hero be faithful to his betrothed? Will he win his kingdom? Will a Valkyrie be content in marriage? Hmmmmm.
Green run the roads
to Gjuki's land;
fate leads them on,
who fare that way. (116)
This becomes important at the end of "Brynhildr."
As section 6 opens, our hero, Sigurd, moves on toward Hindarfell:
Ever wide and wild
the wandering path'
long lay the shadow
of lone rider.
Ever high and high
stood Hindarfell,
mountain mighty
from mist rising. (118)
An adventure lies in his path; he leaves the "green road" toward the Gjuki's land--and Gudrun--and climbs Hindarfell, where he sees a ring of flames encircling the mountain top and then a shield wall and a warrior in enchanted sleep. He removes the helmet and discovers it's a woman! He hews off her armor with his now-famous dragon-slaying sword, and the enchantment is broken. The woman awakes and greats him:
Hands of healing,
hear and grant us,
light in darkness,
life and wisdom;
to both give triumph,
truth unfailing,
to both in gladness
glorious meeting! (120)
She then identifies herself as Brynhild, a Valkyrie, enchanted by Odin because she had changed the outcome of a battle. Odin has forbidden the battlefield to her and "doomed" her to marry instead; as a result she has sworn an oath never to marry anyone except "the World's chosen" (121). She tells Sigurd that in Valhalla they wait for the "serpent-slayer" (121); he then reveals his name and that he has indeed slain the dragon.
At this point the two swear faithfulness to each other, and Tolkien includes a cup-bearing ceremony, with Brynhild giving Sigurd the mead cup:
"A beaker I bring thee,
O battle-wielder,
mighty-blended
mead of glory;
brimmed with bounty,
blessed with healing,
and rimmed with runes
of running laughter." (122)
She goes on to prophecy and gives him advice, noting that his life will be short and violent. She sends him on his way, saying she will only wed a king--and he has yet to win his kingdom.
Tolkien captures several elements of Norse tradition in this section, including the shield-maiden, the mead cup, powerful runic inscriptions, and the implacable power of fate:
Faith then they vowed
fast, unyielding,
there each to each
in oaths binding.
Bliss there was born
when Brynhild woke;
yet fate is strong
to find its end. (124)
So, while I wasn't expecting Brynhild, I enjoyed this part of the poem--and it adds a layer of conflict and mystery to the whole story. What happens to Gudrun? Something must since she has, later in this book, her own "Lay." Will our hero be faithful to his betrothed? Will he win his kingdom? Will a Valkyrie be content in marriage? Hmmmmm.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sigurd . . . dragon slayer!
Tonight I read "Regin," one of the longer sections; it's 54 stanzas in 18 pages--with 13 pages of notes. I've only read it once; I usually read the poem, then the notes, and then the poem again. But this section is quite straightforward and has a retelling of an earlier section, so, while I wish I'd had time to re-read, I think I understand most of the stanza--though as usual there are passages so tightly constructed, containing a lot of information and unusual (to me) names that they merit several readings.
We met Regin in section 1, "Andvara-Gull," where he was one of three brothers; Otr was slain by Loki, and Odin gave a trove of weregeld to the father in payment for his son's life. In this section Regin has become a smithy to the king of the "far land," to whom Sigurd's mother is now married. Regin, now the foster-father of Sigurd, re-tells the story to him--with a few changes to cloak the truth of what happened after Odin and his band had left the bereaved father.
In this telling, Regin says that his brother, Fafnir, wanted some of the gold, but their father refused, so Fafnir killed him and threatened Regin, who left to join the king's followers. Fafnir built an underground hall to house his gold; then he turned into a dragon to guard it. Regin tells Sigurd that he wants revenge for his father's death and that, if Sigurd will kill Fafnir, he can have all the "gold and glory." Sigurd is a bit wary but agrees to kill the dragon if Regin will reforge the broken sword of his father, Sigmund.
All goes according to plan--and Tolkien doesn't disappoint in relating the dragon fight. I can tell he really likes this section; he did, after all, once say that when he read the Northern tales as a child, he desired dragons with a "profound desire." (This is somewhere in "On Fairie Stories" but I don't have my copy here.)
However, once the dragon is slain, Regin begins to act a bit strangely; he keeps muttering that he will have revenge for his brother's death. He drinks the blood of the dragon and asks Sigurd to cook the heart for him! Yikes. Luckily (or as fate would have it) when Sigurd does so, he touches the cooking meat and licks his finger--and now the real magic begins! Immediately he can understand the language of the beasts, and he hears two birds talking! They say to each other that a wise man would kill the brother who wants to kill him and have the gold all for himself.
"Who a foe lets free
is fool indeed,
when he was bane of brother!
I alone would be lord
of linked gold,
if my wielded sword had won it." (114)
Sigurd is no fool, so he heeds their advice and kills Regin. He then loads the gold onto his horse (there's also a series of stanzas on the getting of this horse); before he leaves he hears the birds talking about a Hall on Hindarfell, where a beautiful maiden, Gudrun, lives:
"A maid have I seen
as morning fair;
golden-girdled,
garland-crowned" (116)
The section ends with the birds talking about Gudrun and her kin; I'm assuming our hero will set out with his new-found wealth to win the "fair maid." We'll see.
As a side note, the conversations of the birds reminded me of a book I read ages ago, Greenlanders, by Jane Smiley. I was impressed then with the "story-telling" techniques of the Inuit characters; when they wanted to give advice to a young person who was making poor choices, they would sit around the fire in the evening--the whole group--and tell stories. They never pointed out the young person or commented on his or her behavior, but the stories contained a message--and the youngster knew it and, more often than not, heeded the warning or advice. I wonder if Tolkien recognized this mode of communication from his reading of ON and OE texts. Maybe it's a "Northern" thing. Quite effective.
We met Regin in section 1, "Andvara-Gull," where he was one of three brothers; Otr was slain by Loki, and Odin gave a trove of weregeld to the father in payment for his son's life. In this section Regin has become a smithy to the king of the "far land," to whom Sigurd's mother is now married. Regin, now the foster-father of Sigurd, re-tells the story to him--with a few changes to cloak the truth of what happened after Odin and his band had left the bereaved father.
In this telling, Regin says that his brother, Fafnir, wanted some of the gold, but their father refused, so Fafnir killed him and threatened Regin, who left to join the king's followers. Fafnir built an underground hall to house his gold; then he turned into a dragon to guard it. Regin tells Sigurd that he wants revenge for his father's death and that, if Sigurd will kill Fafnir, he can have all the "gold and glory." Sigurd is a bit wary but agrees to kill the dragon if Regin will reforge the broken sword of his father, Sigmund.
All goes according to plan--and Tolkien doesn't disappoint in relating the dragon fight. I can tell he really likes this section; he did, after all, once say that when he read the Northern tales as a child, he desired dragons with a "profound desire." (This is somewhere in "On Fairie Stories" but I don't have my copy here.)
However, once the dragon is slain, Regin begins to act a bit strangely; he keeps muttering that he will have revenge for his brother's death. He drinks the blood of the dragon and asks Sigurd to cook the heart for him! Yikes. Luckily (or as fate would have it) when Sigurd does so, he touches the cooking meat and licks his finger--and now the real magic begins! Immediately he can understand the language of the beasts, and he hears two birds talking! They say to each other that a wise man would kill the brother who wants to kill him and have the gold all for himself.
"Who a foe lets free
is fool indeed,
when he was bane of brother!
I alone would be lord
of linked gold,
if my wielded sword had won it." (114)
Sigurd is no fool, so he heeds their advice and kills Regin. He then loads the gold onto his horse (there's also a series of stanzas on the getting of this horse); before he leaves he hears the birds talking about a Hall on Hindarfell, where a beautiful maiden, Gudrun, lives:
"A maid have I seen
as morning fair;
golden-girdled,
garland-crowned" (116)
The section ends with the birds talking about Gudrun and her kin; I'm assuming our hero will set out with his new-found wealth to win the "fair maid." We'll see.
As a side note, the conversations of the birds reminded me of a book I read ages ago, Greenlanders, by Jane Smiley. I was impressed then with the "story-telling" techniques of the Inuit characters; when they wanted to give advice to a young person who was making poor choices, they would sit around the fire in the evening--the whole group--and tell stories. They never pointed out the young person or commented on his or her behavior, but the stories contained a message--and the youngster knew it and, more often than not, heeded the warning or advice. I wonder if Tolkien recognized this mode of communication from his reading of ON and OE texts. Maybe it's a "Northern" thing. Quite effective.
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