Weland: Smith of the Gods

by Ursula Synge

Retells the Norse myth of Weland, whose imprisonment by a greedy king coveting his skill forced him to take a terrible revenge.

Genres: Mythology

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Perry Whitford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simply yet elegantly retold Norse myth about the sorrowful life of Weland, who suffers much, but by his artistry and union with a Valkyrie is elevated to an unlikely place in Valhalla as the smith of the gods.

It's a short, crisp rendering by Synge, with the purpose of bringing the old myths and legends alive for teenagers and young adults, aided by scratchy but powerful illustrations by Charles Keeping.

I would have loved it at that age, and found plenty to enjoy in the hour it took to read, with shapeshifting gods, magic keys revealing caves of treasure and deadly swords with names like "Life-drinker" enlivening a tale of three brothers who ignore a prophecy from their mother and defy the Norns, the Norse version of the Fates, only to learn how "All things fall as the Norns spin".

Odin and Thor make cameo appearances, the world tree Yggdrasil and the world-ending cataclysm of Ragnarok are mentioned in shorter tales within the tale, and all in all this would be a great starting place for a youngster to get their first glimpse of the richness and strangeness of Norse mythology.

[John Mccullough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story in the old telling, filled with myths and real life, of births and deaths, spiritual forces, fools and wise men, of the old Norse gods and mortals and how they interacted. It is th story of three brothers who swear to remain together, marry swan maidens, split up, then it becomes the story of one of the brother, Weland the smith who creates marvellous things from iron and copper and gold, of how he is wronged by king Nidud. This is really a book for 10-year-olds but still a good story for adults who are reminded here of the elements of a good story, well-told.

[Private Account · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. My seven-year-old and I both enjoyed this book immensely.

[SmokingMirror · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book enfolds tales from sagas and legend into this dark tale, fleshing out the narrative. Bit as darkly told as some versions, the language is pleasing.