Volundr

Volundr, also known as Wayland the Smith, is a legendary master blacksmith in Norse and broader Germanic folklore. He is the central figure of the Völundarkviða, the Lay of Wayland, in the Poetic Edda, and is referenced in the Prose Edda. Volundr is celebrated as an archetype of extraordinary craftsmanship, famed for forging weapons, jewelry, and other miraculous metalwork.

Name and sources. In Old Norse, the figure is Volundr; in later English retellings he is called Wayland the Smith. The principal sources are the Poetic Edda’s Völundarkviða and Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, which recounts and alludes to his tale. The legend also appears in medieval German and English folklore and has influenced later literary and artistic traditions.

Legend and themes. In the Völundarkviða, Volundr is a master smith who is captured by a king and compelled to work in servitude. While imprisoned, he fashions extraordinary items from gold and other metals for his captors. In various versions, he also designs a means of escape and ultimately enacts vengeance against those who wronged him. The narratives explore themes of captivity, craft, ingenuity, betrayal, and retribution.

Legacy. Volundr’s name and story circulated across the Germanic world, contributing to a widespread motif of the legendary smith who transcends his bonds through skill. The figure of Wayland the Smith influenced later folklore and literature, shaping enduring images of the artisan as a powerful, almost mythical craftsman.