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
Legend and themes. In the Völundarkviða, Volundr is a master smith who is captured by a king
Legacy. Volundr’s name and story circulated across the Germanic world, contributing to a widespread motif of