S5E21 Volsung Poems: The Last Sons of Gudrun (Part 7)
The conclusion of this meant to be short series, deep diving into the poems that underlie the Saga of the Volsungs.
It has been quite a journey. If you have been following along, we have seen how the original sources are flawed. Some missing pages and stanzas. Some seem to be early poems, sometimes rearranged or reconstructed. Some are entirely new constructions at the time of their recording in the 13th century.
It feels very fitting, this part of the poetic edda ends on what seems to be one of the oldest poems. The Lay of Hamdir.
When I first read these poems, it was hard to see why this story has anything to do with Sigurd and the Norse Gods. It connects the Volsung clan to another historical legendary king, Ermanaric (Iormurekk), the 6th Century Gothic King in Scythia, before the Hun invasion.
It seems to be a simple tale, connecting kings and legendary heroes to the gods. It contains a story of gruesome torture. Reflects the pain inflicted on the victims of marriages for political alliances. The fateful families formed by these agreements of men.
Metaphorically it reflects why the hero has to die. Why does the hero have to die? Why can't he just have a nice retirement for once? I connect the meaning to the totality of Carl Jung's theory of the hero, the heroic ego. Overcoming the unconscious, separating the great mother from the anima. Learning to accept fate and connecting to The Self.
It is the meaning of this entire journey from the origin of the gods. The destiny and fate of the hero.
If you want to read more about the meaning I find in this poem and saga, this episode inspired me to write a new cryptic blog post:
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