WAYLAND THE SMITH (AS. Thaland, Itilandr, Ger. IFietaial). A famous Ger manic hero, originally a semi-divine goldsmith. According to the usual account, he was a son of the sea-giant Wade, who apprenticed him to Mimi, a skilled smith. He was then taken across the sea to the dwarf's, whom he soon surpassed at the forge. Be afterwards long dwelt in Ulf daler (the Wolf's Valley) along with his two brothers, Slagfhlr and Eigil. Here the brothers met three with whom they lived for seven years. Afterwards 'Wayland came to King Vidung, who cut the sinews of his feet. thus laming him forever, and then imprisoned him. For this cruel treatment Wayland put the two sons to death and violated his daughter Beadehild, who became the mother of Wittich. a mighty champion. Wayland then a feather robe in which he flew away. The legend, with many variations and episodes, was long n favorite among the Germanic peoples, as is SilONVII by the frequent allusions to it in Scan dinavian. German. and English poetry, and by nunieneas fragments yet extant in oral tradition.
Wayland also appears as aakini in the French Chansons do qeste. nit the fullest single ac count is to be found in the Elder Edda and in the II ilt.',e, Saga. A still elder version of the is contained in /Mtn., an old English lyric. By piecing together the old legends and filling in here and there. Karl Simroek raprodueed the saga in his poem Wieland der Sehinied (Bonn, 1R351, ml again in the fourth part of his //e/tkabach (Stuttgart, 1843). The Germanic origin of the Wayland legend has been ques tioned. Although this seems to be going too far, it is nevertheless clear that in the course of its growth something was taken from the Greek myths of Hepluestus and Diedalns. Consult the Corpus Pocticum Bore?tle, ed. with translations by Vigfusson and Powell (2 vols., Oxford, 18S3) ; and J. Grimm's Deutsche Mythologic (4th ed., Berlin, 1875-78; English translation by Stally brass, 4 vols., London, ISS2-SS).