There are so any rumours surrounding Wayland the Smith, I’m not on about the mythology or the legend but rumours, It is well documented that wayland produced a number of “magical” swords through Geoffrey of Monmouth, one of these is the known AVALON sword, the light giving sword wielded by no other than Robin Hood. Avalon the place, is a known place of healing throughout the reign of King Arthur. What is unclear in the narrative is, did Wayland travel to Avalon to produce the sword or was the Avalon sword manufactured in Waylands smithy itself.
All of that aside, it is rumoured the Wayland produce the weaponry for king Alfred of Wessex and that is a rumour.
I can understand how this rumour came about; because King Alfred was a Wessex man, His mother lived only six or seven miles away to the south, Only two miles away is an encampment known as Alfreds castle, A title given by Sir Walter Scott on a visit from Scotland to Berkshire. Scott gave this Iron Age fort, the title because King Alfred’s mother lived in Lambourn only 4 miles away and he wrongly assumed that the fort was Alfreds’. There have been many assumption about the area based on King Alfreds mother living in the locality.
In the narrative that I produced I mentioned a lord of the manor who had an axe built by Wayland and he paid handsomely for this iconic bearded axe. It is believed that the lord of the manor was indeed King Alfred.
I was born and brought up within the Vale of the White Horse, and I grew up listening to stories about the area from parents, grandparents, family friends, and so on. I eagerly latched on to these stories – especially those about Wayland the Smith, within the parish of Ashbury. As a child, parents would …
I have previously mentioned King Alfred, the King of Wessex, and his association with Wayland the Smith. It was rumoured that Alfred had asked Wayland to forge weaponry to arm his army. However, this is only a rumour — not myth, legend, or confirmed fact. That said, it’s perfectly reasonable to believe the rumour. Alfred …
Wayland the Smith, also known as Wēland in Old English and Völundr in Old Norse, is one of the most enduring figures in the mythological and cultural heritage of Northern Europe. Revered as a master craftsman and enshrouded in mystery, his legend stretches across Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and Germanic traditions, stitched together from scattered fragments of …
The Rumour
There are so any rumours surrounding Wayland the Smith, I’m not on about the mythology or the legend but rumours, It is well documented that wayland produced a number of “magical” swords through Geoffrey of Monmouth, one of these is the known AVALON sword, the light giving sword wielded by no other than Robin Hood. Avalon the place, is a known place of healing throughout the reign of King Arthur. What is unclear in the narrative is, did Wayland travel to Avalon to produce the sword or was the Avalon sword manufactured in Waylands smithy itself.
All of that aside, it is rumoured the Wayland produce the weaponry for king Alfred of Wessex and that is a rumour.
I can understand how this rumour came about; because King Alfred was a Wessex man, His mother lived only six or seven miles away to the south, Only two miles away is an encampment known as Alfreds castle, A title given by Sir Walter Scott on a visit from Scotland to Berkshire. Scott gave this Iron Age fort, the title because King Alfred’s mother lived in Lambourn only 4 miles away and he wrongly assumed that the fort was Alfreds’. There have been many assumption about the area based on King Alfreds mother living in the locality.
In the narrative that I produced I mentioned a lord of the manor who had an axe built by Wayland and he paid handsomely for this iconic bearded axe. It is believed that the lord of the manor was indeed King Alfred.
Kit Andrews
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I was born and brought up within the Vale of the White Horse, and I grew up listening to stories about the area from parents, grandparents, family friends, and so on. I eagerly latched on to these stories – especially those about Wayland the Smith, within the parish of Ashbury. As a child, parents would …
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I have previously mentioned King Alfred, the King of Wessex, and his association with Wayland the Smith. It was rumoured that Alfred had asked Wayland to forge weaponry to arm his army. However, this is only a rumour — not myth, legend, or confirmed fact. That said, it’s perfectly reasonable to believe the rumour. Alfred …
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Wayland the Smith, also known as Wēland in Old English and Völundr in Old Norse, is one of the most enduring figures in the mythological and cultural heritage of Northern Europe. Revered as a master craftsman and enshrouded in mystery, his legend stretches across Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and Germanic traditions, stitched together from scattered fragments of …