Wuldar

By:SteveAnthonijsz

OldNorse:UllRUlinnVullRVollR
AngloSaxon:Wuldor(?[1])
Gothic:VulusWulus(?[2])

SaxoGrammaticus:Ollerus(BookIII)Rollerus(BookV)

TracinginformationaboutWuldarcanseemmuchmoredifficultthanmanyofourothergods.Hisnameismentioned
only twice in the Snorra Edda (Gylfaginning 31 and Skaldskaparml 4). He is only mentioned three times in the
SmundREdda[3].TheonlysurvivingsourceavailabletousthattellsusanyofthemythsinvolvingWuldarwere
writtenbyaRomanhistorianofDanishbirth,SaxoGrammaticusinhisGestaDanorum(HistoryoftheDanes).
ReferencesinEddiacpoetry,supportedbyplacenameevidence,suggestthatWuldarheldahigherplaceinthefaith
of our ancestors than his absence from the myths would seem to indicate. In Atlakvia in groenlenzca 30, for
example,anoathringisreferredtoasWuldarsring.
AninterestingmysteryregardingWuldaristhenumberoftimeshisnameismentionedinatextreadingWuldarand
allthegods,despitetherarityofhisbeingmentionedatallwhichseemsuniquetohislore.Couplethiswiththe
factthatthereareplacenamesinScandinaviawithnamessuchasUllklettur(Wuldarscliff)nexttoaplacecalled
Goaklettur(thegodscliff)Ullarfoss(Wuldarswaterfall)isnearGoafoss)(thegodswaterfall)andsoone.
PerhapsWuldarandallthegodsmeantsomethingabitmorethanmeetstheeye

Wuldars relationship to the other gods is quite unique. His mother, Sibba, is one of the Wanen, whilst his father,
Egil[4], is an Alp. His stepfather, Donar, is one of the Ensi. As Welands (Thiazi) brother, Wuldar is the uncle of
Scata.Hetendstobealoner,glidingalongsnowskatesintheforests,andhuntinghispreywithabow.Saxotellsus
that he appears to mankind through the fire, which is echoed in Grmnisml42[5]. Similarly, many associate his
magnificence(theONnameUllRmeansglory)withtheAuroraBorealis.Heisoftenconsideredtobethepatron
ofhuntersandofsinglecombat(martialarts).

ThefirsttimethatWuldarappearsinthemythsheisaboy.Accompanyinghisfather,Egil,andSlagfinntheyleavethe
Wolfdales (where Egil and Slagfinn had been previously exiled after their conflicts with the Ensi) together. Wuldar
wasapparentlybornintheWolfdales.EgilraiseshissonintheskillsoftheAlp,includingskiingandarchery[6].

ThenexttimeweseeWuldarheisayoungadult.Heliveswithhisparentsandhishalfbrother,Swipdag[7].Wuldar
follows his halfbrother to protect him during his excursion to find Fr[8]. They find Fr and her brother, Fr,
imprisonedbywitchcraftandheldinzanheimbyBelisclan.WuldarandSwipdagmanagetorescueFr,butFr
refusestoaccompanythem.TheybringherbacktoEgilshome,whereFrisfinallyreleasedfromthespellthathad
restrainedher.

ReconciliationbetweentheEnsiandIvaldisfamilyoccurs.

WuldarassistsDonar,Swipdag,FrandGartaatthebattleinGymirshall[9].


WarbetweentheEnsiandtheWanenbreaksout.TheAlpsupporttheWanen.Wuldarfightsastheheroofthe
Wanen against his (later?) stepfather, Donar[10], the hero of the Ensi. The Wanen win the war, exiling Wuotan.
Desiring a god that had no particular vocation in the government of the worlds, Wuldar was chosen to replace
Wuotanasking.Thischangeinauthoritybroughtaboutnosignificantchangesinreligion,butdidchangethedemands
ofsacrifice[11].

Tenyearslater,thezanenhaveexpandedandralliedtheirarmies.WuotanreturnstoEnsigarttowarnthegodsof
theoncomingattack,andleadsthecounterattackofthegods.IngratitudetoWuotan,theWanenaskhimtoreturnto
Ensigartasking.Anotherpeacecompactwasmade[12].Thetransferofrulershipwasamiable.

WearenottoldofWuldarsfateatGtterdmmerung(Godotuom)

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[1]ThisnameisderivedfromthetermwuldurfadurfoundinCdmonsHymn.Thetermmaybetranslatedaseithergloryfather
orasthemoreinventiveFatherWuldor.Whilethisauthortendstoagreewiththeformertranslation,manyhaveacceptedthe
latter.Eitherwaythenamemaybelegitimatelyusedjustasallthegodsarecalledbyanglicisedvariantsoftheirname.Theystill
answer.
[2]ScholarsdebatewhethertheGothsknewwulus(glory/majesty)asagodnameorasanadjective.
[3]Grmnisml5,Grmnisml42,andAtlakvia30
[4]SeeThesirandtheElveshttp://www.aetaustralia.org/arwraesirelves.htm
[5]Someinterpretthisasreferringtoasmithsforge,althoughotherswouldassociatethisasanallusiontofireskrying.
[6]Saxo
[7]SwipdagisknownintheEddiacaccountsasSvipdagandasOR.
[8]Ibid.seealsoSwipdagsml
[9]SkrnismlalsosupportedbyLokasenna42&Vlusphinskamma3
[10]ItisgenerallyacceptedthatDonardoesnotbecomeWuldarsstepfatheruntilsometimeaftertheGreatWar.
[11]Saxo
[12]Ibid.

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