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Víðarr Slaying Fenrir

Víðarr Slaying Fenrir
  • Creator: W.G. Collingwood August 6, 1854 - 1932
  • Description: This scene is from prose prologue to the poem Vafþrúnismál in the Viking Society's reprint of Bray, Olive's dual language edition of The Elder Edda (1908). W. G. Collingwood's illustration depicts Víðarr slaying Fenrir by holding his jaws apart and stabbing him after the wolf has killed Óðinn at the Battle of Ragnarök.
  • Source: The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda
  • Folio or Page: 38
  • Medium: Wood Engraving
  • Date: 1908
  • Dimensions (mm): 125 x 90
  • Provenance:
    This illustration is from The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda from the collection of P. A. Baer.
  • Rights:
    This illustration from The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda is in the public domain.
  • Research notes, early print reviews, etc.:
    1. Excerpt from an early print book review (1908): "Each poem is prefaced by two designs by Professor Collingwood. These at their best leave little to be desired. Several of them e.g. Graybeard and Thor, are altogether admirable. Others are valuable both from the artistic and the antiquarian standpoint, as the artist has woven into them motives from Pre-Norman crosses or hogbacks illustrating Eddaic subjects...." pg. 494. Full text of the review. Folklore Vol. 19, No. 4 (Dec. 30, 1908), pp. 493-496.
    2. Excerpt from an early print book review (1909): "The text is accompanied by thirty-three excellent illustrations, which have the comparatively rare merit of really helping the reader to vizualize [sic]the action and of suggesting the atmosphere of the poems." pg 97. Full text of the review. The Journal of American Folklore Vol. 22, No. 83 (Jan. - Mar., 1909), pp. 96-98.
  • Bibliography:

    Editions

    Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda. Translated by Olive Bray . London: Viking Club, 1908.

    Secondary Sources

    Major, Albany F. Review of The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda, translated by Olive Bray. Folklore, vol. 19, no. 4, 30 Dec. 1908: 493-496. Web. August 2,2021.
    Rankin, J. W.. Review of Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda, translated by Olive Bray. The Journal of American Folklore, vol. 22, no. 83, Jan. - Mar. 1909: 96-98. Web. 26 July 2021.
  • Identity Number: EldEdd-1908-038-01
  • Download size: 3.2 MB
  • Source code of this document: [XML]
Bray, Olive   Collingwood, W. G.   Elder or Poetic Edda   Edwardian   Vafþrúðnismál, Lay of Vafthrudnir   Fenrir   Víðarr, Vidar   Ragnarök, Ragnarok   Vafþrúðnir, Vafthrudnir   The Battle of Ragnarök  

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The MyNDIR Team

Dunn-Krahn, Sage (en.) b. 13th July 1999
Occupation: Research Assistant

Creatures: animals, birds, monsters etc.

Fenrir (non.) One of the names for the monstrous wolf who is one of the three monstrous offspring of Loki and the giantess Angrboða.

Giants and Giantesses

Vafþrúðnir (non.) Vafthrudnir (en.) A wise giant with whom Óðinn engaged in a wisdom contest with in order to gain further knowledge about Ragnarok.

Gods and Goddesses

Víðarr (non.) Vidar (en.) The son of Óðinn and the giantess Gríðr. It was foretold that he would avenge Óðinn´s death at the Battle of Ragnarök by killing the Fenris Wolf. He not only killed the wolf but survived the Battle.
Óðinn (non.) Odin (en.) The chief god of the Æsir in The Prose Edda. However, in Heimskringla he was a mortal who tricks the King of Sweden into believing that he was a god.

Myths

The Battle of RagnarökThe myth concerning the final great battle between the gods and the giants.

Mythological Events

Ragnarök (non.) Ragnarok (en.) The final great battle between the gods and the giants.

Nouns

Edwardian (en.)The Edwardian era began with the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 (January 22, 1901 - 28 July, 1914). However, the era's end date is sometimes extended to the beginning of World War 1 (28 July 1914).

Source Materials:

Elder or Poetic Edda (en.)A dual language editon of the Poetic Edda with illustrations by W. G. Collingwood.
Vafþrúðnismál (non.) Lay of Vafthrudnir (en.) A poem from the Poetic Edda concerning the giant Vafþrúðnir. He was challenged to a game of wits with Óðinn because Óðinn wanted to gain knowledge about Ragnarok.

Source Persons

Bray, Olive (en.) b. June 17, 1878
d. November 15, 1909
Nationality: English
Occupation: scholar, translator and editior
Residence: 17 The Boltons Kensington, London, England
Bray was one of the daughters of the high court judge Sir Reginald More Bray (1842-1923) and the novelist Emily Octavia Bray, of Shere Manor near Guildford. Little is known about Olive. She joined the Viking Society for Northern Research in 1902 and was a Vice-President in 1909. At the time of her death, she was living in the family home at 17 The Boltons Kensington. Her grave is in the Shere churchyard.
Collingwood, W. G. (en.) b. 6th August 1854
d. 1st October 1932
Nationality: English
Collingwood was an author, artist, and a professor at University College Reading.