Toggle mobile menu

The Crow Warns Kon

The Crow Warns Kon
  • Creator: W. G. Collingwood August 6, 1854 - 1932
  • Description: This illustration by W.G. Collingwood is from Olive Bray's translation of the Poetic Edda that was published in a dual language edition in 1908 as The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda. This scene is from the poem Rígsþula and depicts a boy was born after Rígr visited his parents. Kon, who is known as "Kon ungr'"understands the speech of birds and is destined to become a king someday, i.e., konungr." The bird in the illustration is telling Kon that it is time for him to set aside childish pursuits and become a warrior.
  • Source: The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda
  • Folio or Page: 203
  • Medium: Wood Engraving
  • Date: 1908
  • Dimensions (mm): 125 x 65
  • 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-1908-203-01
  • Download size: 2.2 MB
  • Source code of this document: [XML]
Bray, Olive   Collingwood, W. G.   Elder or Poetic Edda   Edwardian   Rígr   Kon   Rigsþula, Lay of Rig  

Cite this page

Linked items

The MyNDIR Team

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

Gods and Goddesses

Rígr (non.) The name that Heimdallr used when he was on a journey and stayed with three couples of different means, all of whom were childless and each of whom conceived a son after his visit.

Mythological Persons

Kon (non.) The son of the third couple that Rigr, or Heimdallr, stayed with. Kon is destined to become a king.

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.
Rigsþula (is.) Lay of Rig (en.) An eddic poem that is not in the collection of poems in the Codex Regius manuscript known as the Poetic Edda. Rígr is identified as Heimdallr in the prose introduction to the poem and he uses the name when he visits earth and stays with a series of three childless couples over a three day period. The children born to each of the couples appear to represent the three social estates and are respectively named Þræll, Karl, Kon ungr, i.e., Thrall, Man, and King.

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.