The king who had the smith Völundr captured, cut his hamstrings, and set him on an island to exploit his craft, only to suffer his brutal revenge.
Níðuðr was king in Nerike or Níðuðr, depending on the interpretation of the Völundarkviða's geography. He learned of Völundr's treasures and ring-collection and sent men to seize them. Völundr was taken in his sleep, imprisoned on the island of Sævarstöð, and had his hamstrings cut so he could not flee. Níðuðr took the ring Völundr had worn for his beloved.
Níðuðr's characterization in the poem is complex. His wife urges that Völundr be punished still more harshly, while Níðuðr himself remains more restrained. Yet it was on his command that the entire cruelty of the imprisonment was carried out. Völundr's revenge struck Níðuðr hard: his sons were slain, his daughter violated, and Völundr flew away with a laugh.
Sources in the Eddas
- Völundarkviða
- Níðuðr's full role in Völundr's captivity and revenge. Own translation.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Níðuðr is attested only in the Völundarkviða but plays a central role as antagonist in one of the Eddic corpus's most remarkable narratives.
C What we do not know
Níðuðr's geography is unclear; some scholars place him in Nerike, others see a connection with Norwegian place-names, though nothing is settled.