Thursday, January 15, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
THE GOLDEN RING AND ITS CURSE - PART TWO
THE GOLDEN RING AND ITS CURSE - PART TWO
A version for young people
Adapted from the original by Andrew Swanson
PROLOGUE
I wrote this adaptation when my children were of middle school age, setting the story in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where on rainy summer days they frequently listened to it. I reset the location to the Southwest, in the area we now call Tucson and the mountains which surround the Tucson basin, for this version. I then decided to make it available to you bloggers and especially for your children in their middle school years. The story, in part, is based on ancient Viking (Norse: Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland) legends. The occasional use of German names is taken from the version Richard Wagner used for his four opera series, "The Nibelung’s Ring". A guide to the pronunciation of these German names will be provided at the end of Part Four. Try to read the blog which has Part One before reading Part Two. Now, once again, let your minds travel back several millennia to a time when the mountains were higher and the rivers ran deeper.....
PART TWO
Twenty or so years now passed. Vodin had been away most of this time and had been unfaithful to his wife, Erica. However, he believed his lack of loyalty to Erica had been in a good cause – developing a defense against Fafnir, who now owns the Ring, and Albdark, who schemes to recover it. Vodin first went down to Altwoman, initially seeking help, but remained long enough to create eight daughters with her. These daughters became the Valkyries. The task of the Valkyries will be to collect fallen heroes from the world’s battlefields and bring them to Valhalla where they will be re-born and make up an army for Vodin.
During this period he also wandered the earth under the name of Walvater and with two Walmann women created two children whom he named Siegmund and Sieglinde. This couple, Vodin hoped, would eventually produce a son who would become the world’s greatest hero and who would recover the Ring. After these two were mostly grown Vodin deserted them since he must not have direct control over the future of those who will one day regain the Ring. In this way he hoped to escape the Ring’s curse before it could be returned to the river maidens.
Seiglinde was eventually caught by the Trantors and forced into an unhappy marriage with a fierce Trantor named Hanslick. At the marriage feast, Vodin appeared disguised as a wanderer. However, he carried a powerful sword which only his own spear could beat in battle. This sword he shoved up to its hilt into the tree trunk which supported Hanslick’s hut. He declared to all at the feast that only the greatest living hero will be able to pull the sword from the tree. All the men at the feast tried to pull the sword from the tree but all failed trying.
Meanwhile, Siegmund had been a lonely wanderer through the desert and mountain forests and had occasionally fought the Trantors, becoming their enemy. One stormy night, having lost his sword in a battle with the Trantors, he was chased by them through a forest during a violent thunderstorm and came across Hanslick’s hut. He had saved a frightened young girl from a forced mrriage to a violent Trantor and gave her time to escape. He entered the hut and fell exhausted in front of the fireplace. Sieglinde found him and offered him water and food. It was a rule among the Trantors, and the Walmanns, that if someone arrived at your house needing shelter and food for the night he must be provided with food and drink even if that someone is an enemy.
However, before Sieglinde could feed Siegmund, Hanslick arrived home. He did not immediately recognize Siegmund in spite of the fact that he had been chasing Siegmund earlier in the evening. However, as Siegmund explained during their dinner how he came to be at Hanslick’s home, Hanslick recognized him. Hanslick then told Siegmund that Siegmund had better find a weapon because in the morning they will fight to the death. Hanslick then went to bed for the night. Sieglinde, who had often been abused by Hanslick, had become very attracted to Siegmund and did not immediately recognize him as her half brother. In the bedtime drink she made for Hanslick she placed a drug to be sure that Hanslick did not awaken and she then returned to the fire to be with Siegmund. They talked and fell in love. While comparing experiences they discovered that they shared the same father - Walvater. Nonetheless they decided to run off together. Hoping that Siegmund might be able to pull the sword from the tree, Sieglinde told Siegmund all about it. With a mighty yank, Siegmund pulled the sword from the tree trunk and the two of them ran off into the night.
Siegmund and Sieglinde spent much of the early hours of the night running and headed for the forests on the mountainsides nearby. There they found a rocky overhang and gathering some damp pine branches for their bed they fell asleep together. The next day was spent in more running with the barking of Hanslick’s dogs being heard in the distance following them. They finally reached a rocky plateau where Sieglinde, tired out, begged for a rest. They stopped and while Siegmund sat as guard, Sieglinde fell asleep with her head in Siegmund's lap.
While all this had been going on, things had been going on in Valhalla which will affect the two lovers. Erica, the Goddess of marriages and love, had learned of Sieglinde’s lack of loyalty to Hanslick and also strongly disapproved of a half brother and sister running off together. Knowing that Hanslick was chasing the couple she told Vodin that he must permit Hanslick to kill Siegmund inspite of Siegmund’s having the powerful sword. Vodin at first refused telling Erica that this couple was the Gods’ only chance to get back the Ring and avoid its curse. Erica would have none of this. She insisted that Siegmund must die and that Sieglinde must return to her lawful husband, Hanslick.
Finally, Vodin reluctantly gave in to Erica’s demands. He summoned his favorite Valkyrie daughter, Brunnhilde, and gave her instructions to defend Hanslick while filling her in on all that had taken place. Vodin told Brunnhilde that Albdark had forced a woman to marry him and they have had a son, Grimmann, who Albdark hopes will recover the Ring for him. Brunnhilde realized that Vodin, in ordering her to help Hanslick, was acting against his own real desires, but she also knew that she must obey his orders. She then left to warn Siegmund of his coming death.
Brunnhilde found Siegmund and Sieglinde where they had stopped to rest. While Sieglinde continued to sleep, Brunnhilde told Siegmund that he must lose in the fight with Hanslick, that Vodin, who gave the sword its power, has now taken that power away. Further she told Siegmund that he will go to Valhalla where he will live a comfortable second life waited upon by the lovely maidens who serve Vodin. When Siegmund asked if Sieglinde will be able to join him in Valhalla, Brunnhilde said that, no, Sieglinde must remain an Earthling.
Hearing this bad news Siegmund said that he would first kill Sieglinde and then kill himself before he would yield to Hanslick. Brunnhilde and Siegmund argued about this for some time but in the end Brunnhilde was touched by Siegmund’s love for Sieglinde and knowing that Vodin’s real desire was for Siegmund to be the winner she gave in and promised to defend Siegmund in the coming battle. Brunnhilde then left to wait for the fight.
Soon, Hanslick’s horn was heard calling close by. Siegmund answered it and quickly the fight started. With Brunnhilde behind him Siegmund was getting the better of Hanslick partly because Hanslick was being careful not to let Siegmund’s powerful sword strike his own sword too heavily. Suddenly, Vodin appeared behind Hanslick and stretched out his spear. Siegmund’s sword was no match against Vodin’s spear and it broke into several pieces against the spear. Hanslick promptly drove his own spear through Siegmund’s heart. The terrible deed done, Vodin cursed Hanslick so violently that Hanslick died on the spot.
Meanwhile Brunnhilde had collected all the pieces of the sword and gathering Sieglinde up on her horse, Grane, she and Sieglinde rode rapidly away to join the other Valkyries at their meeting place nearby on the high rocky summit ridge of what is the highest peak in the mountains we know as the Santa Ritas.
That late afternoon, the Valkyries were all flying back in on their flying horses each one carrying a dead hero across her saddle. They all wondered what was delaying Brunnhilde. Brunnhilde finally arrived and attempted to persuade her Valkyrie sisters to help her to aid Sieglinde, but, fearing Vodin’s anger they refused. Before Vodin arrived, Brunnhilde gave the pieces of the sword to Sieglinde and told her to head for the forest on a neighboring mountain. There she must find whatever shelter she can where she can give birth to the hero child that Siegmund and Sieglinde have conceived. Brunnhilde instructed Sieglinde to name this hero Siegfried who would, one day, become the worlds greatest hero. Brunnhilde also told Sieglinde to give Siegfried the pieces of his father’s sword and that he should make the sword whole again as with this sword Siegfried could not be defeated. Sieglinde then started out on her dangerous and lonely trip into the forest.
Vodin now arrived and after scolding Brunnhilde for her disobedience commanded the other Valkyries to leave. Then Vodin and Brunnhilde had their final meeting. At first Vodin wanted to take away Brunnhilde’s semi Goddess status, put her to sleep on a rock where she would be available to be taken for wife by the first man who found her. Brunnhilde pleaded with her father to at least protect her sleeping place with a fire that only the greatest of heroes would be willing to penetrate and after much discussion Vodin agreed. Brunnhilde was his favorite, much loved, daughter and he was finally willing to make her punishment as painless as possible.
Taking her into his arms and kissing both of her eyes he put her to sleep. He placed her on a flat rock, secured her armor, tied her horse Grane up near a good food supply, and then laid Brunnhilde’s shield upon her with her spear next to her. Taking up his own spear, Vodin struck a large rock three times calling Loge the God of fire. He instructed Loge to surround Brunnhilde’s rocky ridge with a fire so fierce that only the greatest of heroes would be able to get through.
With a last longing look at his beloved Valkyrie daughter Vodin departed.
Andrew Swanson is the author of a new novel, "The Grantor". See the blog devoted to a summary of this work and details about ordering. His blog "Do You Believe You Have A Spirit Guide summarizes a specific chapter from "The Grantor". See also his blog "My Experience With Vivix" which details his experience with this remarkable life extending product and also provides ordering information. The remaining two parts of "The Golden Ring and Its Curse" will be completed one each week for the next two weeks. You are welcome to make as many copies as you like of this four part series for other families who have children who might enjoy reading it as long as you make no changes whatsoever to the entire blog.
A version for young people
Adapted from the original by Andrew Swanson
PROLOGUE
I wrote this adaptation when my children were of middle school age, setting the story in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where on rainy summer days they frequently listened to it. I reset the location to the Southwest, in the area we now call Tucson and the mountains which surround the Tucson basin, for this version. I then decided to make it available to you bloggers and especially for your children in their middle school years. The story, in part, is based on ancient Viking (Norse: Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland) legends. The occasional use of German names is taken from the version Richard Wagner used for his four opera series, "The Nibelung’s Ring". A guide to the pronunciation of these German names will be provided at the end of Part Four. Try to read the blog which has Part One before reading Part Two. Now, once again, let your minds travel back several millennia to a time when the mountains were higher and the rivers ran deeper.....
PART TWO
Twenty or so years now passed. Vodin had been away most of this time and had been unfaithful to his wife, Erica. However, he believed his lack of loyalty to Erica had been in a good cause – developing a defense against Fafnir, who now owns the Ring, and Albdark, who schemes to recover it. Vodin first went down to Altwoman, initially seeking help, but remained long enough to create eight daughters with her. These daughters became the Valkyries. The task of the Valkyries will be to collect fallen heroes from the world’s battlefields and bring them to Valhalla where they will be re-born and make up an army for Vodin.
During this period he also wandered the earth under the name of Walvater and with two Walmann women created two children whom he named Siegmund and Sieglinde. This couple, Vodin hoped, would eventually produce a son who would become the world’s greatest hero and who would recover the Ring. After these two were mostly grown Vodin deserted them since he must not have direct control over the future of those who will one day regain the Ring. In this way he hoped to escape the Ring’s curse before it could be returned to the river maidens.
Seiglinde was eventually caught by the Trantors and forced into an unhappy marriage with a fierce Trantor named Hanslick. At the marriage feast, Vodin appeared disguised as a wanderer. However, he carried a powerful sword which only his own spear could beat in battle. This sword he shoved up to its hilt into the tree trunk which supported Hanslick’s hut. He declared to all at the feast that only the greatest living hero will be able to pull the sword from the tree. All the men at the feast tried to pull the sword from the tree but all failed trying.
Meanwhile, Siegmund had been a lonely wanderer through the desert and mountain forests and had occasionally fought the Trantors, becoming their enemy. One stormy night, having lost his sword in a battle with the Trantors, he was chased by them through a forest during a violent thunderstorm and came across Hanslick’s hut. He had saved a frightened young girl from a forced mrriage to a violent Trantor and gave her time to escape. He entered the hut and fell exhausted in front of the fireplace. Sieglinde found him and offered him water and food. It was a rule among the Trantors, and the Walmanns, that if someone arrived at your house needing shelter and food for the night he must be provided with food and drink even if that someone is an enemy.
However, before Sieglinde could feed Siegmund, Hanslick arrived home. He did not immediately recognize Siegmund in spite of the fact that he had been chasing Siegmund earlier in the evening. However, as Siegmund explained during their dinner how he came to be at Hanslick’s home, Hanslick recognized him. Hanslick then told Siegmund that Siegmund had better find a weapon because in the morning they will fight to the death. Hanslick then went to bed for the night. Sieglinde, who had often been abused by Hanslick, had become very attracted to Siegmund and did not immediately recognize him as her half brother. In the bedtime drink she made for Hanslick she placed a drug to be sure that Hanslick did not awaken and she then returned to the fire to be with Siegmund. They talked and fell in love. While comparing experiences they discovered that they shared the same father - Walvater. Nonetheless they decided to run off together. Hoping that Siegmund might be able to pull the sword from the tree, Sieglinde told Siegmund all about it. With a mighty yank, Siegmund pulled the sword from the tree trunk and the two of them ran off into the night.
Siegmund and Sieglinde spent much of the early hours of the night running and headed for the forests on the mountainsides nearby. There they found a rocky overhang and gathering some damp pine branches for their bed they fell asleep together. The next day was spent in more running with the barking of Hanslick’s dogs being heard in the distance following them. They finally reached a rocky plateau where Sieglinde, tired out, begged for a rest. They stopped and while Siegmund sat as guard, Sieglinde fell asleep with her head in Siegmund's lap.
While all this had been going on, things had been going on in Valhalla which will affect the two lovers. Erica, the Goddess of marriages and love, had learned of Sieglinde’s lack of loyalty to Hanslick and also strongly disapproved of a half brother and sister running off together. Knowing that Hanslick was chasing the couple she told Vodin that he must permit Hanslick to kill Siegmund inspite of Siegmund’s having the powerful sword. Vodin at first refused telling Erica that this couple was the Gods’ only chance to get back the Ring and avoid its curse. Erica would have none of this. She insisted that Siegmund must die and that Sieglinde must return to her lawful husband, Hanslick.
Finally, Vodin reluctantly gave in to Erica’s demands. He summoned his favorite Valkyrie daughter, Brunnhilde, and gave her instructions to defend Hanslick while filling her in on all that had taken place. Vodin told Brunnhilde that Albdark had forced a woman to marry him and they have had a son, Grimmann, who Albdark hopes will recover the Ring for him. Brunnhilde realized that Vodin, in ordering her to help Hanslick, was acting against his own real desires, but she also knew that she must obey his orders. She then left to warn Siegmund of his coming death.
Brunnhilde found Siegmund and Sieglinde where they had stopped to rest. While Sieglinde continued to sleep, Brunnhilde told Siegmund that he must lose in the fight with Hanslick, that Vodin, who gave the sword its power, has now taken that power away. Further she told Siegmund that he will go to Valhalla where he will live a comfortable second life waited upon by the lovely maidens who serve Vodin. When Siegmund asked if Sieglinde will be able to join him in Valhalla, Brunnhilde said that, no, Sieglinde must remain an Earthling.
Hearing this bad news Siegmund said that he would first kill Sieglinde and then kill himself before he would yield to Hanslick. Brunnhilde and Siegmund argued about this for some time but in the end Brunnhilde was touched by Siegmund’s love for Sieglinde and knowing that Vodin’s real desire was for Siegmund to be the winner she gave in and promised to defend Siegmund in the coming battle. Brunnhilde then left to wait for the fight.
Soon, Hanslick’s horn was heard calling close by. Siegmund answered it and quickly the fight started. With Brunnhilde behind him Siegmund was getting the better of Hanslick partly because Hanslick was being careful not to let Siegmund’s powerful sword strike his own sword too heavily. Suddenly, Vodin appeared behind Hanslick and stretched out his spear. Siegmund’s sword was no match against Vodin’s spear and it broke into several pieces against the spear. Hanslick promptly drove his own spear through Siegmund’s heart. The terrible deed done, Vodin cursed Hanslick so violently that Hanslick died on the spot.
Meanwhile Brunnhilde had collected all the pieces of the sword and gathering Sieglinde up on her horse, Grane, she and Sieglinde rode rapidly away to join the other Valkyries at their meeting place nearby on the high rocky summit ridge of what is the highest peak in the mountains we know as the Santa Ritas.
That late afternoon, the Valkyries were all flying back in on their flying horses each one carrying a dead hero across her saddle. They all wondered what was delaying Brunnhilde. Brunnhilde finally arrived and attempted to persuade her Valkyrie sisters to help her to aid Sieglinde, but, fearing Vodin’s anger they refused. Before Vodin arrived, Brunnhilde gave the pieces of the sword to Sieglinde and told her to head for the forest on a neighboring mountain. There she must find whatever shelter she can where she can give birth to the hero child that Siegmund and Sieglinde have conceived. Brunnhilde instructed Sieglinde to name this hero Siegfried who would, one day, become the worlds greatest hero. Brunnhilde also told Sieglinde to give Siegfried the pieces of his father’s sword and that he should make the sword whole again as with this sword Siegfried could not be defeated. Sieglinde then started out on her dangerous and lonely trip into the forest.
Vodin now arrived and after scolding Brunnhilde for her disobedience commanded the other Valkyries to leave. Then Vodin and Brunnhilde had their final meeting. At first Vodin wanted to take away Brunnhilde’s semi Goddess status, put her to sleep on a rock where she would be available to be taken for wife by the first man who found her. Brunnhilde pleaded with her father to at least protect her sleeping place with a fire that only the greatest of heroes would be willing to penetrate and after much discussion Vodin agreed. Brunnhilde was his favorite, much loved, daughter and he was finally willing to make her punishment as painless as possible.
Taking her into his arms and kissing both of her eyes he put her to sleep. He placed her on a flat rock, secured her armor, tied her horse Grane up near a good food supply, and then laid Brunnhilde’s shield upon her with her spear next to her. Taking up his own spear, Vodin struck a large rock three times calling Loge the God of fire. He instructed Loge to surround Brunnhilde’s rocky ridge with a fire so fierce that only the greatest of heroes would be able to get through.
With a last longing look at his beloved Valkyrie daughter Vodin departed.
Andrew Swanson is the author of a new novel, "The Grantor". See the blog devoted to a summary of this work and details about ordering. His blog "Do You Believe You Have A Spirit Guide summarizes a specific chapter from "The Grantor". See also his blog "My Experience With Vivix" which details his experience with this remarkable life extending product and also provides ordering information. The remaining two parts of "The Golden Ring and Its Curse" will be completed one each week for the next two weeks. You are welcome to make as many copies as you like of this four part series for other families who have children who might enjoy reading it as long as you make no changes whatsoever to the entire blog.
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