Essay Questions

On which ancient writing was this poem based on?

This poem was based on the Volsunga Saga. The Volsunga Saga is a 13th-century document that was originally written in Icelandic. In it, an unnamed narrator tells the story of two clans fighting for dominance and provides a detailed history of the two families mentioned here, The Volsunga Saga is extremely important to the literary world mainly because of its age but also because of the detailed information provided about the ancient beliefs and customs. In modern history it was used time and time again as a source of inspiration especially by those who created literary pieces focusing on the Viking era.

How are the Gods described in the poem?

The Gods are not described in the most positive way in the poem. They are seen as meddling with the normal course of life and blessing one clan to the detriment of another, causing a lot of pain and strife in the long run. The characters in the poem are often cross with their Gods and refuse to accept their judgements and decisions. Also, in comparison with the Western or Christian Gods and deities, the Viking ones are not all-powerful and depend on the support of their subjects.

What is the link between the dragon and the treasure it protects?

In ancient writings, dragons were the creatures that protected and guarded great treasures. Sometimes, those treasures were stolen from kings and affluent people but in other cases the dragons kept the riches away from humans and helped humans to not become to greedy. Humans and heroes attack dragons but not because they feel threatened by them but rather to take the riches they guarded. Other times, slaying a dragon is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood or action that every man coming from a noble family must do in order to gain respect and admiration.