Saga of Udaín
| Author | Líe the Bard[1] |
|---|---|
| Translator | Joris of Baltropp |
| Country | Valahandia |
| Language | Célas, English |
| Subject | Life of Udaín of Muén |
| Genre | Epic poetry |
| Published | c. 1200 AD |
Published in English | 1521 AD |
The Saga of Udaín is an epic poem spanning 22 self-contained stories which detail the violent journey of Udaín, the legendary founder of Valahandia, through the northern Liberalian wilderness in search of a place to settle his clan. While the entire narrative is likely fictional, the work may have been taken as an authentic or semi-authentic historical account by many Valahandians in the 13th century onward, and became a cornerstone of early Valahandian cultural identity. The Saga, likely penned no earlier than the 1190s, is attributed to one or more Valahandian storytellers under the name "Líe the Bard." The stories of the Saga are likely based on oral accounts of the actual migration of Eonedíc peoples from central Liberalia to Valahandia dating to between the 850s and 971 AD. The Saga was first translated into modern English by Joris of Baltropp, a 16th century Valhandian scholar, and is considered one of the seminal works of Valahandian literary and cultural canon.
History and Authorship[edit | edit source]
Although the narrative is set in the late 8th century, virtually all scholars reject contemporary authorship, instead dating the written work to around the turn of the 13th century, based on textual and stylistic analysis of the oldest surviving Saga manuscripts. Many, but not all, of the oldest complete versions of the Saga begin with a brief prologue attesting the content of the narrative to an earlier figure, "Líe the Bard." Líe's existence is uncorroborated by any sources outside of the oldest manuscripts of the Saga, so it is unclear whether "Líe" was thought to be a compiler of existing oral legends or the creator of the narrative. Most experts on the Saga consider the former theory, that many of the characters and story beats were popular in oral legend before being compiled by one or more storytellers under the pen-name "Líe" in the late 12th or early 13th century, to be the most plausible course of events. The text and narrative was popular throughout medieval times in the Valahandian kingdom, often recited during ceremonies and festivities. During the late medieval and early modern eras, the Saga became a cultural touchstone for Valahandians, oft referenced in every day life and the foundational narrative for many derivative works of fiction. In 1521, Joris, a courtesan of the Valahandian throne from Baltropp, was commissioned to create a definitive translation of the Saga. The English translation came out to nearly 9,900 lines, one of the longest classical epics in Valahandian history. The English translation of the Saga has been in and out of print by many different publishers for the past 500 years.
The Narrative[edit | edit source]
The saga is told through 22 separate "encounters," each of which sees Udaín overcoming some great challenge in search of a land in which to settle his clan.
Around 780 AD in Northern Liberalia, Udaín, the clan chief of a small, pastoral settlement call Muén[2], is out hunting with some of his clansmen when he witnesses a rival chief, Folgard, kill the guards of Muén, raze the village, and abduct the surviving townspeople. Enraged, Udaín and his men move to assault Folgard's war-camp, but are ambushed while traveling single-file through a sunken lane and are massacred. Only Udaín survives, killing a dozen of Folgard's most skilled warriors with a wooden cudgel before sneaking into the chieftain's war camp and demanding an audience. Folgard, impressed by the young clan chief's strength and persistence, challenges Udaín to a death-fight in exchange for the freedom of his townspeople. Udaín eagerly agrees but is defeated quickly by Folgard's superior technique. Seemingly crippled by a blow to the head, Udaín is stripped of all but his undergarments and thrown into a half-frozen river by Folgard, who assumes that the young chief will either drown or freeze to death as the night closes in.
Despite the pitch darkness and freezing temperatures, Udaín survives, and allows the river to carry him many miles away from the war camp. Slowly dying from his wounds and exposure, Udaín uses the last of his energy to track down and kill a bear for its hide and meat, strangling it with an ivy vine and carving its flesh with a stone from the river.
The story then jumps forward about two months. Udaín has recovered from his injuries but is too afraid to attempt another rescue of his kinsmen. In the time since his fight with Folgard, Udaín's surviving clansmen have been enslaved by Folgard's clan and are being slowly worked to death as the harsh northern winter sets in. While hunting elk near his makeshift hut, Udaín, overcome by sorrow and guilt, throws himself down a steep ravine so that he might die rather than live with his personal failure. Rather than perish, however, Udaín falls into an otherworldly subterranean shrine and finds a great tapestry laid out before him. It details a grueling path through the heart of Liberalia to a great protrusion (peninsula) where fish jump into the nets of fishermen and barley grows like vines. Udaín vows to find this land, if it exists, free his clan, and lead them to a new home.
The saga's narrative becomes significantly more fragmented after Udaín sets out on his journey. Years pass. The young chieftain comes across seven "deceivers," hell-spawn (often interpreted as incarnations of Satan) who take the form of travelers in need and attempt to trick Udaín into dropping his guard. In the first six instances, Udaín is able to see through the charade, and kills the deceivers before they can shift into their true form (which is far more deadly). The final deceiver, however, disguised as a young girl who became lost chasing a fox through the woods, challenges him to a competition of strength. Though skeptical of the girl's request, Udaín is unable to believe that something so fragile and small could hide nefarious intentions, and agrees to the challenge, a simple pinecone toss. The girl tosses her pinecone onto a nearby frozen lake, an easily beatable distance. Rather than turn his back to the potential-hell-spawn and risk being stabbed while looking for a projectile for himself, Udaín asks the girl to retrieve her pinecone in the name of sportsmanship, since he doubts he could find a pinecone of the exact same size. She agrees and ventures out onto the frozen lake. Just as the girl reaches the thinnest part of the ice, Udaín names her a hell-spawn, knowing that demons must show their true form after being named. A great hell-spawn emerges from the husk of the young girl, preparing to advance on Udaín. After a single step, however, the demon, weighing significantly more than a young girl, falls through the ice and drowns.
Over the course of his journey, Udaín also comes into conflict with many beasts, some of myth (such as the great winged snake, Orm) and others of science (wolves, cougars, and the like). During these encounters, Udaín performs seemingly unnatural strength, speed, and stamina, outrunning an entire pack of wolves. On the fifth night of the fifth year of his expedition, Udaín reaches a great peninsula. Devoid of the presence of man or evil beast, Udaín plants a spruce shaft he fashioned during his journey into the ground and declares: "Here shall I lay the rocks that the greatest kingdom in existence shall one day perch atop!" The reader is expected to understand that this site is the eventual location of the city of Doundain.
Jarringly, the story picks up some many months later. Udaín has returned to the annihilated remains of Muén and calls on his ancestors to give him strength in the coming battle. The next morning, Udaín slays one of Folgard's patrols, mounts their heads on a spike, and parades the horrid trophy to the gates of Folgard's hall. Terrified by the sight, Folgard offers to release Udaín's enslaved clansmen if he will leave the land forever, but Udaín denies the offer. Seeing no other alternative, Folgard agrees to resume his deathmatch with Udaín, which technically never concluded since neither combatant perished in the original round of fighting. Udaín quickly overpowers Folgard, finishing off the vile chieftain by crushing his head with a massive rock. Having witnessed the strength of Udaín firsthand, many of Folgard's clansmen swear fealty to him on the spot. The rest flee in terror, but are consumed by a blizzard.
The saga concludes with Udaín freeing his clansmen, setting Folgard's hall ablaze, and leading his band of hopeful pilgrims towards their new home.
Themes and Historical Context[edit | edit source]
Social Implications[edit | edit source]
Before the mass conversion of Eonedíc peoples to Catholicism in 928 AD, ritual suicide was considered a viable way of restoring honor for men who transgressed against or failed to live up to the reputation of their family or clan. The practice continued, though more informally, through the 12th century. Many modern literary historians and anthropologists view the Saga's narrative, which centers around redemption-through-action, rather than through suicide, as an effort to retroactively delegitimize ritual suicide, which is a sin in the Christian tradition. Drawing on a number of shared themes between Christian and pagan traditions, some historians view the Saga as an attempt to bridge the gap between Eonedíc paganism and Christianity, which was still struggling to displace local religious traditions outside of the cities of Valahandia in the twelfth century.
Biblical Allegory[edit | edit source]
The Saga has been compared to passages of the Old Testament (specifically Exodus and Deuteronomy), and many literary historians note striking similarities between the journeys of Udaín and Moses. The tapestry at the subterranean shrine which inspired Udaín to save his people from enslavement has often been compared to the Biblical burning bush. Orm, the winged serpent of chaos in early Eonedíc pagan tradition, whom Udaín slays in the Saga, has been compared to the Biblical serpent of chaos, Leviathan. The original English-language version is said to contain the most pronounced allegory, where each demon Udaín fights bears the name of one of the seven Princes of Hell. In this same version, Doundain is described not just as a favorable location for a new city, but nearly Edenic, with a host of wild beasts bowing to Udaín as he enters.
Political Implications[edit | edit source]
The narrative of the Saga later played an important role in legitimizing the authority of the Valahn tribe (based out of Doundain) over all Eonedíc peoples following their conquests in the 14th century. By tying Udaín, long considered the grandfather and king of all Eonedíc peoples, so closely to the settlement of Doundain, subsequent rulers out of Doundain were able to claim direct lineage with Udaín, thereby inheriting his claim to all of Valahandia. The Valahandian monarchs certainly presented the Saga of Udaín as an authentic historical account, though the extent to which this was actually believed by commoners remains a source of scholarly debate.