.344 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



sword found with the anvil of steel, he afterwards wielded 

 with terrible effect against his enemies ; it was named 

 ' caledvwlch ' (the hard cleft), or ' caliburn ' (well-tem- 

 pered or massive).' This weapon was no doubt fabricated 

 by Weland. 



In the metres composed by King Alfred on the ' Con- 

 solations of Boethius,' the learned monarch asks. 



Who then can tell, wise Weland's (pelan^e3) bones 



Where now they rest so long ? 

 Beneath what heap of earth and stones 



Their prison is made strong ? 



A direct testimony to the great age of this tradition. 

 And in the Anglo-Saxon poem on Beowulf, that chief, 

 before going to battle, requests that there should be 

 sent to Higelac, 



My garments of battle. 

 The best that my bosom bears. 

 The richest of my clothes. 

 The remains of the Hred-lan, 

 The work of Weland. 



In some fragments of an old Anglo-Saxon manuscript, 

 published by Professor Stephens, we find this ancient 

 worker in metals and shoer of horses mentioned in a com- 

 plimentary manner as a maker of sharp swords. ' The 

 Wieland (pelan^) work will fail no man, who kenneth to 

 wield biting Mimming.' This, we may be sure, was an- 

 other of his celebrated blades. 



In a French poem, conjectured to be of the 7th 

 century, Weyland is supposed to be mentioned for the 

 first time, when it is said that the cuirass made by Veland 

 could not defend the hero Randolph from death. 



' The Chronicle of Tysilio. 



