“They are greatly charmed with gifts, but they expect no return for what they give, nor feel any obligation for what they receive.”
Thus quoth Tacitus, the historian of great renown, of the Germanic tribes.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a kenning as “a metaphorical compound word or phrase … used especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry.” The “whale-road” is a kenning for the sea, a “battle-coat” is armor, and a “ring-giver” is a king. Verily, they each align quite well with their metaphorical meanings; the sea is a road on which whales also travel; armor is a covering for oneself akin to a coat that is worn in battle; a king… gives people rings? The kenning “ring-giver” doesn’t necessarily align with what people today think of when they hear the word “king.” However, people in archaic times, particularly in Norse, Old English, and Germanic cultures, clearly expected such things of their kings, as is conveyed in the Cotton Maxims: “The king must give out/Rings in the hall.”
In the early Middle Ages, society required that kings remain full of generosity and participate in the social norm of gift-giving. Without the virtue of generosity, the kings could become unable to construct suitable alliances and strong friendships between other men in power. The quality of gift-giving quickly became one of the most valued attributes of a king. Not only would this promote goodwill among the king’s subjects, but “gift-giving was the crucial instrument in creating and upholding political alliances,” as pointed out by Lotte Hedeager in her book Iron Age Myth and Materiality. Verily, society as a whole, not just worthy rulers, played roles in this culture of generosity, which engrained the virtue, or at least the admiration, of generosity and free-handedness in the people. Rings, in and of themselves, however, have a certain value that separates them from other treasures. The ring-givers distributed “arm-rings or neck-rings to promote valor and fighting” and they “gave the wearer recognition and instant envy” from others “they were symbols of strength and courage.” Rings had great societal value and the people loved and relied on the generosity of their kings and books such as Beowulf and Fafnismol conveyed this importance, as books of this modern age speak to current cultures.
In each of those epic poems, both a dragon and a ring-giver are present. These two are given the roles of the monster and the man, the villain and the hero, respectively, and as polar opposites from each other—at least, that is what it would seem at first glance. Rather, a dragon is a dark reflection, a parallel-gone-wrong, of a king. Gold, which both compose rings and are symbolically embodied by them, possesses power for good or evil; it wields the power to create a hero or a villain. In the tales of legend, the hero acts with the free hand of their ideal ruler, while the villain displays the unadmirable traits of a miserly king. In Fafnismol, Fafnir himself begins as a greedy dwarf who lusts for gold. The idea of a dragon is not defined by shape alone, but, in respect to the hoarding kings they symbolize, in their personality and values. Fáfnir’s personality remains constant in both dwarven and draconian forms, though the gold accentuates his personality and his role as the villain of the story.
It is notable that the vice of greed is aligned with the Biblical command, “You shall not covet”: if one is grasping, covetousness naturally follows. Indeed, although the culture of which I speak was aware neither of Christ Jesus nor of the Hebrew Law, they depended on, as a society, the instruction against greed. Not only is that parallel present in Christianity, but the greatest gifts are given from our Heavenly Ring-Giver: from the homes in which we live, to the blessing of His only son. How much more ought we praise and admire The Great Ring-Giver than the Geats did of their own “good” kings! While the ring-givers of old gave jewels and gold, the Ring-Giver on High gave His only son to die. In sooth, we must offer up a great thanksgiving for He, verily, is a good king.
May your day of thanksgiving be blessed and may you remember the Great Ring-Giver, your liege, to whom you owe your life and allegiance!
Sources:
“Bible Gateway Passage: Romans 7:7 – New International Version.” Bible Gateway, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+7&version=NIV.
Elly, Ms. “Viking Arm Ring: Viking Oath of Loyalty and Dignity.” BaviPower, 4 Dec. 2018, https://bavipower.com/blogs/bavipower-viking-blog/viking-arm-ring-viking-oath-of-loyalty-and-dignity.
“Kenning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kenning.
Hedeager, Lotte, and Lotte Hedeager. Iron Age Myth and Materiality: An Archaeology of Scandinavia, AD 400-1000. Routledge, 2011.
Tacitus. “Medieval Sourcebook: Tacitus: Germania.” Internet History Sourcebooks Project, Paul Halsall, Jan. 1996, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/tacitus1.asp.
Thannickal, James. “The Elusive Term.” Beowulf – The Elusive Term, http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projf981e/ring.html.
Williamson, Craig. ‘Beowulf’ and Other Old English Poems. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013.