thumb|[[Albin Egger-Lienz: Hulda. Oil on canvas, 1903.]]
In Scandinavian mythology, Huld is only referenced by völva or seiðkona, that is a woman who practiced the seiðr. She is mentioned in the Ynglinga saga, Sturlunga saga and a late medieval Icelandic tale. In the latter source, she is Odin's mistress and the mother of the demi-goddesses Þorgerðr and Irpa.
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Vanlande, Swegde's son, succeeded his father, and ruled over the
Upsal domain. He was a great warrior, and went far around in
different lands. Once he took up his winter abode in Lapland
with Snae the Old, and got his daughter Driva in marriage; but in
spring he set out leaving Driva behind, and although he had
promised to return within three years he did not come back for
ten. Then Driva sent a message to the witch Huld; and sent
Visbur, her son by Vanlande, to Sweden. Driva bribed the witch-wife Huld, either that she should bewitch Vanlande to return to
Finland, or kill him. When this witch-work was going on Vanlande
was at Upsal, and a great desire came over him to go to Finland;
but his friends and counsellors advised him against it, and said
the witchcraft of the Finn people showed itself in this desire of
his to go there. He then became very drowsy, and laid himself
down to sleep; but when he had slept but a little while he cried
out, saying that the Mara was treading upon him. His men
hastened to him to help him; but when they took hold of his head
she trod on his legs, and when they laid hold of his legs she
pressed upon his head; and it was his death. The Swedes took his
body and burnt it at a river called Skytaa, where a standing stone was raised over him.
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Snorri also quoted some lines from Ynglingatal composed in the 9th century:
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:En á vit
:Vilja bróður
:vitta véttr
:Vanlanda kom,
:þá er trollkund
:of troða skyldi
:liðs grímhildr
:ljóna bága;
:ok sá brann á beði Skútu
:menglötuðr,
:er mara kvalði.
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:And Vanlande, in a fatal hour,
:Was dragg'd by Grimhild's daughter's power,
:The witch-wife's, to the dwelling-place
:Where men meet Odin face to face.
:Trampled to death, to Skytaa's shore
:The corpse his faithful followers bore;
:And there they burnt, with heavy hearts,
:The good chief killed by witchcraft's arts.
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Later she was hired by Vanlade's grandchildren to kill his son Visbur.
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Vísburr tók arf eptir Vanlanda föður sinn; hann gékk at eiga dóttur Auða hins auðga ok gaf henni at mundi þrjá stórbœi ok gullmen. Þau áttu 2 sonu, Gisl ok Öndur. En Vísburr lét hana eina ok fékk annarrar konu; en hon fór til föður síns með sonu sína. Vísbur átti son er Dómaldi hét; stjúpmóðir Dómalda lét síða at honum úgæfu. En er synir Vísburs váru 12 vetra ok 13, fóru þeir á fund hans ok heimtu mund móður sinnar, en hann vildi eigi gjalda. Þá mæltu þeir, at gullmenit skyldi verða at bana hinum bezta manni í ætt hans, ok fóru í brott ok heim. Þá var enn fengit at seið ok siðit til þess, at þeir skyldu mega drepa föður sinn. Þá sagði Huldr völva þeim, at hon mundi svá síða, ok þat með, at ættvíg skyldu ávalt vera í ætt þeirra Ynglinga síðan. Þeir játtu því. Eptir þat sömnuðu þeir liði, ok kómu at Vísbur um nótt á úvart ok brendu hann inni.
Notes
Sources
- Ynglinga saga