Barnstokk: Apple or Oak?
I have trees on my mind at the moment, so I want to unpack a bit of the symbolism of the tree Barnstokk. If you have ever read the Saga of the Völsungs you will recognize that Barnstokk is the name of the tree that grows in King Völsung’s hall. There is a lot of symbolism that the modern reader may overlook to do with trees that could be relevant to the story. First of all, it is an old custom for a family to plant a tree outside their home that is their tuntre, or guardian tree. The tree, if nurtured well, holds the family’s luck. If something happens to the tree then the luck of the family will also fail, usually resulting in the family perishing. It is unusual for the tree to be protected inside the hall, as is the case with Barnstokk. There are a few other strange things to do with this particular tree. Odin, disguised as an old man, appears and thrusts a sword into Barnstokk, declaring that whoever can pull the sword out of the tree will have it. King Siggeir tries to pull it...