And in the Sha ̄h-na ̄ma: ‘when the time arrives for a blow to strike a man, his
mind is distracted and his senses go astray’ (Levy (1967), 215).
In another Homeric passage Poseidon causes Alkathoos to fall to Idome-
neus, θλξα Zσσε φαεινα ́,πδησε δC φαδιμα γυ4α, ‘putting a spell on his bright
eyes and fettering his limbs’, so that he cannot run away or take avoiding
action but stands rooted to the spot like a pillar or tree (Il. 13. 435–8). The
verb πεδα ́ ω‘fetter’ is used elsewhere of the intervention of Doom (Μο4ρα,
%λοι^ Μο4ρα) bringing a warrior to a standstill to meet his death (Il. 4. 517, 22.
5; cf. 19. 94 (Ate), Od. 3. 269, 18. 155). Durante has compared the Vedic
metaphor of the ‘fetter of Yama’ or ‘fetter of death’,Yamásya pád
̇
bı ̄s ́am (RV
- 16, AV 8. 7. 28), mr
̇
- 16, AV 8. 7. 28), mr
tyóh
̇pád
̇bı ̄s ́am (AV 8. 1. 4; 12. 5. 15; 16. 8. 27), and
also the less specific ‘bonds of death’, found both in the Atharvaveda and in
Old English.^116 But there is a more exact parallel for the Homeric image in the
Germanic idea of the ‘war fetter’ that comes upon a man in battle and pins
him down. In the Harðar saga (36) it is related that the herfio ̨turr came upon
Hord three times in a battle, and he managed to shake it off, but the fourth
time he could not, and was killed. It is mentioned also in other sagas, and
Herfio ̨ tur (a femininized form) is the name of a Valkyrie (Grímnismál 36).^117
In Chapter 8, in the general context of binding magic, we referred to the first
Merseburg Spell with its depiction of certain supernatural females who fas-
tened or loosened fetters on an army. The spell is apparently meant to free the
warrior from such impediments. A version of the concept also appears in a
medieval Slavonic chronicle, where a Bohemian witch advises her stepson,
who is going into battle, of a magical procedure that will enable him to
‘loosen the invisible ligatures with which, from the gods’ anger, your people’s
horses will be tied and will fail and fall as if wearied from a long journey’.^118
Minor warriors are killed at a stroke. With major ones it is a longer process,
not always completed at one go. They may first suffer one or more damaging
incidents from which they recover. Hector is on two occasions knocked down
by a rock from the hand of Ajax; Bhı ̄ma is knocked off balance and tem-
porarily stunned by one from the hand of the ogre Kirmı ̄ra (Il. 7. 268–72, 14.
409–20; MBh. 3. 12. 51). A wounded hero may pass out from pain, like
Sarpedon (Il. 5. 696), Hector (11. 356, 14. 438), Cú Chulainn (Táin (L)
3379).^119 He may vomit blood: Il. 14. 437 κελαινεφC α<μ, qπμεσσεν, 15. 11 α<μ,
(^116) AV 8. 2. 2 mr
̇
tyupa ̄s ́á-;Christ III 1042 deaþes bend; Durante (1976), 111. In Vd. 5. 8
the man who dies is bound by the demon ‘Bone-loosener’,Asto ̄.vı ̄δo ̄tusˇ dim ban
̇
dayeiti; cf.
Christian Bartholomae, Altiranisches Wörterbuch (Berlin 1904), 214.
(^117) Further references in Gering–Sijmons (1927–31), i. 205; de Vries (1956), i. 322.
(^118) Cosmas of Prague, Chronica Boemorum 1. 11 (C. H. Meyer (1931), 19. 25).
(^119) David faints from grief in Sassountsy David 320.
- Arms and the Man 489