Shield-maiden and female fantasy as well as emblematic of the danger of abandoning gender roles. Brynhildr of the "Vǫlsunga saga", along with her rival in love, Guðrún Gjúkadóttir, provides an example of how a shield-maiden compares to more conventional aristocratic womanhood in the sagas. Brynhildr is chiefly concerned with honor, much like a male warrior. When she ends up married to Gudrun's brother Gunnarr instead of Sigurðr, the man she intended to marry, Brynhildr speaks a verse comparing the courage of the two men: Brynhildr is married to Gunnarr and not Sigurðr because of deceit and trickery, including a potion of
The Courts of Chaos sans Merci" by John Keats. Corwin's meeting with Ygg parallels Dante's meeting with a talking tree in the middle ring of the seventh circle of hell in the ""Inferno" (Dante)". Ygg might also be an allusion to Yggdrasil, the mythological tree of the Norse mythology. Hugi might allude to Huginn, one of the two mythical ravens of Odin also from the Norse mythology. Corwin's valedictory to Dara, ""Carmen, voulez-vous venir avec moi?" No? Then goodbye to you too, Princess of Chaos." probably alludes to "Lolita"; the "Carmen" line is included by Humbert Humbert in his narration of speaking to Dolores