This also explains how, in Christian times, when the myths were told as history, the Niflungs-Gjukungs were said to be descended from _Næfr_, _Nefir_, (_Nefir er Niflunger eru frá komnir_--Younger Edda, i. 520.) It is connected with the fact that Slagfin, like his brothers, is a Niflung (see No. 118) and an adopted son of the moon-god, whose name he bore.
Bil's and Hjuke's father is called _Vidfinnr_. We have already seen that Slagfin's and his brothers' father, Ivalde, is called _Finnr_, _Finnakonungr_ (Introduction to Volundarkvida), and that he is identical with _Sumbl Finnakonungr, and Finnálfr_. In fact the name _Finnr_ never occurs in the mythic records, either alone or in compounds or in paraphrases, except where it alludes to Ivalde or his son, Slagfin. Thus, for instance, the byrnie, _Finnzleif_, in Ynglingasaga, is borne by a historified mythic person, by whose name Saxo called a foster-son of Gevarr, the moon-god. The reason why Ivalde got the name _Finnr_ shall be given below (see No. 123). And as Ivalde (_Sumbl Finnakonungr_--Olvalde) plays an important part in the mead-myth, and as the same is true of Vidfin, who is robbed of Byrger's liquid, then there is every reason for the conclusion that Vidfin's, Hjuke's, and Bil-Idun's father is identical with _Finnakonungr_, the father of Slagfin and of his sister.
Gjuke and Hjuke are therefore names borne by one and the same person--by Slagfin, the Niflung, who is the progenitor of the Gjukungs. They also look like analogous formations from different roots.
This also gives us the explanation of the name of the Asgard bridge, _Bilröst_, "Bil's way." The Milky Way is Bil-Idun's way, just as it is her brother Hjuke's; for we have already seen that the Milky Way is called Irung's way, and that Irung is a synonym of Slagfin-Gjuke. Bil travelled the shining way when she was taken up to Asgard as an asynje. Slagfin travelled it as Balder's and Hoder's foster-brother. If we now add that the same way was travelled by Svipdag when he sought and found Freyja in Asgard, and by Thjasse-Volund's daughter, Skade, when she demanded from the gods a ransom for the slaying of her father, then we find here no less than four descendants of Ivalde who have travelled over the Milky Way to Asgard; and as Volund's father among his numerous names also bore that of Vate, Vade (see Vilkinasaga), then this explains how the Milky Way came to be called Watling Street in the Old English literature.[15]