DOCSLIB.ORG

FABULOUS BOOKS Emil H

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
FABULOUS BOOKS Emil H FABULOUS BOOKS Emil H. Petersen The Survivor’s Saga Fantasy EMIL H. PETERSEN / THE SURVIVOR’S SAGA 1 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emil H. Petersen (b. 1984) is an Icelandic poet and fantasy author. Emil's two poetry books, Refur (Fox) and Gárungagap (Wag the Gap) were acclaimed by critics and readers alike. In his poetry, he examines mythological elements critically, often projecting them into the present day. For Fox he received the Newcomer’s Grant of The Icelandic Literature Fund. As well as being very active on the Icelandic poetry scene, he has translated poems, worked as an editor at a publishing house, worked for the Reykjavik International Literary Festival, and written articles and reviews in literary magazines. The Survivor’s Saga – Höður and Baldur (Saga eftirlifenda – Höður og Baldur, 2009) is his first novel, and has been credited for being the first established Icelandic work of fantasy fiction. Emil currently resides in the town of Lund in Sweden, where he earned his second Master’s degree. His thesis is called “Trickery, Chaos, and Brutality: Norse Mythology in Two Urban Fantasies”, which he presented at The International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts, 2012, in Florida USA. He has also been invited to read from his novel at Swecon in October 2012 (The Swedish Convention of Fantasy and Science Fiction). Previously, he earned an MA in Practical Editorship and Publishing, and a BA in Comparative Literature. BIBLIOGRAPHY Novels: Saga eftirlifenda: Höður & Baldur, 2010: Nykur Poetry: Refur, 2008: Nykur Gárungagap, 2007: Nykur EMIL H. PETERSEN / THE SURVIVOR’S SAGA 2 THE SURVIVOR’S SAGA — HÖÐUR & BALDUR Höður & Baldur is the first novel in the trilogy The Survivors’ Saga, an elaborate and extensive story that combines many literary genres and brings a fresh contribution to the Icelandic literary scene. The story joins together an exciting fantasy-thriller, an existential and comical account of the relationship of two brothers, and a sharply critical representation of the status of men, creatures and gods in a world of conflicts and deception. The Survivors’ Saga tells the story of those who survived Ragnarök, the Norse apocalypse. 7010 years have passed since the world ended, and the story takes place in a alternate version of today's world. The brothers Höður and Baldur are members of the Æsir, the gods of the ancient Norse religion. Both of them have survived the end of the world. Both have seen a new world rise from the ashes of the old. To receive the apple of youth that preserves his immortality, the blind god Höður must journey to the so-called civilized world once a century. When he finds himself stumbling upon a scene of death and wanton cruelty on one such visit, his exile is forcefully brought to a close. Meanwhile, in a blistering desert on the other side of the world, his brother Baldur grows visibly older by the minute, in spite of his struggle to stave off the inexorable decline. Wealthy and dark forces, controlled by yet another surviving god, are on the rise, and the decline of mankind looms on the horizon. Shortly after Ragnarök, conflicts and power struggles between the surviving Æsir derailed all efforts to rebuild the world as a better place. Mankind repopulated the lands, and without divine help, humans went on to build a world largely identical to the old one. History looks set to repeat itself as a pattern of events emerges, similar to those that sent the previous apocalypse in motion. Technology and contemporary world-views are present in the story, but supernatural phenomena have been hidden from humans just up until the beginning of The Survivors’ Saga. The narrative in this first book of the trilogy spans the area of Iceland, Iraq, Sweden, USA and Canada. The author gives his own expanded version of the myths taken from Snorri Sturluson and the Eddas by way of flashbacks, conveying a deeper understanding of the background of the protagonists, their dealings and disputes. REVIEWS “A knock-out Icelandic fantasy.” (Morgunblaðið newspaper) “The world Emil creates is convincing and the narration is entertaining.” (Kiljan, Icelandic National TV) “A thrilling story that is both a fascinating adventure and a portrayal of the present. Emil Hjörvar brings a unique life to the key-characters of Norse mythology, while simultaneously raising the question: What happened after Ragnarök? The Survivors’ Saga is the answer.” (Óttar M. Norðfjörð, author) EMIL H. PETERSEN / THE SURVIVOR’S SAGA 4 SAMPLE TRANSLATION CHAPTER ONE Rejuvenation In the beginning of September in the year 2010 after Christ the latter, or seven thousand and ten years after Ragnarök, no one was present to deliver the apples of youth. Hodur took a bite out of a bad apple. To feel the juice rejuvenate muscles, skin and bodily fluids was the only positive thing he had experienced since arriving in Iceland. A whole age had passed since he set foot there and he hoped as before that few would notice his passing. He stood on a patio outside a small lonely shack, a poorly built refuge of the Aesir, which had undergone transformations through the ages, but was presently disguised as a fruit store in the center of a town which bore the name Hveragerdi. Hodur claimed he was bound to nothing but this one place. The fruit store had been left open and empty. After a moment’s desperation, accompanied by rummaging, fumbling and sniffing, he had finally found a single, bruised apple on the floor, covered with sticky dust. He could not know how long the apple had been lying there. But not for too long, evidently, since apples of youth did not start to rot until after many decades. Contrary to ordinary apples, they turned sour with time at room temperature. Hodur thought it indicated that a considerable time had passed. It did not matter, he needed to get younger. Once every century, in order to sustain his life, Hodur was forced to take a journey to the so-called civilization. He tended to hold the sentiment that it was pointless, particularly because he felt like he had no role. Despite this, he could not allow himself to skip this necessary tradition, for he had faint hopes that someday, perhaps, he would be required. So he needed to be alive. A touch of responsibility – deep within his mind – remained. […] CHAPTER TWO A Morning in a Desert Baldur woke up, covered in sweat. The oxygen had nearly run out in the tent and the smell was unbearable. He crawled into the morning mugginess but was quick to his feet; the sand was scorching. The members of the merchant family were awake and pottered about, folding the tents, getting the breakfast ready and rekindling the pyre which had gone out during the night. The camp formed a semicircle around a dried tree in the middle of the desert. By the tree stood two tethered and burdened camels. Only one day more and they would be at the Euphrates. Baldur inhaled deeply and stared up while he stretched. The sky was powder-blue, no clouds in sight and the horizon wreathed in the heat. They had entirely forgotten to bring sunscreen and as a result Baldur’s white skin burned on the first days, but it had healed by now and turned hazel. Save for his peeled nose and ears. He turned back to the tent and peeked in. His companion snored loudly. […] * * * Riotous laughter and shouting, the mugs are slammed on the wooden tables after each draught, the music of the lute and the drums is fraught with tension. EMIL H. PETERSEN / THE SURVIVOR’S SAGA 5 Hodur sits at the rearmost table while all the others gather and form a semicircle around one of the higher tables. Weapons and random objects are thrown at a blond and white- dressed man standing on the table with open arms. The weapons hit him, they have no effect and fall down to the floor, like they had been thrown at a stone. The blond man grins and through his laughter one can tell how pleased he is with the attention and life in general. But Hodur interprets it as self-satisfaction. Hodur is sick and tired of this part of the feast. Always the same playacting and he cannot take part in it. The only thing he can do is to slurp the mead. “Aren’t you sick of this?” whispers a serpentine voice into Hodur’s ear, startling him. “You can sneak, Loki, I’ll give you that.” Hodur tries to keep calm. “It’s nearly impossible to notice your footsteps.” Loki laughs a dampened laughter and slides his hand behind his back. “Isn’t it miserable to sit here and listen to these fools? You should see Baldur’s shining smile. He thinks he’s invincible. That fool.” “Watch out,” Hodur answers, a bit tipsy from the mead. He faces Loki. “You shouldn’t talk about my brother like that, even though he is … even though he did … Truly I’m not the most loved son, I’m not really noticed that much, but I could break your neck with one hand if I felt like it.” “Hah, take it easy, I didn’t mean it that way,” Loki quipped. “Even though he what? Did what? Snatched her from you? Stole her from you.” He whispers the words but puts heavy stress on them; pretend commiseration. Hodur feels a slender object being pushed into his palm. The fingers feel it until he discovers that its tip has a pungent smell, is dry and rough to the touch.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Skaði Njörður Baldur + Ævintýrin
    Grímnismál Einars Pálssonar. Þrymheimur Skaði, Breiðablik Baldur Skaði, skýr brúður goða (Baltasar) Sumar konur eru ráðríkar. Skaði er tákn um mikinn framkvæmdavilja, dugnað og drifkraft. -Það þýðir ekki að standa hér einsog hengilmæna. Farðu út og gerðu eitthvað í málinu. Goþrún dimmblá skráir mál litlu kjaftforu völvu Óðsmál in fornu ISBN 978-9935-409-40-9 1 21. ISBN 978-9935-409-20-1 Skaði Njörður Baldur og ævintýrin Göia goði, Óðsmál, http://www.mmedia.is/odsmal [email protected]; [email protected] Norræn menning ***************************************** +354 694 1264; +354 552 8080 Goþrún Dimmblá setur hér spássíukrot: Í Reykajvík var mikið af baldursbrá í gamla daga. Notuð var hún sem spájurt, sagði amma mín, þannig, að gott væri síldarár, mikil síldveiði, það árið sem mikið væri um baldursbrá. Baldursbráin heitir á ensku day’s eye, dags auga, sem úr verður daisy. Hún vex í sendnum og malarbornum jarðvegi við sjóinn. Ég sá erlenda ferðamenn taka nærmyndir af villtum blómum á Sæbrautinni. Smá og harðger fjörublóm voru þar í þúsundatali. Lág og jarðlæg, með fögur lítil blóm, sem sáust vart nema maður krypi á kné. 2 Þau nota oft litla steina sér til skjóls, en teygja smáar krónur sínar til birtunnar. Tigulegur njólinn, harðger og seigur, sást vel. Baldursbráin teygði sig upp í sólina. Heilu breiðurnar opnuðu krónur í átt til sólar, í austur að morgni, í suður yfir daginn, í vestur þegar degi tók að halla. Þessar jurtir eru einsog Íslendingar: beina augum til sólar, og láta salt særok ekki hafa áhrif á sig. Margar fjörujurtir, auk þangs og þara, voru manneldi gott í gegnum aldirnar.
    [Show full text]
  • The Prose Edda
    THE PROSE EDDA SNORRI STURLUSON (1179–1241) was born in western Iceland, the son of an upstart Icelandic chieftain. In the early thirteenth century, Snorri rose to become Iceland’s richest and, for a time, its most powerful leader. Twice he was elected law-speaker at the Althing, Iceland’s national assembly, and twice he went abroad to visit Norwegian royalty. An ambitious and sometimes ruthless leader, Snorri was also a man of learning, with deep interests in the myth, poetry and history of the Viking Age. He has long been assumed to be the author of some of medieval Iceland’s greatest works, including the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, the latter a saga history of the kings of Norway. JESSE BYOCK is Professor of Old Norse and Medieval Scandinavian Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Professor at UCLA’s Cotsen Institute of Archaeology. A specialist in North Atlantic and Viking Studies, he directs the Mosfell Archaeological Project in Iceland. Prof. Byock received his Ph.D. from Harvard University after studying in Iceland, Sweden and France. His books and translations include Viking Age Iceland, Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power, Feud in the Icelandic Saga, The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki and The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer. SNORRI STURLUSON The Prose Edda Norse Mythology Translated with an Introduction and Notes by JESSE L. BYOCK PENGUIN BOOKS PENGUIN CLASSICS Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
    [Show full text]
  • Gylfaginning Codex Regius, F
    Snorri Sturluson Edda Prologue and Gylfaginning Codex Regius, f. 7v (reduced) (see pp. 26/34–28/1) Snorri Sturluson Edda Prologue and Gylfaginning Edited by ANTHONY FAULKES SECOND EDITION VIKING SOCIETY FOR NORTHERN RESEARCH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON 2005 © Anthony Faulkes 1982/2005 Second Edition 2005 First published by Oxford University Press in 1982 Reissued by Viking Society for Northern Research 1988, 2000 Reprinted 2011 ISBN 978 0 903521 64 2 Printed by Short Run Press Limited, Exeter Contents Codex Regius, fol. 7v ..........................................................Frontispiece Abbreviated references ....................................................................... vii Introduction ..........................................................................................xi Synopsis ..........................................................................................xi The author ..................................................................................... xii The title ....................................................................................... xvii The contents of Snorri’s Edda ................................................... xviii Models and sources ........................................................................ xx Manuscripts .............................................................................. xxviii Bibliography ...............................................................................xxxi Text .......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Goddess: Myths of the Great Mother Christopher R
    Gettysburg College Faculty Books 2-2016 The Goddess: Myths of the Great Mother Christopher R. Fee Gettysburg College David Leeming University of Connecticut Follow this and additional works at: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/books Part of the English Language and Literature Commons, Folklore Commons, and the Religion Commons Share feedback about the accessibility of this item. Fee, Christopher R., and David Leeming. The Goddess: Myths of the Great Mother. London, England: Reaktion Press, 2016. This is the publisher's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution. Cupola permanent link: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/books/95 This open access book is brought to you by The uC pola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of The uC pola. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Goddess: Myths of the Great Mother Description The Goddess is all around us: Her face is reflected in the burgeoning new growth of every ensuing spring; her power is evident in the miracle of conception and childbirth and in the newborn’s cry as it searches for the nurturing breast; we glimpse her in the alluring beauty of youth, in the incredible power of sexual attraction, in the affection of family gatherings, and in the gentle caring of loved ones as they leave the mortal world. The Goddess is with us in the everyday miracles of life, growth, and death which always have surrounded us and always will, and this ubiquity speaks to the enduring presence and changing masks of the universal power people have always recognized in their lives.
    [Show full text]
  • Magic Weapons and Armour in the Middle Ages
    1 ‘No weapon could bite him’ – Magic weapons and armour in the middle ages Magic weapons and armour are things we usually associate with the realms of myth or fantasy rather than history. And yet, in semi-historical and even historical sources throughout the medieval period we find accounts of magic weapons which bring down foes or inspire comrades, or of shields and armour which protect the wearer no matter what they faced. What is more, it is clear that there is a historical reality at play in such mythological accounts and we can see a clear development of how mundane equipment came to be considered magical. ‘I shall call thee …’ The tradition of named weapons The tradition of named weapons is well known – Siegfried’s sword Balmung (or Nothung), Thor’s hammer Mjölnir, Arthur’s Excalibur, or Attila’s ‘Sword of Mars’ (Jordanes Getica 35) and many, many others. As can be seen in these examples we can easily transition from myth to semi- historical, and into historical characters, all of whom had named weapons. Indeed, the history of named weapons dates back to antiquity and there are literally hundreds of them across all cultures where swords, and any other weapon type you care to name, were used: Scandanavian, Near Eastern, Indian, South-East Asian, Greek and Roman, Germanic and Celtic. In a similar vein, the history of named ships is an old one and one which continues today. In the medieval period we have Arthur’s ship, with the same name as his shield, Prydwen (meaning ‘fair-face’), and the Norse god Baldur’s ship Hringhorni, the greatest of all ships, and others.
    [Show full text]
  • Firstly, OLD NORSE SHIP NAMES and SHIP TERMS Rudolf Simek
    26 OLD NORSE SHIP NAMES AND SHIP TERMS Rudolf Simek The nautical language of the North Sea Germanic area is a very elaborate and rich terminology. This was no les~ true at the time I am dealing with, namely the period from the Viking Age up to about 1400 A.D. This nautical language seems heavily dominated by the North Germanic languages, especially Old Norse. Therefore it may well be justified to take Old Norse as a starting point when one is dealing with the North Sea Germanic nautical terminology. In the bit of research I have done on this field so far I have mainly concentrated on the words meaning the ship as a whole. But there are of course many other aspects to the nautical language, such as shipbuilding, ship equipment, board life, journeys, and navigation. This last aspect, navigation, is an especially tricky one. Alan Binns from Newcastle has 'done important research in this field. But as I said, I will limit myself to the words and phrases mean­ ing the ship as a whole. And here we have to deal with three groups of terms: firstly, proper names, of which about 150 are handed down to us, secondly, terms just meaning ship or boat of one kind or another, and here we know of about 260 expressions of this sort, and thirdly, poetical circumscriptions, so called kenningar, of which I Jound about 560 in Old Norse poetry. I may now go into these three groups in further detail. As you can see, the group of proper names is the smallest of these three.
    [Show full text]
  • Turville Petre Myth and Religion of the North
    Myth and Religion of the North The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia E. O. G. TURVILLE-PETRE GREENWOOD PRESS, PUBLISHERS WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT ( —— CONTENTS Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Turville -Petrs, Edward Oswald Gabriel. Myth and religion of the North. Reprint of the ed. published by Holt, Rinehart and PREFACE ix Winston, New York. Bibliography: p. Includes index. I THE SOURCES I -Religion. 1. Mythology, Norse. 2. Scandinavia- Introductory—Old Norse Poetry—Histories and Sagas I. Title. Snorri Sturluson—Saxo Grammaticus [BL860.T8 1975] 293' -0948 75-5003 ISBN 0-8371-7420-1 II OBINN 35 God of Poetry—Lord of the Gallows—God of War—Father of Gods and Men— 5dinn and his Animals—Odinn’s Names Odinn’s Eye—The Cult of Odinn—Woden-Wotan / III VxV‘~W'- \ THOR 75 Thdr and the Serpent—Thdr and the Giants—Thdr’s Ham- mer and his Goats—The Worship of Thor—Thdr in the Viking Colonies—Thdr-Thunor—Conclusion IV BALDR 106 The West Norse Sources—Saxo—The Character of Baldr and his Cult Continental and English Tradition * 2551069268 * — Filozoficka fakulta V LOKI 126 Univerzity Karlovy v Praze VI HEIMDALL 147 VII THE VANIR 156 The War of the JSsir and Vanir—Njord—Freyr-Frddi-Ner- thus-Ing—Freyja Winston, New York Originally published in 1964 by Holt, Rinehart and VIII LESSER-KNOWN DEITIES 180 1964 by E.O.G. Turville-Petre Copyright © Tyr—UI1—Bragi—Idunn—Gefjun—Frigg and others permission of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Reprinted with the IX THE DIVINE KINGS 190 Reprinted in 1975 by Greenwood Press X THE DIVINE HEROES 196 A division
    [Show full text]
  • To Valhalla by Horseback?
    To Valhalla by Horseback? Horse Burial in Scandinavia during the Viking Age A Master’s Thesis in Nordic Viking and Medieval Culture Peter Shenk The Center for Viking and Medieval Studies The Faculty of Arts University of Oslo Fall 2002 0 Acknowledgments I would like to sincerely thank my two advisors on this project, Christian Keller and Terje Gansum. Christian’s no-nonsense criticism was very helpful in keeping me honest, as much as I wanted to cut corners here and there. Terje was kind enough to step in at the last moment and bring new ideas and research to my attention. I am deeply grateful to my father for his expert proofreading, valuable commentary and overall encouragement. It never hurts to have an English professor in the family. I would also like to express my gratitude to my friends Bernard Vehmeyer and Wouter DeJong for their hospitality and support during my academically-oriented stay in Amsterdam. Peter E. Shenk 11.11.02 1 Table of Contents (adjust by +2) Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………...1 Chapter 1: Survey of Past Research………………………………………………………....6 Chapter 2: The Horse Cult………………………………………………………………….11 2.1 The Horse Cult at Skedemosse………………………………………………...12 2.2 Stallions, Hangings, and the Number Nine…………………………………….15 2.3 The Bog Finds………………………………………………………………….18 Chapter 3: Horse & Ship…………………………………………………………………....20 3.1 Ship Graves…………………………………………………………………….20 3.2 The Horse and Ship in the Cult………………………………………………...22 3.3 The Swedish Boat-Graves……………………………………………………...23 3.4 The Norwegian Ship Burials…………………………………………………...29
    [Show full text]
  • Influences of Pre-Christian Mythology and Christianity on Old Norse Poetry
    Infl uences of Pre-Christian Mythology and Christianity on Old Norse Poetry NORTHERN MEDIEVAL WORLD EDITORIAL BOARD Carolyne Larrington (Chair) St. John’s College, Oxford Oren Falk Cornell University Dawn Hadley University of Sheffi eld Jana Schulman Western Michigan University Jón Viðar Sigurðsson Universitetet i Oslo Medieval Institute Publications is a program of Th e Medieval Institute, College of Arts and Sciences WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY Infl uences of Pre-Christian Mythology and Christianity on Old Norse Poetry A Narrative Study of Vafþrúðnismál Andrew McGillivray Northern Medieval World MEDIEVAL INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS Western Michigan University Kalamazoo Copyright © 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data are available from the Library of Congress. ISBN: 9781580443357 eISBN: 9781580443364 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or trans- mitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the written permission of both the copyright owner and the author of the book. Every effort has been made to obtain permission to use all copyrighted illustrations reproduced in this book. Nonetheless, whosoever believes to have rights to this material is advised to contact the publisher. Contents Abbreviations vii Acknowledgments ix 1. Vafþrúðnir Who? 1 2. Critical Contexts 25 3. At Home in Ásgarðr 53
    [Show full text]
  • Norse Mythology: a Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs
    Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs John Lindow OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Norse Mythology This page intentionally left blank Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs John Lindow 3 3 Oxford New York Auckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kolkata Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi São Paulo Shanghai Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto and an associated company in Berlin Copyright © 2001 by John Lindow First published by ABC-Clio 130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911 Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911 First issued as an Oxford University Press paperback, 2002 198 Madison Avenue, New York,New York 10016 www.oup.com Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lindow, John. [Handbook of Norse mythology] Norse mythology: a guide to the Gods, heroes, rituals, and beliefs / by John Lindow. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-19-515382-0 (pbk.: alk. paper) 1. Mythology, Norse. I.Title. BL860.L56 2001 293'.13—dc21 2001058370 10987654321 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper CONTENTS A Note on Orthography, xv 1 Introduction, 1 The Historical Background, 2
    [Show full text]
  • Teutonic Mythology: Gods and Goddesses of the Northland
    TTeeuuttoonniicc MMyytthhoollooggyy Gods and Goddesses of the Northland by Viktor Rydberg IN THREE VOLUMES Vol. III NORRŒNA SOCIETY LONDON - COPENHAGEN - STOCKHOLM - BERLIN - NEW YORK 1907 TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME III 94. Story of the Seven Sleepers — 707 95. The Anthropology of the Mythology — 729 PART V — THE IVALDE RACE 96. Svipdag and Groa — 747 97. Menglad’s Identity with Freyja — 751 98. The Sword of Revenge — 759 99. Orvandel, the Star-Hero — 767 100. Svipdag Identical with Otharus — 770 101. Svipdag in Saxo’s Account of Hotherus — 781 102. Ericus Disertus in Saxo — 793 103. The Svipdag Synonim Eirikr — 803 104. Later Fortunes of the Volund Sword — 808 105. The Svipdag Epithet “Skirnir” — 815 106. Transformation and Death of Svipdag — 819 107. Reminiscences of the Svipdag Myth — 830 108. Orvandel, Egil and Ebbo — 847 109. Frey Fostered in the Home of Orvandel — 865 110. Ivalde, Svipdag’s Grandfather — 870 111. Parallel Myths in Rigveda — 874 112. Judgment Passed on the Ivalde Sons — 884 113. Olvalde and Ivalde Sons Identical — 890 114. A Review of Thorsdrapa — 932 115. Of Volund’s Identity with Thjasse — 952 116. The Worst Deed of Revenge — 956 117. the Guard at Hvergelmer and the Elivagar — 968 118. Slagfin, Egil, and Volund — 971 119. The Niflung Hoard Left by Volund — 975 120. Slagfin-Gjuke a Star-Hero — 981 121. Slagfin’s Appearance in the Moon Myth — 985 122. Review of the Synonyms of Ivalde’s Sons — 991 123. Ivalde — 992 DICTIONARY OF GODS AND GODDESSES — 1013 INDEX OF PERSONS AND PLACES — 1041 707 THE MYTH IN REGARD TO THE LOWER WORLD (Part IV.
    [Show full text]
  • Some Controversial Aspects of the Myth of Baldr
    Anatoly Liberman Some Controversial Aspects of the Myth of Baldr Es wird hier der versuch gemacht werden, die ursprüng- liche gestalt des Baldrmythus durch eine vergleichung seiner verschiedenen fassungen zu reconstruieren. — Ferdinand Detter (1894, 495) 1. Introduction ost students of Scandinavian mythology have ambitions similar to those of Detter, but after two centuries of research they are so far from the desired solution that walking round the mountain of pre- M vious scholarship appears to hold out greater promise than adding another stone to it. John Lindow, the author of the most recent book on Baldr, says the following: “My own interest, at least in the present work, has nothing to do with Germanic culture or Germanic religion . but rather with the myth in the forms in which we have it and the meaning it might have borne for those who knew it in those forms” ( 1997, 28). It is not obvious that the most important part of the colossal Baldr wedge is its visible thin edge. Unlike Lindow, I am interested in both the genesis of the myth and its function. All, rather than some, aspects of the Baldr myth are controversial, but I will address only those central to it, whence the title of my paper. Our view of the devel- opment of this myth has been seriously obscured by recourse to comparative reli- gion and the ever-growing indifference to internal reconstruction. The broader the background of a myth, the more similarities present themselves, and the path is lost in the wilderness. Frazer’s, F. R. Schröder’s, and Dumézil’s works are especially characteristic in this respect; Kauffmann and Neckel belong to the same group of scholars.
    [Show full text]