A Saga of Odin, Frigg and Loki Pdf, Epub, Ebook

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Saga of Odin, Frigg and Loki Pdf, Epub, Ebook DARK GROWS THE SUN : A SAGA OF ODIN, FRIGG AND LOKI PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Matt Bishop | 322 pages | 03 May 2020 | Fensalir Publishing, LLC | 9780998678924 | English | none Dark Grows the Sun : A saga of Odin, Frigg and Loki PDF Book He is said to bring inspiration to poets and writers. A number of small images in silver or bronze, dating from the Viking age, have also been found in various parts of Scandinavia. They then mixed, preserved and fermented Kvasirs' blood with honey into a powerful magical mead that inspired poets, shamans and magicians. Royal Academy of Arts, London. Lerwick: Shetland Heritage Publications. She and Bor had three sons who became the Aesir Gods. Thor goes out, finds Hymir's best ox, and rips its head off. Born of nine maidens, all of whom were sisters, He is the handsome gold-toothed guardian of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge leading to Asgard, the home of the Gods, and thus the connection between body and soul. He came round to see her and entered her home without a weapon to show that he came in peace. They find themselves facing a massive castle in an open area. The reemerged fields grow without needing to be sown. Baldur was the most beautiful of the gods, and he was also gentle, fair, and wise. Sjofn is the goddess who inclines the heart to love. Freyja objects. Eventually the Gods became weary of war and began to talk of peace and hostages. There the surviving gods will meet, and the land will be fertile and green, and two humans will repopulate the world. The seeress then reveals to Odin that she knows some of his own secrets, and that he sacrificed an eye in pursuit of knowledge. Here are a few Viking traditions we take for granted explained. On reaching Hel's hall, Hel announced that Balder would only be released if all things, dead and alive, wept for him. She teaches women all domestic crafts as well as farming. They do also often deliver an inspiration to art or music. She is said to have died of grief when Balder was killed. You are commenting using your Google account. On the other hand, however, the wolves Geri and Freki were the Norse God Odin's faithful pets who were reputed to be "of good omen. Thor had a chariot to travel across the sky, which was drawn by two giant goats: Tanngniost and Tanngrisnir. Almanacs Calendars Datebooks Other Annuals. Dark Grows the Sun : A saga of Odin, Frigg and Loki Writer It would grapple a ship with its tentacles and drag it under the water in a swirling motion creating a whirlpool so that none could escape. One pictures them matching beers and competing to see who can outlast the other in both capacity for booze and number of stories. A round symbol with a red background and gold cross therefore became the emblem of the Norwegian Nazi party. The 13th book in the series by the Bathroom Reader's Institute has pages crammed with fun facts, including articles on the biggest movie bombs ever, the origin and unintended use of I. Lofn, turn the lock, Lofn lift the key, Lofn, let me love and learn and be all that I may! To get in touch with her, collect family stories and write them down. Angrboda is the Giantess of Norse mythology that was the mother of the great Midgard Serpent and the wolf Fenrir. Illustration to blog making a connection between the two. In chapter 43, Sleipnir's origins are described. Laufey is about to eat Frigga when the real Loki arrives, saves his adopted mother, and fights Malekith. As the symbiote-possessed Acolytes are harmed by the fire, the God Tempest reconstitute itself into a restored Mjolnir which Thor manages to lift while Jane Foster throws her Mjolnir into Laufey as Loki cuts himself and the Casket of Ancient Winters free from Laufey's stomach using Hofund. They lived in the body of their former life and dwelled amongst the graveyards. As the symbiote-possessed Acolytes are harmed by the fire, the God Tempest reconstitute itself into a restored Mjolnir which Thor manages to lift while Jane Foster throws her Mjolnir into Laufey as Loki cuts himself and the Casket of Ancient Winters free from Laufey's stomach using Hofund. In Our Paganism Blog. She is also a warrior goddess of great wisdom and magick. They could not understand what happened. The Vikings viewed her with considerable trepidation. During the chaos, the heroes do their best to fight. Today is Friday the 13th. Fricca, in the operas, comes off as an even bitchier version of the Classical Hera— the archetypal jealous wife, forever scheming to keep her patient husband from wandering. Put all the gifts in the cornucopia on the altar. Will he not sacrifice? Leave a Reply Cancel reply Enter your comment here As Thor fights Malekith, he tries to impale Jane Foster, causing Thor to go into his berserker state and throwing himself into Malekith as the other Thors sense the God Tempest. Fallen enemies were dedicated to Odin as a god of war and of the dead, and captive enemies were sometimes killed as sacrifices to Odin. It is now time to punish! Each man's and woman's life is a string in their loom, and the length of the string is the length of the person's life. Heimskringla or The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway. Her token is a rose-colored stone heart on a golden chain. And a Golden Eagle sits atop Yggdrasil watching the universe. The Icelanders remained pagan until the year or Hermod, a god of messaging and communication, bravery and courage. Sturluson, Snorri and Anthony Faulkes trans. The Vikings viewed her with considerable trepidation. Dark Grows the Sun : A saga of Odin, Frigg and Loki Reviews However, as a calendar custom, Odin is not dominant as the recipient. Yuletide, and the development from Yule to Christmas The Yuletide was originally celebrated by ancient Germanic peoples including Celts and Vikings, and by others all around Europe, long before the Christian Holiday. Gullveig of the Vanir : The Gleaming One. They are of some interest for the study of religion because the gods often intervene in the lives of heroes. Earl Sigurd came and made peace among them, by asking the king to hold his mouth over the handle of the kettle, upon which the fat smoke of the boiled horse-flesh had settled itself; and the king first laid a linen cloth over the handle, and then gaped over it, and returned to the high-seat; but neither party was satisfied with this. Then it was the custom of many to empty the brage-goblet 1 ; and then the guests emptied a goblet to the memory of departed friends, called the remembrance goblet. Thor is finally brought down to a single knee. His timeframe for the Christianization of Sweden conflicts with other sources, such as runic inscriptions, and archaeological evidence does not confirm the presence of a large temple at Uppsala. High continues that an eagle sits on the branches of Yggdrasil and that it has much knowledge. Each God has expertise in different categories. She might also be viewed as the power of astral travel. Loki does not respond to Bragi directly, but instead directs his attention to Odin, and states: Do you remember, Odin, when in bygone days we mixed our blood together? Deutschland Germany is also named after him Tue's Land. Loki said that since no one could enter Freyja's bower against her will, this wouldn't be an easy task, yet Odin told him not to come back until he had found a way to get the necklace. All men will their homes forsake. Thor returns and helps turn the tide. When the Gods were created, they fought against Ymir and killed him. The seeress then reveals to Odin that she knows some of his own secrets, and that he sacrificed an eye in pursuit of knowledge. Marvel Comics. The Vikings and the Victorians: inventing the old north in nineteenth-century Britain. Groups of theophoric place-names may, however, provide evidence of the cult of one god or another. The white berries then became powerful enough to resurrect Balder. Authors Home. The rest of the groups arrive in the Avengers Mountain where they are attacked. On the approach of the Great Twilight, and the end of time, this fruit was to lose its magic power. He is helped with his brothers Austri, Westri and Nordi. Most resemble slender humans in their natural shape, but they can change or vanish in the blink of an eye. Issue 3 received an average score of 8. It would seem that she practices the kinds of medicine traditional to women, strongly based in the lore of herbs and foods and spells. Ideally I would like to supplement with archaeological sources. The myths paint a complex picture of how the universe was structured around Yggdrasill. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Roud, Steve. Ship or boat graves were initially meant to carry the buried or cremated remains of those put in them to the otherworld, but such practices could later have become purely conventional. His sword is flaming and at the end of the present world - Ragnarok, he is destined to make war against the Gods and triumph over them and burn the whole world with fire. She is the sister of the Moon Mani. That said, Odin was among the deities worshipped at Yule. Idunna , of the Aesir: The goddess of immortality, youth and beauty.
Recommended publications
  • Norse Myth Guide
    Norse Myth If it has a * next to it don’t worry about it for the quiz. Everything else is fair game within reason as I know this is a lot. Just make sure you know the basics. Heimdall -Characteristics -Can hear grass grow -Needs only as much sleep as a bird -Guards Bifrost -Will kill and be killed by Loki at Ragnarok -He is one of the Aesir -Has foresight like the Vanir -Other Names -Vindhler -Means "wind shelter" -The White God As -Hallinskidi -Means "bent stick" but actually refers to rams -Gullintani -Received this nickname from his golden teeth -Relationships -Grandfather to Kon the Young -Born of the nine mothers -Items -Gjallarhorn -Will blow this to announce Ragnarok -Sword Hofund -Horse Golltop -Places -Lives on "heavenly mountain" Himinbjorg -Stories -Father of mankind -He went around the world as Rig -He slept with many women -Three of these women, Edda, Amma, and Modir, became pregnant -They gave birth to the three races of mankind -Jarl, Karl, and Thrall -Recovering Brisingamen -Loki steals Brisingamen from Freya -He turns himself into a seal and hides -Freya enlists Heimdall to recover the necklace -They find out its Loki, so Heimdall goes to fight him -Heimdall also turns into a seal, and they fight at Singasteinn -Heimdall wins, and returns the necklace to Freya -Meaning of sword -A severed head was thrown at Heimdall -After this incident, a sword is referred to as "Heimdall's head" -Possession of knowledge -Left his ear in the Well of Mimir to gain knowledge Aegir* -Characteristics -God of the ocean/sea -Is sometimes said
    [Show full text]
  • 1 the Legendary Saga of the Volsungs Cecelia Lefurgy Viking Art and Literature October 4, 2007 Professor Tinkler and Professor E
    1 The Legendary Saga of the Volsungs Cecelia Lefurgy Viking Art and Literature October 4, 2007 Professor Tinkler and Professor Erussard Stories that are passed down through oral and written traditions are created by societies to give meaning to, and reinforce the beliefs, rules and habits of a particular culture. For Germanic culture, The Saga of the Volsungs reflected the societal traditions of the people, as well as their attention to mythology. In the Saga, Sigurd of the Volsung 2 bloodline becomes a respected and heroic figure through the trials and adventures of his life. While many of his encounters are fantastic, they are also deeply rooted in the values and belief structures of the Germanic people. Tacitus, a Roman, gives his account of the actions and traditions of early Germanic peoples in Germania. His narration remarks upon the importance of the blood line, the roles of women and also the ways in which Germans viewed death. In Snorri Sturluson’s The Prose Edda, a compilation of Norse mythology, Snorri Sturluson touches on these subjects and includes the perception of fate, as well as the role of shape changing. Each of these themes presented in Germania and The Prose Edda aid in the formation of the legendary saga, The Saga of the Volsungs. Lineage is a meaningful part of the Germanic culture. It provides a sense of identity, as it is believed that qualities and characteristics are passed down through generations. In the Volsung bloodline, each member is capable of, and expected to achieve greatness. As Sigmund, Sigurd’s father, lay wounded on the battlefield, his wife asked if she should attend to his injuries so that he may avenge her father.
    [Show full text]
  • Number Symbolism in Old Norse Literature
    Háskóli Íslands Hugvísindasvið Medieval Icelandic Studies Number Symbolism in Old Norse Literature A Brief Study Ritgerð til MA-prófs í íslenskum miðaldafræðum Li Tang Kt.: 270988-5049 Leiðbeinandi: Torfi H. Tulinius September 2015 Acknowledgements I would like to thank firstly my supervisor, Torfi H. Tulinius for his confidence and counsels which have greatly encouraged my writing of this paper. Because of this confidence, I have been able to explore a domain almost unstudied which attracts me the most. Thanks to his counsels (such as his advice on the “Blóð-Egill” Episode in Knýtlinga saga and the reading of important references), my work has been able to find its way through the different numbers. My thanks also go to Haraldur Bernharðsson whose courses on Old Icelandic have been helpful to the translations in this paper and have become an unforgettable memory for me. I‟m indebted to Moritz as well for our interesting discussion about the translation of some paragraphs, and to Capucine and Luis for their meticulous reading. Any fault, however, is my own. Abstract It is generally agreed that some numbers such as three and nine which appear frequently in the two Eddas hold special significances in Norse mythology. Furthermore, numbers appearing in sagas not only denote factual quantity, but also stand for specific symbolic meanings. This tradition of number symbolism could be traced to Pythagorean thought and to St. Augustine‟s writings. But the result in Old Norse literature is its own system influenced both by Nordic beliefs and Christianity. This double influence complicates the intertextuality in the light of which the symbolic meanings of numbers should be interpreted.
    [Show full text]
  • Frigg, Astghik and the Goddess of the Crete Island
    FRIGG, ASTGHIK AND THE GODDESS OF THE CRETE ISLAND Dedicated to the goddesses-mothers of Armenia and Sweden PhD in Art History Vahanyan V. G., Prof. Vahanyan G. A. Contents Intrоduction Relations between Frigg and the Goddess of the Crete Island Motifs in Norse Mythology Motifs in Armenian Mythology Artifacts Circle of the World Afterword References Introduction According to conventional opinion, the well-known memorial stone (Fig. 1a) from the Swedish island Gotland (400-600 AC) depicts goddess Frigg holding snakes. The unique statuettes of a goddess holding snakes are discovered on Crete (Fig. 1b), which date to c. 1600 BC1. The depiction of Frigg embodies a godmother with her legs wide open to give birth. In Norse mythology Frigg, Frige (Old Norse Frigg), Frea or Frija (Frija – “beloved”) is the wife of Odin. She is the mother of the three gods Baldr, Hodr and Hermodr. a b Fig. 1. (a) Memorial stone from the Swedish island Gotland (400-600 AC) depicting Frigg holding snakes. (b) Goddess holding snakes, Crete (c. 1600 BCE) The Swedish stone from Gotland island depicts the godmother, who is sitting atop the mountain before childbirth (Fig. 1а). Her hands are raised and she is holding two big snakes-dragons. The composition symbolizes the home/mountain of dragons (volcanic mountain). The composite motif of the depiction on the memorial stone, according to the 1 The findings belong to Crete-Minoan civilization and are found in the upper layers of the New Palace in Knossos. Two items are discovered (Archaeological Museum, Heraklion) authors, stems to the archetypes in the Old Armenian song “The birth of Vahagn” 2.
    [Show full text]
  • 'From Beneath the Waves'.Pdf
    British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Beasts of the Deep: Sea Creatures and Popular Culture A catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library Contents ISBN: 9780 86196 733 9 (Paperback); 9780 86196 939 5 (Ebook) Acknowledgements vii Introduction: Beasts of the Deep Part 1: FOLKLORE AND WEIRD TALES 9 Chapter 1 "From Beneath the Waves": Sea-Draugr and the Popular Conscience,Alexander Hay 11 Chapter 2 The Depths of our Experience: Thalassophobia and the Oceanic Horror, Sean J. Harrington 27 Chapter 3 From Depths of Terror to Depths of Wonder: The Sublime in Lovecraft's 'Call of Cthulhu' and Cameron's The Abyss, VivanJoseph 42 Part 2: DEPTHS OF DESIRE 57 Chapter 4 Beauty and the Octopus: Close encounters with the other-than-human, Marco Benoit Carbone 59 Chapter 5 The Octopussy: Exploring representations offemale sexuality in Victor Hugo's The Toilers of the Sea (1866) and The Laughing Man (1868), Laura Ettenfield 78 Chapter 6 Psychedelic Deep Blues: the Romanticised Sea Creature in Jimi Hendrix's '1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)' (1968), Tim Buckley's 'Song to the Siren' (1968) and Captain Beefheart's 'Grow Fins' (1972), Richard Mills 94 Part 3: AQUATIC SPACES AND PRACTICES 109 Chapter 7 Fan Totems: Affective Investments in the Sea Creatures of Horror and Science Fiction, Brigid Cherry 111 Chapter 8 Mermaid Spotting: the Rise of Mermaiding in Popular Culture, Maria Mellins 128 Chapter 9 Adventures in Liquid Space: Representations of the Sea in Disney Theme Parks, Lee Brooks 142 Chapter 10 Rivers of Blood,
    [Show full text]
  • How Uniform Was the Old Norse Religion?
    II. Old Norse Myth and Society HOW UNIFORM WAS THE OLD NORSE RELIGION? Stefan Brink ne often gets the impression from handbooks on Old Norse culture and religion that the pagan religion that was supposed to have been in Oexistence all over pre-Christian Scandinavia and Iceland was rather homogeneous. Due to the lack of written sources, it becomes difficult to say whether the ‘religion’ — or rather mythology, eschatology, and cult practice, which medieval sources refer to as forn siðr (‘ancient custom’) — changed over time. For obvious reasons, it is very difficult to identify a ‘pure’ Old Norse religion, uncorroded by Christianity since Scandinavia did not exist in a cultural vacuum.1 What we read in the handbooks is based almost entirely on Snorri Sturluson’s representation and interpretation in his Edda of the pre-Christian religion of Iceland, together with the ambiguous mythical and eschatological world we find represented in the Poetic Edda and in the filtered form Saxo Grammaticus presents in his Gesta Danorum. This stance is more or less presented without reflection in early scholarship, but the bias of the foundation is more readily acknowledged in more recent works.2 In the textual sources we find a considerable pantheon of gods and goddesses — Þórr, Óðinn, Freyr, Baldr, Loki, Njo3rðr, Týr, Heimdallr, Ullr, Bragi, Freyja, Frigg, Gefjon, Iðunn, et cetera — and euhemerized stories of how the gods acted and were characterized as individuals and as a collective. Since the sources are Old Icelandic (Saxo’s work appears to have been built on the same sources) one might assume that this religious world was purely Old 1 See the discussion in Gro Steinsland, Norrøn religion: Myter, riter, samfunn (Oslo: Pax, 2005).
    [Show full text]
  • Norse Monstrosities in the Monstrous World of J.R.R. Tolkien
    Norse Monstrosities in the Monstrous World of J.R.R. Tolkien Robin Veenman BA Thesis Tilburg University 18/06/2019 Supervisor: David Janssens Second reader: Sander Bax Abstract The work of J.R.R. Tolkien appears to resemble various aspects from Norse mythology and the Norse sagas. While many have researched these resemblances, few have done so specifically on the dark side of Tolkien’s work. Since Tolkien himself was fascinated with the dark side of literature and was of the opinion that monsters served an essential role within a story, I argue that both the monsters and Tolkien’s attraction to Norse mythology and sagas are essential phenomena within his work. Table of Contents Abstract Acknowledgements 3 Introduction 4 Chapter one: Tolkien’s Fascination with Norse mythology 7 1.1 Introduction 7 1.2 Humphrey Carpenter: Tolkien’s Biographer 8 1.3 Concrete Examples From Jakobsson and Shippey 9 1.4 St. Clair: an Overview 10 1.5 Kuseela’s Theory on Gandalf 11 1.6 Chapter Overview 12 Chapter two: The monsters Compared: Midgard vs Middle-earth 14 2.1 Introduction 14 2.2 Dragons 15 2.3 Dwarves 19 2.4 Orcs 23 2.5 Wargs 28 2.6 Wights 30 2.7 Trolls 34 2.8 Chapter Conclusion 38 Chapter three: The Meaning of Monsters 41 3.1 Introduction 41 3.2 The Dark Side of Literature 42 3.3 A Horrifically Human Fascination 43 3.4 Demonstrare: the Applicability of Monsters 49 3.5 Chapter Conclusion 53 Chapter four: The 20th Century and the Northern Warrior-Ethos in Middle-earth 55 4.1 Introduction 55 4.2 An Author of His Century 57 4.3 Norse Warrior-Ethos 60 4.4 Chapter Conclusion 63 Discussion 65 Conclusion 68 Bibliography 71 2 Acknowledgements First and foremost I have to thank the person who is evidently at the start of most thesis acknowledgements -for I could not have done this without him-: my supervisor.
    [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]
  • This Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation Has Been Downloaded from Explore Bristol Research
    This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: O Lynn, Aidan Anthony Title: Ghosts of War and Spirits of Place Spectral Belief in Early Modern England and Protestant Germany General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. Ghosts of Place and Spirits of War: Spectral Belief in Early Modern England and Protestant Germany Aidan Anthony O’Lynn A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol in accordance with the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts School of History August 2018 Word Count: 79950 i Abstract This thesis focuses on themes of place and war in the development of ghostlore in Early Modern Protestant Germany and England.
    [Show full text]
  • Troyw Breakdown.Doc
    Thor / Odin Shader Development Thor Shader Development Captain America and Shield Shader Development Environment Light Look Development Thor and Mjolnir Hammer Shader Development Thor Skin Lighting Development Loki and Casket Shader Development and Lighting Environment Lighting and Shader Development Scene Setup and Rendering Odin and Mjolnir Hammer Shader Development Strucker and Zola Shader and Lighting Development Environment Lighting and Shader Development Scene Setup and Rendering Strucker Shader and Lighting Development Environment Lighting and Shader Development Scene Setup and Rendering Loki and Casket Shader Development and Lighting Environment Lighting and Shader Development Scene Setup and Rendering Environment Lighting and Shader Development Iceborn Lighting and Look development Loki and Casket Shader Development and Lighting Environment Lighting and Shader Development Scene Setup and Rendering Captain America and Shield Shader Development Environment Light Look Development Environment Lighting and Shading Development Ymir Lighting and Shader Development Scene Setup and Rendering Odin and Mjolnir Hammer and Shader Development Environment Lighting and Shader Development Hale Lighting and Shader Development Scene Setup and Rendering Environment Lighting and Shader Development Colonist Lighting and Shader Development Scene Setup and Rendering Environment Lighting and Shader Development Exo-Suit Lighting and Shader Development Scene Setup and Rendering Environment Lighting and Shader Development Colonist Lighting and Shader Development
    [Show full text]
  • In Merovingian and Viking Scandinavia
    Halls, Gods, and Giants: The Enigma of Gullveig in Óðinn’s Hall Tommy Kuusela Stockholm University Introduction The purpose of this article is to discuss and interpret the enig- matic figure of Gullveig. I will also present a new analysis of the first war in the world according to how it is described in Old Norse mythic traditions, or more specifically, how it is referred to in Vǫluspá. This examination fits into the general approach of my doctoral dissertation, where I try to look at interactions between gods and giants from the perspective of a hall environment, with special attention to descriptions in the eddic poems.1 The first hall encounter, depending on how one looks at the sources, is described as taking place in a primordial instant of sacred time, and occurs in Óðinn’s hall, where the gods spears and burns a female figure by the name of Gullveig. She is usually interpreted as Freyja and the act is generally considered to initiate a battle between two groups of gods – the Æsir and the Vanir. I do not agree with this interpretation, and will in the following argue that Gullveig should be understood as a giantess, and that the cruelty inflicted upon her leads to warfare between the gods (an alliance of Æsir and Vanir) and the giants (those who oppose the gods’ world order). The source that speaks most clearly about this early cosmic age and provides the best description is Vǫluspá, a poem that is generally considered to have been composed around 900– 1000 AD.2 How to cite this book chapter: Kuusela, T.
    [Show full text]
  • Panel 4 the Creation of Midgard from Ymir the Giant
    CREATING THE WORLD FROM YMIR By Mackenzie Stewart THE BEGINNING ‘In no way do we accept him as a god. He was evil, as are all his descendants; we call them frost giants. It is said that as he slept he took to sweating. Then, from under his left arm grew a male and female, while one of his legs got a son with the other. From here the clans that are called the frost giants. The old frost giant, him we call Ymir’ - Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda, 14-15 ‘where did Ymir live, and what did he live on?’ ‘Next what happened that as the icy rime dripped, the cow called Audhumla was formed. Four rivers of milk ran from her udders, and she nourished Ymir.’ - Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda, 15 ‘She licked the blocks of ice, which were salty. As she licked these stones of icy rime the first day, the hair of a man appeared in the blocks towards the evening. On the second day came the man’s head, and on the third day, the whole man. He was called Buri, and he was beautiful, big and strong. He had a son called Bor, who took as his wife the woman called Bestla. She was the daughter of Bolthorn the giant, and they had three sons. One was called Odin, another Vili and the third Ve.’ - Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda, 15 Ymir suckles the udder of Auðumbla as she licks Búri out of the ice painting by Nicolai Abildgaard, 1790 THE DEATH ‘The sons of Bor killed the giant Ymir’…’When he fell, so much blood gushed from his wounds that with it they drowned all the race of the frost giants except for one who escaped with his household.
    [Show full text]