GRÍMNISMÁL: A CRITICAL EDITION Vittorio Mattioli A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2017 Full metadata for this item is available in St Andrews Research Repository at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/12219 This item is protected by original copyright This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence Grímnismál: A Critical Edition Vittorio Mattioli This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 12.11.2017 i 1. Candidate’s declarations: I Vittorio Mattioli, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 72500 words in length, has been written by me, and that it is the record of work carried out by me, or principally by myself in collaboration with others as acknowledged, and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in September, 2014 and as a candidate for the degree of Ph.D. in September, 2014; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2014 and 2017. Date signature of candidate 2. Supervisor’s declaration: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of Ph.D. in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date signature of supervisors 3. Permission for publication: (to be signed by both candidate and supervisors) In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. I have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the publication of this thesis: PRINTED COPY a) No embargo on print copy ELECTRONIC COPY a) No embargo on electronic copy Date signature of candidate signature of supervisors ii Abstract The purpose of this thesis is an in-depth analysis of the Eddic poem Grímnismál found in the manuscript known as Codex Regius (GKS 2365 4to), located in Reykjavík, dated to c. 1270 and a fragment (AM 748 I 4to), located in Copenhagen, dated to c. 1300. While a great deal of work has been done on Grímnismál as part of the Elder Edda, there is yet no specific edition focusing on it alone. New studies on Germanic paganism and mythology show its shifting nature and the absence of specific tenets or uniform beliefs throughout the Germanic speaking world and in time. The relatively absent sources are similarly scattered. As such, the thesis suggests a new method of study, following a focused historical approach in which only Grímnismál is analysed in an attempt to understand the beliefs of the people that composed it. The nature of pagan belief itself prevents one from drawing more general conclusions on ‘Norse mythology’ as a whole. Part 1 is divided into two chapters and deals with my approach, the nature of Germanic belief, and the sources available as well as techniques of interpretation for them, all relevant to the production of the arguments made in the thesis. Part 2 deals with Grímnismál itself: Chapter 1 provides an analysis of the manuscripts, Chapter 2 contains my editing notes and Chapter 3 analyses the contents of the poem, Chapter 4 consists of my conclusions to this study, focusing on the cosmology and the dating of the poem. Part 3 contains the edition of Grímnismál and is followed by Part 4 which is the commentary to the poem. The thesis is followed by two appendices, one containing a facing transcription of the manuscripts and the other being a glossary to all words used in Grímnismál. Finally, this thesis includes a digital edition worked on xml. This is available in the following link: https://starescomp.github.io/grimnismal/#idm140518410334752 iii Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments..................................................................................................................... vi Part 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1. Germanic Paganism.......................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2. The sources ..................................................................................................... 12 1. The Interpretatio Romana ...................................................................................... 12 2. Christian Sources ................................................................................................... 17 3. Better safe than Snorri ........................................................................................... 21 4. Icelandic Sources ................................................................................................... 24 5. Linguistic Sources ................................................................................................. 32 6. Comparative philology .......................................................................................... 35 7. Comparison with Christianity ................................................................................ 38 8. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 40 Part 2 Grímnismál: Manuscripts and Contents .................................................................... 42 Chapter 1. Manuscripts ................................................................................................ 42 1. GKS 2365 4to Manuscript ..................................................................................... 44 2. AM 748 I 4to Manuscript ...................................................................................... 51 Chapter 2. Editing Notes .............................................................................................. 58 1. Printed Edition ....................................................................................................... 58 2. Digital Edition ....................................................................................................... 65 3. Snorri’s Grímnismál .............................................................................................. 67 Chapter 3. The Poem .................................................................................................... 70 1. Metre and Performance ......................................................................................... 71 2. Óðinn ..................................................................................................................... 83 Chapter 4. Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 98 1. Cosmology ........................................................................................................... 102 2. Dating of Grímnismál .......................................................................................... 112 Part 3 Grímnismál .............................................................................................................. 115 Chapter 1. Grímnismál - Codex Regius manuscript (GKS 2365 4to). ........................... 115 Fra sonom. hrauðungi konungs. ..................................................................................... 115 Chapter 2. Grímnismál – AM 748 I 4to Fragment......................................................... 125 Fra hrauðungi konungi ................................................................................................... 125 Chapter 3. Uppsala Edda quotes of Grímnismál ............................................................ 135 Gylfaginning .................................................................................................................. 135 iv Part 4 Grímnismál – Commentary ..................................................................................... 139 Appendix I Transcriptions .................................................................................................. 247 Chapter 1. GKS 2365 4to Facing Facsimile Diplomatic Transcription ......................... 247 Chapter 2. AM 748 I 4o Facing Facsimile Diplomatic Transcription ........................... 260 Appendix II Index of Names and Glossary ...................................................................... 271 Chapter 1. Index of Names ............................................................................................ 271 Chapter 2. Glossary .......................................................................................................