Viking Mythology

Viking Myth Final Gylfaginning- King Gylfi dresses as old man to deceive aesir, enters into wisdom contest with 3 kings; High, Just as Hight, and Third • The heat of Muspell melted the ice in Ginnungagap, as the ice melted a man shaped figure was formed, Ymir • as Ymir sweat in his sleep a boy and a girl grew from under is arms and his leg begot a son with his other leg •

SCAN | 251 | Viking Mythology | study guides | Viking Myth Final Gylfaginning

Viking Myth Final Gylfaginning- King Gylfi dresses as old man to deceive aesir, enters into wisdom contest with 3 kings; High, Just as Hight, and Third • The heat of Muspell melted the ice in Ginnungagap, as the ice melted a man shaped figure was formed, Ymir • as Ymir sweat in his sleep a boy and a girl grew from under is arms and his leg begot a son with his other leg • as the ice in Ginungagap continued to melt a cow was formed, Audhumla, four rivers came from Audhumla ’s utters and fed Ymir • the cow fed on the salt of the rime, as the cow kept liking a man like creature emerged, his name was Buri, his son Bor married Bestla and they had three children; Odin, Vili, Ve • Bor ’s sons killed Ymir and his blood drowned the whole race of frost giants • One frost giant named Bergrlmir escaped with his family and repopulated the frost-giant race • created the earth out of Ymir • his blood made the sea & lakes • the earth made out of his flesh • rocks from his bones • stone and scree out of teeth and broken bones • sky out of skull • took sparks from Muspell to illuminate the sky • eyelashes created fortification of Midgard • clouds made of brain • humans were created out of logs found on the beach; Ask and Embla • Gods home is Asgard • Odins throne is called Hlidskialf • Odins wife is Frigg • Night was giant from giant land • with Night ’s 3rd husband (man of aesir) she had a son named Day • Odin put Night and Day in the sky with horses and chariots; they are to ride around the earth every 24 hrs • Sol and Moon are children of Mundilfaeri; Odin put them in the sky with horses and chariots to pull the Sun and the Moon across the sky. One wolf chases the Sol and the other the Moon trying to kill them, this will happen at Ragnarok • bridge between earth and heaven is Bifrost • Dwarves were first maggots in the skin of Ymir, the gods decided to give them consciousness and intelligence • Ash Yggdrasil is holy place among gods • an eagle sits on the top of the tree • hawk sits between eagle ’s eye • squirrel runs up and down tree to carry messages between eagle & nidhogg • 4 stags run in the branches • a lot of snakes down by Nidhogg • giant called Hraesvelg creates wind when he turns into eagle form and beats his wings • Thor has a huge hall containing over 540 apartments, 2 goats the pull his chariot, &three special possessions • Miollnir • girdle of might • iron gloves • Baldr-AEsir • Niord- Vanir • Skadi is his wife • Niord ’s kids are Freyr and Freya • Freya- gets half of the slain in battle along with odin, dwelling called Folkvanger • her hall is called Sessrumnir, • Tyr • Bragi • Idunn • Heimdall • Hod • Vidar • Vali • Ull • Sif • Forseti • Loki • Lofn • Var • Vor • Syn • Hlin • Snotra • Gna • Valkyries • Ragnarok • Odin fights Fenriswolf —wolf swallows Odin—Vidar steps up and kills Fenriswolf • Thor fights midgard serpent — they both die • Freyr will fight Surt — freyr dies • Tyr will fight Garm — both die • Heimdall fights Loki — both die • God ’s alive after Ragnarok • Vidar & Vali • Modi & Magni • Baldr & Hod • Life & Leifthrasir hide from surt & recreate mankind • Sun had a daughter who took her place who lives in: midgard- humans asgard- gods utgard-everyone outside of the walls (giants) hel- people who die of sickness or old age

Loki -etymology: unclear l ú ka “ to shut/close ” -Kennings h ö nir ’ s friend, o ∂ in ’ s friend, son of Laufey -God without a function? no place names, personal names, or cults -Loki as a trickster Jan de Vries “ The Problem of Loki ” - dissertation about loki as a trickster, best source but “ unreliable ” due to his extremist political views. ~story of Sif ’ s hair & cre

SCAN | 251 | Viking Mythology | study guides | Loki -etymology: unclear l ú k

Scandinavia- Norway, Sweeden, Denmark [Iceland, Finland, Farrow Islands — > settled by scandinavians, have dialect continuance] Sami People- native people in northern Sweeden/Norway — > language link Vikings/Viking age • Reasons for viking voyages/migration - scandinavia was overpopulated - power struggle - new type of viking ship - reasons for new ship: water doesn't freeze, very mountainous, swampy, full of forests, and easy for travel • Roman Iron Age: 0-375 - expansion of roman empire, first runic inscriptions found, “ Germanic People ” became a term • Migration Period- 375-550 - Huns invaded in 375, forced “ Germanic People ” to move, tribes popped up in scandinavia • Vendel Period: 550-793 - Finds are from Vendel area; iron work, gold, silver (trade flourished during this period) • Viking Age: 793-1066 - 793: vikings invaded Lindisfarne - 1066: Harald the Hard Ruler led an army to take over England, defeated (couple months later battle of hastings took place) • Scandinavian Middle Ages: 1066-1500 • Germanic Myth: Sources (Oldest Sources) - bracteats: golden jewelry, art on one side, pendent - Tacitus, Germania: History book written by Romans - weekdays: correlate with names of gods and their respective planets - mersburg incantations: written in high german: spells, incantations, charms 11th Century • Norse Sources - Archeological sources - picture stones - ruinic inscriptions- Fu þ ark - cult sites - burials/grave goods - Written sources - Skaldic Poetry: snapshots of events, dr ó ttkv æ tt (court meter), poems preserved through stories, kennings- poetic circumlocutions - Eddic Poetry: Codex Regius eddic poetry showed entire stories, Fornyr ð islag (old story meter) - Snorra Edda: four parts- Prologue, Gylfaginning, Sk á ldsksaparm á l, H á ttatal - Euhemerism: the idea that gods derive from humans who's actions are reinterpreted or deified by later generations - Icelandic Sagas: about factual ancestors fictionalized, M öð ruvallab ó k • Gylfaginning - creation: Ymir the giant, the sons of Bor and the cow au ∂ humla, Bergelmir the giant, Yggdrasil-world tree - yggdrasil- - 3 large roots, Mimir ’ s well & well of Norn ’ s - threatened by animals (eagle, hawk, snake, squirrel, stags) - Aesir held court at Urd ’ s well - midgard- where humans live - asgard- where gods live - utgard- everything out of the walls (i.e. where giants live) - bifrost- bridge from gods to men - hel- dead stay with held (person and/or place) - alfheim- where elves live • Sources of Odins wisdom - self-sacrifice, ravens (Hugin & Munin), Mimir ’ s head, mead of poetry • Berserkr - Ó∂ in ’ s men, acted like animals, no armor, bit their shields - etymology: bear-shirt or bare-shirt - Torslanda Helmet- depicts warriors dressed as animals, assume they're berserkr - maybe ill, maybe in a trance, hallucinogens, alcohol • Sei ∂ r- magic - Odin wants more knowledge, even though its so shameful only women should do it - V ö lur & Sorceresses - V ö lva: staff-bearer - seidkona: seid woman - Men & seidr - seidmadr: seid men - Ergi for men to perform sei ∂ • Thor ’ s special possesions - hammer: mj ö llnir - girdle of might: megingj ó rd - pair of iron gloves: j ö rngreipr • Hymskvi ∂ a - preserved separately from snorri edda - combines two adventures into one - gap in manuscript • Giants - sexually promiscuous - even freya refuses to get with a giant - giants need to be kept in check as to not reproduce too much - Relationships

SCAN | 251 | Viking Mythology | study guides | Scandinavia- Norway  Sweeden  

Loki -etymology: unclear l ú ka “ to shut/close ” -Kennings h ö nir ’ s friend, o ∂ in ’ s friend, son of Laufey -God without a function? no place names, personal names, or cults -Loki as a trickster Jan de Vries “ The Problem of Loki ” - dissertation about loki as a trickster, best source but “ unreliable ” due to his extremist political views. ~story of Sif ’ s hair & creation of gods treasures~ sk á ldskaparm á l -Parallels to Loki Hermes & Prometheus ~ Greek Mythology {Syrdon~ mythological figure among Caucasian Ossetians the giant Amiran~ also from Caucasian Ossetians} ~from the Nart sagas, tales originating from the north Caucasus~ -Loki ’ s family son of F á rbauti & Laufey brother to Byleistr & Helblindi married to Sigyn~children are Nari/Narfi & Vaoli children with Angrbo ∂ a~ Hel, Midgard Serpent, Fenderswolf child with stallion of giant builder~ Sleipnier with unknown father as a human or cow ~ ? -Loki in positive functions thor ’ s traveling companion in thrymskvida and gylfaginning ( Ú tgar ∂ r-Loki expedition) -Baldr ’ s death and Loki ’ s binding Loki tricked blind Hod into killing Baldr with mistletoe Loki disguises himself as a salmon the aesir catch him, force his sons to kill each other, bound loki with his son ’ s intestines, fixed a poisonous snake above loki ’ s head so it would drip poison onto Loki ’ s fave, Sign catches venom in a bowl, when she has to empty the bowl and the venom drips on loki he shakes so hard he causes the earth to quake -Lokasenna flyting- “ provocation ” - exchange of insults between two individuals usually in verse form the Vanir -Vanir A subgroup of gods often subsumed within the aesir Nj ö rdr, Freya, Freyr: joined aesir after war between the two groups etymology: related to the word friend; vinr in norse languages Nerthus ~ etymologically the same as Nj ö rdr (found in Tacitus) ~could have been two gods or male/female twin pair (Freyr & Freya) ~could have been a hermaphrodite deity -Aesir-Vanir War Ynglinga Saga V ö luspa Sk á ldskaparm á l Freyr -etymology: proto-norse *frawjaz ” Lord, Ruler ” -fertility god -text Sk í rnism á l, Ynglinga -possessions sword, skidbladnir (ship), gullinborsti (golden bore) -R ä llinge figurine (supposedly Freyr while erect) Pagan worship in the sagas -veneration referred to gods as á st vinr ~ beloved friend many dedicated objects ~ animals, hills, etc that cant be touched/ridden/looked at while unclean built temples Guldgubbar~golden manikins (frequently found Sweeden and Denmark) ~found in post holes in the ground normally, not found in gravesites ~succcessors to the bracteats -Freyr & Gerdr ’ s marriage is a sacred marriage, hier ó s g á mos (holy wedding) Freya -etymology: proto-germanic *fraw(j)on “ Lady, Woman of high standing ” -Sessr ú mnir Freya ’ s hall room for many seats -F ó lkvangr people field/army field; alternative to Val Halla In S ö rla Th á tter Freya presides over an endless battle called Hjadningav í g -Eschwege Phaledra artifact 7th century Germany possibly Freya with her two cats -Schleswig Cathedral witch painting in church 12th century Germany woman riding a cat, drinking from a horn, and is naked with the exception of a cloak -Falcon Garment and Br í singa men brising men “ necklace, torque ” ~Freya sleeps with 4 dwarves to get the necklace ~Loki steals it for Odin ~Sorla Thattr Freya can fly with the falcon garment/feathered cloak -witches — > t ú ndr í∂ ur t ú n — > fence/hedge ri ∂ ur — > rider -V ä stg ö talagen “ Westrogothic Law ” laws that punish fence riders in the night -Frigg and Freyr same person? linguistically no

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