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Jötunn
A (also jotun; plural ; in the normalised scholarly spelling of Old Norse, ; or, in Old English, , plural ) is a type of being in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, are often contrasted with gods (the Æsir and Vanir) and with other non-human figures, such as dwarf (mythology), dwarfs and elf, elves, although the groupings are not always mutually exclusive. The entities included in the category are referred to by several other terms, including , (or ) and if male and or if female. The typically dwell across boundaries from the gods and humans in lands such as . The are frequently attested throughout the Old Norse records, with also featuring in the Old English epic poem ''Beowulf''. The usage of the terms is dynamic, with an overall trend that the beings become portrayed as less impressive and more negative as Christianity becomes more influential over time. Although the term "giant" is sometimes used to gloss the word "" and its apparent synonyms in some transl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jötunheimr
The terms Jötunheimr (in Old Norse orthography: Jǫtunheimr ; often Old Norse orthography#Anglicized spelling, anglicised as Jotunheim) or Jötunheimar refer to either a land or multiple lands respectively in Nordic mythology inhabited by the jötnar (relatives of the gods, in English sometimes inaccurately called "giants"). are typically, but not exclusively, presented in Eddic sources as prosperous lands located to the north and are commonly separated from the lands inhabited by gods and humans by barriers that cannot be traversed by usual means. Etymology is a compound word formed from and , meaning a 'home' or 'world'. When attested in Eddic sources, the word is typically found in its plural form, ('-lands'). Attestations Poetic Edda are mentioned in three poems of the Poetic Edda. In the beginning of Völuspá, the coming of three women out of marks the end of the Golden Age#Germanic, Age of Gold for the gods. Towards the end of the poem, in the section describing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerðr
In Norse mythology, Gerðr (Old Norse: ; "fenced-in"Orchard (1997:54).) is a jötunn, Æsir, goddess, and the wife of the god Freyr. Gerðr is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the ''Prose Edda'' and ''Heimskringla'', written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and in the poetry of skalds. ''Gerðr'' is sometimes modernly anglicized as Gerd or Gerth. In both the ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda'', Freyr sees Gerðr from a distance, becomes deeply lovesick at the sight of her shimmering beauty, and has his servant Skírnir go to Jötunheimr (where Gerðr and her father Gymir (father of Gerðr), Gymir reside) to gain her love. In the ''Poetic Edda'' Gerðr initially refuses, yet after a series of threats by Skírnir she is forced to yield. In the ''Prose Edda'', no mention of threats is made. In both sources, Gerðr agrees to meet Freyr at a fixed time at the location of Barri and, after Skírnir returns with Ger ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Troll
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings. In later Scandinavian folklore, trolls became beings in their own right, where they live far from human habitation, are not Christianized, and are considered dangerous to human beings. Depending on the source, their appearance varies greatly; trolls may be ugly and slow-witted, or look and behave exactly like human beings, with no particularly grotesque characteristic about them. In Scandinavian folklore, trolls are sometimes associated with particular landmarks (sometimes said to have been formed by a troll having been exposed to sunlight). Trolls are depicted in a variety of media in modern popular culture. Etymology The Old Norse nouns ''troll'' and ''trǫll'' (variously meaning "fiend, demon, werewolf, jötunn") and Middle High ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norse Mythology
Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The North Germanic languages, northernmost extension of Germanic mythology and stemming from Proto-Germanic folklore, Norse mythology consists of tales of various deities, beings, and heroes derived from numerous sources from both before and after the pagan period, including medieval manuscripts, archaeological representations, and folk tradition. The source texts mention numerous gods such as the thunder-god Thor, the Huginn and Muninn, raven-flanked god Odin, the goddess Freyja, and List of Germanic deities, numerous other deities. Most of the surviving mythology centers on the plights of the gods and their interaction with several other beings, such as humanity and the jötnar, beings who may be friends, lovers, foes, or family members of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Germanic Folklore
Proto-Germanic paganism was the beliefs of the speakers of Proto-Germanic and includes topics such as the Germanic mythology, legendry, and folk beliefs of early Germanic culture. By way of the comparative method, Germanic philologists, a variety of historical linguist, have proposed reconstructions of entities, locations, and concepts with various levels of security in early Germanic folklore (reconstructions are indicated by the presence of an asterisk). The present article includes both reconstructed forms and proposed motifs from the early Germanic period. Linguistic reconstructions can be obtained via comparison between the various Germanic languages, comparison with related words in other Indo-European languages, especially Celtic and Baltic, comparison with borrowings into neighbouring language families such as Uralic, or via a combination of those methods. This allows linguists to project some terms back to the Proto-Germanic period despite their attestation in only on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vanir
In Norse mythology, the Vanir (; Old Norse:, singular Vanr) are a group of gods associated with fertility, wisdom, and the ability to see the future. The Vanir are one of two groups of gods (the other being the Æsir) and are the namesake of the location Vanaheimr (Old Norse "Home of the Vanir"). After the Æsir–Vanir War, the Vanir became a subgroup of the Æsir. Subsequently, at least some members of the Vanir are at times also referred to as being Æsir. The Vanir are attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the ''Prose Edda'' and ''Heimskringla'', both written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and in the poetry of skalds. The Vanir are only attested in these Old Norse sources. All sources describe the god Njörðr, and his children Freyr and Freyja as members of the Vanir. A euhemerism, euhemerized prose account in ''Heimskringla'' adds that Sister-wife of Njörðr, Njörðr's sister—whose name is not provided� ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hymir
Hymir (Old Norse: ) is a jötunn in Norse mythology, and the owner of a brewing- cauldron fetched by the thunder god Thor for Ægir, who wants to hold a feast for the Æsir (gods). In ''Hymiskviða'', Hymir is portrayed as the father of Týr, but in ''Skáldskaparmál'', Odin is Týr's father. Name The etymology of the Old Norse name ''Hymir'' remains unclear. It is perhaps related to the Norwegian ''humen'' ('limp, weary') or ''humre'' ('whinny'; compare with MHG ''hummen'' 'hum'). Andy Orchard has proposed the translation 'creeper'. ''Hymir'' is often used in kennings as a modifier for ''jötnarr''. Attestations ''Hymiskviða'' and ''Gylfaginning'' ''Hymiskviða'' recounts how Thor and Týr obtain the cauldron from Hymir. His skull is unusually hard, and Thor breaks a cup by throwing it at Hymir's head. ''Hymiskviða'' also recounts Thor's fishing for Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent. Thor goes fishing with Hymir, using the head of Hymir's best ox for bait, and ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 from Robert of Gloucester (historian), Robert of Gloucester's chronicle. It is derived from the ''Giants (Greek mythology), Gigantes'' () of Greek mythology. Fairy tales such as ''Jack the Giant Killer'' have formed the modern perception of giants as dimwitted and violent Ogre, ogres, sometimes said to eat humans, while other giants tend to eat livestock. In more recent portrayals, like those of Jonathan Swift and Roald Dahl, some giants are both intelligent and friendly. Literary and cultural analysis Giants appear many times in folklore and myths. Representing the human body enlarged to the point of being monstrous, giants evoke terror and remind humans of their body's frailty and mortality. They are ofte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bárðar Saga Snæfellsáss
''Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss'' (14th c. Middle Icelandic: ; Modern Icelandic: ) or ''Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss ok Gests'' is a late sagas of Icelanders, saga of the Icelanders with legendary elements. It falls into two sections, one about Bárðr and the other about his son, Gestr; the first part takes place in Snæfellsnes in Iceland. History ''Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss'' is a relatively late ''Íslendingasaga'', probably dating to the early 14th century. It is preserved in 16th- and 17th-century paper and vellum manuscripts and one fragment of about 1400.Halldór Hermansson, p. 4. The saga falls into two sections that were distinguished in the early 18th century and are probably by different authors. Synopsis Section 1 In chapters 1–10, ''Bárðar saga'', the main character is Bárðr Snæfellsáss. The saga draws on legendary material and ''Heimskringla'' and contains excerpts from ''Landnámabók''. Bárðr's mother was human, but his father was half and half ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Æsir
Æsir (Old Norse; singular: ) or ēse (Old English; singular: ) are deities, gods in Germanic paganism. In Old Nordic religion and Nordic mythology, mythology, the precise meaning of the term "" is debated, as it can refer either to the gods in general or specifically to one of the main families of gods, in contrast to the Vanir, with whom the Æsir Æsir–Vanir War, waged war, ultimately leading to a joining of the families. The term can further be applied to local gods that were believed to live in specific features in the landscape - such as fells. The Old English medical text Wið færstice refers to the Ēse, along with elves, as harmful beings that could cause a stabbing pain, although exactly how they were conceived of by the author of the text is unclear. and its cognate forms feature in many Germanic names, such as Oswald (given name), Oswald and , and in some place-names in Norway and Sweden. The Æsir further likely give their name to the Ansuz (rune), A-rune, atte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fáfnir
In Germanic heroic legend and Germanic folklore, folklore, Fáfnir is a Germanic dragon, worm or dragon slain by a member of the Völsung family, typically Sigurð. In Nordic mythology, he is the son of Hreiðmarr, and brother of Regin and Ótr and is attested throughout the Völsung Cycle, where, Fáfnir slays his father out of greed, taking the Andvaranaut, ring and hoard of the Dwarf (folklore), dwarf Andvari and becoming a worm or dragon. Fáfnir's brother Regin later assisted Sigurð in obtaining the sword Gram (mythology), Gram, by which Fáfnir is killed. He has been identified with an unnamed dragon killed by a Völsung in other Germanic works including Beowulf, the Nibelunglied and a number of skaldic poems. Fáfnir and his killing by Sigurð are further represented in numerous medieval carvings from the British Isles and Scandinavia, and a single axe head in a Scandinavian style found in Russia. The story of Fáfnir has continued to have influence in the modern period, s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Regin
In Norse mythology, Reginn (; often anglicized as Regin or Regan) is a son of Hreiðmarr and the foster father of Sigurð. His brothers are Fáfnir and Ótr. Attestations Völsunga saga When Loki mistakenly kills Ótr, Hreiðmarr demands to be repaid with the amount of gold it takes to fill Ótr's skin and cover the outside. Loki takes this gold from the dwarf Andvari, who curses it and especially the ring Andvaranaut. Fáfnir kills his father for this gold, but eventually becomes a greedy Germanic dragon, worm or dragon. Reginn gets none of the gold, but he becomes smith to the king and foster father to Sigurð, teaching him many languages as well as sports, chess, and runes. Reginn had all wisdom and deftness of hand. Of his two brothers, he has the ability to work iron as well as silver and gold and he makes many beautiful and useful things. While Sigurð is living with Reginn, Reginn challenges Sigurð's respect in the kingdom. He tells Sigurð to ask for a horse. Sigurð ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
