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, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...

, according to the '' Gylfaginning'', Annar ( Old Norse Annarr 'second, another') is the father of Jörð (

Mother Earth Mother Earth may refer to: *The Earth goddess in any of the world's mythologies *Mother goddess *Mother Nature, a common personification of the Earth and its biosphere as the giver and sustainer of life Written media and literature *Mother Earth ...

) by Nótt (the Night). The form Ónar (Old Norse Ónarr 'gaping') is found as a variant. Annar/Ónar is also the name of a dwarf in the catalogue of dwarfs in the '' Völuspá'' that is repeated in the ''Gylfaginning''.

Attestations

In the pseudo-historical genealogy of

Odin Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...

's ancestors in the introduction to

Snorri Sturluson Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of the ...

's '' Prose Edda'', a certain Athra is said to be he "whom we call Annar". What this refers to is unknown. (See Sceafa for discussion of the section of this genealogy in which Annar appears.) In the ''Gylfaginning'' Snorri writes of Nótt:'' Gylfaginning'' 10, 36.Lindow (2001:205).

She was given to the man named Naglfari; their son was Aud. Afterward she was wedded to him that was called Annar; Jörð Earth'was their daughter.

Snorri might have been using a source in which ''annar'' 'second, another' was intended to mean

, for he himself had just previously written of Odin: "The earth was his daughter and his wife...". But in the '' Skáldskaparmál'' Snorri uses the form ''Ónar'' instead, giving "daughter of Ónar" as one of the kennings for Jörð. Snorri also cites from Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld:

In council it was determined
That the King's friend, wise in counsel,
Should wed the Land, sole daughter
Of Ónar, greenly wooded.

Notes

{{Norse mythology Norse dwarves Norse gods