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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 ...
, Kvasir (
Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
: ) was a being born of the
saliva Saliva (commonly referred as spit or drool) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which ...
of the
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 i ...
and the
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 ...
, two groups of gods. Extremely wise, Kvasir traveled far and wide, teaching and spreading knowledge. This continued until the
dwarf Dwarf, dwarfs or dwarves may refer to: Common uses *Dwarf (folklore), a supernatural being from Germanic folklore * Dwarf, a human or animal with dwarfism Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a sh ...
s Fjalar and Galar killed Kvasir and drained him of his blood. The two mixed his blood with
honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...
, thus creating the Mead of Poetry, a
mead Mead (), also called honey wine, and hydromel (particularly when low in alcohol content), is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alco ...
which imbued the drinker with
skald A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry in alliterative verse, the other being Eddic poetry. Skaldic poems were traditionally compo ...
ship and wisdom, and the spread of which eventually resulted in the introduction of poetry to mankind. Kvasir is attested in the ''
Prose Edda The ''Prose Edda'', also known as the ''Younger Edda'', ''Snorri's Edda'' () or, historically, simply as ''Edda'', is an Old Norse textbook written in Iceland during the early 13th century. The work is often considered to have been to some exten ...
'' and '' Heimskringla'', both written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century, and in the poetry of
skald A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry in alliterative verse, the other being Eddic poetry. Skaldic poems were traditionally compo ...
s. According to the ''Prose Edda'', Kvasir was instrumental in the capture and binding of
Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...
, and an euhemerized account of the god appears in ''Heimskringla'', where he is attested as the wisest among the Vanir. Scholars have connected Kvasir to methods of beverage production and peacemaking practices among ancient peoples.


Attestations

In the ''
Prose Edda The ''Prose Edda'', also known as the ''Younger Edda'', ''Snorri's Edda'' () or, historically, simply as ''Edda'', is an Old Norse textbook written in Iceland during the early 13th century. The work is often considered to have been to some exten ...
'', Kvasir appears in the books '' Gylfaginning'' and ''
Skáldskaparmál ''Skáldskaparmál'' (Old Norse: 'Poetic Diction' or 'The Language of Poetry'; ; ) is the second part of the ''Prose Edda'', compiled by Snorri Sturluson. It consists of a dialogue between Ægir, the divine personification of the sea, and Bra ...
''. Kvasir is mentioned a single time in '' Gylfaginning''; in chapter 50, where the enthroned figure of High tells Gangleri ( Gylfi in disguise) of how Loki was caught by the gods after being responsible for the murder of the god
Baldr Baldr (Old Norse also Balder, Baldur) is a god in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, he is a son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg, and has numerous brothers, such as Thor and Váli. In wider Germanic mythology, the god was known in ...
. In the chapter, High says that while
Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...
was hiding from the gods, he often took the form of a
salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...
during the day and swam in the waterfall Franangrsfors. Loki considered what sort of device the gods might craft to catch him there, and so, sitting in his four-door mountain lookout house, knotted together linen thread in "which ever since the net has been". Loki noticed that the gods were not far away from him and that Odin had spotted him from Hliðskjálf. Loki sat before a fire, and when he noticed the gods were coming near him, he threw the net into the fire and jumped up, and slipped into the river. The gods reached Loki's house, and the first to enter was Kvasir, who the High describes as "the wisest of all". Kvasir saw the shape of the net in the ash of the fire, and so realized its purpose; to catch fish. And so Kvasir told the gods about it. The gods used the shape found in the ash as their model, and with it fished Loki from the river to make him their prisoner, later binding him in torment until the coming of
Ragnarök In Norse mythology, (also Ragnarok; or ; ) is a foretold series of impending events, including a great battle in which numerous great Norse mythological figures will perish (including the Æsir, gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdall, a ...
.Faulkes (1995:51—52). In ''Skáldskaparmál'', Kvasir is mentioned several times. In chapter 57 of the book, Ægir asks the skaldic god
Bragi Bragi (Old Norse) is the skaldic god of poetry in Norse mythology. Etymology The theonym Bragi probably stems from the masculine noun ''bragr'', which can be translated in Old Norse as 'poetry' (cf. Icelandic ''bragur'' 'poem, melody, wise' ...
where the craft of poetry originated. Bragi says that the
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 i ...
once wrangled with the
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 ...
(see
Æsir–Vanir War In Norse mythology, the Æsir–Vanir War was a conflict between two groups of deities that ultimately resulted in the unification of the Æsir and the Vanir into a single Pantheon (religion), pantheon. The war is an important event in Norse mytho ...
) but eventually came together to make peace. The two groups decided to form a truce by way of both sides spitting into a vat. After they left, the gods kept the vat as a symbol of their truce, "and decided not to let it be wasted and out of it made a man". The man was named Kvasir, and he was extremely wise; he knew the answer to any question posed to him. Kvasir traveled far and wide throughout the world teaching mankind and spreading his vast knowledge. In time, two
dwarf Dwarf, dwarfs or dwarves may refer to: Common uses *Dwarf (folklore), a supernatural being from Germanic folklore * Dwarf, a human or animal with dwarfism Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a sh ...
s, Fjalar and Galar, invited Kvasir to their home for a private talk. Upon Kvasir's arrival, the two dwarfs killed him and drained his blood into three objects. Two of the objects were vats, called Són and Boðn, and the third was a pot called Óðrerir. Fjalar and Galar mixed the blood with honey and made
mead Mead (), also called honey wine, and hydromel (particularly when low in alcohol content), is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alco ...
of it. Whoever drank of it would become a poet or scholar (Kvasir's blood had become the Mead of Poetry). The two dwarfs explained to the Æsir that Kvasir had died from "suffocating in his own intelligence", as there were none among them who were so well educated as to be able to pose him questions. Bragi then tells how the Mead of Poetry, by way of the god
Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...
, ultimately came into the hands of mankind.Faulkes (1995:61—64). In chapter 2 ''Skáldskaparmál'', poetic ways of referring to poetry are provided, including "Kvasir's blood". In reference, part of '' Vellekla'' by the 10th century Icelandic
skald A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry in alliterative verse, the other being Eddic poetry. Skaldic poems were traditionally compo ...
Einarr skálaglamm is provided, where the term "Kvasir's blood" for 'poetry' is used.Faulkes (1995:70). Further, in chapter 3, a prose narrative mentions that the Kvasir's blood was made into the Mead of Poetry.Faulkes (1995:72). Kvasir is mentioned in an euhemerized account of the origin of the gods in chapter 4 of ''
Ynglinga saga ''Ynglinga saga'' ( ) is a Kings' sagas, Kings' saga, originally written in Old Norse by the Icelanders, Icelandic poet and historian Snorri Sturluson about 1225. It is the first section of his ''Heimskringla''. It was first translated into Engl ...
'', contained within ''Heimskringla''. The chapter narrative explains that Odin waged war on the Vanir, yet the Vanir could not be defeated, and so the two decided to exchange hostages in a peace agreement. Kvasir, here a member of the Vanir and described as the "cleverest among them", is included among the hostages.Hollander (2007:7—8).


Name

The etymology of the name is uncertain. The root ''kvas-'' in ''Kvas-ir'' likely stems from the
Proto-Germanic Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the linguistic reconstruction, reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic languages, Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from ...
base *''kvass''-, meaning "to squeeze, squash, crush, bruise". Regarding this etymology,
linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...
Albert Morey Sturtevant comments that "fluids may result from the crushing or pressing of an object (cf. Dan. ''kvase'' 'to crush something in order to squeeze out the juice'). Hence we are justified in assuming the stem syllable in ''kvas-ir'' has reference to the fluid (
saliva Saliva (commonly referred as spit or drool) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which ...
) out of which he was created and that the name ''Kvas-ir'' denotes the person who possesses the characteristic qualities inherent in this fluid, viz., poetic inspiration and wisdom."Sturtevant (1952:1149—1150) The same root ''kvas-'' may also be related to kvass, a fermented drink of the
Slavic peoples The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, Southeast ...
. The common Slavic word stems from
Proto-Slavic Proto-Slavic (abbreviated PSl., PS.; also called Common Slavic or Common Slavonic) is the unattested, reconstructed proto-language of all Slavic languages. It represents Slavic speech approximately from the 2nd millennium BC through the 6th ...
*''kvasъ'' ("leaven", "
fermented drink This is a list of fermented foods, which are foods produced or preserved by the action of microorganisms. In this context, Fermentation in food processing, fermentation typically refers to the fermentation of sugar to ethanol, alcohol using yeas ...
") and ultimately from
Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. No direct record of Proto-Indo-European exists; its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-Euro ...
base ''*kwh₂et-''.Trubachyov (1987:153) This etymological connection, as considered by some scholars ( Alexander Afanasyev, Richard Heinzel,Heinzel (1889:82) Jooseppi Julius Mikkola, Georges Dumézil, et al.), is motivated by the consideration of kvasir as a personification of fermented beverages.


Interpretations

Rudolf Simek Rudolf Simek (born 21 February 1954) is an Austrian philologist and religious studies scholar who is Professor and Chair of Ancient German and Nordic Studies at the University of Bonn. Simek specializes in Germanic studies, and is the author ...
comments that ''kvasir'' likely originally referred to juice squeezed from
berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone fruit, stone or pit (fruit), pit although many wikt:pip#Etymology 2, pips or seeds may be p ...
and then fermented. In some ancient cultures, berries were communally chewed before being spat into a container, which exactly parallels Kvasir's mythical creation. Simek says that Snorri's description is further proven faithful by way of the (above-mentioned) 10th-century skaldic kenning "Kvasir’s blood" (
Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
''Kvasis dreyra''). He also points out strong parallels exist between the Old Norse tale of the theft of the Mead of Poetry by Odin (in the form of an eagle) and the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
tale of the theft of Soma (beverage of the gods) by the god
Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes Indra is the m ...
(or an eagle), and that these parallels point to a common
Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. No direct record of Proto-Indo-European exists; its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-Euro ...
basis. Further, the mixing of spit in a vat between the two groups of gods points to an ancient basis for the myth: The customs of mixing spittle and the group drinking of the intoxicating beverage are well rooted in traditional peacemaking and group binding customs among various ancient peoples.Simek (2007:184-185)


Modern influence

A Norwegian search engine, Kvasir, takes its name from the god.


Notes


References

* Adolfo Zavaroni (2006). ''Mead and aqua vitae: Functions of Mímir, Oðinn, Viðófnir and Svipdagr''. Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Germanistik, Eds: Erika Langbroek et al., vol. 61 (2006), pp. 65–86. ISSN 0165-7305 * Albert Morey Sturtevant (1952). ''Etymological Comments upon Certain Old Norse Proper Names in the Eddas''. PMLA, Vol. 67, No. 7 (Dec. 1952), pp. 1145–1162. * Anthony Faulkes (Trans.) (1995). ''Edda''. Everyman. * Eugen Mogk (1923). ''Novellistische darstellung mythologischer stoffe Snorris und seiner schule: Magische Ursprungsgsrumen der Finnen''. Folklore Fellows Communications, vol. 51. Helsinki, Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia * Georges Dumézil (1974). ''Gods of the Ancient Northmen''. University of California Press. * Georges Dumézil. ''Loki''. 1st edition (1948): Les Dieux et les hommes, Paris, G. P. Maisonneuve (in French). 2nd edition (1958): Trans. by Inge Köck, Stuttgart, Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft (in German). 3rd edition (1986): Paris, Flammarion, (in French) * Jan de Vries (2000). ''Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch''. 4th edition, Leiden (in German) * Jooseppi Julius Mikkola. ''Bidrag till belysning af slaviska lånord i nordiska språk''. Arkiv för nordisk filologi, vol. 19 (1903), pp. 325–333. * Lee Milton Hollander. (Trans.) (2007).
Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway
'.
University of Texas Press The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is the university press of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly and trade books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Caribbean, Caribbea ...
. * R. Stübe (1924). ''Kvasir und der magische Gebrauch des Speichels''. Published in ''Festschrift Eugen Mogk zum 70. Geburtstag 19. Juli 1924''. Halle a. d. Saale: Niemeyer, pp. 500–509. * Richard Heinzel (1889). ''Über die ostgothische Heldensage''. Sitzungsberichte der Wiener Akademie der Wissenschaften. Phil.-hist. Kl. 1889. Bd. 119. Abb. 3 (in German). *
Rudolf Simek Rudolf Simek (born 21 February 1954) is an Austrian philologist and religious studies scholar who is Professor and Chair of Ancient German and Nordic Studies at the University of Bonn. Simek specializes in Germanic studies, and is the author ...
(2007) translated by Angela Hall. ''Dictionary of Northern Mythology''. D.S. Brewer. * Александр Николаевич Афанасьев (1865–1869). ''Поэтические воззрения славян на природу''. Директ-медиа (2014) том. 1, ( Alexander Afanasyev. ''The Poetic Outlook of Slavs about Nature'', 1865–1869; reprinted 2014; in Russian) * Олег Николааевич Трубачёв и др. ''Этимологический словарь славянских языков''. Академия наук СССР, Москва, т
13
(1987) ( Oleg Trubachyov et al. '' Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages''. USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow, vol. 13 (1987); in Russian)


External links


MyNDIR (My Norse Digital Image Repository)
Illustrations of Kvasir from manuscripts and early print books. {{Norse mythology Æsir Vanir Wisdom gods Norse gods