Eddic Mythology by John Arnott MacCulloch (1930).pdf

Eddic Mythology

John Arnott MacCulloch

The Mythology of All Races

In Thirteen Volumes

Volume II

Archaeological Institute of America

Marshall Jones Company – Boston

1930

CONTENTS

Author’s Preface ………………………… p. xi

Introduction…………………………….... p. 3

I The Gods: A General Survey …………… p. 15

II The Vanir ……………………………….. p. 25

III Euhemerism ……………………………... p. 31

IV The Greater Gods — Odin ……………… p. 37

V The Greater Gods — Thor ……………… p. 68

VI The Greater Gods — Tyr ……………….. p. 97

VII The Vanir Group — Njord ……………… p. 101

VIII The Vanir Group — Frey ……………….. p. 108

IX The Vanir Group — Freyja ……………... p. 120

X Balder …………………………………… p. 127

XI Loki ……………………………………... p. 139

XII Lesser Gods ……………………………... p. 151

XIII Mimir ……………………………………. p. 167

XIV Ægir ……………………………………... p. 171

XV Frigg …………………………………….. p. 174

XVI Lesser Goddesses ……………………….. p. 178

XVII Ran ……………………………………… p. 190

XVIII Nature …………………………………… p. 192

XIX Animals …………………………………. p. 216

XX The Alfar or Elves ………………………. p. 219

XXI Vættir ……………………………………. p. 228

XXII The Fylgja ………………………………. p. 233

XXIII The Norns ……………………………….. p. 238

XXIV Valkyries ………………………………... p. 248

XXV Swan-Maidens …………………………... p. 258

XXVI Dwarfs …………………………………... p. 264

XXVII Giants …………………………………… p. 275

XXVIII Trolls ……………………………………. p. 285

XXIX The Nightmare Spirit ……………………. p. 288

XXX Werwolves ……………………………… p. 291

XXXI Magic …………………………………… p. 295

XXXII The Other World ………………………...

p. 303

XXXIII Cosmogony and the Doom of the Gods …

p. 324

Notes …………………………………….

p. 349

Bibliography ……………………………..

p. 387

PREFACE

When this Series was first projected, Professor Axel Olrik, Ph.D., of the

University of Copenhagen, was asked to write the volume on Eddic Mythology,

and no one more competent than he could have been chosen. He agreed to

undertake the work, but his lamented death occurred before he had done more than

sketch a plan and write a small part of it.

Ultimately it was decided that I should write the volume, and the result is

now before the reader.

Throughout the book, the names of gods, heroes, and places are generally

given without accents, which are meaningless to most readers, and the spelling of

such names is mainly that which accords most nearly with the Old Norse

pronunciation. “Odin,” however, is preferred to the less usual “Othin,” and so with

a few other familiar names, the spelling of which is now stereotyped in English.

Several of the illustrations are from material which had been collected by

Professor Olrik, with which the publisher supplied me. The coloured illustrations

and those in pen and ink drawing are by my daughter. I have to thank the

authorities of the British Museum for permission to use their photographs of the

Franks’ Casket and of Anglo-Saxon draughtsmen; the Director of the

Universitetets Oldsaksamling, Oslo, for photographs of the Oseberg Ship; Mr. W.

G. Collingwood, F.S.A., for permission to reproduce his sketches of Borg and

Helga-fell; and Professor G. Baldwin Brown, L.L.D., of the Chair of Fine Art,

University of Edinburgh, for photographs of the Dearham, Bewcastle, and

Ruthwell Crosses.

J. A. M AC CULLOCH

THE BRIDGE OF ALLAN

SCOTLAND

October 8, 1929

INTRODUCTION

The Teutonic peoples in the early centuries of our era were found over a

considerable part of central Europe, north of the Rhine and the Danube. They also

stretched farther northwards and had occupied Denmark and a great part of the

Scandinavian peninsula from prehistoric times. In the fifth century began those

movements of the Teutonic tribes which led to their occupation of the Roman

empire. Ethnology divides the Teutons into three groups — the High Germans in

middle and upper Germany, Switzerland, and Austria; the Low Germans, including

the North Germans, Flemings, Dutch, Frisians, and Anglo-Saxons; and the

Scandinavians of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

The religious beliefs of this widespread people are known to us imperfectly,

and while all of them must have had a common religious heritage, one of the chief

problems of religion and mythology is to decide how far all the various tribes had

the same deities, the same beliefs and customs, the same myths. Very different

views are advocated as solutions of this problem. What is known from classical

observers regarding Teutonic religion, from archaeological remains, from notices

in the lives and writings of Christian missionaries, from survivals in folk-custom

and folk-belief, from ecclesiastical laws, is of the highest importance. From these

sources we gather that, on many matters, there was much similarity of belief and

practice, but there are many others on which it is impossible to come to a definite

conclusion.

While we may speak within limits of Teutonic mythology, strict exactitude

should rather speak of Eddic mythology — the myths found in the Eddas , for

detailed myths can hardly be

said to have survived elsewhere. These myths belong to Iceland and Norway,

possibly also to Sweden and Denmark. How far any of them belonged to other

branches of the Teutonic people is a matter of conjecture. Here and there we have

certain lines of evidence which suggest a common heritage of myth. Certain myths,

however, belong solely to the Scandinavian regions where the Eddic material was

native, just as do also the beliefs in certain gods and goddesses.

The purpose of this book is to give an account of Eddic mythology, showing

wherever possible its connexions with that of other branches of the Teutonic stock.

What, then, are the Eddas , and where and when were they composed?

According to one manuscript of a work composed by Snorri Sturluson

(1178–1241), which came into possession of Brynjolf Sveinsson, bishop of

Skálholt in the seventeenth century, the work itself is called “ Edda .” It deals, as we

shall see, with Norse mythology. Sveinsson was also owner of a manuscript

containing poems, many of which were cited by Snorri and used by him in

compiling his work. From this connexion these poems now came to be called Edda

or “the Elder Edda ,” in distinction from the prose work which was styled “the

Younger Edda .” The collection of poems was also called Sœmundar Edda , from

the belief that they were the work of Sæmund the Wise, an Icelandic priest and

collector of old poetry, who lived in the second half of the eleventh century and

died in 1133 A.D. It is now generally known as “the Poetic Edda .”

Different derivations of the word Edda have been suggested. By many

scholars it is now conceded that the word is the genitive of “ Oddi ,” the name of a

homestead in Iceland, which was a seat of learning, and where Snorri was educated

and lived for many years, and where Sæmund had also dwelt for some time, if

tradition speaks true. Hence Snorri’s book would be “of Oddi” or “the book of

Oddi.” Another derivation much favoured is that Edda is from oþr , “song,”

“poem,” and that

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