In Norse mythology, Auðr (

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

"prosperity"Simek (2007:22).) is the son of the personified night,

Nótt In Norse mythology, Nótt (Old Norse: , "night"Orchard (1997:120).) is night personified. In both the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', composed in the 13th century, Nótt is li ...

, fathered by

Naglfari In Nordic mythology, Naglfari is the father of Auðr by the personified night, Nótt.William Ricketts Cooper (1876). ''An Archaic Dictionary: Biographical, Historical, and Mythological: From the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Etruscan Monuments and Papy ...

, and uncle of

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

. Auðr is attested in the ''

Prose Edda The ''Prose Edda'', also known as the ''Younger Edda'', ''Snorri's Edda'' ( is, Snorra Edda) or, historically, simply as ''Edda'', is an Old Norse textbook written in Iceland during the early 13th century. The work is often assumed to have been t ...

'', written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in the poetry of skalds.

Attestations

In the ''Prose Edda'', Auðr is mentioned three times; once in the book ''Gylfaginning'' and twice in '' Skáldskaparmál''. In chapter 10 of ''Gylfaginning'', High says that, during Nótt's marriage to Naglfari, the couple had a son, Auðr.Faulkes (1995:14). In chapter 32 of ''Skáldskaparmál'', means of referring to

Jörð Jörð ( non, Jǫrð, lit=earth) is the personification of earth and a goddess in Norse mythology. She is the mother of the thunder god Thor and a sexual partner of Odin. Jörð is attested in Danish historian ''Gesta Danorum'', composed in the ...

, the personified earth, are provided, including "sister of Auðr" and "sister of

Dagr Dagr (Old Norse: , "day")Lindow (2001:91). is the divine personification of the day in Norse mythology. He appears in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th ...

", the personified day. In the same chapter, a work by the 10th century skald

Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld Hallfreðr Óttarsson or Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld (''Troublesome Poet'') (c. 965 – c. 1007) was an Icelandic skald. He is the protagonist of ''Hallfreðar saga'' according to which he was the court poet first of Hákon Sigurðarson, then of Ó ...

is provided that mentions Auðr ("Auðr's splendid sister").Faulkes (1995:90—91).

Theories

Scholar

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 o ...

theorizes that Auðr is the invention of Snorri, but says that Snorri's reason for doing so is unknown. Simek notes that ''Auðr'' is a female name in other Icelandic sources. Simek does not mention the skaldic reference to the figure.

Notes

References

* Faulkes, Anthony (Trans.) (1995). ''Edda''.

Everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin The term ''everyman'' was used as early as ...

. * Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. ''Dictionary of Northern Mythology''. D.S. Brewer. Norse gods {{DEFAULTSORT:Audr

Attestations

Theories

See also

Notes

References