![Sif Was Queen of the Fields](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Sif_Was_Queen_of_the_Fields.jpg)
In
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 ...
, Sif (
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is 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 of Scandinavia and t ...
: ) is a golden-haired
goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...
associated with earth. Sif is attested in the ''
Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and 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
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 ...
, and in the poetry of
skald
A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: , later ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry, the other being Eddic poetry, which is anonymous. Skaldic poems were traditionally ...
s. In both the ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda'', she is known for her golden hair and is married to the thunder god
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
.
The ''Prose Edda'' recounts that Sif once had her hair
shorn
Sheep shearing is the process by which the woollen fleece of a sheep is cut off. The person who removes the sheep's wool is called a '' shearer''. Typically each adult sheep is shorn once each year (a sheep may be said to have been "shorn" or ...
by
Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
, and that Thor forced Loki to have a golden headpiece made for Sif, resulting in not only Sif's golden tresses but also five other objects for other gods. Sif is also named in the ''Prose Edda'' as the mother of
Thrud by Thor and of
Ullr.
Scholars have proposed that Sif's hair may represent fields of
golden wheat, that she may be associated with fertility, family, wedlock and/or that she is connected to
rowan
The rowans ( or ) or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus ''Sorbus
''Sorbus'' is a genus of over 100 species of trees and shrubs in the rose family, Rosaceae. Species of ''Sorbus'' (''s.l.'') are commonly known as whitebeam, r ...
, and that there may be an allusion to her role or possibly her name in the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
poem ''
Beowulf
''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...
''.
Etymology
The name ''Sif'' is the singular form of the plural
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is 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 of Scandinavia and t ...
word . only appears in singular form when referring to the goddess as a proper noun. is cognate to the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
and
modern English (meaning "affinity, connection, by marriage") and in other Germanic languages:
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
(),
Old High German
Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050.
There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old High ...
, and
modern German
New High German (NHG; german: Neuhochdeutsch (Nhd.)) is the term used for the most recent period in the history of the German language, starting in the 17th century. It is a loan translation of the German (). The most important characteristic o ...
. appears not only in ancient poetry and records of law, but also in compounds ( means "to marry").
[Gudbrandur Vigfusson (1874:526).] Using this etymology, scholar
John Lindow
John Frederick Lindow (born July 23, 1946) is an American philologist who is Professor Emeritus of Old Norse and Folklore at University of California, Berkeley. He is a well known authority on Old Norse religion and literature.
Biography
John Lin ...
gives the meanings "in-law-relationship", scholar Andy Orchard provides "relation", and scholar
Rudolf Simek gives "relation by marriage".
[Lindow (2001:266), Orchard (1997:138), and Simek (2007:283).]
Attestations
Poetic Edda
In stanza 48 of the ''Poetic Edda'' poem ''
Hárbarðsljóð'',
Hárbarðr (
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 ...
, father of Thor, in disguise) meets
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
at an
inlet
An inlet is a (usually long and narrow) indentation of a shoreline, such as a small arm, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea.
Overview
In marine geogra ...
of a gulf. The two engage in
flyting
Flyting or fliting is a contest consisting of the exchange of insults between two parties, often conducted in verse.
Etymology
The word ''flyting'' comes from the Old English verb meaning 'to quarrel', made into a noun with the suffix -''ing''. ...
, and Hárbarðr refuses to
ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
Thor across the bay. Among numerous other insults, Hárbarðr claims that Sif has a lover at home. In response, Thor says that Hárbarðr is speaking carelessly "of what seems worst to me" and also lying.
[Larrington (1999:75–76).]
![Lokasenna by Lorenz Frølich](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Lokasenna_by_Lorenz_Fr%C3%B8lich.jpg)
In stanzas 53 and 54 of the poem ''
Lokasenna
''Lokasenna'' (Old Norse: 'The Flyting of Loki', or 'Loki's Verbal Duel') is one of the poems of the ''Poetic Edda''. The poem presents flyting between the gods and Loki. It is written in the ljóðaháttr metre, typical for wisdom verse. ''Lo ...
'', after pouring Loki a crystal cup of
mead
Mead () is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alcoholic content ranges from about 3.5% ABV to more than 20%. The defining character ...
during his series of insults towards the gods, Sif states that there is nothing Loki can say only in regard to her. In response,
Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
claims that Sif has had an affair with him:
: ''Then Sif went forward and poured out mead for Loki into a crystal cup and said:''
:: Welcome now, Loki, and take the crystal cup
:: full of ancient mead,
:: you should admit, that of the children of the Æsir,
:: that I alone am blameless.
: ''He took the horn and drank it down:''
:: That indeed you would be, if you were so,
:: if you were shy and fierce towards men;
:: I alone know, as I think I do now,
:: your lover beside Thor,
:: and that was the wicked Loki.[Larrington (1999:93).]
Sif does not respond, and the exchange turns to
Beyla.
[Larrington (1999:94).] Sif is additionally mentioned in two kennings found in poems collected in the ''Poetic Edda''; ''
Hymiskviða'' (where Thor is referred to as the "Husband of Sif" thrice
[Larrington (1999:78, 80, and 82.).]), and ''
Þrymskviða'' (where Thor is once referred to as "Husband of Sif"
[Larrington (1999:100).]).
Prose Edda
![The third gift — an enormous hammer by Elmer Boyd Smith](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/The_third_gift_%E2%80%94_an_enormous_hammer_by_Elmer_Boyd_Smith.jpg)
In the ''Prose Edda'', Sif is mentioned once in the
Prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...
, in chapter 31 of ''
Gylfaginning'', and in ''
Skáldskaparmál'' as a guest at
Ægir's feast, the subject of a jötunn's desire, as having her hair shorn by Loki, and in various kennings.
Sif is introduced in chapter three of the
Prologue section of the ''Prose Edda''; Snorri's euhemerized account of the origins of
Viking mythology. Snorri states that Thor married Sif, and that she is known as "a prophetess called
Sibyl
The sibyls (, singular ) were prophetesses or oracles in Ancient Greece.
The sibyls prophesied at holy sites.
A sibyl at Delphi has been dated to as early as the eleventh century BC by PausaniasPausanias 10.12.1 when he described local traditi ...
, though we know her as Sif".
[Byock (2006:6).] Sif is further described as "the loveliest of women" and with hair of gold.
Although he lists her own ancestors as unknown, Snorri writes that Thor and Sif produced a son by the name of
Lóriði, who "took after his father".
[Faulkes (1995:3).]
In chapter 31 of the ''Prose Edda'' book ''Gylfaginning'', Ullr is referred to as a son of Sif and a stepson of Thor (though his father is not mentioned):
: Ull is the name of one. The son of Sif, he is the stepson of Thor. He is so skillful a bowman and skier that no one can compete with him. He is beautiful to look at, and is an accomplished warrior. He is also a good person to pray to when in single combat.[Byock (2006:38).]
As reported in the ''Prose Edda'' book ''Skáldskaparmál'', Thor once engages in a duel with
Hrungnir, there described as the strongest of the
jötnar. Prior to this, Hrungnir had been drunkenly boasting of his desire to, amongst other things, kill all of the gods except
Freyja and Sif, whom he wanted to take home with him. However, at the duel, Hrungnir is quickly killed by the enraged Thor.
[Faulkes (1995:77–79).]
Further in ''Skáldskaparmál'', Snorri relates a story where Loki cuts off Sif's hair as a prank. When Thor discovers this, he grabs hold of Loki, resulting in Loki swearing to have a headpiece made of gold to replace Sif's locks. Loki fulfills this promise by having a headpiece made by
dwarfs, the
Sons of Ivaldi
In Norse mythology, the Sons of Ivaldi are a group of dwarfs who fashion Skíðblaðnir, the flying ship of Freyr, Gungnir, the spear belonging to Odin, along with the golden hair for Sif to replace what Loki had cut off.
According to ''Skál ...
. Along with the headpiece, the dwarfs produced Odin's spear,
Gungnir. As the story progresses, the incident leads to the creation of the ship
Skíðblaðnir
''Skíðblaðnir'' (Old Norse: , 'assembled from thin pieces of wood'Simek (2007:289).), sometimes anglicized as ''Skidbladnir'' or ''Skithblathnir'', is the best of ships in Norse mythology. It is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in th ...
and the boar
Gullinbursti
Gullinbursti (Old Norse: , meaning "Gold Mane" or "Golden Bristles") is a boar in Norse mythology.
When Loki had Sif's hair, Freyr's ship Skíðblaðnir, and Odin's spear Gungnir fashioned by the Sons of Ivaldi, he bet his own head with Brokkr t ...
for
Freyr, the multiplying ring
Draupnir
In Norse mythology, Draupnir (Old Norse: , "the dripper"Orchard (1997:34).) is a gold ring possessed by the god Odin with the ability to multiply itself: Every ninth night, eight new rings 'drip' from Draupnir, each one of the same size and weigh ...
for Odin, and the mighty hammer
Mjöllnir for Thor.
[Faulkes (1995:96–97).]
Sif also appears in ''Skáldskaparmál'' listed as a
heiti
A heiti (Old Norse ''heiti'' , Modern Icelandic , pl. ''heiti'' "name, appellation, designation, term") is a synonym used in Old Norse poetry in place of the normal word for something. For instance, Old Norse poets might use ''jór'' "steed" in ...
for "earth",
[Faulkes (1995:163).] appears in a kenning for a gold-keeping woman,
[Faulkes (1995:115).] and once for
Hildr
In Norse mythology, Hildr (Old Norse "battle"Orchard (1997:192).) is a valkyrie. Hildr is attested in the ''Prose Edda'' as Högni's daughter and Hedin's wife in the ''Hjaðningavíg''. She had the power to revive the dead in battlefields and ...
.
[Faulkes (1995:123).] Poetic means of referring to Sif calling her "wife of Thor", "mother of Ullr", "the fair-haired deity", "rival of
Járnsaxa", and as "mother of Þrúðr".
[Faulkes (1995:86).]
Swedish folklore
19th-century scholar
Jacob Grimm
Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (4 January 1785 – 20 September 1863), also known as Ludwig Karl, was a German author, linguist, philologist, jurist, and folklorist. He is known as the discoverer of Grimm's law of linguistics, the co-author of th ...
records that in his time residents of
Värmland,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
"call
dThor's wife ''godmor'', good mother."
[Grimm (1888:1364).]
Theories
''Beowulf''
In
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
, ''sib'' ("family") is cognate with Old Norse ''Sif'' and ''sif''. In the Old English poem ''
Beowulf
''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...
'' (lines 2016 to 2018),
Hroðgar's wife,
Wealhþeow
Wealhtheow (also rendered Wealhþēow or Wealthow; ang, Ƿealhþēoƿ ) is a queen of the Danes in the Old English poem, ''Beowulf'', first introduced in line 612.
Character overview
Wealhtheow is of the Wulfing clan, Queen of the Danes. She is m ...
, moves through the hall serving mead to the warriors and defusing conflict. Various scholars beginning with
Magnus Olsen
Magnus Bernhard Olsen (28 November 1878 – 16 January 1963) was a Norwegian philologist who specialized in Old Norse studies.
Born and raised in Arendal, Olsen received his degrees in philology at Royal Frederick University in Kristiania, ...
have pointed to the similarity with what Sif does at the feast described in ''
Lokasenna
''Lokasenna'' (Old Norse: 'The Flyting of Loki', or 'Loki's Verbal Duel') is one of the poems of the ''Poetic Edda''. The poem presents flyting between the gods and Loki. It is written in the ljóðaháttr metre, typical for wisdom verse. ''Lo ...
''.
[Baker (1994:153, n. 72)][Enright (1996:15).] Richard North further notes that unusually, ''sib'' is personified here and in lines 2599 to 2661, and suggests they may be references to Sif in Danish religion: "Both instances may indicate that the poet of ''Beowulf'' was in a position to imagine a sixth-century Scandinavia on the basis of his knowledge of contemporary Danish legends."
[North (1998:235–236, n. 126).]
Hair as wheat and potential cognates
19th-century scholar
Jacob Grimm
Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (4 January 1785 – 20 September 1863), also known as Ludwig Karl, was a German author, linguist, philologist, jurist, and folklorist. He is known as the discoverer of Grimm's law of linguistics, the co-author of th ...
proposes a reconstruction of a Germanic deity cognate to Sif in other Germanic cultures and proposes a similar nature to that of the goddesses
Frigg and
Freyja:
The Goth. , OHG. , , AS. gen. , denote peace, friendship, kindred; from these I infer a divinity ''Sibja'', ''Sippia'', ''Sib'', corresponding to ON. gen. , the wife of Thôrr, for the ON. too has a pl. meaning cognatio, sifi amicus (OHG. , ), sift genus, cognatio. By this sense of the word, ''Sif'' would appear to be, like Frigg and Freyja, a goddess of loveliness and love; as attributes of Oðinn
Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered 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, victory ...
and Thôrr agree, their wives Frigg and Sif have also a common signification.[Grimm (1882:309).]
Grimm connects Eddic references to Sif's golden hair (gold is referred to as ; Sif's hair) with the herb name (''
Polytrichum aureum
''Polytrichum'' is a genus of mosses — commonly called haircap moss or hair moss — which contains approximately 70 species that cover a cosmopolitan distribution.
The genus ''Polytrichum'' has a number of closely related sporophytic character ...
''). Grimm says that "expositors see in this the golden fruits of the Earth burnt up by fire and growing again, they liken Sif to
Ceres
Ceres most commonly refers to:
* Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid
* Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture
Ceres may also refer to:
Places
Brazil
* Ceres, Goiás, Brazil
* Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás st ...
", and Grimm says that "with it agrees the fact that
O. Slav. is a gloss on " but cites
etymological
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words and ...
problems between the potential cognate. Grimm says that Thor's mother was the earth, and not his wife, yet "we do find the simple ''Sif'' standing for earth." Grimm adds that he is inconclusive regarding Sif and that, "we ought to have fuller details about Sif, and these are wholly wanting in our mythology. Nowhere amongst us is the mystic relation of the seed-corn of
Demeter
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Demeter (; Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. Although s ...
, whose poignant grief for her daughter threatens to bring famine on mankind (Hymn to Cer. 305–306), nor anything like it, recorded."
[Grimm (1888:309–310).]
Citing the etymology of her name, 19th century scholar
Guðbrandur Vigfússon
Guðbrandur Vigfússon, known in English as Gudbrand Vigfusson, (13 March 1827 – 31 January 1889Jón þorkelsson, "Nekrolog över Guðbrandur Vigfússon" in ''Arkiv för nordisk filologi'', Sjätte bandet (ny följd: andra bandet), Lund, 18 ...
theorizes that Sif "betokens mother earth with her golden sheaves of grain; she was the goddess of the sanctity of the family and wedlock".
[
Scholar Rudolf Simek theorizes that Sif likely originated as a complement to Thor through his fertility associations, and that the name ''Sif'' (Simek provides the etymology "relation by marriage") may have originally simply meant "the wife (of Thor)". Simek rejects notions of a "vegetation cult" venerating Sif, says that Sif does not appear to have a function, dismisses theories proposing connections between Sif's hair and grain as "over-zealous interpretation , and theorizes that Snorri invented the story of Sif's shorn locks in attempt to explain the attributes of various gods.][Simek (2007:283).]
Scholar H. R. Ellis Davidson
Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson (born Hilda Roderick Ellis; 1 October 1914 – 12 January 2006) was an English folklorist. She was a scholar at the University of Cambridge and The Folklore Society, and specialized in the study of Celtic and Ger ...
states that Sif may have been an ancient fertility goddess, agreeing with a link between her lustrous hair and fields of golden wheat.[Davidson (1965:84).] Regarding Sif, Thor, and fertility, Davidson says:
: The cult of Thor was linked up with men's habitation and possessions, and with well-being of the family and community. This included the fruitfulness of the fields, and Thor, although pictured primarily as a storm god in the myths, was also concerned with the fertility and preservation of the seasonal round. In our own times, little stone axes from the distant past have been used as fertility symbols and placed by the farmer in the holes made by the drill to receive the first seed of spring. Thor's marriage with Sif of the golden hair, about which we hear little in the myths, seems to be a memory of the ancient symbol of divine marriage between sky god
The sky often has important religious significance. Many religions, both polytheistic and monotheistic, have deities associated with the sky.
The daytime sky deities are typically distinct from the nighttime ones. Stith Thompson's ''Motif-In ...
and earth goddess, when he comes to earth in the thunderstorm and the storm brings the rain which makes the fields fertile. In this way Thor, as well as Odin, may be seen to continue the cult of the sky god which was known in the Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
.[Davidson (1975:72).]
Scholar John Lindow proposes that a potentially understated mythological importance of Sif's role in the story of her sheared hair exists; her headpiece is created along with the most important and powerful items in Norse mythology. Lindow further states that it may be easy to lose sight of the central role Sif plays in the creation of these objects.[Lindow (2001:266).]
Rowan
Sif has been linked with Ravdna
In Sami shamanism, Horagalles, also written Hora Galles and Thora Galles and often equated with Tiermes or ''Aijeke'' (i.e. "grandfather or great grandfather"), is the thunder god. He is depicted as a wooden figure with a nail in the head and with ...
, the consort of the Sami thunder god Horagalles. Red berries of rowan
The rowans ( or ) or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus ''Sorbus
''Sorbus'' is a genus of over 100 species of trees and shrubs in the rose family, Rosaceae. Species of ''Sorbus'' (''s.l.'') are commonly known as whitebeam, r ...
were holy to Ravdna and the name ''Ravdna'' resembles the North Germanic words for the tree (for example, Old Norse ''reynir''). According to ''Skáldskaparmál'', the rowan is called "the salvation of Thor" because Thor once saved himself by clinging to it. It has been theorized that Sif was once conceived in the form of a rowan to which Thor clung.[Turville-Petre (1964:98).]
''Lokasenna'' accusations
Regarding the accusations that Loki makes to Sif in ''Lokasenna'', Carolyne Larrington says that Sif is not elsewhere attested as unfaithful, though notes that Odin makes a similar accusation in ''Hárbarðsljóð'', and theorizes a potential connection between the story of Loki cutting off Sif's hair with these references. Larrington says "how he got close enough to carry this out might be explained by this verse."[Larrington (1999:276).]
Identity of Sif's first husband
Several identities have been suggested for Sif's first husband, the father of Ullr, but since neither ''Edda'' names this husband, most scholars continue to consider him unidentified. N. A. Nielsen suggests that she was married to Njord before the Æsir–Vanir War, an interpretation which depends on considering Ullr identical with Freyr, which Rudolf Simek characterizes as "very precarious."
Modern influence
Sif has inspired the name of a volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...
on the planet Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
( Sif Mons).
Sif's characterization in modern media tends to be much more martial than in the original sources. The Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
character, Sif, is based on the Sif of Norse myth and is portrayed by Jaimie Alexander
Jaimie Lauren Alexander (born Jaimie Lauren Tarbush; March 12, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for portraying Jessi on the TV series ''Kyle XY'' and Sif (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Lady Sif in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films ''Th ...
in the Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
film ''Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
'', its sequel, the ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and L ...
''[Mansour (2005:485).] television series, and the ''Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
'' streaming series episode ''The Nexus Event
"The Nexus Event" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American television series ''Loki'', based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Loki. It follows alternate versions of the character who are arrested by the mysterious Time ...
'', where the hair shearing incident has loosely been adapted.
See also
* Sif Glacier
Sif Glacier ( da, Sifs Gletscher), is a glacier in northern Greenland. Administratively it belongs to the Northeast Greenland National Park.
History
The Sif Glacier was seen during aerial surveys by Lauge Koch and was named after Sif, the goddess ...
in northern Greenland
* Ullr, her son
Notes
References
* Baker, Peter S. (1994)
The Beowulf Reader
'. Garland reference library of the humanities 1431; Basic readings in Anglo-Saxon England 1. New York/London: Garland. .
* Byock, Jesse (Trans.) (2006). ''The Prose Edda''. Penguin Classics.
* Ellis Davidson, H. R. (1965). ''Gods And Myths Of Northern Europe''. Penguin
Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
.
* Ellis Davidson, H. R. (1975). ''Scandinavian Mythology''. Paul Hamlyn
Paul Hamlyn, Baron Hamlyn, (12 February 1926 – 31 August 2001) was a German-born British publisher and philanthropist, who established the Paul Hamlyn Foundation in 1987.
Early life
He was born Paul Bertrand Wolfgang Hamburger in Berlin, Ger ...
.
* Enright, Michael J. (1996).
Lady with a Mead Cup: Ritual, Prophecy, and Lordship in the European Warband from La Tène to the Viking Age
'. Blackrock, County Dublin/Portland, Oregon: Four Courts Press. .
* Faulkes, Anthony (Trans.) (1995). ''Edda''. Everyman.
* Grimm, Jacob
Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (4 January 1785 – 20 September 1863), also known as Ludwig Karl, was a German author, linguist, philologist, jurist, and folklorist. He is known as the discoverer of Grimm's law of linguistics, the co-author of the ...
(James Steven Stallybrass Trans.) (1882). '' Teutonic Mythology: Translated from the Fourth Edition with Notes and Appendix by James Stallybrass'' Vol. I. London: George Bell and Sons.
* Gudbrandur Vigfusson (1874).
An Icelandic-English Dictionary: Based on the Ms. Collections of the Late Richard Cleasby
'. Clarendon Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
.
* Grimm, Jacob (James Steven Stallybrass Trans.) (1888). '' Teutonic Mythology: Translated from the Fourth Edition with Notes and Appendix by James Stallybrass''. Volume IV. London: George Bell and Sons.
* Hollander, Lee (Trans.) (1990). ''The Poetic Edda''. (2nd edition). University of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books and journals in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texan ...
.
* Lang, Kenneth R. (2003).
The Cambridge Guide to the Solar System
'.
* Larrington, Carolyne (Trans.) (1999). ''The Poetic Edda''. Oxford World's Classics
Oxford World's Classics is an imprint of Oxford University Press. First established in 1901 by Grant Richards and purchased by OUP in 1906, this imprint publishes primarily dramatic and classic literature for students and the general public. I ...
.
* Lindow, John (2001).
Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs
'. Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
. .
* Mansour, David (2005).
From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century
'. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
* North, Richard (1998).
Heathen Gods in Old English Literature
'. Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press
A university press is an academic publishing hou ...
.
* Orchard, Andy (1997).
Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend
'. Cassell.
* Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. ''Dictionary of Northern Mythology''. D.S. Brewer
Boydell & Brewer is an academic press based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, that specializes in publishing historical and critical works. In addition to British and general history, the company publishes three series devoted to studies, edition ...
.
* Turville-Petre, E. O. G. (1964). ''Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia''. Weidenfeld and Nicolson
Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (established 1949), often shortened to W&N or Weidenfeld, is a British publisher of fiction and reference books. It has been a division of the French-owned Orion Publishing Group since 1991.
History
George Weidenfeld a ...
.
External links
MyNDIR (My Norse Digital Image repository)
illustrations of Sif. Clicking on the thumbnail will give you the full image and information concerning it.
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Ásynjur
Earth goddesses
Marriage goddesses
Norwegian folklore
Scandinavian folklore
Swedish folklore
Thor