Vili and Vé

In Norse mythology, Vili ( ; Old Norse: ) and Vé ( ; O.N.: ) are the brothers of the god Odin (from Old Norse ''Óðinn''), sons of Bestla, daughter of Bölþorn; and Borr, son of Búri

Name

The Old Norse theonym ''Vé'' (or ''Véi'') is cognate with Gothic ''weiha'' ('priest'), both stemming from Proto-Germanic *''wīhōn'', itself from the adjective *''wīhaz'', meaning 'holy' (cf. Goth. ''weihs'', Old High German ''wīh'')''.'' A related noun, *''wīhan'' ('sanctuary'), can also be reconstructed on the basis of Old Norse ''vé'' ('sanctuary'), Old English ''wēoh'' ('idol'), and Old Saxon ''wīh'' ('temple').'

''Vili'' transparently means 'will' in Old Norse. It stems from the Proto-Germanic noun *''weljōn'' ~ *''weljan'' ('will, wish'; cf. Gothic ''wilja'', Old English ''willa'', and Old High German ''willo'').

Attestations

In Proto-Norse, the three brothers' names were alliterating, *'' Wōdinaz, Wiljô, Wīhaz''), so that they can be taken as forming a triad of *'' wōdaz, wiljô, wīhą'', approximately

Vili and Vé, together with Óðinn, are portrayed the three brothers who slew Ymir — ending the primeval rule of the race of giants — and are the first of the Æsir. Of the three, Óðinn is the eldest, Vili the middle, and Ve the youngest. To the first human couple, Ask and Embla, Óðinn gave soul and life; Vili gave wit (intelligence) and sense of touch; and Vé gave countenance (appearance, facial expression), speech, hearing, and sight.

Compare to this the alliteration in a verse found in the Exeter Book, ''Wôden worhte weos'' "Woden wrought the sanctuaries"where compared to the "triad" above, just the middle ''will'' etymon has been replaced by the ''work'' etymon. The name of such sanctuaries to Woden, ''Wôdenes weohas'' (Saxon ''Wôdanes wih'', Norse ''Óðins vé'') survives in toponymy as ''Odinsvi'', ''Wodeneswegs''.

While Vili and Vé are of little prominence in Norse mythology as attested; their brother Óðinn has a more celebrated role as the chief of the Norse pantheon. Óðinn remains at the head of a triad of the mightiest gods: Óðinn, Þórr, and Freyr. Óðinn is also styled ''Þriði'' "the third", in which case he appears by the side of '' Hárr'' and '' Jafnhárr'' (the "high" and the "even-high" or co-equal), as the "Third High". At other times, he is Tveggi "the second". In relation to the Óðinn-Vili-Vé triad, Grimm compares Old High German ''willa'', which not only expressed ''voluntas'', but also ''votum, impetus, spiritus'', and the personification of Will, to ''Wela'' in Old English sources.Grimm, ch.7, 19 Keyser interprets the triad as "Spirit, Will and Holiness", postulating a kind of Germanic Trinity in Vili and Vé to be "blended together again in the all-embracing World-spiritin Odin. .. he alone is Al-father, from whom all the other superior, world-directing beings, the Æsir, are descended."

According to Loki, in Lokasenna, Vili and Vé had an affair with Óðinn's wife, Frigg. This is taken by Grimm as reflecting the fundamental identity of the three brothers, so that Frigg might be considered the wife of either. According to this story Óðinn was abroad for a long time, and in his absence his brothers acted for him. It is worthy of note that Saxo Grammaticus also makes Óðinn (Latin: ''Othinus'') travel to foreign lands and Mitoðinn (Latin: ''Mithothyn'') fill his place, and therefore Mitoðinn's position throws light on that of Vili and Vé. But Saxo represents Óðinn as once more an exile, and puts Ullr (Latin: ''Ollerus'') in his place.

See also

* High, Just-as-High, and Third
* Hœnir
* Lóðurr

Notes

References

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Further reading

*Grimm, '' Teutonic Mythology'' (1835)
ch. 7ch. 19

*E. A. Philippson, ''Die Genealogie der Götter in Germanischer Religion, Mythologie und Theologie'', Illinois studies in language and literature vol. 37, Urbana, Illinois (1953), 44–52.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vili and Ve
Æsir
Creator gods
Odin
Norse gods
Mythological duos
Ymir