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Dís
In Norse mythology, a dís (Old Norse: , "lady", plural dísir ) is a female deity, ghost, or spirit associated with Fate who can be either benevolent or antagonistic toward mortals. Dísir may act as protective spirits of Norse clans. It is possible that their original function was that of fertility goddesses who were the object of both private and official worship called dísablót,The article ''Diser'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (1991). and their veneration may derive from the worship of the spirits of the dead. The dísir, like the valkyries, Norns, and vættir, are always referred collectively in surviving references. The North Germanic dísir and West Germanic Idisi are believed by some scholars to be related due to linguistic and mythological similarities,''Gods and Myths of Northern Europe'' by H. Davidson, Penguin Books, 1990, pp. 62-64, but the direct evidence of Anglo-Saxon and Continental German mythology is limited. The dísir play roles in Norse texts ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ( or ; from ) is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become ('single fighters' or 'once fighters').Orchard (1997:36) and Lindow (2001:104). When the are not preparing for the cataclysmic events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals, where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by ravens and sometimes connected to swans or horses. Valkyries are attested in the ''Poetic Edda'' (a book of poems compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources), the ''Prose Edda'', the (both by Snorri Sturluson) and the (one of the Sagas of Icelanders), all written—or compiled—in the 13th century. They appear throughout the poetry of skalds, in a 14th-century magical formula, charm, and in various runic inscriptions. The Old English cognate term appears ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Idis (Germanic)
In Germanic mythology, an idis (Old Saxon, plural idisi) is a divine female being. ''Idis'' is cognate to Old High German itis and Old English ides, meaning 'well-respected and dignified woman.' Connections have been assumed or theorized between the idisi and the North Germanic dísir; female beings associated with fate, as well as the amended place name Idistaviso. Attestations First Merseburg Charm One of the two Old High German Merseburg Incantations call upon female beings—''idisi''—to bind and hamper an army. The incantation reads: :'Once the ''Idisi'' sat, sat here and there, :some bound fetters, some hampered the army, :some untied fetters: :Escape from the fetters, flee from the enemies.'Simek (2007:171). Beowulf In the Old English poem ''Beowulf'', the term ''ides'' is used multiple times to describe female beings. In line 1074 and again in line 1117, the queen Hildeburh is described as an ''ides'' while mourning the death of her kin after the Battle of Finnsbu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dísablót
The ''Dísablót'' was the ''blót'' (sacrificial holiday) which was held in honour of the female spirits or deities called '' dísir'' (and the ValkyriesThe article ''Diser'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (1991).), from pre-historic times until the Christianization of Scandinavia. Its purpose was to enhance the coming harvest."Disablot", ''Nationalencyklopedin''. It is mentioned in '' Hervarar saga'', ''Víga-Glúms saga'', ''Egils saga'' and the ''Heimskringla''. The celebration still lives on in the form of an annual fair called the Disting in Uppsala, Sweden. The Dísablót appears to have been held during Winter Nights, or at the vernal equinox.The article ''Distingen'', in the encyclopedia ''Nationalencyklopedin''. In one version of ''Hervarar saga'', there is a description of how the sacrifice was performed. Alfhildr, the daughter of king Alfr of Alfheim, was kidnapped by Starkad Aludreng while she was reddening a horgr with blood. This suggests that the rite was perf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fylgjur
In Norse mythology, a fylgja (Old Norse: , plural ) is a supernatural being or spirit which accompanies a person in connection to their fate or fortune., Summarized and translated @ They can appear to people in their sleep as dream-women, or appear while awake, often in the disembodied spiritual form of an enemy. Etymology The word means "to accompany". The term ''fylgja'' is typically translated into English as " fetch", a similar being from Irish folklore. The term also has the meaning of " afterbirth, caul", and it has been argued by Gabriel Turville-Petre (cf. ) that the concept of the supernatural ''fylgja'' cannot be completely dissociated from this secondary meaning; in fact, there may well be a connection to the ''hamr'', referring to the skin used by shapeshifters (, cf. '' fjaðrhamr''). Description The ''fylgja'' is a ghost who associates with (or, for a lack of better word, stalks or shadows) a particular individual, and may be characterized as a "guardian s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 North Germanic languages, northernmost extension of Germanic mythology and stemming from Proto-Germanic folklore, Norse mythology consists of tales of various deities, beings, and heroes derived from numerous sources from both before and after the pagan period, including medieval manuscripts, archaeological representations, and folk tradition. The source texts mention numerous gods such as the thunder-god Thor, the Huginn and Muninn, raven-flanked god Odin, the goddess Freyja, and List of Germanic deities, numerous other deities. Most of the surviving mythology centers on the plights of the gods and their interaction with several other beings, such as humanity and the jötnar, beings who may be friends, lovers, foes, or family members of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Disting 2008
The Disting () is an annual market which has been held in Uppsala, Sweden, since pre-historic times. The name (Old Swedish: ''Disæþing''The article ''Disatinget'', in the encyclopedia ''Nordisk familjebok'' or ''Disaþing''The article ''Distingen'', in the encyclopedia ''''.) originally referred to the great assembly called the , and it is derived from the fact that both the market and the |
Iðunn
In Norse mythology, Iðunn is a goddess associated with apples and youth. Iðunn is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, she is described as the wife of the skaldic god Bragi, and in the ''Prose Edda'', also as a keeper of apples and granter of eternal youthfulness. The ''Prose Edda'' relates how Loki was once forced by the jötunn Þjazi to lure Iðunn out of Asgard and into a wood with the promise of apples even fairer than her own. Þjazi, in the form of an eagle, abducts Iðunn from the wood, bearing her off to his home. Iðunn's absence causes the gods to grow old and grey, and they realize that Loki is responsible for her disappearance. Under duress, Loki promises to bring her back and, setting out in the form of a falcon, eventually finds her alone at Þjazi's home. He turns her into a nut and flies back toward Asgard. W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norns
The Norns ( , plural: ) are a group of deities in Norse mythology responsible for shaping the course of human destinies.''Nordisk familjebok'' (1907) The Norns are often represented as three goddesses known as Urd ( Urðr), Verðandi, and Skuld, who weave the threads of fate and tend to the world tree, Yggdrasill, ensuring it stays alive at the center of the cosmos.The article Nornor' in ''Nordisk familjebok'' (1913). Etymology The origin of the name is uncertain; it may derive from a word meaning 'to twine', which would refer to their twining the thread of fate. Bek-Pedersen suggests that the word has relation to the Swedish dialect word (), a verb that means 'communicate secretly'. This interpretation relates to the perception of norns as shadowy, background figures who only really ever reveal their fateful secrets to people as their fates come to pass. The name (Old English: , 'weird') means 'fate'. and are etymological cognates, a situation that does not mean nec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nordisk Familjebok
(, 'Nordic Family Book') is a Swedish language, Swedish encyclopedia that was published in print from between 1876 and 1993, and that is now fully available in digital form via Project Runeberg at Linköping University. The public domain editions of the encyclopedia remain important reference works in Finland, especially on Finnish Wikipedia. History First edition began when Halmstad publisher hired an editor, linguist , in 1874 to publish a six-volume encyclopedia. Linder drew up a plan for the work, designed the editorial team and created a large circle of experts and literary figures, who submitted article proposals and wrote and reviewed them. Under Linder's direction, the articles were then edited to make them as formal, consistent and accurate as possible. Much attention was paid to Nordic subjects, mainly Swedish and Finnish, where sources and models were often lacking, so extensive and time-consuming pioneering work had to be done. As a result, the earlier plan f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jan De Vries (linguist)
Jan Pieter Marie Laurens de Vries (11 February 1890 – 23 July 1964) was a Dutch philologist, linguist, religious studies scholar, folklorist, educator, writer, editor and public official who specialized in Germanic studies. A polyglot, de Vries studied Dutch, German, Sanskrit and Pali at the University of Amsterdam from 1907 to 1913, and gained a PhD in Nordic languages from the University of Leiden in 1915 with great distinction. Subsequently, authoring a number of important works on a variety of subjects, de Vries was in 1926 appointed Chair of Ancient Germanic Linguistics and Philology at the University of Leiden. In subsequent years, de Vries played an important role at Leiden as an administrator and lecturer, while publishing a number of important works on Germanic religion and Old Norse literature. Combined with his university duties, de Vries was a leading member of the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde and the Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literatur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
