Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr And Irpa
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Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr (''Thorgerdr Holgabrudr'') and Irpa are divine figures 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 as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...
. They appear together in Jómsvíkinga saga,
Njáls saga ''Njáls saga'' ( ), also ''Njála'' ( ), or ''Brennu-Njáls saga'' ( ) (Which can be translated as ''The Story of Burnt Njáll'', or ''The Saga of Njáll the Burner''), is a thirteenth-century Icelandic saga that describes events between 960 a ...
, and '' Þorleifs þáttr jarlsskálds''. Irpa's name does not appear outside of these four attestations, but Þorgerðr also appears in the
Prose Edda The ''Prose Edda'', also known as the ''Younger Edda'', ''Snorri's Edda'' () or, historically, simply as ''Edda'', is an Old Norse textbook written in Iceland during the early 13th century. The work is often considered to have been to some exten ...
book
Skáldskaparmál ''Skáldskaparmál'' (Old Norse: 'Poetic Diction' or 'The Language of Poetry'; ; ) is the second part of the ''Prose Edda'', compiled by Snorri Sturluson. It consists of a dialogue between Ægir, the divine personification of the sea, and Bra ...
,
Færeyinga saga ''Færeyinga saga'' (; Danish: ''Færingesagaen''), the saga of the Faroe Islanders, is the story of how the Faroes were converted to Christianity and became a part of Norway. Summary The saga was written in Iceland shortly after 1200. The auth ...
, and Harðar saga ok Hólmverja and is mentioned in Ketils saga hœngs. Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr is particularly associated with Haakon Sigurdsson (d. 995), and, in ''Jómsvíkinga saga'' and ''Þorleifs þáttr jarlsskálds'', Þorgerðr and Irpa are described as sisters. The roles of the Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and Irpa in these sources and the implications of their names has been the topic of some scholarly discourse and conjecture.


Etymology

The name ''Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr'' (or ''Hǫlgabrúðr'') is
Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was 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 ...
and literally means "Þorgerðr, Hölgi's bride".Simek (2007) pp 326-327. According to ''Skáldskaparmál'' chapter 42, Hölgi (a traditional
eponym An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
of the northernmost Norwegian province
Hålogaland Hålogaland was the northernmost of the Norwegian provinces in the medieval Norse sagas. In the early Viking Age, before Harald Fairhair, Hålogaland was a kingdom extending between the Namdalen valley in Trøndelag county and the Lyng ...
) is also Þorgerðr's father. The first name ''Þorgerðr'' is a compound of two names: the god name '' Þor (Thor)'' and ''
gerðr In Norse mythology, Gerðr (Old Norse: ; "fenced-in"Orchard (1997:54).) is a jötunn, Æsir, goddess, and the wife of the god Freyr. Gerðr is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the ''P ...
'' – the latter name meaning "fenced in".Orchard (1997) p 54. The figure's second name sometimes appears in sources featuring ''- brúðr'' replaced with ''-troll'', and, in place of ''Hölg-'', the prefixes ''Hörða-'', ''Hörga-'', and ''Hölda-'' also appear. It has been suggested that name ''Þorgerðr'' derives from the name of the
jötunn A (also jotun; plural ; in the normalised scholarly spelling of Old Norse, ; or, in Old English, , plural ) is a type of being in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, are often contrasted with gods (the Æsir and Vanir) and with other no ...
Gerðr In Norse mythology, Gerðr (Old Norse: ; "fenced-in"Orchard (1997:54).) is a jötunn, Æsir, goddess, and the wife of the god Freyr. Gerðr is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the ''P ...
, as Þorgerðr is also described at times as a troll or giantess. Alternatively, ''Gerðr'' may simply be an abbreviated version of the name ''Þorgerðr.'' Þorgerðr is referred to as ''Gerðr'' in Tindr Hallkelsson's 10th century ''drápa'' on Haakon, quoted in chapter 43 of '' Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar'', found in the
Heimskringla () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland. While authorship of ''Heimskringla'' is nowhere attributed, some scholars assume it is written by the Icelandic poet and historian Snorri Sturluson (117 ...
. John McKinnell states that the name of Þorgerðr's father is probably a later addition used to explain the origins of the name of Hålogaland, and that "Hölgabrúðr" probably means "bride of the (rulers of) Hålogaland" and that Hörðabrúðr, similarly, may mean "bride of the (rulers of) Hörðaland".McKinnell (2005) pp 84-85. ''Hörgabrúðr'' as "bride of the heathen shrines", and ''höldabrúðr'' as either "bride of the people of Holde" or "bride of noblemen". McKinnell says that the variety of stories and names suggest that the tradition of Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr was wide spread, and that she was venerated in more than one area. The name ''Irpa'' may derive from the Old Norse term '' jarpr'' "dark brown", which has led to a number of theories about the goddess.Simek (2007) p 176. ''Jarpr'' is derived from the earlier
Proto-Germanic Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the linguistic reconstruction, reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic languages, Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from ...
word *'' erpaz''.Hellquist (1922) p 286.
/ref>


Attestations

Þorgerðr and/or Irpa are attested in the following works:


''Jómsvíkinga saga''

Irpa appears in chapter 21 of the '' Jómsvíkinga saga'', which focuses on the late 10th century Battle of Hjörungavágr between the fleet of the
Jomsvikings The Jomsvikings were a legendary order of Viking mercenaries or conquerors of the 10th and 11th centuries. Though reputed to be staunchly dedicated to the worship of the Old Norse gods, they would allegedly fight for any lord who could pay t ...
under
Sigvaldi Strut-Haraldsson Jarl Sigvaldi was the semi-legendary chieftain of the fabled Jomsvikings and commander of their stronghold - Jomsborg. He succeeded Palnatoke as the leaders of the Jomsvikings in the late 10th century. The character of Sigvaldi remains largely e ...
and the fleet of Haakon Sigurdsson and Sweyn Haakonsson. Haakon calls a meeting during a lull in the fighting, and says that he feels that the tide of the battle is going against his allies and him. Haakon then goes to an island called Primsigned, north of Hjórunga Bay.Hollander (1955) p 94. The location of the island is described as being north of a
skerry A skerry ( ) is a small rocky island, or islet, usually too small for human habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low stack (geology), sea stack. A skerry may have vegetative life such as moss and small, ...
in the center of Hjórunga Bay. South of the skerry lies the island of Horund.
On the island, Haakon falls to his knees, and, while looking northward,
prays ''Prays'' is a genus of moths of the family Praydidae, formerly assigned to (depending on the author) Plutellidae or Yponomeutidae. Selected species *'' Prays acmonias'' - Meyrick, 1914 (from India) *'' Prays alpha'' - Moriuti, 1977 (from Japan ...
to what is described as his patron goddess, Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr. According to the saga, Þorgerðr repeatedly refuses his offers, but finally accepts the
blót (Old Norse and Old English) or (Old English) are religious ceremonies in Germanic paganism that centred on the killing and offering of an animal to a particular being, typically followed by the communal cooking and eating of its meat. Old Nors ...
of his 7-year-old son. Haakon's slave, Skopti, slaughters the boy.Hollander (1955) p 100. Haakon returns to his fleet and presses his men to engage in an attack, and commends his men to ("Þorgerðr" is here anglicized as "Thorgerd"):
Press the attack all the more vigorously, because I have invoked for victory both the sisters, Thorgerd and Irpa.Hollander (1955) p 101.
Haakon enters his ship, the fleet rows forward for the attack, and battle ensues. The weather becomes thick in the north, the clouds cover the sky, daylight becomes sparse, thunder and lightning ring out, and it begins to rain. The Jomvikings fleet fights facing the storm and cold, and they have trouble standing due to the heavy wind. The Jomsvikings throw weapons, missiles, and stones at Haakon's fleet but the winds turn their projectiles back at them. Hávard the Hewing, in the fleet of Haakon, first spots Þorgerðr there and then many others see her. The wind wanes and the men witness arrows flying from the fingertips of Þorgerðr, each arrow killing a man of the Jomsviking fleet. The Jomsvikings tell Sigvaldi that although they are no longer fighting men alone, they will still do their best. The storm lessens again and once again Haakon invokes Þorgerðr. The saga describes this attack:
And then it grew dark again with a
squall A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed lasting minutes, as opposed to a wind gust, which lasts for only seconds. They are usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to the ...
, this time even stronger and worse than before. And right at the beginning of the squall Hávard the Hewing saw that two women were standing on the earl's ship, and both were doing the same thing that Thorgerd had done before.Hollander (1955) p 102.
Sigvaldi tells his men to retreat, and reasons that this is not what he vowed to fight, especially since there are now two women, whom he refers to as "ogresses" and "trolls". After the Jomvikings' fleet has been defeated, Haakon's men weigh the
hail Hail is a form of solid Precipitation (meteorology), precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailsto ...
stones that had fallen during the storm, to detect "what power" Þorgerðr and Irpa had, and they find that the hailstones weigh an
ounce The ounce () is any of several different units of mass, weight, or volume and is derived almost unchanged from the , an Ancient Roman unit of measurement. The avoirdupois ounce (exactly ) is avoirdupois pound; this is the United States ...
each.Hollander (1955) p 104.


''Njáls saga''

Þorgerðr and Irpa are again mentioned together in chapter 87 of ''
Njáls saga ''Njáls saga'' ( ), also ''Njála'' ( ), or ''Brennu-Njáls saga'' ( ) (Which can be translated as ''The Story of Burnt Njáll'', or ''The Saga of Njáll the Burner''), is a thirteenth-century Icelandic saga that describes events between 960 a ...
'', set in the 10th and 11th centuries. Here, Hrapp breaks into the temple owned by Haakon and Gudbrand while Haakon is at a feast at Gudbrand's home. Hrapp plunders a seated depiction of Þorgerðr; he takes a large gold ring from her plus the linen hood she is wearing. Next, Hrapp spots a depiction of
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, 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 g ...
and Thor's
wain A wagon (or waggon) is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draft animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are immediately distinguished from ...
. He takes a gold ring from the depiction of Thor too, and, thirdly, he takes a ring from a depiction of Irpa there. Hrapp takes all of the images from the temple, strips them of their items, and then burns the temple until leaving at dawn.Hollander (1997) p 171.


''Skáldskaparmál''

Þorgerðr is mentioned in the ''Prose Edda'' book ''Skáldskaparmál''. Here, Hålogaland is described as named after king Hölgi, and that he was Þorgerðr's father. According to ''Skáldskaparmál'',
blót (Old Norse and Old English) or (Old English) are religious ceremonies in Germanic paganism that centred on the killing and offering of an animal to a particular being, typically followed by the communal cooking and eating of its meat. Old Nors ...
were made to them both that included money, and a
tumulus A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of Soil, earth and Rock (geology), stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found through ...
was made for Hölgi that was built with layers of gold and silver, then covered by a layer of earth and stone.Faulkes (1995) p 112. Later in ''Skáldskaparmál'', a list of "troll-wives" is given that includes Hölgabrúðr.Faulkes (1995) p 75.


''Færeyinga Saga''

In chapter 23 of ''Færeyinga Saga'', Haakon asks Sigmund where he puts his trust. Sigmund responds that he puts his trust nowhere but with himself. Haakon responds:
"That must not be," the Earl aakonanswered, "but thou shalt put thy trust where I have put all my trust, namely, in Thorgerd Shinebright," said he. "And we will go and see her now and seek luck for thee at her hands."Powell (1896) p 31.
The two then follow a small path through the woods until they come to a house with a stake fence around it. The house is described as beautiful, featuring carvings filled with gold and silver. They enter the house with a few men, and find that it is lit from glass windows in the ceiling, so that the daylight illuminates the room and there are no shadows to be seen due to this. There were depictions of many gods there and a woman who is described as well dressed near the door. The saga relates that Haakon throws himself to the ground before the woman for some time. When he gets up, he tells Sigmund that they should give her an offering, that they ought to lay silver on the stool before her. Haakon says:
And we shall have it as a mark of what she thinks of this, if she will do as I wish and let the ring loose which holds in her hand. For thou, Sigmund, shalt get luck by that ring.
Haakon takes hold of the ring, and, seemingly to Sigmund, she clasps her hand around it. Haakon does not receive the ring. Haakon casts himself down before her a second time, and Sigmund notices that Haakon is weeping. He stands up again, takes hold of the ring, and finds that it has become loose. Haakon gives the ring to Sigmund, and tells him that he must never part with it. Sigmund gives him his word on it and the men part, each returning to their ships. A storm appears and the two ships are swept apart, and many days are described as passing afterwards.


''Harðar saga ok Hólmverja''

In chapter 19 of the saga '' Harðar saga ok Hólmverja'', Grímkell Bjarnarson, a goði closely related to Haakon, goes to the temple (Old Norse '' hof'') of Þorgerðr Hörgabrúðr to ask for a successful marriage for his daughter. When he arrives, the gods are preparing to leave. After an angry exchange with Þorgerðr, who tells him he does not have long to live, Grímkell burns down the ''hof'' with all the gods in it. Later that evening, Grímkell suddenly falls dead at dinner.


''Ketils saga hœngs''

In chapter 5 of '' Ketils saga hœngs'', Ketill encounters a troll-woman in the forest. The troll-woman tells him she is traveling to a ''trolla-
þing A thing, also known as a folkmoot, assembly, tribal council, and by other names, was a governing assembly in early Germanic society, made up of the free people of the community presided over by a lawspeaker. Things took place regularly, usu ...
''—an assembly of trolls. Among the major figures who will be present, she continues, are Skelkingr, the king of the trolls, and Þorgerðr Hörgatröll.


''Þorleifs þáttr jarlsskálds''

In ''Þorleifs þáttr jarlsskálds'', Þorleifr Ásgeirsson, known as ''jarlsskáld'' ("the Jarl's
skald A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry in alliterative verse, the other being Eddic poetry. Skaldic poems were traditionally compo ...
"), recites an abusive and magically aggressive poem in Earl Haakon's hall. In chapter 7 (chapter 173 of '' Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar''), Haakon recovers from his injuries and offers gifts to Þorgerðr Hördabrúðr and her sister Irpa, seeking their counsel on how best to take vengeance on Þorleifr. Following their advice, Haakon has a wooden man (Old Norse ''trémaðr'') built out of driftwood and endows it with a human heart. Haakon and the two sisters then bring the ''trémaðr'' to life, arm him with a
halberd A halberd (also called halbard, halbert or Swiss voulge), is a two-handed polearm that was in prominent use from the 13th to 16th centuries. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on a long shaft. It may have a hook or ...
, and send him to Iceland to kill Þorleifr, which he does.Jesch (1997) pp 365-368.


Theories

A number of theories surround the figures of Þorgerðr and Irpa:


Guardian goddesses

Hilda 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 G ...
counts Þorgerðr and Irpa as examples of guardian goddesses in
Germanic paganism Germanic paganism or Germanic religion refers to the traditional, culturally significant religion of the Germanic peoples. With a chronological dating, chronological range of at least one thousand years in an area covering Scandinavia, the Bri ...
, and compares their roles to that of the
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 ...
ir and
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 Li ...
s. Davidson says that if Helgi is the mythical founder of Hålogaland, it would explain Þorgerðr's last name ("bride of Helgi") and that, subsequently, she would be the wife of each ruler of the kingdom in turn. Substantially the same argument has been advanced by McKinnell.McKinnell (2002) p 268: "All the variants of Þorgerðr's name make sense if we take it that she was regarded as the jarl's sexual partner, and that the separate name ''Hǫlgi'' applied to him or to any of his dead predecessors." Davidson compares this role to accounts of kings or leaders being granted entry into
Valhalla In Norse mythology, Valhalla ( , ; , )Orchard (1997:171–172) is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. There were five possible realms the soul could travel to after death. The first was Fólkvang ...
in the
Viking Age The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...
, that the idea of a guardian goddess welcoming kings was essentially an aristocratic concept, and that a tradition such as this could explain noble valkyries welcoming dead kings into the after life, using the poem '' Hákonarmál'' as an example.


Þorgerðr and Freyja

Davidson further theorizes that Þorgerðr's name may have originally been Gerðr, reasons that this form is what is found in early skaldic verse, and, further, that this is one of the names given for the goddess
Freyja In Norse mythology, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a char ...
.Davidson (1998) pp 177–178. Davidson points out that Haakon may have later turned to the same goddess soon before he met his death, when he hid in the earth beneath a
swine Suina (also known as Suiformes) is a suborder of omnivorous, non-ruminant artiodactyl mammals that includes the domestic pig and peccaries. A member of this clade is known as a suine. Suina includes the family Suidae, termed suids, known in ...
in '' Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar'' (collected in ''
Heimskringla () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland. While authorship of ''Heimskringla'' is nowhere attributed, some scholars assume it is written by the Icelandic poet and historian Snorri Sturluson (117 ...
'') chapter 48, and that this could symbolize a mound of Freyja, one of whose names means "sow" (Old Norse ''sýr''). Davidson theorizes that the account of Olaf I of Norway dragging Þorgerðr's image out of its temple after Haakon's death, and burning it next to a depiction of
Freyr Freyr (Old Norse: 'Lord'), sometimes anglicized as Frey, is a widely attested Æsir, god in Norse mythology, associated with kingship, fertility, peace, prosperity, fair weather, and good harvest. Freyr, sometimes referred to as Yngvi-Freyr, was ...
(Freyja's male twin), further supports this view.


Irpa

Irpa has been proposed as an
earth goddess Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
due to the derivation of her name to a word for "dark brown",Simek (2007) p 327. but F.R. Schröder has expressed criticism at the notion of concluding that Irpa is an earth goddess based on this evidence. John McKinnell proposes that the Irpa may represent a "dark" aspect of Þorgerðr, in that her name may mean "swarthy", and that the two were probably of contrasting appearance; Irpa being unlucky to name and seen as a
troll A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
. McKinnell further proposes a connection between Irpa and Hel, stating that the two may have been seen as synonymous.


Miscellaneous theories

Nora Chadwick (1950) suggested that mythical legends of Þorgerðr and Irpa have become confused and intertwined with historical accounts of Haakon's wife Þóra and her sister, Guðrún; and that the figure of the shieldmaiden Lagertha in the '' Gesta'' may also be an aspect of Þorgerðr.
Lotte Motz Lotte Motz, born Lotte Edlis (August 16, 1922 – December 24, 1997), was an Austrian-American scholar, obtaining a Ph.D. in German and philology, who published four books and many scholarly papers, primarily in the fields of Germanic mythology ...
(1993) proposed that Þorgerðr was a rare instance of a giantess who was the recipient of cultic worship in her own right in heathen Scandinavia.Motz (1993) p 78: “From a local daimon she has turned into a national deity.”


Notes


References

* Chadwick, Nora K. (1950). "Thorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and the Trolla Þing: A Note on Sources," in ''The Early Cultures of North-West Europe'', Cyril Fox & Bruce Dickins, eds. Cambridge Univ. Press, LCCN 51001760; pp. 397–417. * Davidson, Hilda Ellis (1998, 2002).
Roles of the Northern Goddess
'.
Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...
, * 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 and history The term ''everyman'' was used ...
. * Hellquist, E. (1922)
''Svensk etymologisk ordbok''
C. W. K. Gleerups förlag, Lund. * Hollander, Lee, (trans.) (1955). ''The Saga of the Jómsvíkings''.
University of Texas Press The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is the university press of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly and trade books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Caribbean, Caribbea ...
* Hollander, Lee (trans.) (1997). ''Njal's Saga''. Wordsworth Editions * Jesch, Judith (trans.) (1997). ''The Tale of Thorleif, the Earl’s Poet'', in ''The Complete Sagas of Icelanders'', Viðar Hreinsson, gen. ed. Leifur Eiríksson, , I, pp 362–369. * Kellogg, Robert (trans.) (1997). ''The Saga of Hord and the People of Holm'', in ''The Complete Sagas of Icelanders'', Viðar Hreinsson, gen. ed. Leifur Eiríksson, , II, pp 193–236. * McKinnell, John (2002). "Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and ''Hyndluljóð''," in ''Mythological Women: Studies in Memory of Lotte Motz (1922-1997)'', Rudolf Simek & Wilhelm Heizmann, eds. Wien: Fassbaender, ; pp. 265–290. * McKinnell, John (2005). ''Meeting the Other in Norse Myth in Legends''. D.S. Brewer. . * Motz, Lotte (1993). The Beauty and the Hag: Female Figures of Germanic Faith and Myth. Wien: Fassbaender, , pp. 75–84. * Orchard, Andy (1997). ''Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend''. Cassell. * Powell, Frederick York (trans.) (1896). ''The Tale of Thrond of Gate: Commonly Called Færeyinga Saga''. D. Nutt. * Røthe, Gunnhild (2006).
The Fictitious Figure of Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr in the Saga Tradition
" in ''Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Saga Conference, Durham and York, 6–12 August 2006''. * Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. ''Dictionary of Northern Mythology''. D.S. Brewer {{DEFAULTSORT:Thorgerdr Holgabrudr And Irpa Female supernatural figures in Norse mythology Trolls Mythological duos