Bifröst Bridge
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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 ...
, Bifröst (
modern Icelandic Icelandic ( ; , ) is a North Germanic language from the Indo-European language family spoken by about 314,000 people, the vast majority of whom live in Iceland, where it is the national language. Since it is a West Scandinavian language, it ...
: Bifröst ; from
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 ...
: /ˈbiv.rɔst/), also called Bilröst and often anglicized as Bifrost, is a burning
rainbow A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...
bridge that reaches between
Midgard In Germanic cosmology, Midgard (an anglicised form of Old Norse ; Old English , Old Saxon , Old High German , and Gothic ''Midjun-gards''; "middle yard", "middle enclosure") is the name for Earth (equivalent in meaning to the Greek term : oikou ...
(Earth) and
Asgard In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr''; "Garden of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in several Old Norse sagas and mythological texts, including the Eddas, however it has also been suggested to be refe ...
, the realm of the
gods A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...
. The bridge is attested as ''Bilröst'' in the ''
Poetic Edda The ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems in alliterative verse. It is distinct from the closely related ''Prose Edda'', although both works are seminal to the study of Old Norse ...
'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; as ''Bifröst'' 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 ...
'', 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 th ...
; and in the poetry of
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 ...
s. Both the ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda'' also refer to the bridge as Ásbrú (
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 ...
"
Æsir Æsir (Old Norse; singular: ) or ēse (Old English; singular: ) are deities, gods in Germanic paganism. In Old Nordic religion and Nordic mythology, mythology, the precise meaning of the term "" is debated, as it can refer either to the gods i ...
's bridge"). According to the ''Prose Edda'', the bridge ends in heaven at
Himinbjörg In Norse mythology, Himinbjörg (Old Norse: ''Himinbjǫrg'' "heaven's castle"Simek (2007:147). or "heaven mountain"Lindow (2002:174).) is the home of the god Heimdallr. Himinbjörg is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled from earlier traditio ...
, the residence of the god
Heimdall In Norse mythology, Heimdall (from Old Norse Heimdallr; modern Icelandic language, Icelandic Heimdallur) is a Æsir, god. He is the son of Odin and nine mothers. Heimdall keeps watch for invaders and the onset of Ragnarök from his dwelling Himi ...
, who guards it from the jötnar. The bridge's destruction during
Ragnarök In Norse mythology, (also Ragnarok; or ; ) is a foretold series of impending events, including a great battle in which numerous great Norse mythological figures will perish (including the Æsir, gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdall, a ...
by the forces of
Muspell In Norse cosmology, Muspelheim (), also called Muspell (), is a realm of fire. The etymology of "Muspelheim" is uncertain, but may come from ''Mund-spilli'', "world-destroyers", "wreck of the world". Narrative Muspelheim was described as a ho ...
is foretold. Scholars have proposed that the bridge may have originally represented the
Milky Way The Milky Way or Milky Way Galaxy is the galaxy that includes the Solar System, with the name describing the #Appearance, galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars in other arms of the galax ...
and have noted parallels between the bridge and another bridge in Norse mythology,
Gjallarbrú In Norse mythology, Gjallarbrú ( lit. "bridge of Gjöll") is a bridge that crosses the river Gjöll, serving as the passage to reach Hel.''Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs'' (John Lindow, author. Oxford University P ...
.


Etymology

Scholar
Andy Orchard Andrew Philip McDowell Orchard, (born 27 February 1964) is a British academic of Old English, Norse and Celtic literature. He is Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford and a fellow of Pembroke College, Oxfo ...
suggests that may mean "shimmering path". He notes that the first element of — (meaning "a moment")—"suggests the fleeting nature of the rainbow", which he connects to the first element of —the
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 ...
verb (meaning "to shimmer" or "to shake")—noting that the element evokes notions of the "lustrous sheen" of the bridge. Austrian Germanist
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 ...
says that either means "the swaying road to heaven" (also citing ) or, if is the original form of the two (which Simek says is likely), "the fleetingly glimpsed rainbow" (possibly connected to , perhaps meaning "moment, weak point").


Attestations

Two poems in the ''Poetic Edda'' and two books in the ''Prose Edda'' provide information about the bridge:


''Poetic Edda''

In the ''Poetic Edda'', the bridge is mentioned in the poems ''
Grímnismál ''Grímnismál'' (Old Norse: ; 'The Lay of Grímnir') is one of the mythological poems of the '' Poetic Edda''. It is preserved in the Codex Regius manuscript and the AM 748 I 4to fragment. It is spoken through the voice of ''Grímnir'', one ...
'' and ''
Fáfnismál ''Fáfnismál'' (''Fáfnir's sayings'') is an Eddic poem, found in the Codex Regius manuscript. The poem is unnamed in the manuscript, where it follows '' Reginsmál'' and precedes ''Sigrdrífumál'', but modern scholars regard it as a separate p ...
'', where it is referred to as ''Bilröst''. In one of two stanzas in the poem ''
Grímnismál ''Grímnismál'' (Old Norse: ; 'The Lay of Grímnir') is one of the mythological poems of the '' Poetic Edda''. It is preserved in the Codex Regius manuscript and the AM 748 I 4to fragment. It is spoken through the voice of ''Grímnir'', one ...
'' that mentions the bridge, Grímnir (the god
Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...
in disguise) provides the young
Agnarr Agnar or Agnarr is a masculine given name of Scandinavian origin. The name is a compound. The first part is either the word ''agn'' 'punishment, deed' or ''egg'' 'knife edge', and the second part is from ''harr'' 'warrior'. It has the variant ''Agn ...
with cosmological knowledge, including that Bilröst is the best of bridges. Later in ''Grímnismál'', Grímnir notes that Asbrú "burns all with flames" and that, every day, the god
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 ...
wades through the waters of
Körmt and Örmt In Norse mythology, Körmt and Örmt are two rivers which Thor wades through every day when he goes to judgment by Yggdrasill. The source for this is a strophe in ''Grímnismál'' which is also quoted in the ''Prose Edda The ''Prose Edda'', a ...
and the two
Kerlaugar In Norse mythology, the Kerlaugar (plural form of Old Norse ''kerlaug'' "kettle-bath",Orchard (1997:100).) i.e. "bath-tub", are two rivers through which the god Thor wades. The Kerlaugar are attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th ce ...
: In , the dying wyrm Fafnir tells the hero
Sigurd Sigurd ( ) or Siegfried (Middle High German: ''Sîvrit'') is a legendary hero of Germanic heroic legend, who killed a dragon — known in Nordic tradition as Fafnir () — and who was later murdered. In the Nordic countries, he is referred t ...
that, during the events of Ragnarök, bearing spears, gods will meet at Óskópnir. From there, the gods will cross Bilröst, which will break apart as they cross over it, causing their horses to dredge through an immense river.


''Prose Edda''

The bridge is mentioned in the ''Prose Edda'' books ''
Gylfaginning ''Gylfaginning'' (Old Norse: 'The Beguiling of Gylfi' or 'The Deluding of Gylfi'; 13th century Old Norse pronunciation ) is the first main part of the 13th century ''Prose Edda'', after the initial Prologue. The ''Gylfaginning'' takes the form of ...
'' and ''
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 ...
'', where it is referred to as ''Bifröst''. In chapter 13 of ''Gylfaginning'', Gangleri (King
Gylfi In Norse mythology, Gylfi (Old Norse: ), ''Gylfe'', ''Gylvi'', or ''Gylve'' was the earliest recorded king of Sviþjoð, Sweden, in Scandinavia. He is known by the name Gangleri when appearing in disguise. The Danish tradition on Gylfi tells how ...
in disguise) asks the enthroned figure of
High High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift t ...
what way exists between heaven and earth. Laughing, High replies that the question is not an intelligent one, and goes on to explain that the gods built a bridge from heaven and earth. He incredulously asks Gangleri if he has not heard the story before. High says that Gangleri must have seen it, and notes that Gangleri may call it a
rainbow A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...
. High says that the bridge consists of three colors, has great strength, "and is built with art and skill to a greater extent than other constructions." High notes that, although the bridge is strong, it will break when "
Muspell In Norse cosmology, Muspelheim (), also called Muspell (), is a realm of fire. The etymology of "Muspelheim" is uncertain, but may come from ''Mund-spilli'', "world-destroyers", "wreck of the world". Narrative Muspelheim was described as a ho ...
's lads" attempt to cross it, and their horses will have to make do with swimming over "great rivers". Gangleri says that it does not seem that the gods "built the bridge in good faith if it is liable to break, considering that they can do as they please." High responds that the gods do not deserve blame for the breaking of the bridge, for "there is nothing in this world that will be secure when Muspell's sons attack." In chapter 15 of ''Gylfaginning'', Just-As-High says that Bifröst is also called ''Asbrú'', and that every day the gods ride their horses across it (with the exception of Thor, who instead wades through the boiling waters of the rivers
Körmt and Örmt In Norse mythology, Körmt and Örmt are two rivers which Thor wades through every day when he goes to judgment by Yggdrasill. The source for this is a strophe in ''Grímnismál'' which is also quoted in the ''Prose Edda The ''Prose Edda'', a ...
) to reach
Urðarbrunnr Urðarbrunnr (Old Norse "Wellspring of Urðr"; either referring to a Germanic mythology, Germanic concept of fate—''wyrd, urðr''—or the norns, norn named UrðrSimek (2007:342).) is a Spring_(hydrology), spring or Water well, well in Norse my ...
, a holy well where the gods have their court. As a reference, Just-As-High quotes the second of the two stanzas in ''Grímnismál'' that mention the bridge (see above). Gangleri asks if fire burns over Bifröst. High says that the red in the bridge is burning fire, and, without it, the frost jotnar and mountain jotnar would "go up into heaven" if anyone who wanted could cross Bifröst. High adds that, in heaven, "there are many beautiful places" and that "everywhere there has divine protection around it." In chapter 17, High tells Gangleri that the location of
Himinbjörg In Norse mythology, Himinbjörg (Old Norse: ''Himinbjǫrg'' "heaven's castle"Simek (2007:147). or "heaven mountain"Lindow (2002:174).) is the home of the god Heimdallr. Himinbjörg is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled from earlier traditio ...
"stands at the edge of heaven where Bifrost reaches heaven." While describing the god
Heimdallr In Norse mythology, Heimdall (from Old Norse Heimdallr; modern Icelandic language, Icelandic Heimdallur) is a Æsir, god. He is the son of Odin and nine mothers. Heimdall keeps watch for invaders and the onset of Ragnarök from his dwelling Himi ...
in chapter 27, High says that Heimdallr lives in Himinbjörg by Bifröst, and guards the bridge from mountain jotnar while sitting at the edge of heaven. In chapter 34, High quotes the first of the two ''Grímnismál'' stanzas that mention the bridge. In chapter 51, High foretells the events of
Ragnarök In Norse mythology, (also Ragnarok; or ; ) is a foretold series of impending events, including a great battle in which numerous great Norse mythological figures will perish (including the Æsir, gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdall, a ...
. High says that, during Ragnarök, the sky will split open, and from the split will ride forth the "sons of
Muspell In Norse cosmology, Muspelheim (), also called Muspell (), is a realm of fire. The etymology of "Muspelheim" is uncertain, but may come from ''Mund-spilli'', "world-destroyers", "wreck of the world". Narrative Muspelheim was described as a ho ...
". When the "sons of Muspell" ride over Bifröst it will break, "as was said above". In the ''Prose Edda'' 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 ...
'', the bridge receives a single mention. In chapter 16, a work by the 10th century
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 ...
Úlfr Uggason Úlfr Uggason (Modern Icelandic: ) was an Icelandic skald who lived in the last part of the tenth century. The ''Laxdæla saga'' tells how he composed his ''Húsdrápa'' for a wedding. Geirmundr married Þuríðr, whose father, Óláfr pái ("p ...
is provided, where Bifröst is referred to as "the powers' way".


Theories

In his translation of the ''Poetic Edda'', Henry Adams Bellows comments that the ''Grímnismál'' stanza mentioning Thor and the bridge stanza may mean that "Thor has to go on foot in the last days of the destruction, when the bridge is burning. Another interpretation, however, is that when Thor leaves the heavens (i.e., when a thunder-storm is over) the rainbow-bridge becomes hot in the sun."
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 ...
points to a parallel between Bifröst, which he notes is "a bridge between earth and heaven, or earth and the world of the gods", and the bridge
Gjallarbrú In Norse mythology, Gjallarbrú ( lit. "bridge of Gjöll") is a bridge that crosses the river Gjöll, serving as the passage to reach Hel.''Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs'' (John Lindow, author. Oxford University P ...
, "a bridge between earth and the underworld, or earth and the world of the dead." Several scholars have proposed that Bifröst may represent the
Milky Way The Milky Way or Milky Way Galaxy is the galaxy that includes the Solar System, with the name describing the #Appearance, galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars in other arms of the galax ...
. and


Adaptations

In the final scene of
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
's 1869 opera ''
Das Rheingold ''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis, WWV 86A, is the first of the four epic poetry, epic music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Literary cycle, cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nib ...
'', the god
Froh Freyr (Old Norse: 'Lord'), sometimes anglicized as Frey, is a widely attested god in Norse mythology, associated with kingship, fertility, peace, prosperity, fair weather, and good harvest. Freyr, sometimes referred to as Yngvi-Freyr, was especi ...
summons a rainbow bridge, over which the gods cross to enter
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 J. R. R. Tolkien's
legendarium Tolkien's legendarium is the body of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic writing, unpublished in his lifetime, that forms the background to his ''The Lord of the Rings'', and which his son Christopher summarized in his compilation of ''The Silmari ...
, the "level bridge" of "The Fall of Númenor", an early version of the ''
Akallabêth ''The Silmarillion'' () is a book consisting of a collection of myths and stories in varying styles by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited, partly written, and published posthumously by his son Christopher in 1977, assisted by G ...
'', recalls Bifröst. It departs from the earth at a tangent, allowing immortal Elves but not mortal Men to travel the
Old Straight Road The Old Straight Road, the Straight Road, the Lost Road, or the Lost Straight Road, is J. R. R. Tolkien's conception, in his fantasy world of Arda, that his Elves are able to sail to the earthly paradise of Valinor, realm of the godlike Valar. T ...
to the lost
earthly paradise In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Gene ...
of
Valinor Valinor (Quenya'': Land of the Valar''), the Blessed Realm, or the Undying Lands is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the home of the immortal Valar and Maiar on the continent of Aman, far to the west of Middle-earth; he ...
after the world has been remade (from a flat plane to a sphere). Bifröst appears in comic books associated with the
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
character
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 in subsequent adaptations of those comic books. In the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
film ''
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 ...
'',
Jane Foster Jane Foster is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #84 (September 1962). Jane Foster ...
describes the Bifröst as an
Einstein–Rosen bridge A wormhole is a hypothetical structure that connects disparate points in spacetime. It can be visualized as a tunnel with two ends at separate points in spacetime (i.e., different locations, different points in time, or both). Wormholes are base ...
, which functions as a means of transportation across space in a short period of time.


See also

*
Ame-no-ukihashi Ame-no-ukihashi (天浮橋, 天の浮橋; English: ''Floating Bridge of Heaven'') is the bridge that connects the heaven and the earth in Japanese mythology. In the story of the creation of the Japanese archipelago, narrated in the ''Kojiki'' and ...


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bifrost Places in Norse mythology Mythological bridges Rainbows in culture