Etymology
The etymology of ''Eikþyrnir'' remains debatable. Anatoly Liberman suggests that ''Heiðþyrnir'', the name of the lowest heaven in Scandinavian mythology (from ''heið'' "bright sky"), was cut into two, and on the basis of those halves the names of the heavenly stag ''Eikþyrnir'' and the heavenly goat Heiðrún were formed. The origin of ''-þyrnir'' is not entirely clear, but the associations with ''thorns'' is, most probably, due to folk etymology.Liberman (2016:345–346).Attestations
The following is related in the Gylfaginning section of Snorri Sturluson's '' Prose Edda'' after the description of Heiðrún. Brodeur follows the text of the T manuscript of the ''Prose Edda'' in putting the stag ''í Valhöll'', "in Valhall", rather than ''á Valhöll'', "upon Valhall", as the other manuscripts do. The more recent translation by Anthony Faulkes puts the stag on top of the building, which seems much more natural from the context and weight of the evidence. Snorri's source for this information was almost certainly Grímnismál, where the following strophes are found.In popular culture
Eikþyrnir appears in the video game '' Fire Emblem Heroes'', being added in June 2024. Eikþyrnir also appears in the video game Arknights, making his debut as an NPC inNotes
References
* Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist (transl.) (1916). ''The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson''. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation. Available onlin