Mímameiðr

In Norse mythology, Mímameiðr (Old Norse " Mimi's tree"Simek (2007:216)) is a tree whose branches stretch over every land, is unharmed by fire or metal, bears fruit that assists pregnant women, and upon whose highest bough roosts the cock Víðópnir. Mímameiðr is solely attested in the Old Norse poem '' Fjölsvinnsmál''. Due to parallels between descriptions of the two, scholars generally consider ''Mímameiðr'' to be another name for the world tree Yggdrasil, along with the similarly named Hoddmímis holt, a wood within which Líf and Lífthrasir are foretold to take refuge during the events of Ragnarök. ''Mímameiðr'' is sometimes modernly anglicized as Mimameid or Mimameith.The anglicization ''Mimameid'' is used in such modern works as Lindow (2001:232), whereas ''Mimameith'' appears in Bellows (1923:242).

''Fjölsvinnsmál''

Mímameiðr is mentioned in stanzas of the eddic-meter poem ''Fjölsvinnsmál'', where the tree is described as having limbs that stretch over every land, bearing helpful fruit, and as harboring the cock Víðópnir. The first mention occurs when Svipdagr asks Fjölsviðr to tell him what the name of the tree whose branches reach over every land. Fjolsvith responds that:

This stanza is followed by another where Svipdagr asks Fjölsviðr what grows from the seed of the tree. Fjölsviðr responds that fruit grows from the tree:

In the notes to his translation of this stanza, Bellows comments this stanza is to be understood as explaining that, when cooked, the fruit of Mímameiðr—which he identifies as Yggdrasil—will assure safe childbirth.

A third mention occurs when Svipdagr tells Fjölsviðr to tell him what the name of the glittering, golden cock is that sits "on the highest bough". Fjölsviðr complies, revealing that the cock is named Víðópnir:

Theories

Scholar Rudolf Simek connects Mímameiðr with Mímisbrunnr ("Mímir's well"), which is located beneath one of the three roots of the cosmological tree Yggdrasil. Simek concludes that due to the location of the well, ''Mímameiðr'' is potentially another name for Yggdrasil. In addition, Simek says that Hoddmímis holt ("Hoard- Mímir's" holt)—a wood whose name refers to the same figure and wherein Líf and Lífþrasir survive Ragnarök—may also be another name for Yggdrasil, and therefore is likely the same location as Mímameiðr.Simek (1995:216 and 154).

Scholar John Lindow concurs, noting that if the figures within the location names are the same, then the identification of all the locations as within close vicinity is likely.Lindow (2001:179).

Notes

References

* Bellows, Henry Adams (Trans.) (1923). ''The Poetic Edda''. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation.
* Lindow, John (2001).
Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs
'. Oxford University Press.
* Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. ''Dictionary of Northern Mythology''. D.S. Brewer
* Thorpe, Benjamin (Trans.) (1907). ''The Elder Edda of Saemund Sigfusson''. Norrœna Society.

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Trees in Germanic paganism
Places in Norse mythology
Yggdrasil