Chapter D: DAGR Day. Son of Delling. Dag

DAINN. A hart that gnaws the branches of Ygdrasil. _Daain._

DELLINGR [Dayspring]. The father of Day. _Delling._

DIS; plural DISIR. Attendant spirit or guardian angel. Any female mythic being may be called Dis. _Dis._

DRAUPNIR. Odin's ring. It was put on Balder's funeral-pile. Skirner offered it to Gerd. _Draupner._

DROMI. One of the fetters by which the Fenris-wolf was chained. _Drome._

DUNEYRR, DURAPROP. Harts that gnaw the branches of Ygdrasil. _Durathror._

DURINN. A dwarf, second in degree. _Durin._

DVALINN. A dwarf. _Dvalin._

DVERGR. A dwarf. In modern Icelandic lore dwarfs disappear, but remain in local names, as Dverga-steinn, and in several words and phrases. From the belief that dwarfs lived in rocks an echo is called _dwerg-mal_ (dwarf talk), and _dwerg-mala_ means to echo. The dwarfs were skilled in metal-working.

E

EDDA. The literal meaning of the word is great-grandmother, but the term is usually applied to the mythological collection of poems discovered by Brynjolf Sveinsson in the year 1643. He, led by a fanciful and erroneous suggestion, gave to the book which he found the name Sæmundar Edda, Edda of Sæmund. This is the so-called _Elder Edda_. The _Younger Edda_, is a name applied to a work written by Snorre Sturleson, and contains old mythological lore and the old artificial rules for verse-making. The ancients applied the name _Edda_ only to this work of Snorre. The _Elder Edda_ was never so called. And it is also uncertain whether Snorre himself knew his work by the name of Edda. In the Rigsmal (Lay of Rig) Edda is the progenitrix of the race of thralls.

EGDIR. An eagle that appears at Ragnarok. _Egder._

EGILL. The father of Thjalfe; a giant dwelling near the sea. Thor left his goats with him when on his way to the giant Hymer to get a vessel in which to brew ale.

EIKTHYRNIR. A hart that stands over Odin's hall (Valhal). From his antlers drops water from which rivers flow. _Eikthyrner._

EINHERI; plural EINHERJAR. The only (_ein_) or great champions; the heroes who have fallen in battle and been admitted into Valhal. _Einherje._

EIR. [The word signifies _peace_, _clemency_]. An attendant of Menglod, and the most skillful of all in the healing art. _Eir._

EISTLA. One of Heimdal's nine mothers. _Eistla._

ELDHRIMNIR. The kettle in which the boar Sæhrimner is cooked in Valhal. _Eldhrimner._

ELDIR. The fire-producer; a servant of Æger. _Elder._

ELIVAGAR. The ice-waves; poisonous cold streams that flow out of Niflheim. _Elivagar._

EMBLA. The first woman. The gods found two lifeless trees, the _ask_ (ash) and the _embla_; of the ash they made _man_, of the embla, _woman_.

EYRGJAFA. One of Heimdal's nine mothers. _Eyrgjafa._

F

FAFNIR. Son of Hreidmar. He kills his father to get possession of the Andvarenaut. He afterwards changes himself into a dragon and guards the treasure on Gnitaheath. He is slain by Sigurd, and his heart is roasted and eaten. _Fafner._

FALHOFNIR [Hollow-hoof]. One of the horses of the gods. _Falhofner._

FARBAUTI [Ship-destroyer]. The father of Loke. _Farbaute._

FENRIR or FENRISULFR. The monster-wolf. He is the son of Loke, who bites the hand of Tyr. The gods put him in chains, where he remains until Ragnarok. In Ragnarok he gets loose, swallows the sun and conquers Odin, but is killed by Vidar. _Fenrer_ or _Fenris-wolf_.

FENSALIR. The abode of Frigg. _Fensal._

FJALAR. A misnomer for Skrymer, in whose glove Thor took shelter. _Fjalar._

FJALAR. A dwarf, who slew Kvaser, and composed from his blood the poetic mead. _Fjalar._

FJALAR. A cock that crows at Ragnarok. _Fjalar._

FIMAFENGR. The nimble servant of Æger. He was slain by the jealous Loke. _Fimafeng._

FIMBUL. It means _mighty great_. In the mythology it appears as:

FIMBULFAMBI. A mighty fool. _Fimbulfambe._

FIMBULTYR. The mighty god, great helper (Odin). _Fimbultyr._

FIMBULVETR [_vetr_, winter]. The great and awful winter of three years' duration preceding the end of the world. _Fimbul-winter._

FIMBULTHUL. A heavenly river. _Fimbulthul._

FIMBULTHULR. The great wise man. _Fimbulthuler._

FJOLNIR. One of Odin's many names. _Fjolner._

FJORGYN. A personification of the earth; mother of Thor. _Fjorgyn._

FOLKVANGR. [Paradise, a field]. The folk-field. Freyja's dwelling. _Folkvang._

FORNJOTR. The most ancient giant. He was father of Æger, or Hler, the god of the ocean; of Loge, flame or fire, and of Kaare, wind. His wife was Ran. These divinities are generally regarded as belonging to an earlier mythology, probably to that of the Fins or Celts. _Fornjot._

FORSETI [The fore-sitter, president, chairman]. Son of Balder and Nanna. His dwelling is Glitner, and his office is that of a peacemaker. _Forsete._

FRANANGRS-FORS. The force or waterfall into which Loke, in the likeness of a salmon, cast himself, and where the gods caught him and bound him. _Fraananger-Force._

FREKI. One of Odin's wolves. _Freke._

FREYJA [Feminine of Freyr]. The daughter of Njord and sister of Frey. She dwells in Folkvang. Half the fallen in battle belong to her, the other half to Odin. She lends her feather disguise to Loke. She is the goddess of love. Her husband is Oder. Her necklace is Brisingamen. She has a boar with golden bristles. _Freyja._

FREYR. He is son of Njord, husband of Skade, slayer of Bele, and falls in conflict with Surt in Ragnarok. Alfheim was given him as a tooth-gift. The ship Skidbladner was built for him. He falls in love with Gerd, Gymer's fair daughter. He gives his trusty sword to Skirner. _Frey._

FRIGG. [Love]. She is the wife of Odin, and mother of Balder and queen of the gods, and reigns with Odin in Hlidskjalf. She exacts an oath from all things that they shall not harm Balder. _Frigg._

FULLA [Fullness]. Frigg's attendant. She takes care of Frigg's toilette, clothes and slippers. Nanna sent her a finger-ring from Helheim. She is represented as wearing her hair flowing over her shoulders. _Fulla._

G

GALAR. One of two dwarfs who killed Kvaser. Fjalar was the other. _Galar._

GAGNRADE. A name assumed by Odin when he went to visit Vafthrudner. _Gagnraad._

GANGLERI. One of Odin's names in Grimner's Lay. _Ganglere._

GANGLERI. A name assumed by King Gylfe when he came to Asgard. _Ganglere._

GARDROFA. The goddess Gnaa has a horse by name Hofvarpner. The sire of this horse is Hamskerper, and its mother is Gardrofa. _Gardrofa._

GARMR. A dog that barks at Ragnarok. He is called the largest and best among dogs. _Garm._

GEFJUN or GEFJON. A goddess. She is a maid, and all those who die maids become her maid-servants. She is present at Æger's feast. Odin says she knows men's destinies as well as he does himself. _Gefjun._

GEIRRODR. A son of King Hraudung and foster-son of Odin; he becomes king and is visited by Odin, who calls himself Grimner. He is killed by his own sword. There is also a giant by name Geirrod, who was once visited by Thor. _Geirrod._

GEIRSKOGUL. A valkyrie. _Geirskogul._

GEIRVIMUL. A heavenly river. _Geirvimul._

GERDR. Daughter of Gymer, a beautiful young giantess; beloved by Frey. _Gerd._

GERI. [_gerr_, greedy]. One of Odin's wolves. _Gere._

GERSEMI. One of Freyja's daughters. _Gerseme._

GJALLARBRU [_gjalla_, to yell, to resound]. The bridge across the river Gjol, near Helheim. The bridge between the land of the living and the dead. _Gjallarrbridge._

GJALLARHORN. Heimdal's horn, which he will blow at Ragnarok. _Gjallar horn._

GILLING. Father of Suttung, who possessed the poetic mead. He was slain by Fjalar and Galar. _Gilling._

GIMLI [Heaven]. The abode of the righteous after Ragnarok. _Gimle._

GJALP. One of Heimdal's nine mothers. _Gjalp._

GINNUNGA-GAP. The great yawning gap, the premundane abyss, the chaos or formless void, in which dwelt the supreme powers before the creation. In the eleventh century the sea between Greenland and Vinland (America) was called Ginnunga-gap. _Ginungagap._

GJOLL. One of the rivers Elivagar that flowed nearest the gate of Hel's abode. _Gjol._

GISL [Sunbeam]. One of the horses of the gods. _Gisl._

GLADR [Clear, bright]. One of the horses of the gods. _Glad._

GLADSHEIMR [Home of brightness or gladness]. Odin's dwelling. _Gladsheim._

GLASIR. A grove in Asgard. _Glaser._

GLEIPNIR. The last fetter with which the wolf Fenrer was bound. _Gleipner._

GLER [The glassy]. One of the horses of the gods. _Gler._

GLITNIR [The glittering]. Forsete's golden hall. _Glitner._

GNA. She is the messenger that Frigg sends into the various worlds on her errands. She has a horse called Hofvarpenr, that can run through air and water. _Gnaa._

GNIPAHELLIR. The cave before which the dog Garm barks. _The Gnipa-cave._

GNITAHEIDR. Fafner's abode, where he kept the treasure called Andvarenaut. _Gnita-heath._

GOINN. A serpent under Ygdrasil. _Goin._

GOLL. A valkyrie. _Gol._

GOMUL. A heavenly river. _Gomul._

GONDUL. A valkyrie. _Gondul._

GOPUL. A heavenly river. _Gopul._

GRABAKR. One of the serpents under Ygdrasil. _Graabak._

GRAD. A heavenly river. _Graad._

GRAFVITNIR, GRAFVOLLUDR. Serpents under Ygdrasil. _Grafvitner_; _Grafvollud._

GREIP. [Eng. _grip_]. One of Heimdal's nine giant mothers. _Greip._

GRIMNIR. A kind of hood or cowl covering the upper part of the face. Grimner is a name of Odin from his traveling in disguise. _Grimner._

GROA. The giantess mother of Orvandel. Thor went to her to have her charm the flint-stone out of his forehead. _Groa._

GUILLFAXI [Gold-mane]. The giant Hrungner's horse. _Goldfax._

GULLINKAMBI [Gold-comb]. A cock that crows at Ragnarok. _Gullinkambe_ or _Goldcomb._

GULLTOPPR [Gold-top]. Heimdal's horse. _Goldtop._

GULLVEIG [Gold-thirst]. A personification of gold. Though pierced and thrice burnt, she yet lives. _Gulveig._

GULLINBURSTI [Golden bristles]. The name of Frey's hog. _Gullinburste._

GUNGNIR [To tremble violently]. Odin's spear. _Gungner._

GUNNLOD [To invite]. One who invites war. She was daughter of the giant Suttung, and had charge of the poetic mead. Odin got it from her. _Gunlad._

GYLFI. A king of Svithod, who visited Asgard under the name of Ganglere. The first part of the Younger Edda is called Gylfaginning, which means the Delusion of Gylfe. _Gylfe._

GYLLIR [Golden]. One of the horses of the gods. _Gyller._

GYMIR. A giant; the father of Gerd, the beloved of Frey. _Gymer._

GYMIR. Another name of the ocean divinity Æger. _Gymer._

H

HALLINSKIDI. Another name of the god Heimdal. The possessor of the leaning (_halla_) way. _Hallinskid._

HAMSKERPIR [Hide-hardener]. A horse; the sire of Hofvarpner, which was Gnaa's horse. _Hamskerper._

HAR. The High One, applied to Odin. _Haar._

HARBARDR. The name assumed by Odin in the Lay of Harbard. _Harbard._

HEIDRUNR [Bright-running]. A goat that stands over Valhal. _Heidrun._

HEIMDALR. He was the heavenly watchman in the old mythology, answering to St. Peter in the medieval. According to the Lay of Rig (Heimdal), he was the father and founder of the different classes of men, nobles, churls and thralls. He has a horn called Gjallar-horn, which he blows at Ragnarok. His dwelling is Himinbjorg. He is the keeper of Bifrost (the rainbow). Nine giantesses are his mothers. _Heimdal._

HEL. [Anglo-Sax. and Eng. _hell_; to kill]. The goddess of death, born of Loke and Angerboda. She corresponds to Proserpina. Her habitation is Helheim, under one of the roots of Ygdrasil. _Hel._

HELBLINDI. A name of Odin. _Helblinde._

HELGRINDR. The gates of Hel. _Helgrind_ or _Helgate._

HELHEIM. The abode of Hel. _Helheim._

HERFODR, HERJAFODR. [The father of hosts]. A name of Odin. _Herfather._

HERMODR [Courage of hosts]. Son of Odin, who gives him a helmet and a corselet. He rode on Sleipner to Hel to bring Balder back. _Hermod._

HILDISVINI [Means war]. Freyja's hog. _Hilde-svine._

HIMINBJORG [Heaven, help, defense; hence heaven defender]. Heimdal's dwelling. _Himinbjorg._

HIMINBRJOTR [Heaven-breaker]. One of the giant Hymer's oxen. _Himinbrjoter._

HLESEY. The abode of Æger. _Hlesey._

HLIDSKJALF. The seat of Odin, whence he looked out over all the worlds. _Hlidskjalf._

HLIN. One of the attendants of Frigg; but Frigg herself is sometimes called by this name. _Hlin._

HLODYN. A goddess; a name of the earth; Thor's mother. _Hlodyn._

HLORIDI [Eng. _low_, to bellow, roar, and _reid_, thunder]. One of the names of Thor; the bellowing thunderer. _Hloride._

HNIKARR, HNIKUDR. Names of Odin, _Hnikar_ and _Hnikuder_.

HNOSS [Anglo-Sax. to hammer]. A costly thing; the name of one of Freyja's daughters. _Hnos._

HODDMIMISHOLT. Hodmimer's holt or grove, where the two human beings Lif and Lifthraser were preserved during Ragnarok. _Hodmimer's forest._

HODR. The slayer of Balder. He is blind, returns to life in the regenerated world. The Cain of the Norse mythology. _Hoder._

HOENIR. One of the three creating gods. With Odin and Loder Hœner creates Ask and Embla, the first human pair. _Hoener._

HOFVARPNIR [Hoof-thrower]. Gnaa's horse. His father is Hamskerper and mother Gardrofa. _Hofvarpner._

HRAESVELGR [Corpse-swallower]. A giant in an eagle's plumage, who produces the wind. _Hraesvelger._

HRAUDUNGR. Geirrod's father. _Hraudung._

HREIDMARR. Father of Regin and Fafner. He exacts the blood-fine from the gods for slaying Otter. He is slain by Fafner. _Hreidmar_.

HRIMFAXI [Rime-mane]. The horse of night. _Rimefax._

HRIMTHURSAR [Eng. _rime_, hoar-frost]. Rime-giants or frost-giants, who dwell under one of Ygdrasil's roots. _Giants._

HRODVITNIR. A wolf; father of the wolf Hate. _Hrodvitner._

HROPTR. One of Odin's names. _Hropt._

HRUNGNIR. A giant; friend of Hymer. Thor fought with him and slew him. _Hrungner._

HRINGHORNI. The ship upon which Balder's body was burned. _Hringhorn._

HROSSTHJOFR [Horse-thief]. A giant. _Hrosthjof._

HUGINN [Mind]. One of Odin's ravens. _Hugin._

HVERGELMIR [The old kettle]. The spring in the middle of Niflheim, whence flowed the rivers Elivagar. The Northern Tartaros. _Hvergelmer._

HYMIR. A giant with whom Thor went fishing when he caught the Midgard-serpent. His wife was the mother of Tyr. Tyr and Thor went to him to procure a kettle for Æger in which to brew ale for the gods. _Hymer._

HYNDLA. A vala visited by Freyja, who comes to her to learn the genealogy of her favorite, Ottar. _Hyndla._