SHORT ESSAYS ON NORSE MYTHOLOGICAL THEMES

Vincent Ongkowidjojo2012

SHORT ESSAYS ON NORSE MYTHOLOGICAL THEMES

by Vincent Ongkowidjojo© 2012

1. The Wisdom of Thor2. Balder and the Mistletoe3. The Birth of Heimdal4. Water Barriers in Norse Mythology

The Wisdom of ThorCopyright © 2005 Vincent Ongkowidjojo

In secondary literature, we often find that Thor is only a nitwit who knows nothing else than punching away. Nonetheless many researchers have made the justified remark that a seeming paradox appears in the primary literature. Thor has both sides. For example, Loki mocks Thor for having mistaken a giant glove for a house. On the other hand, Thor appears wide awake when he meets the dwarf Alviss in his home.

Two reasons have lead to the view that Thor only talks with his fists. Firstly, he is professionally a fighter. He therefore trusts in ‘his own might and main’ and does not have to rely on the intellect. He knows that sometimes acting gets quicker and better results than thinking. Secondly, he complements the nature of Odin. This relationship is well expressed in the myth of Harbard the Ferryman.

Despite all that, Thor has a deeper right to knowledge than he is credited for. The symbology used to explain this right is found in the cosmology of the ancient North.

The three main worlds and their respective inhabitants are:

1. Midgard: human beings2. Asgard: divine beings3. Utgard: giants

From the perspective of the gods, Asgard and Midgard are one. Originally, they created Midgard as a home to the gods. Afterwards, they created mankind and made a safe place for them. From that moment onward, the gods had to defend two realms against the forces of the giants. Therefore, the gods are familiar with both realms, but with Utgard they are not familiar. They even fear the unknown, and especially the unpredictable, powers of the giants. The contrast is sometimes termed Innangard (Asgard/Midgard) and Utangard (Utgard), that is ‘inside’ and ‘outside’.

But the Aesir’s job is to ‘know’. And thereof, Odin, as the king of the Aesir, is the exponent. His desire for knowledge is famous. He knows Asgard and Midgard like the back of his hand, only Utgard, the world of giants, remains a mystery and a challenge. That is why we hear of Odin visiting the world of the giants. In that way he comes face to face with the Unknown. Odin has a very good reason to look for knowledge among the giants. As it happens, the giants are the first race. From the race of giants the gods have descended. In the same manner, you could say that humans descended from the gods; and our human ideals are reflected in the images of the gods. In this, we find a certain physical and occult evolution explained. The reason why Odin visits certain giants is because these giants possess knowledge from before Odin’s existence. They are closest to creation. Their bloodline goes right back to Ymir himself. These giants possess the words of Ymir before he was slaughtered. They can supply Odin with more detailed information on the formless aspects of creation.

Thor, on the other hand, does not look for knowledge. Nevertheless, he also meets the giants face to face. And here too, the giants represent the unknown. Of all the gods, though, Thor knows Utgard

the best. Every day he travels into the expanses of the giants. He feels at home among them. Even his own personality looks so much like one of the giants that he can easily be compared with them. To dwell on this for a moment: Loki is exactly the opposite of this. Loki is a giant who comes from Utgard but feels at home in Asgard. Loki behaves like a god in the way Thor looks like a giant, but neither of them can conceal their true nature.

On his expeditions throughout Utgard, Thor meets so many giants of so many kinds that it would be unfair to say that he would not have learned anything on his travels. He knows giants better than Odin does. Perhaps Thor has gained more insight in their character more than in the wisdom these creatures harbour. Yet, it seems that Thor regularly ran into that wisdom and cunning – character traits, by the way, not entirely alien to Odin.

From one myth in particular, we learn that Thor was indeed responsible for the spreading of wisdom and that he ventures towards the realm of the giants with that intention. The poem Hymiskvida relates the story. This Eddic poem narrates how Tyr and Thor obtain a remarkable cauldron from among the giants of Niflheim. The link with wisdom is found in the symbolism of the cauldron. In this instance, references to the Celtic tradition would be appropriate, because the symbolism of the holy cauldron is more and better preserved in the Celtic tradition. In the Northern tradition, the cauldron can nonetheless be linked with drinking of mead and the celebration of the symbel. The same motif also corresponds to that found in the Hindu tradition as the amrta and soma. These are the essence of life itself.

The cauldron compares to the famous Odrerir that contains the Sacred Mead. That means that the cauldron that Thor brings back from Niflheim contains wisdom. It is interesting to draw a further parallel with the Hindu amrta, because there is a story in which this holy drink of the Hindu gods must also be recovered from beyond their grasp. It was no other than Vishnu, the Hindu incarnation of Thor, who stole the drink back from a demon.

The transference of the Mead of Wisdom from Utgard to Asgard marks a development in consciousness. Therefore, if we explain Thor’s function in the context of mind, his role in obtaining wisdom might become clearer.

The three worlds correspond to the three main divisions of consciousness:

1. Midgard: waking consciousness2. Asgard: higher consciousness3. Utgard: the subconscious

By defining these three worlds in terms of consciousness, things suddenly become clear. Thor and Odin are both powers from the Higher Consciousness who deal with what happens in the Subconscious. Note that the superficial consciousness of Midgard is entirely bypassed. The mind works almost instinctively.

The reason why Thor fights giants and Odin questions them is now seen in a different light. One could almost say that they symbolize techniques of how the Light of the Soul endeavours to penetrate into

the dark corners of the mind. Thor’s psychological function is to protect the waking mind against harmful energies and influences. Contrarily, it is Odin’s function to reveal hidden knowledge contained in the Subconscious. His task is to cultivate the potential for knowledge, wisdom and mental abilities latent in the subconscious mind.

Therefore, Utgard is charged with a double load. On the one hand, the subconscious is full of potential, but on the other hand it remains a threat. Herein we find the explanation of the relationship between Odin and Thor and their relation in respect to Utgard.

Thor’s function in the consciousness is what is called ‘defense responses’. The science of psychology is of great help from this point onwards, since it researches the different defense responses of the mind. Thor is the power that prevents us from collapsing from stresses and from having mental breakdowns and the like. By doing that, he gives us a chance to recover from traumatic experiences. However, his direct method of oppressing unwanted desires or emotions is only a short term solution. A good chance exists that Odin, on a level of consciousness, will later have to visit those exact same ‘giants’ to confront the self with its shadow and ultimately draw power from it, as if to learn from such experiences.

From this, we gather that Thor is the god who provides for an immediate, instinctive solution, whereas Odin is the one who provides for a long term, even permanent, solution. Again, this does not only clarify the relationship between both deities, but also their cooperation. Thor is not called Odin’s son for nothing; it symbolizes how closely related they are to each other. At the same time, this reveals that the mental mechanism symbolized by the archetype of Odin is of a paternal nature. Odin eagerly wants to deal with all the traumas and humiliations and mistakes and complexes, and right away too, but the human being of Midgard cannot cope with that all at once. That is why Thor supports Odin. Odin called him into being for that purpose specifically; and does not Thor’s mother Jord symbolize a firm grip on the self and being centred. In this way, a person can survive while the Odinic aspect of consciousness still gets a chance to research the subconscious.

I also suspect that the cauldron occupies a central position in the concept of wisdom. In the cauldron, mead is brewed, and, similarly, in the subconscious thoughts and ideas are brewed. On top of that, the cauldron comes from Utgard, just like the cauldron Thor gets. But Odrerir, too, is recovered from the realm of the giants. Odin steals it from the giant Suttung. The cauldron motif links the Utgardian wisdom with both Thor and Odin.

From all the above, it follows that Thor and Odin work closely together to get a firm grip on and an understanding of the subconscious. They work together to create order in an otherwise shadowy area of the mind.

Balder’s MistletoeCopyright © 2005 Vincent Ongkowidjojo

One day Balder suffered bad dreams. He shared his agony with the counsel of Aesir and immediately, both Odin and Frigg took action, while they are his parents. Their actions, however, differ greatly. While Frigg’s action is in keeping with her motherly function trying to protect her son, Odin wants details. He wants to investigate the case and find meaning in it all.

A Circle of Protection

Odin rode to Hel to dig out the meaning of Balder’s dreams. In the original text, these dreams are described as ballr, an adjective that derives from Old Norse böl. The adjective means ‘fatal’ and the substantive usually attains the connotation of evil. The words is associated with both Loki and Odin. It appears in the Odin’s nickname Bölverkr when he rides to Jotunheim to steal back the Mead of Poetry. This name means He Who Works Evil. Loki is called Bölvasmidr.

At the same time, Frigg attempts to prevent the untimely death of her son. She wards Balder against all evil by making everything swear oaths never to harm Balder. The only thing Frigg skips is the mistletoe. In his tale, Snorri explains Frigg’s reasoning. She thought the plant was too young to ask an oath of. Of course, Loki finds out and works the evil anyway. So, in the end, Balder will be lethally hit by the mistletoe, because small plants grow older, too.

Once Frigg has protected her son with magic, the Aesir start to make fun of him. The invulnerable Balder becomes the centre of attention and the gods gather around him in circle. From the periphery, they shoot at the young and innocent god. The image of a circle with a unit in the centre reminds of the Egyptian and astrological symbol for the sun (). In this case, the dot represents Balder, while the circle symbolizes the gathered Aesir. In runes, you could visualize a circle of twelve Ansuz runes with Sowulo or another solar symbol in the centre.

The Mystery of the Mistletoe

However, a deeper meaning lies behind the role of the mistletoe in this story. The Dutch word for mistletoe (Viscum album) as well as its surrounding folklore answers the question of why it appears in the story. In Dutch, the plant is called maretak. Literally, it means ‘the twig of the mare’. Dutch tak

and English ‘toe’ are synonyms in this context. But ‘mare’ does not refer to horses, although it might in popular etymology. No, the word points to the origin of the word ‘nightmare’.

In folklore, the ‘night-mare’ is a being from the Otherworld that haunts people in the night. It is said to be a female creature that sits upon its victim and paralyzes the person. According to folklore, it also assaulted horses, but ‘mare’ is originally the name of this creature and stems from an older form Mara. The motif is found in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, and in Britain. This kind of superstition was still very much around not a hundred years ago.

According to German sources, the Nightmare was some kind of kobold and belonged to the race of Dark Elves. Incidentally, the German word for nightmare is Alpdrücken, which translates as ‘the pressing of the elf’. We can see how this creature was held responsible for inducing nightmares.

Beyond doubt, people used to see the Mare as an evil creature that surprised people in their sleeps and paralyzed them. Her visit usually heralded the death of that person or another, reminiscent of the Irish Banshee. But what is more, this idea corresponds to what happens with Balder. He is visited by the nightmare and dies afterwards.

People used different charms to ward themselves against the Mare, but one or two in particular deserve our attention. Mistletoe was hung in the bedroom and in the stables to ward off the Mare. Hence the Dutch name for it. In Sweden, mistletoe was used to chase away trolls or thurses. But there was a second remedy. Some German, Dutch and Belgian folktales mention the use of a marevoet or drudenvoet, Drudenfuss, to ward off the nightly creature. And here, we are dealing with the most popular modern pagan symbol: the pentagram. By the way, the word drude or Drude is related to the Old Norse þrúðr. It means ‘strength’ and is connected with Thor. One of his children is the girl Thrud. However, as a class of beings we are talking about evil spirits and witches.

Both the pentagram and the mistletoe were used as protection. How do we integrate this information in the story about Balder’s death? It explains the occurrence of the mistletoe in the story. Only, it seems that the role of that plant shifted from beneficent to malevolent. Instead of protecting Balder, it kills him. Yet, among Celts and Germanics, mistletoe has always been regarded as benevolent. Then, why should it not have been so in the Northern mythology? Perhaps Frigg originally excused the mistletoe to protect Balder. Maybe, Frigg would also have used the pentagram to protect Balder. At least I find that the pentagram is compatible with the energy of Frigg.

Claiming Balder from the Dead

An alternative explanation of Balder’s death by the mistletoe can be found in the reports of Pliny the Elder. He reports how Celtic druids cut the mistletoe with golden sickles and catch it with their white

garments. Afterwards a sacrificial ceremony is held. During those sacrifices, these druids pray to the gods to obtain prosperity. Perhaps this explains the death of Balder. In this case we must see the young god as the sacrifice to please the gods and obtain prosperity.

Is it possible that Balder’s death is in actuality a sacrificial death? It might be, if we remember that he is a solar god and that his cremation is celebrated on Midsummer’s Day. The death of the young god symbolizes the fading of the Sun’s power, but at the same time it holds the promise of new life on Midwinter’s Day.

The mistletoe also represents immortality and regeneration. These are concepts that are connected to Balder, because he will resurrect in the new world - or in the New Year. Some claim that the mistletoe has the property to raise the dead. This reminds us of another version of the legend, in which the gods succeed in bringing Balder back. This moves Frigg in such a way that she starts to weep. Her tears become the white berries on the mistletoe. In nature, these berries only ripen at the end of winter. This fits in well with the fact that the druidic ceremony was performed at midwinter. Maybe these druids addressed their prayers to a goddess, one like Frigg. She is the mother goddess that is celebrated at Mother Night, the night before Yule. The white berries represent the promise of Balder’s rebirth. If this variant of the myth is true, then the symbolism of the mistletoe is cleared after all. Balder never dies, but lives on year after year.

On top of that, mistletoe, too, is strongly associated with solar symbolism. The plant is either cut around midwinter or midsummer. This ties in well with the symbolism of Balder and maybe it means that the plant is the young god’s representative in the natural world. In his book The Golden Bough, Frazer puts forth the idea that Balder dies at Midsummer. His death is symbolized by two acts. Firstly, oak-mistletoe is plucked, and secondly, an oaken need-fire is kindled, which represents his funeral pyre. Thus, the story of Balder outlines an ancient ceremony. In Scandinavia, these bonfires were called Balders balar ‘Balder’s balefires’ according to Frazer. The term uses the same böl that is mentioned in the poem describing Balder’s baleful dreams.

Frazer defines the oak as the tree of the spirit of Balder. The mistletoe that grows on it represents his life. Miraculously, it continues to live through the cold winter. It was the presence of the mistletoe that made the oak spirit invulnerable. Snorri states that “Balder should not be harmed by fire and water”. According to Frazer, exactly these two things can never harm the mistletoe. Fire and water is the first pair of things of which Frigg took an oath. The third thing in the row is equally interesting, because this is iron. And of all things, so Druids know best, never should the mistletoe be cut with iron. That is why they use gold. At the same time this precious metal represents the Sun, with which Balder is linked.

The ‘Evil’ of the Story

Snorri continues his story of how the Aesir mock-fight Balder by three means: They1. shoot (skjóta)2. strike (höggva)3. throw stones (berja grjóti)

These actions are significant in explaining the myth as a ritual. Let’s start in reverse order. The technique of throwing stones was widely used to obtain a piece of the mistletoe. Secondly, the Old Norse word for striking specifically refers to the hewing of trees. The last remaining action is the shooting. This one is ultimately carried out by the innocent Hodr and causes the death of Balder, the spirit of the oak.

When Balder returns, the Voluspa claims that böl has vanished as part of the old world. In my opinion, the word refers to an emotion of envy towards a person. Böl is the evil that someone wishes you. This emerges from mythological passages such as Havamal 126 and the description of Loki’s behaviour. Havamal also mentions that runes are the tool to fight böl with. The rune associated with this concept is Kaunaz, the alternative of Kenaz. This comes to the front when you read the Rune Poems. This emotional evil is struck at someone as if with a weapon. There is a giant’s name Bölthorn that can be explained in this way. Additionally, it may refer to Thurisaz, which is the rune most used in curses, and may be connected to the sleepthorn. The evil of the balethorn and the sleepthorn are related to each other in stanzas 27 and 28 of Sigrdrifumal. Moreover, stanza 30 of the same poem mentions bölrúnar in the context of drunkenness; maybe because one loses one’s mind when drunk.

The mistletoe was used as such a weapon. ‘Toe’ or ‘twig’ can be a kenning for sword or arrow. Moreover, the element ‘toe’ is cognate with the Old Norse teinn. This Old Norse word denotes an amulet. What is even more interesting is that the Old Norse word used to denote the fatal weapon is mistilteinn. It is also the name of a sword in one of the sagas, but variants in English are ‘misselden’ and ‘misseldine’. A ‘tine’ or ‘toe’ refers to a twig, but in a magical context, it refers to a wand or amulet. Magically, it is a wooden amulet inscribed with runes. For example, Fjolsvinsmal mentions a teinn with runes made by Loki. According to the story, the weapon is used to chase away a cock. However, the cock was a symbol of resurrection in the Viking Age. Loki’s twig is called Laevateinn, which means ‘poison twig’. Generally, magical twigs are called gambanteinn and they are usually in the possession of giants.

Last but not least, the story of a shot killing the invulnerable hero can be associated with the myth of Achilles. He too is protected by his mother. She dips him in the underworld river, but in the end, Achilles is killed by a poisonous arrow.

Something Extra with Runes

The image of twelve Aesir surrounding the Sun god can be elaborated on. First of all a pentagram can be inscribed within the circle to protect Balder. Then on the east side a Berkana rune can be placed to represent the goddess Frigg. She is placed in the east because that is the direction of good luck and healing (Sigrdrifumal 11). The east is also connected to the warding aspect of the Berkana rune. Then on the west an Eihwaz rune can be placed to represent the deadly mistletoe. According to Snorri, the mistletoe grew west of Valhalla. Besides a nice alliteration it gives us a good idea of the magic involved. As this direction lies opposite the direction of good luck, the west represents ill luck. The west is traditionally thought of as being the quarter of death. We then become a diagram in which Berkana and Eihwaz are opposite each other, which is astrologically significant.

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Since Balder is one of the Aesir, one can wonder whether there should only be eleven Ansuz runes surrounding him. However, the number twelve is only used symbolically in this context. Also, I would suggest leaving Odin out of this, too. In my opinion, he does not engage in mocking his son. And then there is Hodr. He is not only one of the Aesir, but he is also a brother of Balder. How do we depict him? Either, we depict the twin as a swastika; and Hodr comes to represent the second half of the year. Or, he is part of the Eihwaz rune. Loki too is part of that rune.

Although I associate the mistletoe spear with Eihwaz, there is an alternative. The spear could also be represented by a Laukaz rune, the alternative of Laguz. This rune denotes a young shoot, and that is exactly what Frigg calls the mistletoe. Moreover, Laukaz means ‘garlic’ which is a compound meaning ‘spear-leek’. Hence a shoot that becomes a spear. The l-rune is also associated with poison, as is the Eihwaz rune, which makes it appropriate in the hands of Loki. Moreover, the mistletoe has the quality of being an antidote. Besides, Laguz is the initial of Loki’s name.

If we assume the correspondence between Balder and the oak, then more runic insight can be gained. The oaken rune is Thurisaz, which is generally associated with Thor and lightning. He is a god of protection, an important feature in the story of Balder. Thurisaz is also associated with Loki, so that both aspects of warding and striking are present. Now, if both concepts and gods would unite, a Dagaz rune would arise. This rune is also a good candidate to represent the mistletoe, since this plant does not partake of heaven or earth. And it would emphasize the fact that Balder’s death is not final.

The name Baldr can be spelled Berkana, Ansuz, Laguz, Dagaz and Algiz. Possibly, in ancient Germanic an extra Ansuzrune could be inserted between Dagaz and Algiz. These runes represent the course of events leading to Balder’s death. But in the Younger Runes we have: Bjarkan, Ar, Lögr, Thurs, Yr.

Elder Runes:Berkana represents Frigg who tries to protect her beloved son.Ansuz is the gathering of Aesir who take advantage of Frigg’s wonderful spell.Laguz can be identified with Loki, mixing poison in the play.Dagaz stands for the death of Balder brought about by Hodr and Loki.[an extra Ansuz can denote Hermod’s journey to Hel]Algiz represents Balder in Helheim, because therein lies the Mystery.

Younger Runes:Bjarkan represents Frigg who cannot but protect her son.

Ar is a rune of fortune and plenty representing Balder’s finest qualities.Lögr is the sea over which the dead god fares once he is shot.Thurs is of course the mistletoe weapon guided by Loki.Yr is the bow from which the mistletoe missile was shot.

The same story can be found in the Futhark itself. However, since I take Berkana to mean Frigg and Sowulo to represent Balder, I have to go backwards. Perhaps this is indeed the right direction considering the sadness of this story.

Mannaz represents Balder.Ehwaz represents his nightmare.Berkana represents Frigg defying destiny.Tiwaz represents the gods fighting Balder.Sowulo represents Balder in the centre.Algiz protects Balder from harm.Perthro is Loki discovering the secrets of Frigg.Eihwaz represents the mistletoe.Jera represents the fulfilling of the nightmare: Hodr, Balder’s brother, shoots…and kills. Isa represents Balder’s death.Nauthiz represents Hermod’s attempt to save Balder.Hagalaz: let Hel keep what she has got.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Balder and Hodr represent each one half of the year. That is why, the oak can be safely assumed to be dedicated to Balder. Furthermore, the mistletoe, which allegedly grows on oak, does not kill Balder, but protects him. It guarantees that Balder will be brought from the dead on the eve of Yule by his mother Frigg.

The Ritual of Heimdal’s BirthCopyright © 2007 Vincent Ongkowidjojo

Despite his well defined task in the pantheon, Heimdal remains a mysterious character. This is mainly so because not a lot of myths about him have survived. What is more, Heimdal did not have a cult. He was probably not venerated like Odin, Thor and Frey were, but only served a role in the mysteries. A third reason for Heimdal’s mysteriosity is the uncertainty of whether he is one of the Aesir or the Vanir. On top of that, he is not paired with a goddess.

The latter two aspect, however, have to be put into perspective. In Thrymskvida, Heimdal is described as a Vanic deity. He can see far “as if he is one of the Vanir”, and his sight stretches in space as well as in time. He has got the best sense of all, and we should interpret this both externally as well as internally. That makes Heimdal first and foremost a deity of awareness.

The one goddess associated with Heimdal is Freyja. She is watched over by him after Loki stole her necklace, the Brisingamen. In the poem Thrymskvida, Heimdal again stands up for Freyja. Remarkably, one of Freyja’s nicknames might actually complement the character of Heimdal. At some point, Freyja is called Mardöll or Mardal. The morpheme –dal or döll means ‘shining’. Heimdal and his attributes are numerously described as shining. In the case of the goddess Freyja, it refers to gold.

In myth, Heimdal is invariably linked with the heavens. He lives in Himinbjorg, ‘the Celestial Palace’, and is called White Ase. Both are references to the Sun. His token is the rainbow that bridges heaven and earth. And last but not least, he is called Vindhler, ‘Hler of the Wind’, analogous to Aegir/Hler. Whereas Aegir rules the sea, Heimdal/Vindhler rules the skies.

Ritual Origins

Yet, a lot is known about Heimdal’s mythical origin, too. His birth is extensively described in the Shorter Voluspa (7, 9-10).

In days of yore – one was bornA mighty soul – a son of the Regin

Nine mothers bore him – by a gentleman nobleMaidens of Jotuns – at the edge of the Earth

Gjalp bore him – Greip bore himEistla bore him – and EyrgjafaUlfrun bore him – and AngeyjaImder and Atla – and Jarnsaxa

Thus he waxed – by the power of JordThe ice cold sea – and blood of the boar

A noble man and nine giantesses give birth to the god at the edge of the earth. The nine maidens are usually taken to be Aegir’s daughters, being the crested sea waves. However, the names of the waves are somewhat different. The Nereids of the North are Himinglaeva, Dufa, Bodughadda, Hefring, Unn, Hronn, Bylgja, Drofn and Kolga. The names mentioned in the Shorter Voluspa appear in lists of names of she-trolls.

All the same, the birth of Heimdal is situated at the edge of the Earth. In my opinion, this refers to the coast line or beach, where the elements of water and earth coalesce. There the sand of Mother Earth is caressed by the maidens of the waves. This view is supported by the last two lines of the quote. What’s more, there is said to be a certain beach in Galicia where women let themselves be covered by nine waves to increase their chances of pregnancy.

The seashore is a special place because is situated in two areas and is yet neither of them, so that the edge of the earth is a place ‘between the worlds’. This is occultly significant, because it implies the possibility of a deep and far-reaching creative action. Between the worlds the material world can be transcended and from the spiritual world different dimensions can be influenced at the same time. The edge of the earth is also the place where rainbows are born.

Stanza 10 of the Shorter Voluspa specifies the circumstances of Heimdal’s birth. He emerges by the power of the earth, the cold sea and the blood of the sacrificial animal. At least the latter alludes to a ritual. And because Heimdal is a deity of light, a ceremony held at the midwinter solstice would seem imaginable. This would nicely counterbalance Balder’s ritual at the midsummer solstice.

Since earth and water are directly related to the elements identified in stanza 7 – ‘earth’ is earth and ‘the nine giantesses’ represent the sea – the father of Heimdal can only be identified with the sacrificial animal. The Old Norse word used in the text is sónardreyra, referring to the sónargöltr, the sacrificial boar. The concept són specifies the nature of the ritual. From all this, we gather that Heimdal was brought about by performing a ritual act.

Nine Jotun Maidens The SeaOne Noble Gentleman The Blood of the Sacrificial BoarThe Edge of the Earth The Power of the Earth

This sacrificial boar is the key to the whole thing. It is Frey’s power animal. Sacrificing the boar is expressed by the Old Norse verb sóa, which also occurs in the context of working with the runes in Havamal 144. In this particular case, however, we consider a peace offering, since the word són means reconciliation.

Because of the boar’s presence, I assume that Frey is the acting priest in this ritual. In Ynglingasaga, Njord and Frey have been called blótgoda, sacrificial priests, and Freyja blótgydja. They are also called díar ‘priests’, a word related to tívar (pl.) and Teiwaz (s.). It is plausible to accept that Vanir gods are the ones who most likely perform the ritual of Heimdal’s birth. Moreover, Frey and his boar are distinctly linked with the winter solstice.

The blood of the sacrificial animal symbolizes the activating principle of life. When this settles on the crests of nine waves, it magically engenders the god Heimdal. A similar motive is found in Greek

mythology. The winged horse Pegasus is born from the dripping blood of the slain Medusa and the foam on the wave tops. The person carrying out the sacrifice in this myth is the hero Perseus who had just slain Medusa.

Incidentally, there is a parallel between Perseus and Frey. The story of Perseus’ youth nicely coincides with the myth of the obscure god Ing, who is identified with Frey. As a small baby, Perseus is cast into the sea in a basket. Similarly, still a small child, Ing arrives in Denmark from over the sea.

From the Shorter Voluspa, it seems that Heimdal unites the powers of water and earth and is given life by the blood of the boar. In a way, water and earth may symbolize soul and body. Remember, that the beach was also the place where the gods created man and gave him life.

More Parallels

Within the framework of Norse mythology, Heimdal’s origin is related to the birth of Kvasir. In this situation, too, the concept of són plays a role. The blood of the sacrificed Kvasir is used to brew the mead. Kvasir is slain by a pair of Dwarves, Fjalar and Galar. One of the cauldrons in which the mead is held is called Són, in remembrance of the reconciliation between Aesir and Vanir. Here, too, we can pursue a comparison with the Greek Pegasus, since this winged horse is the patron of poets.

In the fragment from the Shorter Voluspa, Heimdal is described as a child of the Regin. These Regin must be understood as the collective of Aesir and Vanir, to who also belong the Alfar and Disir. Yet, Heimdals characteristics resemble those of the Vanir and Kvasir, too, is at least once attested to be a Vanic deity. The ritual origins of both gods were probably carried out by the Vanic priests, such as Frey and Freyja. Claiming Heimdal to be one of the Regin, makes it difficult to mark him as either Aesic or Vanic. Maybe we should insist that he is neither for the same reason why Kvasir is both. Kvasir is fathered by all the Aesir and all the Vanir, because he originates from the spittle of both races. As such, Kvasir can only be classed as a god of the Regin. Maybe the same holds true for Heimdal.

Of the mothers of Heimdal, one is the best known. Jarnsaxa figures as the mother of Thor’s son Magni and she is equated with Sif in Skaldskaparmal. Her name means ‘iron knife’ and possibly refers to the kind of knife with which the sacrificial animal was killed. Other names of the giantesses are also linked with Thor. This is to be expected, since Thor is the god who deals with the giants the most. Atla, however, might refer directly to Thor. It is the feminine form of Atli, which is one of

Thor’s nicknames. Then there are Gjalp and Greip who are mentioned first among the nine mothers. They are known as daughters of Geirrod. When Thor fares to Geirrod’s court, he faces Gjalp on the way. The giantess tries to fight Thor with water magic.

Thor is the kind of god invoked at every occasion. With his hammer he blesses marriages, funerals, and the runes. He was there when Balder left for Helheim. He may well have been present at Heimdal’s birth, too. After all, Thor is the son of Earth.

On the other hand, the names of the giants may be kennings for certain runes... This might be suggested by such a name as Ulfrun.

The Sacrificial Animal

The appearance of the boar is no coincident. Heimdal’s link with this animal is more intimate than one would think. One of Heimdal’s nicknames is Gulltanni. And this is probably the name of a boar, analogous to Frey’s boar. Although Frey’s boar is usually known as Gullinbursti, it was also called Slidrugtanni. The aspect of gold in both Gulltanni and Gullinbursti refers to the Sun. Frey as well as Heimdal are solar deities.

If Heimdal is associated with the wild boar, it becomes a bit easier to explain the ‘golden teeth’ of Gullintanni. They must be the boar’s tusks. At the same time, another of Heimdal’s mysterious aspects becomes clear. In Lokasenna 48, Loki says that Heimdal’s back is always covered in mud. The mythological reason behind this is the fact that Heimdal leans with his back against Yggdrasil. Every day, the Norns nurse the tree by rubbing clay unto its trunk. But from the power animal’s perspective, Loki’s statement can be more accurately explained. Wild boars are known to play in the mud. After they do that, they scrub their backs against a tree, so that mud sticks on the trees. Of course, it is only natural to assume that the sacrificial animal be identified with the deity itself.

One last aspect of Heimdal needs clarification and may also be explained with the boar identification. There is a strange thing going on with kennings with Heimdal in. The kenning Heimdal’s head means ‘sword’. But, the kenning Heimdal’s sword means ‘head’. These mysterious puns might be explained by the image of the boar. Its tusks are the lethal weapon wielded by its head. The head is the boar’s weapon and the weapon is the boar’s head. The tusks are like swords, making the boar’s head a weapon.

Sword Heimdal’s Head “Boar’s Head”Head Heimdal’s Sword “Boar’s Tusks”

Water Barriers in Northern MythCopyright © 2008 Vincent Ongkowidjojo

The common belief is held that when chased by a spirit a stream should be crossed to stop it coming after you since the ghost cannot cross the water. I can imagine that this is so because of the ethereal fabric of spirits. They would dissolve nearby water. I can imagine the physical qualities of water to be of that kind. The Earth’s etheric field is different near water. Water interacts directly with matter from the astral world. Contrary to the element of earth, water constantly changes.

The following is an overview on the same principle in Northern mythological motifs. I was inspired to write this after reading an article about Native American belief about water barriers, by Robert Hall. All over the world this belief is held true and we find it in our myths as well.

Ifing

There is a river that runs between Asgard and Jotunheim keeping both apart. According to information in Vafthrudnismal, this river never freezes over. Clearly, the idea behind this is that water makes trespassing impossible for giants. The river is called Ifing.

Kerlaug

The gods themselves cannot cross rivers unless they are bridged. When the Aesir descend from Asgard to the Well of Urd they ride horses and take the famous rainbow bridge. Bifrost bridges four rivers, of which there are two called Kerlaug. The horses represent the denser shape of the gods when they descend down the layers of reality. But even then, they never wade.

The only exception among the gods is the mighty Thor. For one, he does not ride horse. And secondly, he is able to wade through the water. The ability is emblematic of his power. He is so strong that the quality of the water’s aura does not affect him. Does Thor have an affinity with water? As a symbol, he is the pulsing blood in our veins, our very own rivers in the body. As a fighter, he is also a symbol of our immune system. And this works mainly through the etheric layer of our physical body. This again is connected with the nervous system, which can also be regarded as a network of rivers. In the same way, meridians or nadis might be visualized as rivers. Nadi means river. Thor’s ability is to keep the strength and structure of a person’s etheric web.

Vimur

Thor wades another river, too. There is a particular myth in which Thor displays the same ability as before. On his way to the giant Geirrod, Thor needs to cross a river. On the other side, one of Geirrod’s daughters is waiting. Her name is Gjalp and she knows magic. By a trick played by the enchantress the waters of the river coil and rise and Thor almost drowns. Just in time, he gets hold of a small rowan tree growing nearby on the river bank. The story teaches that it is very dangerous to cross a river. Even Thor has no guaranteed immunity.

The river is called Vimur and features in one of the Rune Poems. The line goes lögr er vellandi vimur connecting the river with the Laguz rune. The Rune Poem stanza indicates that the river’s power is to boil. It is an archetypal river and is reckoned as one of the Elivagar.

Yet, for all that, Thor is unable to cross the river that Odin ferries. According to Harbardsljod, Thor comes to a river that is too mighty even for him to cross. Since Thor is coming home from slaying giants in the east and we find Odin guarding the river, we may assume this is Ifing.

The Ship

For large portions of water, a bridge will not do. In this case, a boat is used. Analogous to riding a horse, sailing a boat is symbolic of the astral body. Both means are used by shamans to travel to the Otherworlds. Therefore, if a spirit takes a boat, no harm is done. In actuality, the boat takes over the function of land.

The motif appears throughout Norse mythology. Frey owns a magical ship. Baldr sails to Helheim in a boat. Odin ferries Ifing in his boat. Thor goes fishing with a giant. The latter is an interesting story. Thor goes fishing with a giant and goes so far out on sea that the giant actually gets scared. At some point, the boat breaks. It is remarkable how frightened the giant is of the water, according to the myth. In the story, the giant fears the monster Jormungand. In another myth, dwarves ship mead across the water. And last but not least, the giants invade Asgard sailing across the vast sea. Loki is one of the captains and Naglfari is one of the key ships in this battle. A similar motif is found in Egyptian mythology where the Sun God sails the Heavens in a barge.

The dead

The dead in particular are unable to cross the water. They have to be ferried over the water like Balder. Or take the bridge over the river Gjall. In order to enter Helheim, the dead cross the Gjallarbru, the bridge over the Underworld River. Modgud is called the girl that guards this border. A similar story is found in the Ancient Greek world, where Charon was paid an obolon to fare the dead across the river Styx.

Islands

According to Robert Hall, water may be used to imprison spirits. For example, if a man is buried on an island he cannot reach the land to haunt the living. This very idea was present in the minds of our forebears when they told the story of Fenrir and his binding.

Once the Aesir decided to bind Fenrir, they chose a lake and lured the wolf on one of its islands and challenged him there. Even if Fenrir would be able to break his fetters, he would still be surrounded by the magical barrier of water. The gods must have known what they were doing. The procedure is actually similar to the ‘holmgang’. A hólmr was a small island in a river or a lake. Places like this were chosen to fight duels in. A duel was held to settle a dispute.

In conclusion, rivers made perfect boundaries because spirits could not simply cross them. On the other hand, islands were marked places in that way. Enemies could be imprisoned in that way. What’s more, this feature made islands holy, too. Aegir is said to have owned an island off the coast of Denmark. Likewise, Forseti owned an island north of the Netherlands.

Water Sprites

But what if we are dealing with water spirits and shapeshifting?

Many instances are known in which gods and heroes shift shape. Sometimes they change into a water animal. Evidently, in that case they are bound to the medium of their choice. They cannot leave the water. Examples are Loki and Heimdal. They transform themselves into seals and fight. But Loki also changes into a salmon. He must have thought that it consequently made him impossible to catch. Yet again, the one god able to actually go into the water and catch the salmon is Thor. However, the story is based on the fact that Thor is associated with bears and bears catch salmon.

And then there are the water spirits themselves. Again, they are bound by the water. They need the very proximity of water to stay alive. The most famed creatures known to inhabit rivers are nixes and dragons. Of these, nixes are the most common. One of Odin’s nicknames even refers to them: Hnikar. Although they survive in contemporary folktales, they were called undines by the German alchemist Paracelsus in the Middle Ages.

Associated with wells, are the so-called völur. A völva may be a real person, but was also a mythological character. They are always women. They were summoned by the gods to prophecy. This is the case in the Voluspa story. At the same time, it explains why visionary goddesses such as Frigg and Saga were linked to water. The abodes of both goddesses refer to water. Fensalir means ‘bog-hall’ and Sokkvabekk means ‘sunken-bank’. There are a few male entities related to wells. The most important one is Mimir. Wells are oracular because they are connected with the Otherworld.

The sea, too, is full of creatures. And except for dubious characters as Aegir and Ran, who seem to be neither gods nor giants, there are also the waves themselves. Their names are recorded in the Eddas. Equally, the names of the sea maidens from Greek myth, the Nereids, are recorded in Ancient Greek texts. These nymphs are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea. Possibly, there exists an etymological connection between aegir and ‘aegean’.

Nevertheless, the most commonly associated animal of water is the dragon. All dragons, even if they breathe fire, are originally water creatures. And I believe nixes and dragons may be related. From Beowulf we know that Grendel’s mother was a nix.

One of the famous dragons of Norse mythology is Jormungand. This beast encircles the worlds much in the same way as the Greek Ourobouros does. As such, Jormungand represents the intelligence of the sea itself. It is a fearsome creature that wreaks havoc at Ragnarok, if not for Thor to stop him.

Conclusion

So, the waters were feared, even by mortal man who built bridges to overcome his fear and in so doing accommodated the troll...

BIBLIOGRAPHY Jean Chevalier & Alain Gheerbrant, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, Penguin Books,

London 1996. Anthony Faulkes, Edda, Everyman, London 1987. James Frazer, The Golden Bough, Penguin Books, London 1996. Robert L. Hall, Ghosts, Water Barriers, Corn, and Sacred Enclosures in the Eastern Woodlands,

American Antiquity, Vol. 41, No. 3 (Jul., 1976), pp. 360-364. Vincent Ongkowidjojo, Secrets of Asgard, Mandrake, Oxford 2011. Rudolf Simek, Dictionary of Northern Mythology, Boydell & Brewer, Cambridge 1993. Vigfusson & Cleasby, An Icelandic-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1957.

Vincent Ongkowidjojo