In Germanic paganism , Nerthus is a goddess associated with a ceremonial wagon procession. Nerthus is attested by first century A.D. Roman historian Tacitus in his ethnographic work Germania as a "Mother Earth".
73-737: The Nuithones were one of the Nerthus -worshipping Germanic tribes mentioned by Tacitus in Germania . Schütte [3] remarks that the name is probably corrupt and suggests that the correct forms were Teutones or Euthiones ( Jutes ). (Original Latin) " Reudigni deinde et Aviones et Anglii et Varini et Eudoses et Suardones et Nuithones fluminibus aut silvis muniuntur. Nec quicquam notabile in singulis, nisi quod in commune Nerthum, id est Terram matrem, colunt eamque intervenire rebus hominum, invehi populis arbitrantur. ..." --Tacitus, Germania , 40 . (English translation) "There follow in order
146-411: A "prince of men", that he is "lacking in malice", and that he "rules over the "high-timbered temple." In stanza 43, the creation of the god Freyr's ship Skíðblaðnir is recounted, and Freyr is cited as the son of Njörðr. In the prose introduction to the poem Skírnismál , Freyr is mentioned as the son of Njörðr, and stanza 2 cites the goddess Skaði as the mother of Freyr. Further in the poem, Njörðr
219-684: A "secluded lake". According to Tacitus, the slaves are then immediately drowned in the lake. Scholars have linked Tacitus's description of ceremonial wagons found from around Tacitus's time up until the Viking Age , particularly the Germanic Iron Age Dejbjerg wagon in Denmark and the Viking Age Oseberg ship burial wagon in Norway. The goddess's name Nerthus (from Proto-Germanic * Nerþuz )
292-555: A 'female Njörðr' continues into the Old Norse corpus as the Sister-wife of Njörðr and/or in the goddess name Njörun . Scholars associate Tacitus's description of Nerthus's vehiculum (translated above by Birley as "chariot" and by Mattingly as "cart") ritually deposited in a lacus (translated by Birley and Mattingly above as "lake") with ceremonial wagons found ritually placed in peat bogs around Tacitus's time, ceremonial wagons from
365-478: A beloved mythological early king of Sweden in Heimskringla , also written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century, as one of three gods invoked in the 14th century Hauksbók ring oath , and in numerous Scandinavian place names . Veneration of Njörðr survived into the 18th or 19th century Norwegian folk practice, where the god is recorded as Njor and thanked for a bountiful catch of fish. Njörðr has been
438-646: A description of a deity name Lýtir in Flateyjarbók and one featuring Frotho in Gesta Danorum , who is driven around for three days after his death so that the country wouldn't crumble. Both of these names have been interpreted by scholars as likely bynames for Freyr. Some scholars have interpreted this to reflect that this procession occurred as a cyclic ritual associated with the Vanir. According to Jens Peter Schjødt , Schjødt further writes: Hilda Davidson draws
511-627: A direct copy of the Codex Hersfeldensis , the oldest identifiable manuscript of the text. All other manuscripts of Tacitus's Germania are thought by scholars to stem from the Codex Aesinas. Some scholars have continued suggesting alternate readings to Nerthus . For example, in 1992, Lotte Motz proposes that the linguistic correspondence is a coincidence and that "The variant nertum was chosen by Grimm because it corresponds to Njǫrðr". Instead, Motz propose that various female entities from
584-426: A kenning for "warrior". In chapter 80 of the 13th century Icelandic saga Egils saga , Egill Skallagrímsson composes a poem in praise of Arinbjörn ( Arinbjarnarkviða ). In stanza 17, Egill writes that all others watch in marvel how Arinbjörn gives out wealth, as he has been so endowed by the gods Freyr and Njörðr. Veneration of Njörðr survived into 18th or 19th century Norwegian folk practice, as recorded in
657-484: A lot of temples and hörgrs (a type of Germanic altar), and further adds that Njörðr was not raised among the Æsir. In response, Vafþrúðnir says: In Vanaheim the wise Powers made him and gave him as hostage to the gods; at the doom of men he will come back home among the wise Vanir. In stanza 16 of the poem Grímnismál , Njörðr is described as having a hall in Nóatún made for himself. The stanza describes Njörðr as
730-664: A parallel between these incidents and Tacitus's account of Nerthus, suggesting that in addition a neck-ring-wearing female figure "kneeling as if to drive a chariot" also dates from the Bronze Age. Davidson says that the evidence suggests that similar customs as detailed in Tacitus's account continued to exist during the close of the pagan period through worship of the Vanir. Known as bog bodies , numerous well-preserved human remains have been found in peat bogs in Northern Europe. Like
803-537: A power of wealth. In chapter 20, "daughter of Njörðr" is given as a kenning for Freyja. In chapter 33, Njörðr is cited among the gods attending a banquet held by Ægir. In chapter 37, Freyja is again referred to as Njörðr's daughter in a verse by the 12th century skald Einarr Skúlason . In chapter 75, Njörðr is included in a list of the Æsir. Additionally, Njörðr is used in kennings for "warrior" or "warriors" various times in Skáldskaparmál . Njörðr appears in or
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#1733085705098876-565: A reference to Skaði leaving Njörðr: Gundrun became her son's slayer; the wise god-bride [Skadi] could not love the Van; Kialar [Odin] trained horses pretty well; Hamdir is said not to have held back sword-play. Chapter 7 follows and provides various kennings for Freyr, including referring to him as the son of Njörðr. This is followed by an excerpt from a work by the 10th-century skald Egill Skallagrímsson that references Njörðr (here anglicized as "Niord"): For Freyr and Niord have endowed Griotbiorn with
949-492: A sacred cult stone. Similar to Tacitus's description of Nerthus, Cybele was at times closely connected to or conflated with the concept of Terra Mater ('Mother Earth') through her identity as Mater Deum ('Mother of the Gods'), and was at times depicted with a chariot pulled by lions. The minor planet 601 Nerthus is named after Nerthus. The form "Hertha" was adopted by several German football clubs . Up until its superseding as
1022-401: A secret any longer" that Njörðr's son Freyr was produced with his unnamed sister , "though you'd expect him to be worse than he is." The god Tyr then interjects and the flyting continues in turn. Njörðr is referenced in stanza 22 of the poem Þrymskviða , where he is referred to as the father of the goddess Freyja. In the poem, the jötunn Þrymr mistakenly thinks that he will be receiving
1095-593: A tale collected by Halldar O. Opedal from an informant in Odda , Hordaland , Norway. The informant comments on a family tradition in which the god is thanked for a bountiful catch of fish: The old folk [folk in the olden days?] were always rather lucky when they went fishing. One night old Gunnhild Reinsnos (born in 1746) and Johannes Reinsnos were fishing in the Sjosavatn. They had taken a torch and were fishing with live bait. The fish bit well, and it wasn't long before Gunnhild had
1168-507: A tale involving the two. High recalls that Skaði wanted to live in the home once owned by her father called Þrymheimr ("Thunder Home"). However, Njörðr wanted to live nearer to the sea. Subsequently, the two made an agreement that they would spend nine nights in Þrymheimr and then next three nights in Nóatún (or nine winters in Þrymheimr and another nine in Nóatún according to the Codex Regius manuscript ). However, when Njörðr returned from
1241-536: A translation into terms his Roman readers would find familiar." John Lindow says that Tacitus's "identification with Mother Earth probably has much less to do with Jörd in Scandinavian mythology than with fertility goddesses in many cultures". The Phyrgian goddess Cybele had been absorbed into the Roman pantheon by Tacitus's time, and Tacitus served as a priest in the cult of Cybele, which included duties such as washing
1314-601: A variety of ways and affected early manuscript readings of the deity's name (especially Herthum , see "Name and manuscript variations" section above). In his assessment of the Old Norse personification of earth ( Jörð , a goddess in Norse mythology ), McKinnell says that the Old Norse earth personification does not appear to be notably connected to the Vanir , Njörðr, and/or Nerthus. He concludes that "it seems likely that Tacitus equates Nerthus with Terra Mater as an interpretatio Romana ,
1387-411: A week's supply of fish for her pot. So she wound her line around her rod with the words: "Thanks be to him, to Njor, for this time." Scholar Georges Dumézil further cites various tales of "sea people" ( Norwegian : havmennesker ) who govern over sea weather, wealth, or, in some incidents, give magic boats, and proposes that they are historically connected to Njörðr. Njörðr is often identified with
1460-412: Is glossed as "Njörðr". Njörðr is described as a future survivor of Ragnarök in stanza 39 of the poem Vafþrúðnismál . In the poem, the god Odin , disguised as " Gagnráðr " faces off with the wise jötunn Vafþrúðnir in a battle of wits. While Odin states that Vafþrúðnir knows all the fates of the gods, Odin asks Vafþrúðnir "from where Njörðr came to the sons of the Æsir", that Njörðr rules over quite
1533-424: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Nerthus In Germania , Tacitus records that a group of Germanic peoples were particularly distinguished by their veneration of the goddess. Tacitus describes the wagon procession in some detail: Nerthus's cart is found on an unspecified island in the "ocean", where it is kept in a sacred grove and draped in white cloth. Only a priest may touch it. When
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#17330857050981606-450: Is again mentioned as the father of Freyr in stanzas 38, 39, and 41. In the late flyting poem Lokasenna , an exchange between Njörðr and Loki occurs in stanzas 33, 34, 35, and 36. After Loki has an exchange with the goddess Freyja, in stanza 33 Njörðr states: That's harmless, if, besides a husband, a woman has a lover or someone else; what is surprising is a pervert god coming in here, who has borne children. Loki responds in
1679-516: Is burnt by the Swedes, and they weep heavily at his tomb. After Njörðr's reign, his son Freyr replaces him, and he is greatly loved and "blessed by good seasons like his father." In chapter 14 of Saga of Hákon the Good a description of the pagan Germanic custom of Yule is given. Part of the description includes a series of toasts . The toasts begin with Odin's toasts, described as for victory and power for
1752-479: Is etymologically ambivalent, cognate not only with Old Irish nert 'strength' and Greek andro - but with Vedic sū-nrt́ā 'good vigor, vitality' (used especially for Uṣás , thus gender ambivalent)". According to McKinnell, "The meaning of the name has usually been connected with Old Irish nert 'strength' (so 'the powerful one'), but it might be related to Old English geneorð 'contented' and neorxnawang 'paradise' (literally 'field of contentment'), or to
1825-504: Is introduced in Skáldskaparmál within a list of 12 Æsir attending a banquet held for Ægir . Further in Skáldskaparmál , the skaldic god Bragi recounts the death of Skaði's father Þjazi by the Æsir. As one of the three acts of reparation performed by the Æsir for Þjazi's death, Skaði was allowed by the Æsir to choose a husband from amongst them, but given the stipulation that she may not see any part of them but their feet when making
1898-591: Is mentioned in three Kings' sagas collected in Heimskringla ; Ynglinga saga , the Saga of Hákon the Good and the Saga of Harald Graycloak . In chapter 4 of Ynglinga saga , Njörðr is introduced in connection with the Æsir-Vanir War . When the two sides became tired of war, they came to a peace agreement and exchanged hostages. For their part, the Vanir send to the Æsir their most "outstanding men"; Njörðr, described as wealthy, and Freyr, described as his son, in exchange for
1971-494: Is nothing particularly worthy of comment about them as individuals, yet they are particularly distinguished as a group in that they all worship the goddess Nerthus. The chapter reads as follows: Latin: A. R. Birley translation: Harold Mattingly translation: Tacitus does not provide information regarding his sources for his description of Nerthus (nor the rest of Germania ). Tacitus's account may stem from earlier but now lost literary works (such as perhaps Pliny
2044-554: Is the early Germanic etymological precursor to the Old Norse deity name Njörðr , a male deity who is comparably associated with wagons and water in Norse mythology . Together with his children Freyja and Freyr , the three form the Vanir , a family of deities. The Old Norse record contains three narratives featuring ritual wagon processions that scholars have compared to Tacitus's description of Nerthus's wagon procession, one of which (and potentially all of them) focus on Njörðr's son Freyr. Additionally, scholars have sought to explain
2117-402: Is very wealthy and prosperous, and that he can also grant wealth in land and valuables to those who request his aid. Njörðr originates from Vanaheimr and is devoid of Æsir stock, and he is described as having been traded with Hœnir in hostage exchange with between the Æsir and Vanir. High further states that Njörðr's wife is Skaði, that she is the daughter of the jötunn Þjazi , and recounts
2190-617: The Prose Edda book Gylfaginning and in Lejre wed the legendary Danish king Skjöldr . Chambers notes that the mistaken name Hertha (see Name and manuscript variations above) led to the hydronym Herthasee , a lake on the German island of Rügen , which antiquarians proposed as a potential location of the Nerthus site described in Tacitus. However, along with the rejection of the reading Hertha ,
2263-546: The Oseberg tapestry fragments . These fragments depict a wagon procession. In Norse mythology, Njörðr is strongly associated with water, and he and his children, Freyr and Freyja, are particularly associated with wagons. Together this family is known in Old Norse sources as the Vanir . Njörðr is referred to as "god of wagons" (Old Norse vagna guð ) in the principal manuscript of Skáldskaparmál (the Codex Regius). According to
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2336-485: The Prose Edda books Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál . In the Prose Edda , Njörðr is introduced in chapter 23 of the book Gylfaginning . In this chapter, Njörðr is described by the enthroned figure of High as living in the heavens at Nóatún, but also as ruling over the movement of the winds, having the ability to calm both sea and fire, and that he is to be invoked in seafaring and fishing. High continues that Njörðr
2409-569: The Prose Edda , Freyja drives a chariot driven by cats, which scholars have linked to the depiction of nine cats on the Oseberg ship burial wagon, potentially indicating a wagon procession featuring the goddess. Dated to the fourteenth century, Ögmundar þáttr dytts tells of a ritual wagon procession wherein a depiction of Freyr is driven around in a wagon by a priestess in a manner scholars have compared to Tacitus's description. Similar wagon procession-narratives may be found in two other texts, namely
2482-585: The Reudignians , and Aviones , and Angles , and Varinians, and Eudoses , and Suardones and Nuithones; all defended by rivers or forests. Nor in one of these nations does aught remarkable occur, only that they universally join in the worship of Herthum ( Nerthus ) ; that is to say, the Mother Earth."--Tacitus, Germania , 40 , translated 1877 by Church and Brodribb. This article about an ethnic group in Europe
2555-552: The Vanir . Njörðr, father of the deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed sister , was in an ill-fated marriage with the goddess Skaði , lives in Nóatún and is associated with the sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility. Njörðr is attested in the Poetic Edda , compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, the Prose Edda , written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson , in euhemerized form as
2628-501: The seeress Ganna . The two visited Rome for a blessing from Roman emperor Domitian in 92 AD. While Tacitus appears to have been away from Rome during this period, he would have had plenty of opportunity to gain information provided by King Masyas and Ganna from those who spent time with the two during their visit. Tacitus's description of the Nerthus procession has been the subject of extensive discussion from scholars. All surviving manuscripts of Tacitus's Germania date from around
2701-604: The Elder 's lost Bella Germaniae ), potentially his own experiences in Germania, or merchants and soldiers, such as Germanic peoples in Rome, or Germania and Romans who spent time in the region. Tacitus's Germania places particular emphasis on the Semnones, and scholars have suggested that some or all of Tacitus's information may come from King Masyas of the Semnones and/or his high priestess,
2774-451: The Swedes, and he continues the sacrifices. The Swedes recognize him as their king, and pay him tribute. Njörðr's rule is marked with peace and many great crops, so much so that the Swedes believed that Njörðr held power over the crops and over the prosperity of mankind. During his rule, most of the Æsir die, their bodies are burned, and sacrifices are made by men to them. Njörðr has himself "marked for" Odin and he dies in his bed. Njörðr's body
2847-534: The Vanir, and the couple produced their children Freyr and Freyja from this union, though this custom was forbidden among the Æsir. Chapter 5 relates that Odin gave all of his temple priests dwelling places and good estates, in Njörðr's case being Nóatún . Chapter 8 states that Njörðr married a woman named Skaði, though she would not have intercourse with him. Skaði then marries Odin, and the two had numerous sons. In chapter 9, Odin dies and Njörðr takes over as ruler of
2920-555: The Viking Age, and descriptions of ceremonial wagon processions in Old Norse texts. Notable examples include the Dejbjerg wagon —in fact a composite of two wagons—discovered in western Jutland , Denmark. A wagon from the Viking Age was found in the Oseberg ship burial in Norway. This wagon may have been incapable of turning corners and may have been used solely for ritual purposes. The ship burial contains tapestry fragments, today known as
2993-553: The Winds") is a deity who rules over rain and wind, and is the subject of boat and wooden shovel (or, rather, oar) offerings. Due to similarities in between descriptions of Njörðr in Gylfaginning and descriptions of Bieka-Galles in 18th century missionary reports, Axel Olrik identified this deity as the result of influence from the seafaring North Germanic peoples on the landbound Saami. Parallels have been pointed out between Njörðr and
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3066-457: The continental Germanic folklore record, particularly those in central Germany and the Alps, stem from a single source, whom she identifies as Nerthus, and that migrating Germanic peoples brought the goddess to those regions from coastal Scandinavia. After her death, Motz's proposal received support from Rudolf Simek . John Lindow rejects Motz's proposal and Simek's support. He highlights the presence of
3139-509: The difference in gender between the early Germanic and Old Norse forms of the deity, discussed potential etymological connections to the obscure female deity name Njörun , mention of the mysterious Sister-wife of Njörðr , proposed a variety of locations for where the procession may have occurred (generally in Denmark ), and considered Tacitus's sources for his description. Tacitus's Nerthus has had some influence on popular culture, and in particular
3212-463: The dominant reading, Hertha had some influence in German popular culture. For example, Hertha and Herthasee (see "location" section above) play major roles in German novelist Theodor Fontane 's 1896 novel Effi Briest . Nerþuz is a character who appears in Fire Emblem Heroes . Nj%C3%B6r%C3%B0r In Norse mythology , Njörðr ( Old Norse : Njǫrðr ) is a god among
3285-473: The fifteenth century and these display significant variation in the name of the goddess: All attested forms are in accusative case and include Nertum (yielding the nominate form Nerthus ), Herthum (implying a nominative form of Hertha ) and several others (including Nechtum , Neithum , Neherthum , and Verthum ). Of the various forms found in the extant Germania manuscript tradition, two have yielded significant discussion among scholars since at least
3358-432: The figure of Hadingus , attested in book I of Saxo Grammaticus ' 13th century work Gesta Danorum . Some of these similarities include that, in parallel to Skaði and Njörðr in Skáldskaparmál , Hadingus is chosen by his wife Ragnhild after selecting him from other men at a banquet by his lower legs, and, in parallel to Skaði and Njörðr in Gylfaginning , Hadingus complains in verse of his displeasure at his life away from
3431-455: The form Nerthus as the etymological precursor to the Old Norse deity name Njǫrðr , the reading Nerthus has been widely accepted as correct in scholarship. In 1902, the Codex Aesinas (often abbreviated as E ) was discovered, and it was also found to contain the form Nertum , yielding the reading Nerthus . The Codex Aesinas is a fifteenth-century composite manuscript that is considered
3504-421: The form in the Codex Aesinas (discovered in 1902, while Grimm died in 1863), and asks, "would it not be an extraordinary coincidence that a deity who fits the pattern of the later fertility gods should have a name that is etymologically identical with one of them?" Scholars have proposed a variety of locations for Tacitus's account of Nerthus. For example, Anders Andrén says: Some scholars have proposed that
3577-413: The goddess Nerthus , whose reverence by various Germanic tribes is described by Roman historian Tacitus in his 1st CE century work Germania . The connection between the two is due to the linguistic relationship between Njörðr and the reconstructed *Nerþuz , "Nerthus" being the feminine, Latinized form of what Njörðr would have looked like around 1 CE. This has led to theories about
3650-405: The goddess Freyja as his bride, and while telling his fellow jötunn to spread straw on the benches in preparation for the arrival of Freyja, he refers to her as the daughter of Njörðr of Nóatún. Towards the end of the poem Sólarljóð , Njörðr is cited as having nine daughters. Two of the names of these daughters are given; the eldest Ráðveig and the youngest Kreppvör. Njörðr is also mentioned in
3723-451: The king, followed by Njörðr and Freyr's toast, intended for good harvests and peace. Following this, a beaker is drunk for the king, and then a toast is given for departed kin. Chapter 28 quotes verse where the kenning "Njörðr-of-roller-horses" is used for "sailor". In the Saga of Harald Graycloak , a stanza is given of a poem entitled Vellekla ("Lack of Gold") by the 10th century Icelandic skald Einarr skálaglamm that mentions Njörðr in
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#17330857050983796-444: The location is no longer considered to be a potential site. Although Njörðr etymologically descends from * Nerþuz , Tacitus describes Nerthus female while the Old Norse deity Njörðr is male. The form * Nerþuz does not indicate whether the deity was considered male or female. This difference in gender between the two has resulted in significant discussion from scholars. A variety of reasons for this difference have been proposed: Over
3869-414: The location of the Nerthus procession occurred on Zealand in Denmark. They link the Nerthus with the medieval place name Niartharum (modern Nærum ) located on Zealand. Further justification is given in that Lejre , the seat of the ancient kings of Denmark, is also located on Zealand. Nerthus is then commonly compared to the goddess Gefjon , who is said to have plowed the island of Zealand from Sweden in
3942-603: The masculine nouns with u-stems prevailed. However, other scholars hold the change to be based not on grammatical gender but on the evolution of religious beliefs; that *Nerþuz and Njörðr appear as different genders because they are to be considered separate beings. The name Njörðr may be related to the name of the Norse goddess Njörun . Njörðr's name appears in various place names in Scandinavia, such as Nærdhæwi (now Nalavi, Närke ), Njærdhavi (now Mjärdevi, Linköping ; both using
4015-412: The mountains to Nóatún, he says: Hateful for me are the mountains, I was not long there, only nine nights. The howling of the wolves sounded ugly to me after the song of the swans. Skaði then responds: Sleep I could not on the sea beds for the screeching of the bird. That gull wakes me when from the wide sea he comes each morning. High states that afterward Skaði went back up to
4088-560: The mountains to Þrymheimr and recites a stanza where Skaði skis around, hunts animals with a bow, and lives in her fathers old house. Chapter 24 begins, which describes Njörðr as the father of two beautiful and powerful children: Freyr and Freyja. In chapter 37, after Freyr has spotted the beautiful jötunn Gerðr , he becomes overcome with sorrow, and refuses to sleep, drink, or talk. Njörðr then sends for Skírnir to find out who he seems to be so angry at, and, not looking forward to being treated roughly, Skírnir reluctantly goes to Freyr. Njörðr
4161-411: The nineteenth century, Nerthus and Hertha . Hertha was popular in some of the earliest layers of Germania scholarship, such as the edition of Beatus Rhenanus . These scholars linked the name with a common German word for Earth (compare modern German Erde ). This reading has subsequently been rejected by most scholars. Since pioneering nineteenth century philologist Jacob Grimm's identification of
4234-746: The now widely rejected manuscript reading of Hertha in Germany. Scholars commonly identify the goddess Nerthus with Njörðr , a deity who is attested in Old Norse texts and in numerous Scandinavian place names . Scholars identify the Romano-Germanic Nerthus as the linguistic precursor to the Old Norse deity name Njörðr and have reconstructed the form as Proto-Germanic * Nerþuz . As outlined by philologist John McKinnell, "Nerthus > * Njarðuz ( breaking ) > * Njǫrðuz > Njǫrðr ". Scholars have additionally linked both Nerthus and Njörðr to
4307-502: The obscure Old Norse goddess name Njörun . The meaning of the theonym is unclear, but seems to be cognate with Old Irish nert , meaning 'strength', perhaps meaning 'the powerful one'. The name may be related to Old English geneorð , meaning 'contented', and the Old English place name Neorxnawang , used to gloss the word 'paradise' in Old English texts, or the word north . According to philologist Jaan Puhvel , "*Nerthuz
4380-601: The older Germanic fertility goddess Nerthus (early 1st c. CE). Both derive from the Proto-Germanic theonym *Nerþuz . The original meaning of the name is contested, but it may be related to the Irish word nert which means "force" and "power". It has been suggested that the change of sex from the female Nerthus to the male Njörðr is due to the fact that feminine nouns with u-stems disappeared early in Germanic language while
4453-526: The poem " Fjölsvinnsmál ", Svafrþorinn is stated as the father of Menglöð by an unnamed mother, who the hero Svipdagr seeks. Menglöð has often been theorized as the goddess Freyja, and according to this theory, Svafrþorinn would therefore be Njörðr. The theory is complicated by the etymology of the name Svafrþorinn ( þorinn meaning "brave" and svafr means "gossip") (or possibly connects to sofa "sleep"), which Rudolf Simek says makes little sense when attempting to connect it to Njörðr. Njörðr has been
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#17330857050984526-409: The priest detects Nerthus's presence by the cart, the cart is drawn by heifers . Nerthus's cart is met with celebration and peacetime everywhere it goes, and during her procession no one goes to war and all iron objects are locked away. In time, after the goddess has had her fill of human company, the priest returns the cart to her "temple" and slaves ritually wash the goddess, her cart, and the cloth in
4599-530: The relation of the two, including that Njörðr may have once been a hermaphroditic god or, generally considered more likely, that the name may indicate an otherwise unattested divine brother and sister pair such as Freyr and Freyja. Consequently, Nerthus has been identified with Njörðr's unnamed sister with whom he had Freyja and Freyr, which is mentioned in Lokasenna . In Saami mythology , Bieka-Galles (or Biega-, Biegga-Galles, depending on dialect; "The Old Man of
4672-520: The religious term vé ), Nærdhælunda (now Närlunda, Helsingborg ), Nierdhatunum (now Närtuna, Uppland ) in Sweden, Njarðvík in southwest Iceland, Njarðarlög and Njarðey (now Nærøya ) in Norway. Njörðr's name appears in a word for sponge ; Njarðarvöttr (Old Norse: Njarðarvǫttr , "Njörðr's glove"). Additionally, in Old Icelandic translations of Classical mythology the Roman god Saturn 's name
4745-421: The sea and how he is disturbed by the howls of wolves, while his wife Regnhild complains of life at the shore and states her annoyance at the screeching sea birds. Georges Dumézil theorized that in the tale Hadingus passes through all three functions of his trifunctional hypothesis , before ending as an Odinic hero, paralleling Njörðr's passing from the Vanir to the Æsir in the Æsir-Vanir War . In stanza 8 of
4818-422: The selection. Expecting to choose the god Baldr by the beauty of the feet she selects, Skaði instead finds that she has picked Njörðr. In chapter 6, a list of kennings is provided for Njörðr: "God of chariots", "Descendant of Vanir", "a Van", father of Freyr and Freyja, and "the giving God". This is followed by an excerpt from a composition by the 11th century skald Þórðr Sjáreksson , explained as containing
4891-496: The stanza 34, stating that "from here you were sent east as hostage to the gods" (a reference to the Æsir-Vanir War) and that "the daughters of Hymir used you as a pisspot, and pissed in your mouth." In stanza 35, Njörðr responds that: That was my reward, when I, from far away, was sent as a hostage to the gods, that I fathered that son, whom no one hates and is thought the prince of the Æsir . Loki tells Njörðr to "stop" and "keep some moderation", and that he "won't keep it
4964-515: The subject of an amount of artistic depictions. Depictions include Freyr und Gerda; Skade und Niurd (drawing, 1883) by K. Ehrenberg, Njörðr (1893) by Carl Frederick von Saltza , Skadi (1901) by E. Doepler d. J., and Njörd's Desire of the Sea (1908) by W. G. Collingwood . Njörðr is one of the incarnated gods in the New Zealand comedy/drama " The Almighty Johnsons ". The part of "Johan Johnson/Njörðr"
5037-427: The subject of an amount of scholarly discourse and theory, often connecting him with the figure of the much earlier attested Germanic goddess Nerthus , the hero Hadingus , and theorizing on his formerly more prominent place in Norse paganism due to the appearance of his name in numerous place names. Njörðr is sometimes modernly anglicized as Njord , Njoerd , or Njorth . The name Njörðr corresponds to that of
5110-446: The wagons interred in peat bogs discussed above, these bodies were intentionally and ritually placed . Various scholars have linked Tacitus's description of drowned slaves in a "lake" as a reference to the interment of human corpses in peat bogs. For example, according to archaeologist Peter Vilhelm Glob : In his description of Nerthus, Tacitus refers to the goddess as "Mother Earth" ( Terra Mater ). This has been received by scholars in
5183-613: The word 'north' (i.e. 'deity of the northern people', cf. Greek νέρτερος 'belonging to the underworld')." In chapter 40 of his ethnography Germania , Roman historian Tacitus, discussing the Suebian tribes of Germania , writes that, beside the populous Semnones and warlike Langobardi , there are seven more remote Suebian tribes; the Reudigni , Aviones , Anglii , Varini , Eudoses , Suarines , and Nuitones . The seven tribes are surrounded by rivers and forests and, according to Tacitus, there
5256-434: The years, scholars have variously proposed that that Nerthus was likely one of a pair of deities in a manner similar to Njörðr's incestuous children Freyr and Freyja (perhaps involving hieros gamos ), that Nerthus was a hermaphroditic deity, that the deity's gender simply changed from female to male over time, or that Tacitus's account mistakes Nerthus for a female deity rather than male deity. Others have proposed that
5329-408: The Æsir's Hœnir . Additionally, the Æsir send Mímir in exchange for the wise Kvasir . Further into chapter 4, Odin appoints Njörðr and Freyr as priests of sacrificial offerings , and they became gods among the Æsir. Freyja is introduced as a daughter of Njörðr, and as the priestess at the sacrifices. In the saga, Njörðr is described as having once wed his unnamed sister while he was still among
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