Difference between revisions of "Heimdall" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Snorri Sturluson]]'s Poetic Edda eloquently summarizes this understanding of the deity:
 
[[Snorri Sturluson]]'s Poetic Edda eloquently summarizes this understanding of the deity:
:Heimdallr is the name of one: he is called White God. He is great and holy; nine maids, all sisters, bore him for a son. He is also called Hallinskídi ["Ram"] and Gullintanni ["Golden-teeth"]; his teeth were of gold and his horse is called Gold-Top. He dwells in the place called Himinbjörg ["Heaven-fells"], hard by Bifröst: he is the warder of the gods, and sits there by eheaven's end to guard the bridge from the Hill-Giants [''Jotun'']. He needs less sleep than a bird; he sees equally well night and day a hundred leagues from him, and hears how grass grows on the earth or wool on sheep, and everything that has a louder sound. He has that trumpet which is called ''Gjallar-Horn'', and its blast is heard throughout all worlds.<ref>Snorri Sturluson, ''Gylfaginning'' (XXVII), (Brodeur, 40).</ref>
+
:Heimdallr is the name of one: he is called White God. He is great and holy; nine maids, all sisters, bore him for a son. He is also called Hallinskídi ["Ram"] and Gullintanni ["Golden-teeth"]; his teeth were of gold and his horse is called Gold-Top. He dwells in the place called Himinbjörg ["Heaven-fells"], hard by Bifröst: he is the warder of the gods, and sits there by eheaven's end to guard the bridge from the Hill-Giants [''Jotun'']. He needs less sleep than a bird; he sees equally well night and day a hundred leagues from him, and hears how grass grows on the earth or wool on sheep, and everything that has a louder sound. He has that trumpet which is called ''Gjallar-Horn'', and its blast is heard throughout all worlds. Heimdallr's sword is called Head.<ref>Snorri Sturluson, ''Gylfaginning'' (XXVII), (Brodeur, 40).</ref>
 +
In an intriguing parallel to Odin's sacrifice of one eye for the ability to see the future, it appears that Heimdall sacrificed one of his magical ears (his most notable asset) in order further his own sensory abilities.<ref>Turville-Petrie, 150; Lindow, 170.</ref>
  
<snorri account (40)>
+
Heimdall was, for reasons that have been lost to history, associated with sheep and rams. This explains some of his sobriquets, from the most overt ("Ram") to the more indirect ("Golden-teeth," with the theory being that his teeth were thought to have the same yellow sheen as an older ram's).<ref>Dumézil, 131-132; Turville-Petrie, 151.</ref> Likewise, this also explains why his sword would have been called "Head," as the head presents the exact location of a ram's offensive weapons.<ref>''Ibid''.</ref>
-here mention his sacrifice (parallel to odin's (Lindow, 70))
 
  
<snorri: kennings (113)
+
One of the most confounding elements of Snorri's account is the depiction of Heimdall as the son of nine mothers (with the father generally thought to be Odin).
 +
He was the son of nine different mothers (possibly the nine daughters of [[Ægir]], called billow maidens) and was called the ''White God''. 
 +
Dumézil cites [[Wales|Welsh]] folklore sources which tell how ocean waves come in sets of nine with the ninth one being the ram:
 +
<blockquote>We understand that whatever his mythical value and functions were, ''the scene of his birth made him, in the sea's white frothing, the ram produced by the ninth wave.'' If this is the case, then it is correct to say that he has nine mothers, since one alone does not suffice, nor two, nor three.</blockquote>
  
He was the son of nine different mothers (possibly the nine daughters of [[Ægir]], called billow maidens) and was called the ''White God''.  His [[hall]] was called ''Himinbjörg'' (''Sky Mountain'') and his [[horse]] was ''[[Gultopp|Gulltoppr]]'' (Gold-top). [[Snorri Sturluson]]'s [[Prose Edda]] relates that a [[kenning]] for ''sword'' is ''head of Heimdall'' because Heimdall was struck by a man's head and that this is treated in the poem ''Heimdalargaldr'', a poem unfortunately no longer extant. Similarly, a kenning for ''head'' is ''sword of Heimdall''. The meaning may lie in Heimdall also being called "ram", the weapon of a ram being its head, including the horns. [[Georges Dumézil]] (1959) suggested that this might also be why Heimdall is called White-god.  
+
Old Welsh practice, modern [[French language|French]] practice and modern [[Basque language|Basque]] practice is to refer to white-capped waves as sheep.
  
Heimdall's nickname '''Hallinskíði''' ("Bent Stick") also appears as a kenning for "ram", perhaps referring to the bent horns on a ram's head. Heimdall's nickname '''Gullintanni''' ("Golden-Toothed") would refer to the yellow coloring found in the teeth of old rams. A third name for Heimdall is '''Vindhlér''' ("Wind Shelter"). Dumézil cites [[Wales|Welsh]] folklore sources which tell how ocean waves come in sets of nine with the ninth one being the ram:
+
[[Snorri Sturluson]]'s [[Prose Edda]] relates that a [[kenning]] for ''sword'' is ''head of Heimdall'' because Heimdall was struck by a man's head and that this is treated in the poem ''Heimdalargaldr'', a poem unfortunately no longer extant. Similarly, a kenning for ''head'' is ''sword of Heimdall''. The meaning may lie in Heimdall also being called "ram", the weapon of a ram being its head, including the horns. [[Georges Dumézil]] (1959) suggested that this might also be why Heimdall is called White-god.  
<blockquote>We understand that whatever his mythical value and functions were, ''the scene of his birth made him, in the sea's white frothing, the ram produced by the ninth wave.'' If this is the case, then it is correct to say that he has nine mothers, since one alone does not suffice, nor two, nor three.</blockquote>
 
  
Old Welsh practice, modern [[French language|French]] practice and modern [[Basque language|Basque]] practice is to refer to white-capped waves as sheep.
+
Heimdall's nickname '''Hallinskíði''' ("Bent Stick") also appears as a kenning for "ram", perhaps referring to the bent horns on a ram's head. Heimdall's nickname '''Gullintanni''' ("Golden-Toothed") would refer to the yellow coloring found in the teeth of old rams. A third name for Heimdall is '''Vindhlér''' ("Wind Shelter").  
  
 
Hilda R. Ellis Davidson in ''Gods and Myths of Northern Europe'' sees a link between Heimdall and the [[Vanir]] as do some others, partly based on stanza 15 of the eddic poem ''[[Þrymskviða]]'':
 
Hilda R. Ellis Davidson in ''Gods and Myths of Northern Europe'' sees a link between Heimdall and the [[Vanir]] as do some others, partly based on stanza 15 of the eddic poem ''[[Þrymskviða]]'':

Revision as of 19:52, 19 February 2007


Heimdall returns Brisingamen (the dwarven-crafted aphrodisiacal necklace) to Freyja

Heimdall (Old Norse Heimdallr, the prefix Heim- means home, the affix -dallr is of uncertain origin but it means valley) is one of the Æsir in Norse mythology.

Heimdall in a Norse Context

As a Norse deity, Heimdall belonged to a complex religious, mythological and cosmological belief system shared by the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples. This mythological tradition, of which the Scandinavian (and particularly Icelandic) sub-groups are best preserved, developed in the period from the first manifestations of religious and material culture in approximately 1000 B.C.E. until the Christianization of the area, a process that occurred primarily from 900-1200 C.E.[1] The tales recorded within this mythological corpus tend to exemplify a unified cultural focus on physical prowess and military might.

Within this framework, Norse cosmology postulates three separate "clans" of deities: the Aesir, the Vanir, and the Jotun. The distinction between Aesir and Vanir is relative, for the two are said to have made peace, exchanged hostages, intermarried and reigned together after a prolonged war, which the Aesir had finally won. In fact, the most major divergence between the two groups is in their respective areas of influence, with the Aesir representing war and conquest, and the Vanir representing exploration, fertility and wealth.[2] The Jotun, on the other hand, are seen as a generally malefic (though wise) race of giants who represented the primary adversaries of the Aesir and Vanir.

Heimdall is described as the sentry of the Aesir, guarding Asgard against the depredations of the Jotun (giants).

Characteristics and Mythic Accounts

In this illustration from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript, Heimdall is shown guarding the gate of Valhalla.

First and foremost, Heimdall is described as the guardian of Asgard, the sentry encamped upon Bifrost (the rainbow bridge) who will sound his majestic trumpet (Gjallarhorn ("The Ringing Horn")) to warn the Aesir of any approaching danger. This duty is most often recalled in descriptions of the end times (Ragnarök), when the the peals of the Gjallarhorn will summon all of the gods to their final conflict with the beasts and the Jotun (giants).

Snorri Sturluson's Poetic Edda eloquently summarizes this understanding of the deity:

Heimdallr is the name of one: he is called White God. He is great and holy; nine maids, all sisters, bore him for a son. He is also called Hallinskídi ["Ram"] and Gullintanni ["Golden-teeth"]; his teeth were of gold and his horse is called Gold-Top. He dwells in the place called Himinbjörg ["Heaven-fells"], hard by Bifröst: he is the warder of the gods, and sits there by eheaven's end to guard the bridge from the Hill-Giants [Jotun]. He needs less sleep than a bird; he sees equally well night and day a hundred leagues from him, and hears how grass grows on the earth or wool on sheep, and everything that has a louder sound. He has that trumpet which is called Gjallar-Horn, and its blast is heard throughout all worlds. Heimdallr's sword is called Head.[3]

In an intriguing parallel to Odin's sacrifice of one eye for the ability to see the future, it appears that Heimdall sacrificed one of his magical ears (his most notable asset) in order further his own sensory abilities.[4]

Heimdall was, for reasons that have been lost to history, associated with sheep and rams. This explains some of his sobriquets, from the most overt ("Ram") to the more indirect ("Golden-teeth," with the theory being that his teeth were thought to have the same yellow sheen as an older ram's).[5] Likewise, this also explains why his sword would have been called "Head," as the head presents the exact location of a ram's offensive weapons.[6]

One of the most confounding elements of Snorri's account is the depiction of Heimdall as the son of nine mothers (with the father generally thought to be Odin). He was the son of nine different mothers (possibly the nine daughters of Ægir, called billow maidens) and was called the White God. Dumézil cites Welsh folklore sources which tell how ocean waves come in sets of nine with the ninth one being the ram:

We understand that whatever his mythical value and functions were, the scene of his birth made him, in the sea's white frothing, the ram produced by the ninth wave. If this is the case, then it is correct to say that he has nine mothers, since one alone does not suffice, nor two, nor three.

Old Welsh practice, modern French practice and modern Basque practice is to refer to white-capped waves as sheep.

Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda relates that a kenning for sword is head of Heimdall because Heimdall was struck by a man's head and that this is treated in the poem Heimdalargaldr, a poem unfortunately no longer extant. Similarly, a kenning for head is sword of Heimdall. The meaning may lie in Heimdall also being called "ram", the weapon of a ram being its head, including the horns. Georges Dumézil (1959) suggested that this might also be why Heimdall is called White-god.

Heimdall's nickname Hallinskíði ("Bent Stick") also appears as a kenning for "ram", perhaps referring to the bent horns on a ram's head. Heimdall's nickname Gullintanni ("Golden-Toothed") would refer to the yellow coloring found in the teeth of old rams. A third name for Heimdall is Vindhlér ("Wind Shelter").

Hilda R. Ellis Davidson in Gods and Myths of Northern Europe sees a link between Heimdall and the Vanir as do some others, partly based on stanza 15 of the eddic poem Þrymskviða:

Then Heimdall spoke,       whitest of the Æsir,
Like the other Vanir he knew       the future well.

However other can be also translated even, which would mean instead that Heimdall had foresight "even" as do the Vanir.

The lost Heimdallargaldr may have contained the following adventure which was also referenced in Úlfr Uggason's skaldic poem Húsdrápa of which only fragments are preserved:

Once, Freyja woke up and found that someone had stolen Brisingamen. Heimdall helped her search for it and eventually found the thief, who turned out to be Loki and they fought in the form of seals at Vágasker 'Wave-skerry' and Singasteinn, wherever they may be. Heimdall won and returned Brisingamen to Freyja.

In Sörla þáttr, the story is changed and instead Loki hands the jewelry to Odin, who won't give it back to Freyja until she has promised to start the battle of Hedin and Högni.

In the Old English epic, Beowulf, Brosingamen, is brought back to the shining citadel (perhaps Valhalla or Asgard) by Hama (Heimdall). But Hama flees from the "cunning hostility" of Eormenric indicating extreme euhemerism, for Eormenric almost certainly would have had no part in the tale known to the Norsemen.


Heimdall as liminal figure

File:Manuscript Heimdallr.jpg
Heimdallr blows into Gjallarhorn in this illustration from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript.

<lives on the periphery of Asgard>

Georges Dumézil considers Heimdall an old Indo-European god, a type of god he calls first god which is different from being the highest god. The Thessalian god of Romans Janus would be the Roman reflex to this concept. But there are other first gods. Heimdall is also a frame god, one who appears at the beginning and remains until the end.

Heimdall was destined to be the last of the gods to perish at Ragnarök when he and Loki would slay one another.

The first stanza of eddic poem Völuspá proclaims:

I ask for a hearing       of all the holy races
Greater and lesser,       kinsman of Heimdall.

The eddic poem Rígsthula explains in what way these races are kinsmen of Heimdall, explaining who the god Ríg, identified with Heimdall in a short prose introduction, apparently fathered the three classes of humankind as understood by the poet, the youngest of which fathered in turn Kon the Young (Old Norse Kon ungr) understood as the first immortal king (Old Norse konungr). See Ríg for details. <mentioned in Lindow and Turville-Pietrie>

<no cult (Orchard, 180)>

Inter-religious Parallels

Homologues in Related Indo-European Religions

Dumézil suggested that the Hindu counterpart was the god Dyaus, one of the eight Vasus, who reincarnated as the frame hero Bhishma in the epic Mahabharata, he and his seven brothers being born to a mortal king by the River Ganges who herself had taken on mortal form. But the seven other brothers are returned to their immortal forms by being drowned by their mother immediately after birth. Only Dyaus was compelled to live a full life on earth in the form of Bhishma. Bhishma is destined to never hold power himself or have any direct descendants but acts as an ageless uncle on behalf of the line of lords that tortuously descend from his half-brothers, including finally the five Pandava brothers who represent four classes of society: royalty, noble warrior, lower class club-bearing warrior, and herdsmen. Bhishma is the last to die in the great battle of Kurukshetra.

However Branston (1980) considers the character Heimdall to be cognate with the Vedic Agni god of fire, who is in many Vedic texts is born from the waters or hides within the waters and who is born from two, seven, nine, and ten mothers in various sources, the ten mothers being sometimes explained as the ten fingers which can manipulate a bore-stick to produce fire. This accords with Viktor Rydberg's theories on Heimdall.

Christian Syncresis?

<turville-petrie>

Notes

  1. Lindow, 6-8. Though some scholars have argued against the homogenizing effect of grouping these various traditions together under the rubric of “Norse Mythology,” the profoundly exploratory/nomadic nature of Viking society tends to overrule such objections. As Thomas DuBois cogently argues, “[w]hatever else we may say about the various peoples of the North during the Viking Age, then, we cannot claim that they were isolated from or ignorant of their neighbors…. As religion expresses the concerns and experiences of its human adherents, so it changes continually in response to cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Ideas and ideals passed between communities with frequency and regularity, leading to and interdependent and intercultural region with broad commonalities of religion and worldview.” (27-28).
  2. More specifically, Georges Dumézil, one of the foremost authorities on the Norse tradition and a noted comparitivist, argues quite persuasively that the Aesir / Vanir distinction is a component of a larger triadic division (between ruler gods, warrior gods, and gods of agriculture and commerce) that is echoed among the Indo-European cosmologies (from Vedic India, through Rome and into the Germanic North). Further, he notes that this distinction conforms to patterns of social organization found in all of these societies. See Georges Dumézil's Gods of the Ancient Northmen (especially pgs. xi-xiii, 3-25) for more details.
  3. Snorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning (XXVII), (Brodeur, 40).
  4. Turville-Petrie, 150; Lindow, 170.
  5. Dumézil, 131-132; Turville-Petrie, 151.
  6. Ibid.

Bibliography

  • Branston, Brian. Gods of the North. London: Thames and Hudson, 1980. (Revised from an earlier hardback edition of 1955). ISBN 0-500-27177-1.
  • Davidson, Hilda Roderick Ellis. Gods and Myths of Northern Europe. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1964.
  • DuBois, Thomas A. Nordic Religions in the Viking Age. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8122-1714-4.
  • Dumézil, Georges. "Comparative Remarks on the Scandinavian God Heimdall" in Gods of the Ancient Northmen. Edited by Einar Haugen; Introduction by C. Scott Littleton and Udo Strutynski. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973. ISBN 0-520-02044-8.
  • Lindow, John. Handbook of Norse mythology. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001. ISBN 1-57607-217-7.
  • Munch, P. A. Norse Mythology: Legends of Gods and Heroes. In the revision of Magnus Olsen; translated from the Norwegian by Sigurd Bernhard Hustvedt. New York: The American-Scandinavian foundation; London: H. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1926.
  • Orchard, Andy. Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. London: Cassell; New York: Distributed in the United States by Sterling Pub. Co., 2002. ISBN 0-304-36385-5.
  • Sturlson, Snorri. The Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson: Tales from Norse Mythology. Introduced by Sigurdur Nordal; Selected and translated by Jean I. Young. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1954. ISBN 0-520-01231-3.
  • Snorri Sturluson. The Prose Edda. Translated from the Icelandic and with an introduction by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur. New York: American-Scandinavian foundation, 1916.
  • Turville-Petre, Gabriel. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964.

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