Sól (Germanic mythology): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Prose Edda: Additions.
→‎References: Added cited reference.
Line 48: Line 48:
==References==
==References==
{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin}}
*Bostock, John Knight (1976). ''A Handbook on Old High German Literature''. [[Oxford University Press]]. ISBN 0198153929
* Bostock, John Knight (1976). ''A Handbook on Old High German Literature''. [[Oxford University Press]]. ISBN 0198153929
*Byock, Jesse (Trans.) (2006). ''The Prose Edda''. [[Penguin Classics]]. ISBN 0140447555
* Byock, Jesse (Trans.) (2005). ''The Prose Edda''. [[Penguin Classics]]. ISBN 0140447555
*[[J. P. Mallory|Mallory, J.P.]] (1989). ''In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology and Myth.'' [[Thames & Hudson]]. ISBN 0500276161
* [[J. P. Mallory|Mallory, J.P.]] (1989). ''In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology and Myth.'' [[Thames & Hudson]]. ISBN 0500276161
* Faulkes, Anthony (Trans.) (1995). ''Edda''. [[Everyman's Library|Everyman]]. ISBN 0-4608-7616-3
*Lindow, John (2001). ''Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs''. [[Oxford University Press]]. ISBN 0-19-515382-0.
*Orchard, Andy (1997). ''Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend''. [[Cassell]]. ISBN 0 304 34520 2
* Lindow, John (2001). ''Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs''. [[Oxford University Press]]. ISBN 0-19-515382-0.
* Orchard, Andy (1997). ''Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend''. [[Cassell]]. ISBN 0 304 34520 2
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


Revision as of 05:43, 15 September 2008

"Sunne" redirects here. For the Swedish town, see Sunne (town).
A depiction of Máni and Sól (1895) by Lorenz Frølich.

Sól or Sunna or Sowilo is a goddess associated with (or a personification of) the Sun in Germanic mythology. One of the Merseburg Incantations, written in the 9th or 10th century CE, relates that she was the sister of Sinthgunt. In later Norse mythology, Sól appears in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.

In both the Poetic Edda and the Poetic Edda she is described as the sister of Máni, (the god of the moon) and daughter of Mundilfari. In the Prose Edda, she is described as the daughter of Mundilfari and Glaur as well as the wife of Glen. Sól gives her name to the Younger Futhark s rune. In the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá Sól is referred to as Álfröðull ("elf-beam"[1]).

Merseburg Incantations

Main article: Merseburg Incantations

One of the two Merseburg Incantations (the "horse cure"), recorded in Old High German, mentions Sunna, who is described as having a sister, Sinthgunt, who is otherwise unattested.[2] The incantation describes how Phol and Wodan ride to a wood, and that Balder's foal injures its foot. Amongst others, Sinthgunt enchants it, her sister Sunna enchants it, Friia enchants it, her sister Uolla enchants it, and finally Wodan enchants it. Afterwards, a verse describing the healing of the bone is recorded.

Norse mythology

"The Wolves Pursuing Sol and Mani" (1909) by J. C. Dollman.

Sól, the sun, is mentioned frequently in Old Norse sources but is seldom personified. John Lindow states that "even kennings like 'hall of the sun' for sky may not suggest personification, given the rules of kenning formation" and "that Sól is female and Máni male probably has to do with the grammatical gender of the nouns: Sól is feminine and Máni is masculine."[3]

Poetic Edda

Sól, personified, is referred to a single time in the Poetic Edda. In the poem Vafþrúðnismál stanza 23, Odin tasks the jötunn Vafþrúðnir with a question about the origins of the sun and the moon. Vafþrúðnir responds that Mundilfari is both the father of Sól and Máni, and that they must past through the heavens every day to count the years for man.

Prose Edda

"Far away and long ago" (1920) by Willy Pogany.

Gylfaginning

Sól also appears personified in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, where she is introduced in chapter 8 in a quote from stanza 5 of Völuspá. In chapter 11 of Gylfaginning, Gangleri (described as King Gylfi in disguise) asks the enthroned figure of High how the sun and moon are steered. High describes that Sól is one of the two children of Mundilfari, and states that the children were so beautiful they were named after the sun (Sól) and the moon (Máni). Mundilfari has Sól married to a man named Glen, who is otherwise unattested.[3]

High states that the gods were "angered by this arrogance" and that gods had the two put into the heavens. Now in the heavens, the children were made to drive the horses Arvak and Alsvid that drew the chariot of the sun. High relates that the gods had created the chariot to illuminate the worlds from burning embers flying from the fiery world of Muspelheim. In order to cool the horses, the gods placed two bellows beneath their shoulders and that "according to the same lore" the bellows are called Ísarnkol.[4]

In chapter 12 of Gylfaginning, Gangleri states to High that the sun moves quickly, almost as if she were moving so quickly that she was afraid of something and that she could not go faster even if she were afraid of her own death. High responds that "It is not surprising that she moves with such speed. The one chasing her comes close, and there is no escape for her except to run." Gangleri asks who is chasing her, and High responds that two wolves give chase to Sól and Máni. The first wolf, Sköll, chases Sól. High states that Sól fears Sköll and that Sköll will eventually catch her. Hati Hróðvitnisson, the second wolf, runs ahead of Sól to chase after Máni, whom Hati Hróðvitnisson will also catch.[4] In chapter 35 Sól's status as a goddess is stated by High, along with Bil.[5]

In chapter 53, High states that after the events of Ragnarök, Sól's legacy will be continued by a daughter that is no less beautiful than she, who will follow the path she once rode, and, in support, Vafþrúðnismál stanza 47 is then quoted.[6]

Skáldskaparmál

In the Prose Edda book Skáldskaparmál, Sól is first presented in chapter 93, where kennings are given for her; "daughter of Mundilæri", "sister of Máni", "wife of Glen", "fire of sky and air", followed by an excerpt of a work by the 11th century skald Skúli Þórsteinsson:

God-blithe bedfellow of Glen
steps to her divine sanctuary
with brightness; then descends the good
light of grey-clad moon.[7]

In chapter 56, further names for Sól are given; "day-star", "disc", "ever-glow", "all-bright seen", "fair-wheel", "grace-shine", "Dvalinn's toy", "elf-disc", "doubt-disc", and "ruddy".[8] In chapter 58, following a list of horses, the horses Arvakr and Alsviðr are listed as drawing the sun,[9] and, in chapter 75, Sól is included in a list of goddesses.[10]

Theories

Theories have been proposed that Sól, as a goddess, may represent an extension of an earlier Proto-Indo-European sun god or goddess due to Indo-European linguistic connections between Norse Sól, Sanskrit Surya, Gaulish Sulis, Lithuanian Saulė, and Slavic Tsar Solnitse.[11]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Orchard (1997:153).
  2. ^ Bostock (1976:32).
  3. ^ a b Lindow (2001:198-199).
  4. ^ a b Byock (2006:19-20).
  5. ^ Byock (2006:35).
  6. ^ Byock (2006:78).
  7. ^ Faulkes (1995:93). Divided into four lines.
  8. ^ Faulkes (1995:133). Here "Álfröðull" is translated as "elf-disc".
  9. ^ Faulkes (1995:137)
  10. ^ Faulkes (1995:157).
  11. ^ Mallory (1989:129).

References

  • Bostock, John Knight (1976). A Handbook on Old High German Literature. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198153929
  • Byock, Jesse (Trans.) (2005). The Prose Edda. Penguin Classics. ISBN 0140447555
  • Mallory, J.P. (1989). In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology and Myth. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0500276161
  • Faulkes, Anthony (Trans.) (1995). Edda. Everyman. ISBN 0-4608-7616-3
  • Lindow, John (2001). Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515382-0.
  • Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0 304 34520 2
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sól_(Germanic_mythology)&oldid=238522836"