Aegir
Aegir or Ægir ( anord. For sea ) is the name for the giant of the sea according to the prose Edda in Germanic or Nordic mythology . He is also called Gymir or Hlér. In many Nordic stories he is the friend of the gods and entertains them in the role of innkeeper.
etymology
In Old Norse, the name Aegir refers to the sea giant itself and the sea in a secondary manner. The name is related to the ancient Germanic * ahwō, Latin aqua "water". It is therefore a Aquarius (Latin Aquarius). The Danish island of Læsø is considered his home.
Meaning of the aegir in mythology
Aegir is a sea giant who is close to the Aesir , but belongs to the older generation of the Jötunn , and in Norse mythology takes on the features of a sea god . He is the son of Miskorblindi or Fornjótr . His two brothers are Logi , the fire, and Kari , the wind. He is the father of nine daughters, the Ägirstöchtern (Angeyja, Atla, Eistla, Eyrgjafa, Gjálp, Greip, IMDR, Jarnsaxa and Úlfrún), the different types of ocean waves represent (next to the name called Snorri but others: Bára, Blóðughadda, Bylgja, Dúfa, Hefring, Himinglæva, Hrönn, Kolga and Uðr) . His wife is the sea goddess Rán . He lives on the island called Hlésey and is very wise. Since people believed that Aegir only left his underwater kingdom to destroy ships and their crew, prisoners were sacrificed to ensure a safe passage before starting a sea voyage.
Ægir as a host
In the introduction to Lokasenna in the Edda it says:
Ægir, who was called Gymir by another name , had made the nachdemsir beer after receiving the large kettle, as it was just said. To this feast came Odin and Frigg, his wife. Thor did not come because he was on a journey to the east. Sif was there, Thor's wife, Bragi and Idun, his wife.
Aegir in literature
Aegir is often found in the narratives of the Edda , which was written shortly after the Christianization of Iceland. He appears here again and again as a friend of the gods and as a host. In the rest of Scandinavia it is also an integral part of the cult. [Keningar, Egill, Sonatorrek (8), Grm (45), Skaldsk (1) (23) etc.] For example, in the texts on Norwegian prehistory, Egir / Hlér is referred to as the son of Fornjótr and gives us a good example of how Norse mythology is diverse.
Male first name
Ægir is a male given name in Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. In Sweden the form Aegir or Aegir is used.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Rudolf Simek: Lexicon of Germanic mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 368). Kröner, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-520-36801-3 .
literature
- Rudolf Simek : Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 368). 3rd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X .
- Rudolf Simek: Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition. Volume 368). Kröner, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-520-36801-3 .
- Rudolf Simek, Hermann Pálsson : Lexicon of old Norse literature. The medieval literature of Norway and Iceland (= Kröner's pocket edition. Volume 490). 2nd, significantly increased and revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-520-49002-5 .
- Rudolf Simek: Religion and Mythology of the Teutons. Scientific Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 2003, ISBN 3-534-16910-7
- Arnulf Krause: The songs of the gods of the older Edda. Reclam, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-15-018426-6
- Arnulf Krause: The Edda of Snorri Sturluson. Reclam, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-15-000782-8
- Völsungakviða in forna (Helgakviða Hundingsbana II) at "Norrøne Tekster og Kvad", Norway
