Atla (mythology)

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Atla (Old Norse for "the quarrelsome") is the name of a giantess or troll woman in the Thulur . According to the Völuspá in skamma ( Hyndlulióð - Hdl 37), she is listed in Norse mythology as one of the nine giant mothers of the god Heimdallr , who conceived him with Odin and born on the edge of the earth. Atla is a water goddess and the daughter of the sea gods Aegir and Ran .

Atla and her eight sisters form the waves of the sea. They helped her father to the sea giants Ägir , the beer for the feast of Asen brew.

The nine daughters of Aegir are given by different names:

  • Atla, Angeyia, Eistla, Eyrgiafa, Giálp, Greip, Imðr, Iárnsaxa, Úlfrún;
  • Atla, Angeia, Eistla, Urgeba, Gelf, Greif, Sind, Eisensaxa, Wolfrun;
  • Bára, Blóðughadda, Bylgja, Dúfa, Hefring, Himinglæva, Hrönn, Kolga, Uðr.

That is, the names do not seem to have been clearly defined, but any synonym for "wave" could be used by the poets.

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