Bestla

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Bestla ( Old Norse ) is a giantess ( Jötunn ) in Norse mythology , who is considered the mother of Odin in both Eddic literature and Skaldic . Together with Borr , Bestla has a total of three sons, in addition to Odin, Vili and Vé . She is the daughter of the giant Bölthorn and has a brother whose name is not mentioned, but from whom Odin learned his magic songs. Perhaps this is the giant Mimir , who has a close bond with Odin that would fit the confidential position of an uncle (mother brother).

The name Bestlas can no longer be precisely translated. For R. Simek this expresses the old age of the name. One interprets the name either as "beloved", as "Bast (donor)" or similarly as "bark".

FR Schröder discovered Bestla as the yew goddess. In his opinion, the Germanic tree cult originally worshiped chthonic goddesses who were closely related to fertility . Of Ask and Embla , the first two people, it is comparable to that they are descended from trees. However, W. Hunke's suggestion to see a tree in Bestla that gave birth to Odin is rejected as going too far.

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Lieder-Edda : Hávamál . Strophe 140 (citation of the Lieder-Edda after Arnulf Krause: Die Götter- und Heldenlieder der Älteren Edda. Philipp Reclam jun. Verlag, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 978-3-15-050047-7 )
  2. ↑ a b c Snorri Sturluson : Prosa-Edda , Gylfaginning . Chapter 6 (citation of the prose Edda after Arnulf Krause: Die Edda des Snorri Sturluson. Philipp Reclam jun. Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 978-3-15-000782-2 )
  3. ↑ Einarr skálaglamm : Vellekla , verse 4 (10th century)
  4. ↑ Compare Wolfgang Golther : Handbuch der Germanischen Mythologie . New edition after the edition Hirzel, Leipzig 1895, Marix Verlag, Wiesbaden 2004, ISBN 978-3-937715-38-4 , p. 216
  5. ↑ Jan de Vries: Old Norse etymological dictionary. Volume 1, 1957, p. 34; Rudolf Simek: Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition. Volume 368). 3rd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X , p. 50.
  6. ^ Rudolf Simek: Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition. Volume 368). 3rd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X , p. 50.
  7. ↑ Jan de Vries: Old Norse etymological dictionary. Volume 1, 1957, p. 34
  8. ↑ Franz Rolf Schroeder Ingunar-Freyr. Verlag Mohr, Tübingen 1941, p. 69
  9. ↑ Franz Rolf Schroeder Ingunar-Freyr. Verlag Mohr, Tübingen 1941, p. 17
  10. ↑ Jan de Vries: Old Germanic history of religion. 2 volumes. 2nd, revised edition. Verlag Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 1956–57, § 174 and Rudolf Simek: Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition. Volume 368). 3rd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X , p. 50.